It's not like any other Chinese joint in town: it's on The Ave, it's called Jack's, and though its name includes tapas -- the small-plated, decidely un-Chinese, Spanish bar food -- there's nothing resembling tapas on the menu which as far as we can tell is entirely Chinese, not mainly Chinese. Is it a quibble to mention that it's not a café since they serve no coffee? Probably.
(The website explains the tapas connection this way: In Chinese, tapas is not necessarily food served on small dishes like dim sum. The noodle dishes, sesame bread, biscuits, pickled vegetables that we serve are considered “small eats.” Ooo kay?)
The tapas part is unscrutable, it may be an ESL problem (or an SSL problem) but the Chef's name is Jack Tai, and in the end, that's all we really care about since the menu is a knock-out of dishes we've never had anywhere.
The decor is quirky: the art on the walls is neither Chinese nor even Asian, but this place is authentic as an extended Chinese family can get cooking and serving dishes from a half dozen Chinese cuisines.
And done with the heart, eye and hands of a chef who knows and loves what he's doing.
While the service out of the kitchen can be slow, especially when this place is busy, the staff are friendly and really helpful with the navigation of the printed menu, and the bodacious menu board with its dozens of ever-changing dishes. 
No matter what: get the Sesame & Scallion Bread. It's a huge layered "bread pie" studded with chopped green onions; crispy with sesame seeds and a brown crust; but steamy-soft in the middle. There's enough for 6, but take it home and have it with ginger marmalade with your morning coffee. (photo: scallion bread)
We rarely resist the Sour Napa Cabbage with Lamb. It's a stir fry of the home-fermented Chinese Cabbage, jalepeños, ginger, and garlic.
(photo: Lamb & Sour Napa Cabbage)
The Hand Shaven Noodles are fat and thrown around the wok with vegetables and some other stuff, we can't identify, and really don't care to.
In this dish, as the platter hits the table you can smell the fleeting "wok breath," the elusive essence released into the dish by a good wok when it's used at high temperatures and properly cared for. Once you know what wok breath is, you'll never miss it when it perfumes a dish from a great Chinese kitchen.
We always work that specials board: crispy duck; 3-cup Chicken; Slow-cooked Pork; Been=f & Asparagus; Green Beans with Beef. Mixed Veggies Chickenw/A Golden Crown (which is an omelet over the top of the stir-fry.
On our last visit, we ordered the Sliced Pork with Sun-dried Bok Choy.
The Chinese like the unique flavor of the cabbage- like green when
preserved by blanching in a little salt water then hung on a
clothesline to dry in the sun.
This dish was a mound of the reconstituted bok choy, with star anise
and I don't know what-all covered with a layer of cooked, half inch
thick slices of pork belly. It's then steamed, creating on a steaming
platter of meat, a densely flavored pile of greens surrounded by a
perfume-y puddle of its own clear juice, and garnished with Chinese
parsley (cilantro). It's an acquired tast, we were told... it wasn't
bad, we ate it, but it wouldn't be something we'd order again.
These are the kind of tiny adventures we have come to take and are assured of getting at Jack's. We can lick the envelope as it were, yet always know the fall-back is in the lamb and the scallion pancakes. I suggest you go there at once.
Michael
Huzzah ..
Jack's has been a fagvorite of ours for a long time. I just with they had a better location. The food is far above U District quality.
Posted by: SeattleJew | May 25, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Hey Michael what is that racist picture with the bag?
Posted by: Wild Bill | May 25, 2008 at 10:12 AM
I don't get that to which you are refering Mr Bill as racist. I just see a product of our public school system. An honors student at that.
Posted by: chucks | May 25, 2008 at 10:35 AM
'Wok Breath' ...I'll have to work that in my vocab.
Seattle Jew
Glad to see you back and posting.
Don't let some on this blog chase you off.
Posted by: PugetSound | May 25, 2008 at 02:17 PM
? Chase me off .. not hardly.
Mostly I post at my own blog, www.seattlejew.blogspot.com or at HA.
I ahve been coiminbg here less often mainly because Michael seems supportive off the new format at KIRO and I think it sucks wind. Anyhow wiht Goldy peripherates by KIRO, there is not much worthwhile radio to discuss.
I have been lobbying MH to write something about the fincces of radio. I wonder oif the maliaise is real or the result of an industry that has become overly leveraged?
Posted by: SeattleJew | May 26, 2008 at 12:02 AM
OTOH.
I realy like Mike'schoices of restaurants to review and his style is close to my own plecian tastes.
It used to be easy t find cute places like Jacks. The current reviewers for the Weekly, the Tines and the PI are too much into the expensive places for my taste.
Hay Mike, amybe we need a cheap eats dinner club?
Posted by: SeattleJew | May 26, 2008 at 12:06 AM
For those of us who would rather eat than pray on Sundays, Blathermunch is a treat. For those of us on anti-munch diets, the blathering is, as always, a joyous feast. Keep it coming, Bla'M! Your writing is good enough to eat!
Posted by: Fremont | May 26, 2008 at 12:26 PM
At the risk of sounding like DT, just how processed is Chinese food?
I used to love it big time! But, now I tend towards Japanese cuisine. Too greasy!
Can't get enough hot and sour soup, however.
Jew, you're talking leveraged? I think over Wall Street-ed.
Posted by: joanie hussein | May 27, 2008 at 12:55 AM