PETALING JAYA, Nov 3 — Along the busy Taman SEA thoroughfare from Taman Megah, one may have spotted Jiang Nan Restaurant that opened just last month, bringing well-loved Chinese dishes to the neighbourhood.

The name Jiang Nan may be unfamiliar but its roots are deeply entrenched in the F&B industry with its older sibling, Venicia Restaurant, a name well known in Selayang and later on in Bangsar. 

One may think there’s an Italian link but the restaurant was named after Casa Venicia, the condominium inside which it is located. 

Similarly, the Bangsar outlet is hidden inside Bangsar Puteri condominium, only known to those who frequent the place. 

As it catered to the condominium residents, it  stuck to a formula of offering pork free items with a focus on seafood. Even non-residents flock here for its food. 

Venicia Restaurant also operated in Damansara Perdana but they decided to switch to a new name—Jiang Nan—when they relocated to Taman SEA, as they decided to include pork items on the menu.

Family ties also link it with Selayang’s New Tokyo Restaurant, famed for their seafood, as seen with similar menu items, like their Signature Jiang Nam Prawn, sold by the piece with a market price of around RM70 plus. 

Using freshwater prawns, this is pan fried and given a partial crunchy topping with an irresistible dong quai aroma that one cannot resist. 

Even the residual oil is infused with the Chinese herb that some like to add to their rice. 

Regulars of Venicia will spot old favourites like their Butter Chicken, where fine egg strands top the protein or even their tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken with a choice of swapping to pork. 

Braised Pork Ribs with Yam (RM35) is a signature from New Tokyo Restaurant, and can also be enjoyed here in its glorious soft form where mashed taro is paired with tender pork ribs. 

It’s not a photo your social media fans will go wild about but it’s a type of dish that keeps you reaching for more, as the fragrance of taro infuses the whole dish. 

Other porcine choices include Crispy Fried Pork Knuckle, Marmite Pork Ribs with its sticky coating and even a Dry Curry Pork Ribs. 

The Sauteed Pork Belly (RM35) fell short as it was just a stir fry dish with an assortment of vegetables, slices of pork belly dish and a tangy, spicy sauce.

In their repertoire for greens, aside from the usual suspects like seasonal vegetables cooked in different styles, there’s a small section of unusual dishes like Cabbage with Bitter Gourd, two unlikely vegetables stir fried together or this Bitter Gourd with Salted Egg (RM20).

Each piece of the vegetable is coated with a salted egg crust, infusing it with more flavour.

During lunch, most of the diners are office workers from nearby who enjoy the free bowl of soup served together with an order of fried rice or their Sweet and Sour Pork (RM16) with rice. 

The fried noodles are also popular with diners who are seen tucking into the Cantonese Style Noodles (RM13) with noodles swimming in an eggy sauce. 

A beef variation in the form of Cantonese Style Beef Noodles (RM20) is also superior with that eggy sauce, smoky flat kuey teow noodles and tender pieces of beef. 

The interior is also more modern and refined here, in comparison with Bangsar Venicia that has a more homey style but still retains its signature beige hues. 

This spot may have parking limitations but usually I park across the road where the 99 Speedmart is located and it’s a short jaunt to the restaurant. 

Jiang Nan Restaurant

No. 17, Jalan SS23/15, 

Taman SEA, Petaling Jaya

Open daily: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10pm

Tel: 010-2500732

Facebook: JiangNanRestaurant

•    This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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