In search of dim sum: A tour of Jakarta restaurants
In search of dim sum: A tour of Jakarta restaurants
John Badalu, Contributor, Jakarta
Dim sum has its origins in China, but has long since become a worldwide epicurean favorite, with millions of people around the globe tucking into dim sum.
In Jakarta, the best dim sum continues to be found in Kota, although the Samudra restaurant chain has brought dim sum further south.
Here is a look at some of the best places to get your dim sum fix in Jakarta:
Samudra Restaurant: Mulia Hotel, Jl. Asia Afrika, South Jakarta. Tel. 574-7777.
Open Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The restaurant itself is nothing special, though it is clean and the service is fast and efficient. Offers an "all-you-can- eat" dim sum buffet for Rp 65,000++.
Besides the dim sum trolley, you can also try the dishes laid out on a table in one corner. Delicious. Try the duck soup, cold meat platter, stir-fried crab and fried pigeon.
There is also a Samudra in the parking lot of the BRI II building on Jl. Sudirman. Same good food, same good service but the line is long on the weekend. Attracts an upper-class clientele.
Chia Tung Restaurant: Mercure Rekso Hotel, 2nd floor, Jl. Hayam Wuruk No. 123, West Jakarta. Tel. 624-8680.
Open Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you like the color red, you'll like this place. If you like a wide selection of dim sum, you'll be disappointed. For the all- you-can-eat buffet, the dim sum selection is limited, and it doesn't taste all that good to boot.
There is a basic dim sum set menu for Rp 34.400++. Some of the items are a bit dry, presumably having been left on the stove for too long. Chinese businessmen make up most of the customers.
Taipan Restaurant: ITC Mangga Dua, 11th floor, Jl. Mangga Dua Raya, West Jakarta. Tel. 601-6228.
Open Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
Amid all the hustle and bustle of this restaurant is to be found the best dim sum in town.
When you arrive take a number from the reception and wait to be called. The place is like a noisy market (but this is how it should be) and there is a wide array of dim sum to choose from, with almost 70 different items to nibble on.
The food on the main table is worth trying as well. You will find the pigeon soup tasty and occasionally they have hot and sour snake soup, yummy Hong Kong noodles, Bubur Ayam (chicken porridge) and a variety of cold cuts.
The price is amazingly reasonable. Small dishes start at Rp 6,000 per portion (you will usually get two or three pieces per portion). The service is so excellent that you are unlikely to ever see the bottom of your teacup. The clientele runs the gamut, from the well-heeled to the slightly dodgy.
Crystal Jade Palace: Wisma 46 Kota BNI, 1st Floor, Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta. Tel. 574-4888.
Open daily 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Elegant decor, crowded and noisy. The only halal dim sum place I am aware of. They have about 40 dim sum items and they change every four months or so. You have to try the steamed shrimp dumplings with shark fin and the crab dumplings.
The only place to find Kue Malay, a sort of steamed, sweet cake with brown sugar and almonds. A bit pricey (Rp 250,000 for four dishes), but excellent service.
Attracts an upper-class crowd, ethnic Chinese and non-Chinese alike.