Like many little restaurants worth trying, Jin Jin 88 doesn’t boast the most eye-catching exterior, but you’ll be rewarded for sampling the fare here: some of the better Chinese and Japanese food in the Panama City Beach area.
It’s possible you may hesitate upon entering, too, on account of the darkish interior, but we think it’s rather a cozy, intimate, even slightly funky ambiance. Nestle into your seat and prepare for a goodly while studying the vast menu.
The menu may come anchored by Chinese and Japanese preparations, but other schools of Asian cookery show up as well, including Thai and Indonesian cuisine. You can go the classic route or try some of Jin Jin 88’s more creative offerings, or mix and match a bit.
On the Chinese side of the equation, you’ve got a rich array of appetizers, including spring and egg rolls, fried or steamed dumplings, and Chinese donuts, plus wonton and other soups. Entrees run the gamut from fried rice and lo mein to chop suey, moo shu, and sweet-and-sour chicken, pork, or shrimp. There’s also a “Health Diet Food” lineup that features steamed, veggie-heavy rice dishes. The Chef’s Recommendations are highlights, including the jampacked Seafood Delight (with lobster, jumbo shrimp, and crab meat decked with veggies and flavored by the house white sauce) and some fiery Szechuan-style plates.
The Japanese menu includes delights prepped fresh in the Jin Jin 88 sushi bar, including specialty rolls such as the Panama City Beach Roll with its eel, avocado, and deep-fried fish and the Gulf of Mexico Roll combining spicy snow crab with yellowtail tuna, asparagus, and avocado. Other offerings include Yaki Soba or Yaki Udon noodle dishes and teriyaki, tempura, and hibachi entrees—plus some enticing Bento Box combos.
As we mentioned, influences from other Asian cuisines spice up the Jin Jin 88 menu, including quite a few crowd-pleasing Thai delicacies such as Pad Thai and Thai curries.
Time to run through a few specific standouts off that eclectic Jin Jin 88 menu!
General Tso’s Chicken
If you’ve got a taste for the spicy, Jin Jin 88’s version of General Tso’s Chicken is well worth experiencing. The combination of the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside chicken pieces, and the full-of-heat sauce is hard to beat.
Beef Lo Mein
The lo mein noodles at Jin Jin 88 are great, and to some extent, it doesn’t matter what you pair them with, from veggies to shrimp. But we’re partial to the delicious beef version of the dish!
Sushi Rolls
Rather than spotlight any one of the dozens of rolls offered at Jin Jin 88, we’ll just urge you to save some room for something from the sushi bar: It’s one of the definite stars of the show at the restaurant, and the variety—from straight-shooting California rolls to the double shrimp tempura and eel whammy of the Jin Jin 88 specialty roll—very nearly guarantees satisfaction around the table.
Indonesia Chicken Fried Rice
Jin Jin 88’s Indonesia Fried Rice dishes get their oomph from a delicious curry sauce, which we think comes best featured on the chicken (though you can also go with beef or shrimp).
Don’t judge a book by its cover: Give Jin Jin 88 a try, and settle in for one of the better surveys of the great big world of Asian cookery that can be had in Panama City Beach!
Insider Tip:
– Here’s a pretty darn irresistible deal for you, and all the more reason to set your sights on the Jin Jin 88 sushi bar: When you buy one sushi roll, you get a second for half-price!