Jujube

I’m so disappointed to have to update my review of Jujube! I had such high hopes after an exceptional first experience there. I wish I could give a 2.5 rating to express my true dismay at the lapse in quality, but as 2 stars doesn’t seem quite fair, I’ll have to go with 3 this time. That said, I will certainly hesitate to go back to Jujube.
On 05÷20÷16, the Boy and I went back to Jujube for an early birthday celebration. We arrived around 7 PM with no reservation; we were seated at a table after a short 10 minute wait. No complaints here! The hostess was very friendly and apologized that there was any wait at all.
My first disappointment was that the wine list had already changed — barely two months later! — and my new favorite wine (the Grüner Veltliner) was no longer available. I ordered the Karen Coy sake again, but when it was brought out, it tasted very off — it turns out, the waiter brought «Kamenoi» instead, which sounds similar enough that I can understand the confusion. He switched my drink immediately, apologized for the mix-​up, and did not charge me the extra $ 0.50 for the Karen Coy. Again, no serious complaints yet.
We were so happy with our experience last time that we each ordered almost exactly the same things to eat: he got the Steamed BBQ Pork Dumplings and the Pan-​Roasted Duck Breast, while I ordered the Sweet Potato Fritters and the Duck Spring Rolls again.
The Boy was quite satisfied with his meal. The BBQ dumplings were just as good as last time, he says, and the duck breast was still good (as well as the delicious duck confit taro tots), but for some reason he had leftovers last time and didn’t this time — not sure if the portion size changed? He doesn’t usually finish a full plate. (To note — he’s not a huge fan of the rest of the ingredients — beets, kale, and onion — so he leaves this mostly untouched.)
My meal was not NEARLY as satisfactory, although I did eat all of it. The potato fritters seemed to be undercooked and lacking complexity. Rather than just «soft,» the fritters this time seemed pasty in the center. Although warm all the way through, they definitely seemed to need a bit more time. The dipping sauce was fine, but again — last time I was SO enamored with these things, and this time I ate them mostly without reaction. They were filling, but there was absolutely nothing special about them. I could have had a plain sweet potato and been equally as satisfied (minus the let-​down from my high expectations)! I hoped that the duck spring rolls would redeem the meal, but I was again disappointed. All complexity from the dish was gone; the flavors and textures seemed to blend together, and I could barely tell that the duck was there. The Boy had a bite as well, and remarked that they seemed «bland.» Last time the ingredients were wonderfully complementary, and each bite was an explosion of flavor! I don’t know WHAT happened this time (was it a different chef??), but I would not bother ordering either dish again if it’s always going to be like this. Our first visit might truly have been a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience!
I thought that I could not possibly be disappointed by dessert — how could sorbet be anything less than delicious refreshing? — and I was only partially right. I ordered the sorbet trio again (PRO-​TIP: you can order just one scoop of sorbet if you don’t want all three! The menu doesn’t say this!!), and the flavors were raspberry/​banana, lime/​mint, and grapefruit/​something. The presentation wasn’t as lovely this time, but the candied nuts and mint sprig were still appreciated. The raspberry/​banana sorbet was disappointing; I make my own smoothies at home, and this tasted like something I could have pureed in 30 seconds at home. Not bad, but nothing special. The grapefruit/​something was too icy (in that it didn’t seem to want to pack together, but rather crumbled into individual ice crystals in my bowl) and a bit too sour. Not bad; I ate the whole thing, but I had to alternate bites with something else so that it didn’t get overwhelming. The lime/​mint sorbet, however, was delicious. (The Boy ordered a single scoop of this, but found it much too sour; he ended up leaving about ¾ of it untouched, so I stole a few extra bites from his!)
Overall, not an awful experience. The ambiance was nice, the service was fine (I won’t count the sake mix-​up against them; we all make mistakes, and this one was fixed without hesitation), and the food was all edible and filling and decently enjoyable… but for an $ 85 price tag, I would NOT come here again. I could be equally satisfied (and less disappointed) by going to any number of less expensive restaurants in the Durham/​Chapel Hill area. If I could be reassured that my next experience would rival my first experience, then I’d come back again in a heart-​beat…
I’m SO disappointed, because Boy and I had seriously been considering asking Jujube to cater our WEDDING, and now we have NO confidence in their consistency!

