Piggy Outpost

My old friend Patrick Teoh is not complimentary about this place, but I like the food enough to be more than a once off diner. J Tean Kitchen at SS2 Mall serves up Asian-ish pork dishes and traditional Chinese cuisine. My dad tells me the restaurant is powered by the brand's range of ready-made sachet pre-mixes, manufactured in a Klang factory.

I like the white and glass look of the restaurant. It is chic and modern, although in some ways quite uncomfortable, because the chairs and tables at the entrance are actually made from stout Chinese drums (the kind you see being played by dragon dance troupes). They look nice, but they're hard on the back and the arse. 

No chicken in this kut teh!

The decor reminds me of an Oriental Laura Ashley theme.

Drum seats.

I first ate at the restaurant on a wet, cold evening when the pipping hot, if salty pumpkin soup served with a pastry top was a comforting warmness in my tummy.

Classic slow soup.

The yellow, oozy glory.

Kit had the JPork Burger which was RM7.90 and came with seven (count them, seven!) wedges and six slivers of cucumber to rival the Victorian paper thin cucumber sandwiches. Still, the patty was juicy, and the black pepper sauce zesty. Definitely better than Ninja Joe's.

JPork burger.

When we dined with the Tan family, and Erin in tow, I re-ordered the braised pork with buns (RM7.90), which were tender mantau slices sandwiching some aromatic, tender pork, garnished with fresh carrot, spring onion and celery. They were meltingly good, and even Erin enjoyed her portion.

Braised pork and buns.

The JPorky Pie took quite a while, but it was a nice wait, as it came out puffy and golden. It is a big serving for RM19.90, and can feed three, easily as a meal. It has three-layer pork belly (sam chan bak) in it, with lots of gravy and that crumbly pastry.

JPorky Pie.

The stewed chicken feet (RM12.90) came with taufu and hard boiled egg in that herby, fragrant black sauce spiked with star anise and cardamom. Nice, but not as good as dad makes it!

Stewed chicken feet.

The best order was the JPorky Bun. This toasted sub held a tender, wonderfully spiced oblong patty of minced pork which was just lusciously tender. Coupled with the rich sauce, and the perfectly crisp bun, it was a real sense-satisfier for RM16.90. It comes with a few wedges and is enough to share, though many eat it as a single serving. In the time we were dining there, I saw five individual pig out on five portions! 

The star of the show, the JPorky bun.

The spinach soup was the worst choice, with the vegetable being old, stemmy and woody, and hardly fit to be called a soup. The liquid was brackish and insipid - a poor reflection of the scrawny reflection of the fried anchovies floating in it. It was only RM8, but that would have allowed me to cook portions for ten!

Still, it was just one off-mark. Service remained good, with water being refilled promptly. And yes, they do serve water at RM1!


J Tean Kitchen
Unit 6-58 Ground Floor
SSTwo Mall
40 Jalan SS2/72 47300 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7954 0819