JiangNan NJ Fort Lee — Restaurant in Montclair

The food scene has been known to be exciting in Montclair. With the opening of Nami Nori and now JiangNan, it's only a matter of time until similar establishments enter the playground. There's a quadrant spectrum to restaurants and JiangNan falls into the pricier experiential perspective often found in the city. This will be nothing new to those who often dined in major cosmopolitan cities in the last decade or are from there. Those outside that demographic will find JiangNan to be an exciting treat when compared to the more common Chinese Take Outs or old school family, banquet-style restaurants.

Their debut is as impressive as the crowd. I've never seen so many Chinese couples and families lined up and concentrated in one place before in Montclair and it was great to see non-Asians as well. You bet your butt word spreads fast and for a reason: their solid pan-Chinese classics and modern takes, repping Eastern Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Central Hunan, Western Sichuan, Southern Guangdong, and Northern Xinjiang, ALL IN ONE PLACE.

That's part of their clear perspective and vision. They want patrons to experience and enjoy all China's cuisine has to offer AND care to consider everything about the dining experience. The details are impeccable with a dark, modern minimalist rustic aesthetic that feels zen and reminiscent of tea houses or temples, elevated while still being casual and comforting. The beauty in how dishes are displayed or served with a lil showmanship like their flambé-ing the cumin lamb before you. What's fun is how that all mixes in with the hustle bustle at peak times.

Reserve for your party and walk around the plethora of options in the area and wait for a phone call (can keep track of the table status on phone). My party chilled at Kung Fu Tea 2 stores down.

Their loose leaf tea is served in a tetsubin and is better than most restaurants, so florally fragrant I wonder if it's naturally scented or not. Their table cloths are fantastic, spilled tea disappearing within a few seconds, like it never happened in the first place. Lighting game is on point for every table, each having a main one serving to create ambiance and make whatever dish underneath it gleam with beauty along with a mini lamp you can move around and turn on.

The manager and workers are all so accommodating and nice, all dressed in black. Some even wear the trendy black kitchen nitrile gloves when serving! When busy, they give you a heads up your food may take some time to arrive but will come in the order the kitchen is finished making it. Honestly the food didn't take that long to arrive but it was nice of them to warn us in the case it happens.

The simple curated menu is appreciated. Initially I was shocked at the costs, thinking it was expensive but after thinking about it, their pricing is actually fair. A few dishes cost more for a smaller portion. Otherwise most are comparable or costs slightly more to Chinese banquet restaurants. We're paying more for this unique, elevated and convenient experience.

Great for families, friends, dates. Especially perfect for anyone curious and excited to try all of what China's regional cuisines have to offer.

ORDERED: Pork belly w. mashed garlic sauce ($13.95): Refreshing app Chicken lettuce wraps ($13.95): Solid Steamed black truffle & pork soup dumplings - 4 pcs ($12.95) Mapo tofu w. minced meat ($14.95): Good, not that spicy or numbing Sauteed eggplant in spicy garlic sauce w. minced meat ($14.95): Solid Cumin lamb on sizzling plate ($24.95): Generous portion + solid Braised pork belly in black tea sauce ($22.95): Okay White rice ($1.50 per bowl) Fried milk ($10.95): Okay but the most disappointing at this price...

Fort Lee location: The food is still pretty good, although there are some other small things that could be better I feel. On a Saturday they open at 11:30am, and we arrived around 10 minutes early. It seemed like they were doing some preparations, but the doors were propped open, so we sat down. i don’t think we were greeted immediately, but eventually a staff member told us to please wait a bit.

Restrooms were not as clean as I’d expected based on the interior of the dining area. Tea, even though it was in a cool pot with a kettle, tasted slightly watery, but it was Chrysanthemum tea.

The iPad at each table is convenient, though it was slightly confusing because the waiter who led us to the table asked us and took our tea order, so at one point when we were putting items into our cart a notification popped up saying that the kitchen had received our order. Eventually we figured out it was the tea. Another confusing part is that payment is handled by a waiter with a small tablet physically attached to the waiter by a stretchy chord.

This was a little uncomfortable, especially when it comes to the tip, since the waiter/waitress is just standing there as you go through the options of tipping. In addition, their suggested amounts include tax. So you either feel the pressure and just select when of the pre-calculated options, or you awkwardly try to calculate it on the spot while the staff member is standing there; waiting. And it makes it really uncomfortable to discuss the tip amongst your table asked well. This actually led us to miscalculate the tip, because I forgot to add back the tax for the final number when choosing a custom tip amount and matching that final number.

