New Dim Sum Menu at Xin Hwa (Mandarin Oriental Hotel)

I've been a fan of Xin Hwa for quite some time. It was only last September when a new chef, Jeff Lee was appointed to head the restaurant and now they are revamping the kitchen again for the addition of another new chef, Lie Wing Ping specifically to take care of their dim sum menu.

It amazes me sometimes how these hotels and eateries eagerly better themselves to keep ahead with the eclectic tongue of Jakartans. Words on the street they'll have another Michelin star chef this year. Let's see if that come to pass. For now, let's talk dim sum! 

If you've dined in Xin Hwa you'll find major changes in their dim sum menu. I personally find it pleasing to the eyes.  I find the chef is pivoting to show his personal craftsmanship. They are colorful, bright, and playful with the addition of uncommon ingredients. From the taste department, it appears that the authentic chinese influence is at play. Out of so many that we tried, most of them reveals a rather mild seasoning and more attempts on bringing out the ingredient's natural flavor. Indonesian tongue that are not accustomed to embrace foreign cuisine, might prefer stronger tasting options. Well, you can always add some 'sambal' whenever it please you. =p 

A few of the highlights are: 

Netted rice crispy turn over, stuffed with prawn, mango & apple slices (IDR 22k) 

I'd have to say this dish stood out the most that afternoon. The fresh bulky prawns provide the sweets, and the fruits blend in with the sours. Let's not forget the crunchy layer that added the texture. We had (ehm) three plates of this.

Wasabi mayo prawn with roe

This is actually taken out from the dim sum menu, and moved to the regular ala-carte menu. They were being kind to serve us this as well. A big fan of wasabi, this has slowly moving into my comfort food category. I know how it'll taste and I know I'll get what I wanted. The more kicks it sends to the nose, the better it gets. 

Scallop and shrimp dumpling with X.O sauce (IDR 32k)

Mighty combo. 

Oven baked fluffy pastry with black pepper fungus and goose liver terrine (IDR 28k)

Speaking of uncommon ingredients. Where else you'd find a foie gras in a chinese dim sum? This is Jen's (from Shoegarmama) favorite. What's not to like when the texture, flavor, and ingredients mix well and complement each other. 

Egg yolk custard bun (IDR 28k)

It used to be really difficult to find this in Jakarta. I don't know why, but recently I've encountered it a lot. From May Star to Taipan and now Xin Hwa. My only wish is that they keep this in their menu. Out of the three I still favor Taipan because of its crunchy texture (yes, it's not a bun). But for the bun, this one is on par with May Star's. I love to have this as dessert. A perfect sweet buttery close is all we need, isn't it? 

Dumpling with shrimp, crab meat, truffle and water chestnut. (IDR 28k)

Crystal dumpling with assorted Mushroom & Asparagus  (IDR 22k)

For IDR 138.000 ++ and a bottomless amount of order, I personally think its quite interesting to visit this spot again. Maybe just for the foie gras? (That's the chinese mind talking). Well, if your thinking of dim sum and you haven't tried Xin Hwa, give it a shot and let me know what you think. Tweet me @wanderbites. Beware though, I've hid clues all around the post, make sure you read it with care. ;) 

Until my next post. Have a jolly weekend everybody and a happy February. 

Cheers, 

Fellexandro Ruby

Food & Travel Photographer / Storyteller

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Xin Hwa 
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Level 2
Jl. MH Thamrin
Ph: 021 - 2993-8888
Email: mojkt-xinhwa@mohg.com

Michel Portos' Culinary Tour de Force (Or How I Feast on Michelin Star Goodness)

Who would've thought that I would get the chance to encounter a two-michelin star gastronomic experience here in the heart of Jakarta? It was only a month ago when I tweeted michelin star one-o-one, and voila, here I am. I guess the stars are aligned right this time between me, Mandarin Oriental, and Michel Portos.

