From Nanjing to Richmond, a Taste of Jiangsu and Zhejiang

Yuan’s Garden in Richmond gives diners good reason to explore Jiangsu and Zhejiang cooking beyond the familiar xiao long bao. Its menu makes room for regional favourites and everyday dishes that reveal just how much these eastern Chinese provinces have to offer, from delicately seasoned duck to a satisfying bowl of noodles.

Owner Jack Ge, a Nanjing native, brings experience from kitchens in China, the United Arab Emirates and Canada. While working in China, he trained under masters of Huaiyang cuisine at established restaurants and hotels. Those years gave him a firm grounding in traditional techniques and an appreciation for the details that distinguish one region’s cooking from another.

Richmond diners may already know Ge as the founder of XiaoNanGuo, where he introduced many to the flavours of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. At Yuan’s Garden, he continues that work, giving dishes from his home region a place on the local dining table and encouraging guests to try something beyond their usual order.

The Nanjing Salted Duck is a good place to start. Prepared according to a traditional recipe, it is tender and gently aromatic, with seasoning that brings out the flavour of the duck. The Nanjing Big Bowl Noodle offers another taste of Ge’s hometown: a comforting regional favourite that deserves to be better known here.

For those who know this cooking, Yuan’s Garden offers the pleasure of finding familiar dishes close to home. For others, it is an inviting introduction to Nanjing and the wider food traditions of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, guided by someone with a personal connection to the flavours he serves.