South Beauty

Do you love a hot and spicy food? And also a fan of Chinese food? Here is one recommended restaurant serving authentic Sichuan Chinese food that guarantees to spice up your taste buds.. South Beauty is a Beijing based chain restaurant and here's in Jakarta is their first overseas branch..


We're surprise by the amount of care that went into the space and interior design, the color schemes and the furniture were also chosen carefully to create Chinese modern theme..


Checking out the decor of the main dining room, we were stunned by their sealing which is gorgeously decorated with flying dragon.. It looks amazing..
In the main dining room, the sealing is gorgeously decorated with flying dragon..


Yes I am a noodle fan, so I won't miss it to try their Sichuan Style Noodle (18K), it came in very personal portion.. The noodle is smooth and go well with hot spicy Sichuan soup..


E ordered Fried Rice Seafood Fu Chien Style - personal size (38K), white fried rice poured with seafood gravy.. The seafood was fresh and the gravy goes very well with fried rice, such a hearty meal for a dinner..


We also tried their main dish, Water Caltrop and Bean Curd Casserole (48K), it is served in hot plate.. The bean curd had a burnished, golden exterior both crisp and delicate with a spicy spice all over it..


If you're into spicy food, this dish is a must try! Stir Fried Chicken with Sichuan Sprouts (58K) served with steamed mini pao.. It's spicy and filled with flavors bursting with aromatic appeal, nice to eat with plain mini pao..


Up next on the table was Pan Fried Chicken and Shrimp Bun with Scallion and Sesame (38K), pan fried bun stuffed with minced chicken and shrimp.. Oh no, we're too greedy.. How can we finish all the dish? Weww (-_-)

Be hold and be prepared for the ultimate spicy experience where you'll be sweating all over consuming the delicious hot and spicy Sichuan cuisines.. South Beauty is kinda a fancy Chinese restaurant, so no wonder the price is on the high side.. But definitely worth it due to the excellent service and great food using quality ingredients


South Beauty
Thamrin Nine Podium (UOB Tower)
Upper Ground unit E, F
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 10
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 29937227

Fisherman

Fisherman, from its name you can guess this is a seafood restaurant yaa?.. But not only a seafood, they also serve a halal Chinese food including Hong Kong porridge and dim sum till midnite..


The place is just like others Chinese restaurant, spacious, modern, and simple..


It's certainly cozy and comfy enough to enjoy your meal..


For the dim sum we opted Siew Mai (12.8K), it's a chicken and shrimp siew mai.. So-so only..


Beef Porridge (25.8K) and Fried Cruller (7.8K).. It's plain and simple but tasty! The porridge was pretty good, it was thick and smooth, and there were plenty of sliced beef inside too.. Never forget the crispy crullers to go with..


Still not enough, we ordered Tom Yum Kway Teow (29.8K), kway teow stirred with seafood in gravy tom yum sauce.. It seems like a black pepper gravy yaa..


I didn't taste any tom yum flavour on it, but the kway teow has a nice chewy texture and had generous fresh seafood ingredients.. It kinda nice if you are those who likes gravy stuff like me hehe..

If it's a Chinese food you're looking for while wandering around Kelapa Gading area, you should probably think of checking out Fisherman located in Kelapa Gading Boulevard and easily spotted from Mall Kelapa Gading..


Fisherman
Boulevard Raya Block LB3 No.1-2
Kelapa Gading
North Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 4500393

Jade Imperial Sichuan

I've posted Italian, Japanese, Indonesian, and Thai cuisine lately.. Do you guys miss a Chinese food now? Here it is, I found a recently opened a Chinese restaurant.. Jade Imperial Sichuan which serves one type of authentic Chinese cuisine that most of people branded it as one of the spiciest Chinese food around, Sichuan style food..


Yup, Sichuan cuisine is well-known for pungency and spiciness flavor.. See they decorate the whole wall with chili picture..


The dining area is just like an ordinary Chinese restaurant and quite spacious.. Do you need a more private area for your own occasion, easy they also have some private dining rooms..


Boiled peanut.. Is it a compliment? No, it's not free.. I checked the bill it costs 5K..


We can ordered the dim sum here for lunch and dinner.. We tried Xiao Long Bao (18K), a porky filled steamed xiao long bao.. It's just OK..


I almost always order a tofu dish when I eat Chinese food, coz I think it's one of the most versatile dishes to prepare.. So this time I ordered a Mapo Beancurd with Beef (38K), stir-fried tofu and minced beef cooked in Sichuan spicy bean paste..


E ordered this Sichuan Tan Tan Noodle (32K), a bowl of noodle in the rich and spicy stock which enhanced by the fragrance of sesame..


Hearty, robust, with really good noodle.. The noodle texture is smooth and this is a must-try especially for those who love spicy food..


