Jade Fusion — Restaurant in Downtown Arlington

DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY My mother has been blind most of her life and has relied upon the assistance of guide dogs to navigate public spaces for many years. In the 80's, it was common for us to enter a store or restaurant and encounter a hostess or clerk that did not understand the need for my mom to bring her guide dog with her or the fact that the law protected her right to do so. But it has been many years since she has been denied entry, until now. On March 11th, my mother and her husband decided to go to Angel of the Winds Casino to celebrate their 1 year anniversary. Upon entering the casino they tried to play a few slots and then decided they wanted to start with a good meal first. They selected the Jade Fusion restaurant because they had read the reviews and the menu online first and thought it sounded good so they approached the restaurant to be seated. The hostess at the front stopped them and told them that dogs were not allowed inside. My mom explained that it was a guide dog but the hostess said, absolutely no dogs. My mom further explained that the law protected her right to bring her guide dog with her because she needed him to be her eyes for her but the hostess said that the Stillaguamish tribe does not allow any dogs period and that they were not obligated to observe any federal laws to that purpose. Needless to say, my mother and my step dad left very embarrassed and upset at this interaction. They had driven 45 minutes to get there and left unsatisfied. Later that night, after hearing her story, I called the Casino and asked to speak to a manager. I was directed to the food services manager and repeated this story. The food service manager assured me that she would look into the issue and two days later she called me back to apologize. The manager stated that they do not allow companion animals but that they most definitely do allow guide dogs and that the hostess encountered must not have known this. She assured me that she would ensure that the staff understood the correct policy and offered to give my mom a $40 credit on her casino loyalty card to come back. Two days ago, my mom and step dad decided to return, this time accompanied by her brother in law and 93 year old mother in law. Again, when they approached the hostess, they were told that dogs were not allowed. My mom and step dad related the entire story again, including the discussion with the food services manager and then had to wait while the staff went to get the restaurant manager. After repeating the story again, the restaurant manager allowed them to be seated while she investigated further. As the manager tried unsuccessfully to verify that my mom's card had a $40 credit, the restaurant staff stood nearby keeping an eye on them which made them feel very uncomfortable. Finally, the manager returned and said she couldn't find the credit but offered to give them a 50% discount on the meal. Had it not been for this offer, they would have left immediately but, they stayed through the meal which everyone said was very good. Unfortunately, the quality of the meal and the niceness of the wait staff was not able to reverse the feelings of embarrassment at again being forced to beg to be treated like everyone else. If they had been welcomed into the restaurant when they arrived, if the promised credit had been present on her card, if the staff had not stood around staring at their group as if the expected her well behaved guide dog to jump up and start mauling everyone, this could have been a much...

I wish I took photos but I didn't. I was simply too hungry lol.

(5/5)Katsudon was delicious. Large portion, lots of chicken and egg. Chicken was perectly cooked, as in it was crispy on the outside but not dried out on the inside at all. Next time, I plan to try their loco moco.

(4/5) Egg flower soup was good. I wish there was another element in there like corn or something to create more depth but,hey, it was only 2.50 to add it on to my entree so it was fine.

(5/5) It was cold so I ordered some hot tea. I believe it was a jasmine and oolong blend. Wonderful flavor and served in a cute kettle. Definitely will order again during this pouring down rain type of the year.

I am obsessed with baking and desserts so this feedback is much longer-- apologies.

For dessert, I had the milk tea cake which is based on the flavors of Thai iced tea and the concept of tres leches cake, with whip cream and strawberries on the top. The serving size was massive(at least 4 inches high)-- definitely can be shared between two people easily. It sat neatly in a dish, with the extra Thai iced tea pooling at the bottom.

The flavor profile was very mild, and the texture was not as moist as I expected. As for flavor, I think adding cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon could help. As for moisture, I think poking more holes would help, as maybe increasing the liquid and using a Thai iced tea syrup of some sort.

The strawberries on top were nice, but not in ratio to the cake slice at all. I also think making it a wider slice rather than taller would help increase flavor and moisture as well.

I really wanted to like it but I think for me it was a 3/5. The concept is great though!!!

I had the newest seasonal drink, a coconut mare-tea-ni. It had a little too much cinnamon on top, which i scooped off. The flavor profile was nice but I didn't like the ending note of the coconut milk. It was a nice drink, but not for me (4/5). Next time I will definitely try a yuzu based cocktail :).

The hostess and server were awesome and I liked the ambience inside. I love the "walls" between tables, making the atmosphere more private and intimate.

For all this, I spent $42 before tip and took home leftovers of the katsudon for another meal. I used a player's card which took $4 and some change off as well.

Thank you for the...

Jade Fusion is located inside Angel of the Winds Casino Resort in Arlington, WA. This restaurant serves a variety of Asian dishes with a beautiful presentation and tasty dishes.

The ambiance and design of the space is calm and inviting - a contrast to the loud casino floor.

Since I recently developed nut allergies, I made sure I let our server know and I also let her know not to add any sesame seeds in the dishes.

Here are the dishes our party ordered: Jade Salad with Crispy Fried Shrimp - Crispy with a kick from the chili. Very good. Flank Steak over Kabocha Squash Purée - A heavier entree but savory and delicious! Side Salad - this is what I ordered with the Teriyaki Chicken and I got an allergic reaction to their dressing. I found out later it was sesame dressing! However, despite the allergic reaction, the taste was delicious and something I would have ordered before I had my allergies. Teriyaki Chicken - delicious grilled chicken thigh served with a light drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Chow Fun - I didn’t get to try this Salt and Pepper Pork Chop - I didn’t get to try this but my party did enjoy this pork chop. It was tender. The Kahuna (Chocolate Ganache Cake Donut with Coconut Chocolate Mousse, Salted Caramel Sauce, Toasted Coconut Crumble, Coconut Gelato & Dark Chocolate Syrup) - I didn’t try this for it might have nuts. Mango Mousee Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Yuzu Crust and White Chocolate Koi Fish and fresh Mango. Excellent!

Overall, I liked the space and the food was delicious. Who would have thought this would be...