With its simple wooden chairs and tables, casual ambiance and eclectic approach to decor, Jiieje feels like a cozy trattoria. Though its name conjures anything but Italian, that’s what they serve, with all the requisite pizza and pasta, salad and soup.
The interior is charmingly diverse. Pretty tiling pairs nicely with the saffron-colored walls and the powder-blue plates, while the bar is galvanized by a shiny silver coffee machine and beer taps. Along the counter, animal-adorned cups roam free. The kitchen towards the back is exposed brick, while all around potted plants lend the place a sense of nature, aided by one wall which explodes in greenery. This is in contrast to the large television which looms over the entire room, a relic of the World Cup.
Outside, it’s a different story, the design having fallen prey to the pressure of Xingguo and Xingsheng Lu. Some sort of beer contraption incongruously sits atop each table, while the seating has none of the rustic charm of the indoors. It’s comfortable but lacks identity.
Jiieje is run by a Chinese couple who have spent many years in Italy. The wife sits front of house, polishing glasses, while in the back the husband mans the skillets and saucepans. Food is not too fussy, instead cooked just like mamma – or should that be mama? – used to make.
Fruits de mer dishes in particular are delicious here. The seafood and spinach salad (RMB88) overflows with prawns, clams, mussels and octopus, set off by crisp spinach leaves and juicy plum tomatoes. All the ingredients are lightly sauteed in garlic just before arriving at the table, so that it comes warm and soaked in balsamic.
Spaghetti allo scoglio (RMB86) – while actually penne rather than spaghetti – is equally good, a light tomato sauce coaxing the crab out of its shell, the dish filled out with generous helpings of octopus and a few clams.
Pork is not so well handled, perhaps simply because the meat itself is of lower quality. The deep-fried breaded pork chop (RMB98) is a little tough, served with a smattering of fries and a handful of salad. It is perfectly mediocre and the weakest dish of the meal. Pizza is much more palatable, ranging from the Stagione with mozzarella, olives and mushrooms (RMB78/9 inches, RMB88/12 inches) to the Primavera with cheese, ham, rocket and tomato (RMB88/9 inches, RMB98/12 inches), all boasting a crispy thin crust.
Still in soft opening, there are some obvious tweaks that need to happen to Jiieje, most notably with the air conditioning. It has made a solid step, however, with a friendlier atmosphere than one is used to in the largely utilitarian Zhujiang Xincheng area.
// No. 105, 31 Liede Dadao, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城猎德大道31号105铺 (3801 5199)
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