In terms of food, I only got to try the Deep-Fried Japanese Tofu, which has a really good (seafood?) gravy, and a stir-fried vegetables dish (which was good but not mind-blowing). I feel like they need more unique vegetable dishes, but I get it.

There was still ample seating at 11:30am on a Saturday, as this location is bigger than their previous Montclair one. But you can still make reservations online or through phone.

This review was migrated (not by me) from their previously open Montclair location: This place lived up to the hype. I guess I wasn't too sure what to expect, because this restaurant seemed like a blend of traditional and new generation branding of Chinese food, but I think a good way to describe this restaurant is simply that it focuses on doing the basics right. They pay attention to the small details that matter -- such as using higher quality Jasmine tea (the first pot is really nice, but they do just fill it up with hot water afterwards for refills), showing your order summary and total cost on a tablet after you list the items that you want (in case you want to eliminate, add, or adjust), fast food service, aesthetics of the food, knowledgeable staff in regards to ingredients of dishes and suggestions, calculating suggested tips based on pre-tax total on the bill, interior decor, etc.

I have only been here once so far, but I would say that out of the dishes we ordered, these were my favorites (sorry, I don't remember the exact names): Truffle fried tofu appetizer (best one out of my favorites), Seafood/Shrimp stir-fry with brown/garlic sauce, Stir-fried Loofah. The stir-fried boneless fish (red sauce) was good, but not as tangy as I had hoped. The pine nuts were really fragrant and a very good addition, though.

The restaurant itself is pretty small, but it doesn't feel too cramped. But this restaurant would only probably be good for parties...

UPDATE: Store with feedback! I did go back several times after this review and did see difference. From the flies to lighting! Service did improve as well and could definitely see that customers were welcomed even when entered from the back door. Keep it up! :D

I’ve been a long-time fan of Jiangnan, having enjoyed their locations in JC and NYC, so I was excited to try out the Fort Lee spot. My first visit was quite pleasant—good service and delicious food. The only minor downside during that visit was the wind from either the AC or a vent, which made it a bit chilly even in the summer, causing our food to cool down too quickly.

Unfortunately, my second visit was far from what I expected.

First, one of my party members, who was visiting for the first time, waited by the back entrance after coming through the parking lot door, unaware there was a front entrance. Despite this, no one offered her any assistance. When I arrived, I had to locate a waitress myself just to get seated. While I understand that seating is typically managed at the main entrance, if a customer is standing inside the restaurant—especially at a place like Jiangnan, where a higher level of service is expected—someone should acknowledge and assist them right away.

Second, after being asked whether we wanted hot or cold water, no one followed up with us to take our order. It felt like we were being ignored, and I’ve never had this happen at any other Jiangnan location. Even if I were new to the restaurant, it shouldn’t be this difficult to get basic service. Luckily, I’ve been to Jiangnan many times before, so I knew what to order. But if this had been my first visit, I would have felt completely lost.

When the food finally came out, it was served in the most confusing order—vegetables first, and then no updates on what was coming next. No rice was offered, and the Beijing duck (which I usually consider an appetizer) came out last. I had to ask three different servers just to get rice (that did not come with the food, it was extra charge too). This same issue happened with the cabbage, too. While I understand it was a busy dinner service, every restaurant gets busy at dinner time. This disorganization really needs to be addressed.

And while we were eating, we encountered a huge issue—there were so many mini flies around our table! We kept waving them away, trying to enjoy our meal without being distracted. My friend had visited a few days earlier for lunch and complained about the same thing, so I assumed it was a one-off incident. But nope, I experienced it too. It’s a huge problem and quite off-putting, especially for a restaurant of this caliber.

Also, the lights in the ceiling were extremely bright and glaring, almost like sitting outside under the sun. It was so uncomfortable that I had to switch seats just to avoid the harsh lighting. Someone definitely needs to adjust the lighting or at least dim it a little because it was just too much.

Overall, Jiangnan Fort Lee has a lot to improve on, from the service to the cleanliness and even the lighting. The food quality also dipped since my first visit, too. The overall dining experience itself left much to be desired. With their reputation and higher prices, I expected a lot better. Hopefully, they can make these improvements because their other locations are much...