text: It was my birthday and though most times I want to pick the most extravagant restaurant I can find to celebrate this night I had a hankering for Chinese It is been forever since I have had Chinese and the only place I have ever liked in the North Scottsdale area has been Jade Palace on Shea We have now moved to way way North Scottsdale so it was time to try out the sister restaurant at the Pinnacle of Scottsdale Plaza I do not know what it is about this complex but it houses two of our other favorite restaurants Toyama for Japanese and Parmigiano Italian Bistro Jade Palace made it a perfect trifectannFirst of all I was surprised at how large the space is and you would never know from the outside what a lovely patio they have The perfect evening weather made it a nobrainer to sit outside It faces a little water feature walkway bridge and lots of foliage Except for the noise from Jalapenos across the way I felt like I was in another world Tables are spaced well so you do not feel like you are on top of any other dinersnnWhen we arrived we were welcomed by everyone including the owner They have a nice little bar area and the waiting area has plenty of room if you have to wait for a table But we did not have to wait since we called fortyfive minutes ahead and made a reservation After all it was a Saturday night I loved too that they had live instrumental music which was perfectly toned and did not interfere with conversationnnOur server was polite and attentive but did not have much personality As I looked around this seemed to be the case overall except for the darling girl who also works at the Shea location who we have come to know from dining there for so many years No harm no foul in the service departmentnnThe North Scottsdale location seems to have the almost identical menu as the Shea location as I remembered My husband had the hot and sour soup which he claimed is the best in the valley and maybe even better than any he is had anywhere They serve complimentary crispy fried wontons with hot mustard and the most divine duck sauce west of New York We also ordered the sauteed green beans which were so delicious I might just have to stop for takeout to have with our home prepared meals My husband had the special Chow Fun noodles They are delicious All they need is a drop of soy to compliment the flavors of the chicken beef and shrimp amid the thick noodles My favorite dish on the menu is the Home Style Bean Curd I have never tasted tofu and vegetables this incredible The sauce is a little spicy but they will accommodate your preference of spicy and I always get medium nnWith the warm weather comes dining out more often so we do not have to heat up the kitchen there is no doubt we will be spending quite a few evenings somewhere in the Pinnacle at Scottsdale Plaza Jade Palace included