Wow. I’m really disappointed in this experience at Jujube, and it’s all because of the food, service and ambiance is fine, although we did had a power outage half way through the meal, but that’s quickly recovered.
We had the hanger steak and seafood clay pot.
Both plates are Thai fusion style – in other words, Americanized, everything is sugary on the sweet side, presented in big plates and smaller portion (which is funny because American portions is anything but small).
I literally felt a overprice burn – the steak was asked to be cooked medium, and it came burned on the edges. Inside of the steak – completely black and 100% over cooked. The texture is more like beef jerky rather than steak. So needless to say, we showed it to our waiter, and he commented it looked over done and asked if we would like to have it changed. We agreed. Did I mention at this point we were really hungry? Because we were. There was a bit of a wait for table, and food took a long time as well, I can see all the tables around us were waiting for food at the same time. So the second time the food came, although it’s still 100% over cooked, no red, not even a slight of pink in steak (I suspect the kitchen just gave us the same steak back), we just took it and called it a night.
Still have waiter 20% tip, because it’s not his fault. But we sure will not return.

Hidden in the corner of a strip mall, this place is super easy to miss. Even though I’ve had it bookmarked for ever, I’ve unwittingly driven right by it many times without ever noticing. I love all types of Asian food, so Asian fusion just always seems so enticing to me. Unfortunately it usually just ends up being disappointing. Jujube looked like a winner to me, so when I heard Lisa W. and company were down to go I had to tag along, and it was anything but disappointing.
The cocktail menu here is pretty stand-​outish. Once I saw the Bangkok Fever and that it had Thai-​chili infused tequila, you know I had to get that! The drink was, surprisingly, very spicy, but the tequila still had a good smooth flavor and was well balanced with the passionfruit and cinnamon salt on the rim. Everything in the drink just worked together great, I’d highly recommend if you can take some heat.
The amount of dumplings offered here are kinda extensive for the type of restaurant Jujube is. We all ended up ordering different dumplings and sharing, allowing us to cover the most dumpling ground. I had high hopes for the Duck and Chive dumplings, but I’d have to say the BBQ Pork Belly and the Pan-​fried Pork and Cabbage dumplings were the clear winners of the night. It would be essentially impossible for me to go somewhere that offers BBQ pork dumplings, let alone BBQ pork belly dumplings, and not order them. So yeah, you know I was getting some of those, and they were incredible! I could definitely destroy several orders of those, and they were my favorite of the night. The pork had a flawless sweet BBQ flavor, and it’s shredded like pulled pork. Just try it, you will not be disappointed!
I went with the Pan Roasted Duck Breast for an entrée and it was perfect. Duck was cooked just right, the kale and beet salad was a great accompaniment to the rest of the dish, and even the green curry and taro tots were legit stand-​outs. Basically all three parts of the dish would be worth ordering on their own, so all thrown together it was a exceptionally outstanding entrée. I also got to try samples of the Pan-​Fried Crab and Shrimp Cakes, and Seafood Clay Pot entrees and they were both extremely delicious.
I left Jujube completely satisfied. They are pricy, but unlike other comparable places I’ve been to I feel like you do get your money’s worth. I really like their diverse and imaginative menu, and the overall atmosphere of this place. I had good service here, but I guess I would say it is a little more casual or different than most places. This is definitely a once in a while/​special occasion/​date night spot that I’d highly recommend. All I can say is it’s hard to find a place that prepares several Asian cuisines well and from what I tried here, Jujube actually pulls it off and does it well.

I’ve had Jujube bookmarked for some time and finally visited with some fellow foodies to check them out. The décor of this place is date night worthy with good indoor and outdoor seating. Their cocktail list is pretty amazing. Unique, creative, and well-​priced. I highly suggest getting something from the bar. We ordered their duck and chive, BBQ Pork Belly, and Pork and Shrimp dumplings. Skip the duck, consider the pork belly, and for sure order the pork and shrimp. I ordered the Seafood Clay Pot which I enjoyed. They serve it with a daily fish choice which was Mahi Mahi the night we dined and it was a good 5−6-ounce portion. My girlfriend ordered the Pan-​fried Crab & Shrimp Cakes which I liked better than my own meal and she enjoyed as well. Thomas R. ordered the Pan-​roasted Duck Breast which he also thoroughly enjoyed. I would consider them high end Asian with their prices and décor but I think you can find dishes just as delicious and at lower prices in the area. The atmosphere, service, and company made the night for me and even though I enjoyed my evening I’m in no rush to return. I like their sister restaurant, JuJu in Durham better and will likely visit them to enjoy their tapas style menu.