Being crowned recently as Gault & Millau chef of the year, Chef Michel has been renowned for his bold, creative and irresistible dishes. And that is exactly what he delivers through all 6-courses in the degustation dinner. 

Starting with Seared Foie Gras in Moroccan Flavor, for me it was a palate teaser that comes with diverse purposes. One is to trigger all five sensory of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami. Two is to make a statement that celebrates Chef Michel's take on cooking philosophy. A theme that I'll eventually find in most of his dishes. 

"For food to be delicious, beautiful and balanced. It's the balance of flavor and texture; not to mix all the ingredients together to have one single blended taste. It's very important to be able to taste every single ingredient you have on the plate." (Michel Portos in SCMP, 2011)

The savory foie gras, blended with the unexpected slices of dates, argon oil, coriander and balsamic vinegar make one complete dish. Not stopping at that, Chef Michel continued to pace along with the main courses. 

Seared Foie Gras in Moroccan Flavor

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Black Truffel that tremendously pleasing to the taste buds, especially the sweet toothed. Al dente even with such a light skin, and did I mention the truffle? Splendid! 

Warm Salad of Squid with Tomato Confites, Serrano Ham & Balsamico Vinaigrette. Expect a major opposing taste from the ravioli. I found the ham was very close to my liking, while not with the squid and balsamico. Those with sour tendency would enjoy this more I suppose. 

Seabass Inspiration of My Way Back from Hongkong was a step down of pace. Very smooth well cooked fish. Not too dry. And surprisingly a beautiful take on Asian especially coming from a french chef. Some Asian tongues might opt for a little more boldness though. 

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Black Truffle

Warm Salad of Squid with Tomato, Ham, & Balsamic Vinaigrette

Seabass Inspiration of My Way Back from Hongkong

The highlight of the night was probably the Lamb Cutlets with Minute of Curried Jus & Coconut Reduction. Back on the pace and my personal favorite. It has everything I look for in a dish. Well seasoned medium meat, and the fact that it was a jus instead of sauce made all the difference. Chef Michel take a detailed proportion on flavor with the addition of coconut & ginton herbs. It awakens my memory of Will Meyrick's Indian cuisine that I had last week. I'm all smileful with this plate. 

Lamb Cutlet with Curried Jus & Coconut Reduction

Coming down to the finale, I knew its gonna be interesting. Why? Because we have two desserts to savor. Made with the courtesy of pastry chef Sebastien Bertin, we had Chocolate and Raspberry with Scrum of Fresh Thyme and Apple Celery with Speculos Biscuit. The first one was very pleasing to the eye. It took a different view on chocolate as they infused it sour. I enjoyed the berry sorbet as a standalone dish, but found it a little too bold when eaten together with the layer of chocolate. The second one was rather playful and experimental. I jump to it right away from the very thought of having apple and celery on the same plate. It turned out as my favorite of the two. Have the ball of apple, dip it in the celery juice, and munch it all together with the biscuit. Intense mix of flavor & texture. 

Chocolate & Raspberry with Scrum of Fresh Thyme

Apple Celery with Speculos Biscuit

At this point, I regret for not taking my bottle of Margaret River and Late Picked Traminer. It would make a good pair to the seabass and the desserts. No worries though, as a great companion made the evening twice as delightful. Conversations goes wild from the real french kiss to the love of potatoes. It dawned on me once again what Raj Abat said that a meal is not just on the tongue, but a whole sum of the experience. 

I thank Mia, Malinda, Jen, Jenifer, & Ellyna for the great company. Four hours of dinner wouldn't be as delightful without you. Plus, it was great being the only male on the table (I just realized that after writing the previous sentence). 

Until our next michelin (or potato tasting), 

Fellexandro Ruby

Food Storyteller & Photographer

Snack on my tweets & instagram @Wanderbites. 