Fancy something soupy and not spicy? I opted this Braised Noodle Soup with Chicken (35K).. This may look simple, but the broth was really comforting.. The noodle is different from what E had, this noodle is cut into short strands..

Apparently we are not fond of Sichuan style food very well, but overall the food here is OK.. If you are ever wandering in Plaza Indonesia and you adore a spicy Sichuan cuisine, you can give this place a shot..


Jade Imperial Sichuan
Plaza Indonesia Extension
3rd Floor, Unit E03A-E
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 29923515

Tian Xi

Tian Xi is a Chinese restaurant situated in Senayan City shopping mall, and this restaurant is run by the same management like The Red Duck Restaurant in FX..


The place was a typical Chinese restaurant, spacious yet comfy dining area..


Simple and modern interior style..


The food here is quite various, they have some dim sum selections, single dish menu, and also complimentary dishes.. But that nite I was not really in the mood for dim sum..


But E was curious with this Otak-otak Fried Cheong Fun with XO Sauce (16K) from their dim sum selections.. It's a pan fried cheong fun filled with otak-otak and topped with fried salty fish.. Otak-otak is like a fish cake with a mix of spices.. Actually the dish came out pretty well, the otak-otak was a bit spicy and fragrant..


Not to forget the greens.. We ordered Belacan Water Spinach - Kangkung Terasi (35K), water spinach stir-fried with a shrimp paste/belacan.. It was a slightly spicy, pungent, and fragrant, the water spinach was also crunchy and fresh..


Hmm What is this? Haha it looks nice yaa.. It's a Tian Xi Fried Tofu (42K), a homemade tofu bowl stuffed with stirred seafood and braised in starch thickened oyster sauce.. I think this is one of their special menu, and the dish has a unique appearance..


Open up and see a generous ingredients inside the tofu bowl.. It's a stirred mix seafood and mushroom and carrot.. The tofu has a very smooth texture, and the seafood inside was nicely stir-fried and fresh.. Definitely, the best dish of the dinner this time..


We also shared Sliced Beef and Fish Congee (45K) and of course what's best to match it with is a Fried Cruller/Cakwe (5K).. The congee was boiled till soft and fine, the beef and fish was cooked with congee gives a sweet and flavorsome dish..

All in all, we had a nice dinner in Tian Xi.. Tian Xi restaurant serves a decent range of dim sum and Chinese foods for fairly decent price.. It's good to try..


Tian Xi
Senayan City, LG Floor #06-08
Jl. Asia Afrika Lot. 19
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 72781532

Din Tai Fung @ Singapore

Still in Singapore and here's a lunch I had with my family.. We had a lunch in Din Tai Fung.. Hmm Din Tai Fung? At the first I think it's better for us to try a new restaurant that we haven't tasted before in Jakarta.. However, my brother always claim that Din Tai Fung in Singapore is more delicious than in Jakarta.. So what's make the difference?


Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant known for their famous Xiao Long Bao.. I'm sure most of foodies familiar with this restaurant.. I've posted about Din Tai Fung in Jakarta before, and here's all about Din Tai Fung in Singapore.. Let's find out what's the difference..


Every time I passed Din Tai Fung in Paragon Singapore, I always see a long queue.. It's no difference this time, we need to wait for at least 15-20 mins to get a table there, it's always packed!


The interior is just like a typical Chinese restaurant interior, simple and modern minimalist.. The dining room dominated by wood furniture..


Here's some of their new menu and some chef's recommendation..


We started with Stewed Beancurd Cubes with Honey Sauce (SGD 4.30).. It did not seem so appetizing, but it turned out to be a really good appetizer, everybody loves it.. The beancurd had a spongy texture and tasted sweet..


This is what we and everyone come for, a basket of juicy and delicate Xiao Long Bao - Steamed Pork Dumplings (SGD 9.00), a Chinese dumplings filled with sweet minced pork and fragrant soup.. Their Xiao Long Bao here is standout, one of the best and it is expertly prepared.. Looks its translucent and smooth skin, it strong enough to keep all its soupy juices inside.. And the broth inside was sweet and flavorful..


Their Shrimp and Pork Siew Mai (SGD 9.30) was also interesting.. Larger than the usual pork filled siew mai, and it is made with minced pork filling topped with fresh shrimp..


Next, Steamed Shrimp and Pork Dumplings (SGD 9.80), also made of minced pork and a whole shrimp in each dumpling.. It's tasted good and it's quite similar like xiao long bao with an addition of a shrimp, but these weren't as soupy as xiao long bao..

Another of their specialties is the Taiwanese noodle, the texture is just like hand-pulled noodle..


My father ordered this Chicken Noodle Soup (SGD 10.80), a bowl of plain noodle served with steamed chicken soup.. Looked so plain but don't let its appearance fool you, this steamed chicken soup was really good, the soup was bursting with the original sweetness of fresh chicken.. This clear soup was light but energizing/good for your body and the chicken was really tender.. This soup is also one of Din Tai Fung's specialty..


