I grew up with Chinese food for simple occasions that is celebrated only by the family and often dining in Chinese restaurants with a variety of dishes with my families. It’s why Chinese food has always been a comfort food for me. And recently, I went back to Xin Hwa and tried some of their new dim sum menus, specially created by the Executive Chinese Chef, Chef Chang See Loy. Xin Hwa at Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has been known as one of the finest Chinese restaurant located strategically in Central Jakarta. Set in a modern and sophisticated atmosphere, Xin Hwa offers authentic Cantonese cuisine with a delicious contemporary twist using the best ingredients.
Clockwise: Steamed Squid Ink & Seafood Dumpling, Steamed Scallop Dumpling with XO Sauce, Steamed Crystal Spinach & Crab Meat Dumpling, and Steamed Crystal Prawn & Dried Shrimp Dumpling
There is a great selection of dim sum at Xin Hwa, from fried and steamed bites to a modernized beef, chicken, and pork dishes are also available. I can’t remember the first time I ate dumplings, but these new dumplings were seriously tasty! Either the Scallop Dumpling, the Crystal Spinach Dumpling with crab meat filling, the Squid Ink Dumpling version stuffed with seafood, and the common Crystal Prawn Dumpling, they were all so good! I loved the way they wrapped each dumpling in thin dough and filled it with generous filling! It’s become a reason why I immediately marked this restaurant as one of the best places to go dumpling crazy for dim sum in Jakarta. These new dim sum menus will be launched at Xin Hwa on next Monday, 26 October 2015. You should try it!
In addition to the dim sum, I would recommend you to try some of their signature dishes too, such as Braised Crab Meat Soup, Wok Fried Beef Rib Eye “Greater Omaha US” with black pepper sauce, and Yang Zhou Style Fried Rice with Char Siew Chicken, prawn and asparagus. The Crab Meat Soup, which served with Bird’s nest in supreme golden broth, was incredibly tasty and so comforting! It’s a must try when you visit Xin Hwa Restaurant. The Beef Rib Eye was cut into cubes, beautifully tender, juicy and flavorful! And the Yang Zhou Fried Rice was simply satisfying!
Wok Fried Beef Rib Eye at Xin Hwa
Yang Zhou Fried Rice at Xin Hwa
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I heard that MO Bar at Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has a live music performance every Tuesday and Thursday night starting at 8 pm. So we decided to chill out for a while at MO Bar rather than stuck in a traffic jam outside. MO Bar has changed their old concept and renews their cocktails with the new one. Now they offer a great selection of Handcrafted Signature Cocktails, using fresh ingredients, top quality liquor, gin, vodka, etc. They even have some new Bar Bites to accompany our drinks. If you’re a pork lover, you have to try their Crispy Pork Belly (IDR 68K). The crispiness of the pork belly and crunchy crackling of the skin simply make us addicted. You can’t go wrong with this pork belly! The BBQ Duck stuffed in Mantou (fluffy buns), and Mini Slider were also delicious, well presented and became great bites to accompany our cocktails.
Mini Slider with three different flavors
Crispy Pork Belly IDR 68K & Mantau with BBQ Duck IDR 68K
Whether you prefer the classics or are looking for something more adventurous, you should enjoy their NEW handcrafted cocktails and try some of their signatures. Crave-worthy handcrafted cocktails include the Spiced Rum Chocolate Martini, Raspberry Flirt, Mango Cocotini, and the Negroni (for the man). All the cocktails that I’ve mentioned above tasted so good; if you prefer a stronger one, you can opt for Spiced Rum Chocolate Martini, or Negroni. But if you like to enjoy a sweeter cocktail and tasted light, you can try the Raspberry Flirt and Mango Cocotini. So, which type are you? 😀
Negroni, IDR 135K (Patron tequila, Choya plum liqueur, sweet vermouth, Campari) and Mango Cocotini, IDR 135K (Ketel One vodka, Malibu,mango purée, spiced sugar syrup)
Raspberry Flirt, IDR 135K (Tanqueray gin, Martini rosso, Campari, thyme leaf, fresh lemon juice)
Spiced Rum Chocolate Martini, IDR 135K (cinnamon infused rum, Frangelico, white chocolate syrup)
Overall, we had a great dining experience at Xin Hwa and enjoyed their new Handcrafted Signature Cocktails including the new Bar Bites at MO Bar. The staff is always polite and warm, while being extremely helpful. Thank you Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta for having us again! 🙂
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Dinner from 6 – 10:30pm
Dim Sum from 10am – 2:30pm (Sat) / 12 – 4pm (Sun)