Went here for my birthday dinner. I thought it would be nice since it has such good reviews. It was not. We started with the appetizers: duck and chive dumplings and the pork and shrimp dumplings. The duck and chives tasted just bad. The duck was overpowering and we couldn’t taste any chive at all. The pork and shrimp dumplings were greasy. For the main meal, I had the nights special which was the scallops and a side spinach salad. The scallops were the only redeeming thing of the whole night. Too bad they aren’t a regular item. My date had the pork bulgogi which was overly greasy and flavorless. He didn’t even want to take the leftovers home. Our server was nice. The hostess was a bit rude. Maybe because we were five minutes early for our reservation. We won’t be returning.

Very good fusion, wonderful use of spices and an excellent Gluten-​free menu! Love Jujube for lunch. Busy at dinner

I was torn between bin 54 and here. I’m glad I chose here. It was great food and service. My server was the bartender and service was fast and attentive. I had Vietnamese rolls and coconut soup. Both excellent and ordered seafood pot. I’m glad I tried here.

WOW! I had dinner here a few nights ago and I can not stop talking about how amazing everything was!
We arrived to Jujube and our table wasn’t ready so the manager sent us to the bar for a drink (which he comped) — great customer service!
Once our table was ready, we ordered a few apps — and they were to die for! We started with the BBQ pork belly dumplings (SERIOUSLY AMAZING), the duck and chive dumplings (equally amazing!) and the spicy tuna wontons (also amaze!). After stuffing our faces of these awesome apps we ordered a great bottle of wine and our meals.
I ordered the hanger steak with peanut sauce and cucumber salad because I had seen so many reviews mentioning it. It did not let me down — wow was this steak packed with flavor and cooked just perfectly!
This place is great for dinner with friends, date night or just drinks and apps! I highly recommend everyone giving Jujube a try!

Both of our dinners were delicious and well prepared. Service was great!

Four of us had dinner at Jujube in Chapel Hill, NC on Tuesday evening. The place was packed. This is the first time I’ve eaten at Jujube and I thought the food and service were great. I had the ribs that came with cole slaw and a side of rice. They were wonderful. My wife had spicy shrimp and the soup special and enjoyed it. My son had a vegetarian yellow thai dish that he liked. My daughter-​in-​law had a chicken entrée’ but wasn’t as happy with it. She liked everything else however. I will definitely return and I recommend Jujube. Reservations are a good idea at Jujube.

I was so excited to dine at this place with my friends and dates before our gala since I have heard so many good things about this Asian fusion restaurant in chapel hill. I have to say they did not meet my expectations.
The service and interior design were great and creative. Although the place looked small, they were able to accommodate 13 of us with no problem. The menu, however, was limited and overpriced. The pork dumpling was delicious like everyone else had described. But the hanger steak and duck were just average, and the seafood soup was a bad blend of curry with seafood. It might just be my Asian standards, but I think there is some work needed for the fusion between east and west.
Overall it was a good experience but I don’t think we will be coming back to this place. A friend suggested that juju in Durham might be better with a wider range of tapa selection.

My original review said: Casual sophistication, with really good food.
If anything, Jujube’s has gotten better since I first reviewed them in 2012. I really liked the crispy chicken and the Mongolian ribs. The calamari were good, and the duck & chive steamed dumplings were quite tasty.
This is a great place to get Asian fusion food. Don’t let the strip-​mall location deter you, it’s a really good restaurant.

Overall experience… probably about a 3.5.
Sat outside on the patio which was great with a cute ambiance. Service was weird, not bad necessarily but awkward. Drinks were okay, overpriced for the quality (I got sangria).
Food…dumplings were awesome, and the bolognese was pretty good. Everyone else food was the same… pretty good, not spectacular.
Overall…overpriced for lacking a wow factor. But will def be back for half off dumplings on Wednesdays!

Food was more than I expected. Great flavors & waitstaff. I can only find one fault & that would be that the portion sizes are too small for the price. Other than that, loved everything about the place!

