Jojo’s Italian Restaurant is located in a lovely, picturesque corner within the upmarket and exclusive Tropicana Golf Course development in Petaling Jaya and serves up a wide variety of northern and southern Italian dishes crafted by a line-up of experienced chefs… and no golf club membership is required!

Manager and native Italian, Luca Gian, tells me, “The restaurant captures the essence of Italian dining which combines refined cooking with a lavish surrounding. We place great importance on décor, service, and attention to detail right down to our utensils and linen used to serve genuine Italian food that’s both wholesome and gourmet. Diners can enjoy quality Italian cuisine just the way Italians enjoy it.”

Executive Chef Johnny has been with the team since JoJo’s opened to rave reviews in 2010. He tells me some of the favourite meat dishes are his braised lamb, steaks, and veal shanks which are complemented by grilled marinated vegetables and assorted Italian potato dishes. House specialities include various handmade pastas with traditional sauces, served with meat or fish as well as their authentic Italian pizzas ranging from a classic Margherita, the southern Italy special, pizza alla diavola and the ever-popular calzones packed with mozzarella cheese, Italian tomatoes, mushrooms, turkey ham and delicious fresh basil. Seafood lovers will especially enjoy the salmon ravioli and lobster spaghetti.

Other highly recommended dishes are risotto di funghi, suplee rice ball, and the salmon entrées. There are also classic Italian dolci (desserts) on the menu as well as an impressive wine list.

I started with the Arancini rice balls which my dining partner urged me to try, saying they were not the same as local fare with a similar name. This dish is based on an old Sicilian recipe of tomato Bolognese rice balls with a large centre of mozzarella which was rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. Absolutely delicious.

For our mains, we had the cannelloni with spinach and ricotta which was richly textured and perfectly spiced. We also enjoyed the oven-braised lamb shank which was extremely tender and cooked with fresh Italian herbs and served in a rich tomato sauce.

The 90-seat restaurant features an elegant and friendly setting that is perfect for romantic dining, business lunches, or an outing with the family. On the Saturday night we were there, it had filled to capacity by about 8.30. We both agreed it was the best Italian food we had eaten in a long time, particularly because of the emphasis on freshness and the specially imported spices and other ingredients acquired directly from Italy.

Fact File :
JoJo’s Italian Restaurant
Tropicana Golf & Country Resort
Lot 2813, Jalan Kelah Tropicana
47410 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03.7805 3936
Fax: 03.7805 3925
Web: www.JojoItalianRestaurant.com
Price: RM29–70 (mains)
Business Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 11pm on weekdays, and 11am to 1am on weekends.

This article was written by Marybeth Ramey ([email protected])
Source: The Expat 2012 
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