Last night, the promise of free drinks lured Christine and I over to the Jade Lounge, a relatively new bar attached to Il Piatto that features pan-Asian cuisine and a pretty decent selection of froofy cocktails.

We sampled quite a few of the house libations, which ranged from very good (a tart pomegraniti-thingy which I don’t believe is on the menu yet) to average (the Monkey’s Plum, a hot toddy with plum brandy—nothing special, could’ve used a bit more booze and a bit more honey and lemon) to sort of confusing (a martini with lemongrass-chili infused vodka and pineapple that bore a strong resemblance to the chicken marinade we had at a restaurant i used to work at). Next time I’ll probably just go for One Complex Trollop: the house martini, served dry with Hendricks gin and a stuffed olive. Can’t go wrong with that.

While we didn’t eat anything (and honestly, the phrase “Asian fusion” doesn’t do much for my appetite; a spring roll is a spring roll is a…), I will definitely be back here for drinks. The biggest selling point is that unlike just about every other bar in the area—Beulahland, Chin Yen, the Bonfire, the Laurelthirst— Jade Lounge is non-smoking. I’ve been itching for a quiet, non-smoking hangout in my ‘hood, someplace I can grab a drink and do some reading without reminders of how much I miss smoking lighting up all around me. And despite my reservations about the menu, it really is a cozy, nicely designed little space, with green hanging lights, comfy purple chairs, pretty wallpaper and curtains, plus sidewalk seating on nice days.

Happy hour from 5-6:30 offers $3 wells (not bad), and a food menu under $5. There were also beer and wine lists, but (drat it) I can’t remember if there were any taps or not…

Anyway, I’d say it’s worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood, especially if you’re looking for something on the low-key side.

Jade Lounge, 2342 SE Ankeny; I believe they’re open from 5 until 10 or 11, although the bartender said they were planning to extend the hours soon for summer.