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Degustation lunch & dinner is still available until 3rd of November. For more details and reservation: 

Lyon

Mandarin Hotel Jakarta

Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 1

Ph: 021-2993-8888

Email: mojkt-lyon@mohg.com

Twitter: @mo_jakarta

Xin Hwa & Chef Lee's Definition of Chinese Culinary

Its been a few days since I visited Xin Hwa, but the thought of Chef Lee's cooking still invoke my appetite every time I looked through the photos in my iPhone. The last time I had this similar insatiable craving was when I dined at Otellobby. For a beautiful experience that only comes every once in a while, I'm always packed with excitement to share. Allow me to take you to last Thursday night.

These are first five that speaks to my tastebud. Why five? Because three is not enough and four is not a good number in Chinese.

Old fashion Shanghai smoked fish fillet. 
Served as an appetizer, I didn't think this particular dish would stand out, but half of the patrons that night might have heard my "mmhhmm.." as I munched on the crisp sweet skin and savored the smooth fish fillet. I'm glad I was the first one to acknowledge this. According to Chef Lee most people would be turned off by its appearance.

Oven baked tiger prawns with cheese and spicy XO sauce. 
Chef Lee surely knows how to give a surprise. It is the only one among the dishes that night that brings a kick of spicy-hotness, and it did just that at the right amount with the right flavor on the prawn.

Chilled drunken chicken topped with "Shao Xing" wine shaved ice.

This was another surprise among the appetizers. Here's where I see the playful side of Chef Lee and his attempt to give his dose of modernism in the meal. Its not your usual drunken chicken when the feel of alcohol came from a chunk of wine-shaved-ice on top of the meat.

Steamed black cod fish with homemade green ginger puree
Served warm, with fish that's flawless and a good balance of flavor. What more to ask?

Chilled lemongrass Jelly with Aloe Vera flavored in Lime Citrus Juice.

Grand opening. Grand closing. That's all it takes for Chef Lee. He did just that with this perfect closure. Thick chunk of sweet Aloe Vera and Lemongrass jelly was a pleasing play of texture. Another "mmmhmm.." to sum it up.

I'd expect nothing less from Chef Jeff Lee. Having traveled 14 years in culinary industry from Malaysia, to Singapore and Shanghai, his take of Chinese and particularly Cantonese is something commendable and I'd definitely come back to. The only part of me that still curious is to taste his take on pork. Born and raised in a traditional Chinese family, it has been an indispensable part of our meal. It is almost a must-have in every family occasion. And I suppose it is only natural that one of the most look forward menu in a Chinese restaurant is none other than the pork.

Until the day that my personal request come to happen, I guess I'd be happy to pay another visit for its set menu. At the price of 388k / person or 138k / person for the dimsum, I suppose it is a good treat every once in a while.

Thank you Xin Hwa for having me. Thank you Melinda & team from Mandarin Oriental, I enjoyed the company.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Storyteller & Photographer

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Xin Hwa 
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Level 2
Jl. MH Thamrin
Ph: 021 - 2993-8888
Email: mojkt-xinhwa@mohg.com

Opening Hours:
Lunch
Monday - Saturday (11.30 - 14.30)
Dinner
Monday - Saturday (18.30 - 22.30)
Dimsum
Sunday (10.00 - 14.30) 

Yee Sang Experience at Lai Ching Four Seasons Jakarta

 

"Tonight was a real feast. Wonderful. An honor to be sharing the same meal with remarkable foodies. Tonight mark the start of this year's highlight."

That's what in my head an hour after finishing dinner at Lai Ching - Four Seasons about two weeks ago. Imagine ten people who are very passionate about food sharing the same table for three hours. Expect a lot of drooling information passing around, an uncountable jokes and laughter toss around, and the cherry on top a series of belly satisfying main courses.

That night, we celebrate the coming of the Dragon Year with Yee Sang, a special meal prepared specifically for the Chinese New Year and only at a select few Chinese restaurant. What's interesting about Yee Sang is that it consist of an array of ingredients, each with their specific meaning. Also, the procedure of serving. Thankfully, that night we had among us, Theresia Widiyastuti, Lai Ching Manager, who having spent few years in China, was able to lead us with the correct procedure.