Came here for a birthday dinner for a friend. We had a reservation but had to wait 15 extra minutes to get seated. The service overall was slow.
My first thoughts upon walking in was «wow it’s dark and these red walls are kind of. not my jam.» The bathrooms have red walls too — not. my. jam. It was actually kind of scary.
As for the food —
Vietnamese pork sausage: was very dry. The best part was definitely the mashed potatoes and squash.
Hanger steak: was a little chewy but good, and the peanut sauce is very nutty.
The sides basically outshine the entrees, so … Don’t waste your money.

I’ve eaten at quite a few places in Charboro in only a year and a half and Jujube stands out as one of the best.
AMBIENCE– The atmosphere is great for a date or after-​work drink. They pay attention to lighting and seat placement; the music is everything I thought made me cool five years ago (José Gonzalez, Phantogram, etc), which means its a safe place for aging hipsters who have real jobs now.
APPETIZERS– Unbeknownst to me, we went on half-​price dumpling night, a pleasant surprise. We split an order of pork belly dumplings and duck and chive. Easily the best thing to eat in Chapel Hill under $ 4. If you just have five bucks in your pocket, go on a Wednesday night and order the pork belly dumplings. Or duck and chive. No, pork belly.
DRINKS– The drink selection is intimidating. I did not try a cocktail but I enjoyed selections from the beer (bottles) and sake list.
ENTREES– To be fair, I’ve only been once, so maybe my roommate and I did not sample the best entrees, or maybe the bar was set too high by the dumplings. I went with the duck, two ways. The duck cake portion was incredible and if I could choose, I would have gotten that one way twice. The pan-​seared crispy duck was not as crispy as I would have liked. Maybe it’s just my philistine taste buds, but the medium-​rare duck was inedible to me. I’m not a fan of rare meats anyway, so don’t let that dissuade you if you enjoy gnawing on cold meat. My roommate got the flounder special. It was mild, lacked any ‘wow factor’, but still a solid plate. The price of the entrees compared to the appetizers made me regret not just ordering a few rounds of dumplings.
DESSERT– We split a macadamia sablé tart (say that three times fast). It was the perfect size splittable dessert and quite delicious. Definitely for fans of pistachio and honey.
If I weren’t moving away I’d be back more often. I’ll definitely make a point to come here when I visit Chapel Hill.

Haven’t been here for years and regret not having been back sooner. I went with my daughter and had a great Asian themed meal. We started by sharing Ha Gow, shrimp dumplings. Excellent dumplings, both the shrimp filling and the rice noodle shell, some of the best I’ve had, but not exactly a bargain at $ 7 for 3.
For my main course, I had a special, a char siu ribeye. The steak was great, flavorful, tender, and surprisingly decent size for a non-​steak house. It came with some great vegetables, grilled in a nice hoisin sauce, as well as sauteed spinach. A fantastic dish.
Finished with a warm macadamia sable tart with pistachio ice cream, the warm tart worked well with the ice cream. My daughter had Bruleed Yuzu Lemon Curd, which if you like lemon is great. Strong lemon taste which goes well with the brulee top.
Overall, really enjoyed the meal. Both interesting and well prepared.

The food is sooooooooo deeeee-​liiii-​cioussss. Oh mi goodness. The short rib and goat cheese wontons were out of this world… they really need to offer a large plate of that! The duck done two ways exceeded my expectations. I stopped eating duck after a bad experience so was weary to order this but so glad I did. It was definitely one of the best duck I’ve had in the Raleigh/​Durham area. Oh, and the salad/​veggies that were served with the duck– SO GOOD.
The ambiance is a bit too bright for my liking and the service was just okay. But the food is on point so service and ambiance don’t even really matter at a place like this. Definitely will be back soon!!!

The asian fusion theme works pretty well here and its a nice hidden gem that’s close to campus and great for group events and something a little more formal. Entrée portions are generous but I personally would still stick to coming here for lunch because dinner prices are still a bit inflated if you’re on a student budget.
However…on wednesday evenings, all of their dumpling apps are half off and end up being $ 3.50 a plate. It’s quite possibly the best way to spend a Wednesday evening!

Really like the new look at JuJuBe. I’ve aways been a fan of the food and the service and it’s still the same with the fresh new look.
So it’s great to see they are doing well, keeping current and even with the new look prices are the same as before.
Love the Dumplings here! Best in the area. Also a fan of the Steak Ban Mi. They have a bunch of new cocktails which were great. Looking forward to when things warm up so I can dine on the patio.
I like going for lunch, but with the new look it’s making for a great date night spot.