My brother want to try this Fried Pork Chop Noodle (SGD 8.80), a fried pork chop served inside the noodle soup.. The pork chop was breaded, salted, peppered, and fried for a savory-sweet meat..


Then, I and my mom shared this Zha Jiang Noodle - Spicy Pork Minced Noodle (SGD 7.00), noodles topped with stir-fried minced pork and tofu in salty beans sauce.. This noodle is also known as meat sauce noodle, the sauce goes well with the noodle and it's tasty..


We ended our lunch with this sweet Steamed Mashed Yam Buns (SGD 5.80), sweet xiao long bao version filled with mashed yam/taro.. It's really nice, the sweet was just right..

So, have you notice the difference between Din Tai Fung in Jakarta and Singapore? For me their taste is more or less the same, but in Jakarta they serve halal (no pork) version.. Surely, my brother as a pork lover will prefer Din Tai Fung in Singapore, for him the dish is more tasty there.. Overall, there's no doubt about the food in Din Tai Fung, they always maintain the high standard of the food, the dishes is obviously prepared with quality ingredients.. That's the reason make their prices in high side, but it's reasonable and still affordable..


Din Tai Fung
Paragon #B1-03/06
290 Orchard Road
Singapore
Tel. (65) 68368336

May Star Restaurant

It's 2010!! Another year has gone, cheers to year 2010 peeps! Happy New Year.. Let's we continue our food journey in 2010 (^_^)..


May Star is one of a must-go restaurants for dim sum lovers.. It was a Sunday noon, I was invited by E's family for dim sum.. For me having a dim sum on Sunday is like a brunch in Chinese tradition hehe..



The restaurant was bustling and full.. Actually, the place is spacious, but it seems too crowd there..


The place was packed with families, having a dim sum is really a nice moment for family gathering.. The restaurant is always crowd on Sunday noon, so if you want to get the table soon just come early or you will end up in long waiting list..

So, what we have here..


Pigeon Soup (22K), a double boiled pigeon soup served in bamboo tube.. The pigeon meat was minced well into smooth texture and the soup was very light..


Snake Soup (38K).. What a scary things to eat yaa.. But don't worry, the snake meat was processed well so we won't see the whole snake meat.. I tried a sip and it was hard to really taste the snake meat since the meat was minced well and the soup was cooked well with overpowered flavor of all the other ingredients.. For me its tasted a little like shark fin soup with a bit sweet taste hehe..


Baked Char Siew Pau (14.8K), the char siew bun was baked with perfection to give its golden yellow color..


The sweet char siew filling was delectable..



Fried Chicken Curry Pau (14.8K), pan fried bun with chicken and potato curry filling.. Tasted so so only..


Fried Fish Siew mai (19.8K), a deep fried and crunchy fish siew may.. Tasted so so only..


Baked Char Siew Sou/BBQ Pork Pastry (14.8K), Chinese flaky pastry with char siew filling, with fragrant white sesame seeds on top and crispy at the bottom.. The char siew fillings were extremely juicy, succulent and delightful..


Hakau (16.8K), a springy and succulent shrimp in transparent & thin hakau skin, the freshness of the shrimps were commendable.. The thickness of hakau skin was just nice..


Siew Mai (16.8K), a typical Chinese pork siew mai.. It was delicious and juicy..


Chicken Feet (14.8K), a typical Chinese braised chicken feet with black pepper sauce.. I'm not fancy eating chicken feet, but E said its cooked well with a great flavor..


Minced Pork Cheong Fun (14.8K), rice flour rolls filled with minced pork served with its soy sauce.. Again, the ingredients were fresh which we appreciated and the rolls skin was nicely thin..

We finished off with some cold and sweet desserts..


Mango Pudding (18.8K). Such a silky-smooth mango pudding..


Coffee Pudding (18.8K). Have a nice coffee flavor..


Coconut Pudding, a smooth coconut pudding served on fresh young coconut.. We got this coconut pudding by promotions, every 200K spending on bill you can get one coconut pudding for free, so I'm sorry didn't know its price..


Gui Ling Kao, a Chinese herbal jelly, it tasted bitter and usually served with some liquid sugar or honey.. This herbal jelly is really good for your body, it helps cool your body.. We also got this for free, actually we got two free coconut puddings, but we asked to change one with this Gui Ling Kao..

Having dim sum at May Star Restaurant was a definitely a pleasant and satisfying experience.. They serve the food with guarantee fine quality of ingredients, a good dim sum makes a great brunch.. It's really a great place for dim sum.. I guess its worth the experience..


May Star Restaurant
Hotel Le Grandeur - 3rd Floor.
Jl. Mangga Dua Raya
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 6127880