• First, we said gong xi fat chai to each other while placing yee sang.
• Second, she mention da ji da li (lots of luck) as she put orange at the same time. 
• Third, as she place the pepper, soy sauce, peanut, and sesame, the following mantra was shuang xi lin men which means the arrival of double happiness
• Fourth, while putting oil and plum sauce, she mention tian tian mi mi (a sweet and easy life full of sweet memory) 
• Fifth procedure requires saying nien nien you yee while placing salmon which means abundance in each year
• Sixth procedure is to pronounce the sentence man di wang ching (a year full of gold and glory) and then put the cracker on top of the fish
• Seventh and the final mantra was to say ta chia i chi law te fung sen swei chi lo hei lo hei which means let's eat together and the business will continue even rapidly in the future 

The most interesting part for me was when everyone rise up, put the chopstick in between their fingers and started stirring the food as high as possible together. The belief is that the higher we raise it the more abundant the fortune in the coming year, thus the name Prosperity Toss. The photo above is the damage we end up with after a few seconds of stirring. I must say, chaosly fun! At this point we were too busy munching on the delicious Yee Sang. It was a very good mix of taste (sweet, sour, tangy) and texture.

Added to the fun later that night was the stream of good food that follows. As if a movie, we were taken slowly from one scene to another towards climax. Here's what we had.

Flower Tea
A glassful of tea that blossoms in time as the heat compounds. The tea was not made to please the tongue more than it pleases the eye. Indeed, it was a form of relaxation and recreation.

Braised Bird Nest Bamboo Pith 
A very well balanced meal. Soft on the tongue with a varying texture of gooey soup and crunchlike bamboo pith. It was more on the salty savory end for my tongue though.

Braised Sliced Abalone in Oyster Sauce
Everything you ever expected in an abalone. Cooked into perfection. The only thing missing was another slice of it. One is definitely not enough. =p

Steamed Soon Hock in Soya Sauce
Freshly steamed. Clean and straightforward menu.

Roasted Crispy Pigeon
It was my first time having pigeon. It wasn't weird. I've tasted crocs and bats meat before but this is nothing like other. A quite intense battle happen while I was trying to rip the meat of the bone. But after a few bites I started to get used to it. It was a tasty treat while not that much meat included. =p

Wagyu Fried Rice
As a house special, I somehow didn't find it extraordinary. Maybe fried is just not the way to go with wagyu, cause in palate it kind of lost the tenderness I look for in a wagyu. But as a dish in a whole it was quite satisfactory.

Assorted Mushroom with Garlic
A plateful of shiitake and shimeji shrooms, fried with garlic. Simple yet satisfying to the tongue.

Desserts - Chilled Bean Curd, Mango Pudding, and Gui Ling Gao
Among the three I must say the Gui Ling Gao is my favorite. Not only the health factor behind it, but also the authentic taste that present a good battle between the bitterness of the jelly and sweetness of the honey.

It was a great dinner indeed. One that could only happen with the initiative of Erza S.T and the generosity of the host Mrs. Marlene Danusutedjo. Thanks to you both for preparing such a beautiful night. I'm looking forward for more in my next visit to Lai Ching. The very first one on the list is to try out your Dim Sum. Until then, toast for a year of awesomeness!

I'm feeling lucky already!

Oh yeah, as a foodblogger I needed that with an extra dose of honesty. =)

Smile on, Shine on

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer


Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites =)

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Lai Ching
Four Seasons Hotel
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said
Jakarta 12920
Ph. +62(21) 252 3456

Luscious Brunch at TWG (And An Interesting Meet-up)

I guess this post left no space for introduction. Meet the world renown brand of tea and their emerging tea salon & boutique, TWG (The Wellness Group). Yes, Tea Boutique & Salon, that's how they differ themselves from countless similar cafes, and they really mean business. You'll be astounded as I was when presented with the extensive selections of more than 300 varieties of tea, picked from the best tea producing countries in the world. India, South Africa, China, Nepal to name a few. For this particular occasion, I chose their recommended 1837 White Tea. It's a specific house blend, meaning you can only find it here. I remember the clean hint of fruits, flowers, with the soothing aftertaste of berries.

What a perfect start for the day.

It was a little after ten at TWG Marina Bay Sands, they were only serving brunch menu which look quite fulfilling. I decided to try out all their macaroons.  And then a very interesting meet-up happened to me right after. One of the waiter served all eight minus one macaroon saying that the color palette looks nicer with seven of them if I wanted to take photos. Very thoughtful of him. This guy is different, I whisper to myself. And so we ended up chatting for quite a while.

Him: "So, you are a food blogger. To which website you contribute to?"
Me: "I sorta have my own domain. Its Wanderbites.com if you want to have a look."
Him: "Oh, I see. I enjoyed browsing through foodblog as well. So where are you from? Japan I suppose?"
Me: (you know deep down I wanted to say yes =p) "Naah, I'm from Indonesia."

And this where it gets all spiced up

Him: "Really?! Saya juga aslinya dari Solo." (Really?! I actually came from Solo - a city in Indonesia)

That changes the whole atmosphere and I felt home in an instant. He shared how he came to Singapore when he was little and how he started in business major but then fell in love with food & beverage world. With every word he unraveled the story, I can see how passionate he is with his job. So contagious that reminded me of the very reason I'm writing this blog. Such a lovely, warm person he is. If you happen to visit TWG, please please please say hi from me. His name is Sutomo. Don't forget to leave him big tips. =p

Enough with the side notes. Here comes all seven wonderful-luscious-heaven-sent macaroons.

Every macaroon was simply a treat. The layer of skin was in perfect softness and thick in flavor. Not to mention their generous portion of fillings. My personal favorite is the Black (Napoleon Tea & Caramel) and Brown (Chocolate Earl Grey & Chocolate), no explanations needed. Haha. Alternatively, go for Purple (1837 Black Tea & Blackcurrant), Yellow (Lemon Bush) or Hot Pink (Grand Wedding Tea, Passion Fruit & Coconut) for those with a sour tongue. With the Pink (Bain de Roses Tea), it was almost as if I was chewing on rose leave. Its the epitome of flower buds melting in your mouth. The last on the list is White (Moroccan Mint). I never liked mint on cakes, drinks, etc so this easily leave no impression on me.

I'm glad that I've tasted one of the best macaroons in Singapore as acclaimed by Epicurean magazine. It successfully uplift my mood for the rest of the trip. This reminds me of Bittersweet's macaroon. Would Indonesian macaroon stand in par with this? Or how would this compare to Pierre Hermes'? I'm having a hard time to decide especially when the tastes are not apple to apple. But I can say TWG's selections of macaroons is definitely exquisite and few steps ahead. Its a flavorblend quite impossible to get anywhere else.

Also from business point of view, I loved how they separate themselves from competition by focusing to specialize in one area, tea. This set TWG as the standard of the category, and then slowly outgrow their core strength to other delicacies. Here comes the tea-infused macaroons. Its a natural perspective of growth. Just like you and me, we should find one thing that we could be expert in and then use it to serve different areas of our lives. Think about that everytime you have macaroons. Or not. =p

But know that with this strategy, they have over-demand themselves all over Singapore. Started out with one cafe in Raffles City, they've branched out to Ion, Takashimaya, Marina Bay Sands, and about to open one massive store right at the centre of MBS mall. Pretty soon, they will arrive in Jakarta. I have a good feeling somebody will make it happen (maybe me =p). If any of you ready to start, I'm ready to take part. Before that happen, don't miss this place if you happen to be in Singapore. =)


Smile on, Shine On

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Blogger & Photographer
Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites