Talking about Chinese food, the name Din Tai Fung is surely hard to be missed. Famous for its xiao long bao (Shanghai-style steamed soup dumplings), it manages to be one of the most enjoyable (and prestigious) Chinese restaurants in Jakarta. Why is it so different from the others? Make sure you read on 🙂

Din Tai Fung Senayan Arcadia
Din Tai Fung was brought to Jakarta for the first time in April 2005, is an international franchise originated from Taipei, Taiwan. 

Cozy and warm interior
Dominated by wood and rattan-like wall, it brings out the authentic Chinese feeling. Place doesn’t look big from outside, but they actually have a lot of space inside. We were brought to the most inner part of the restaurant, which looked more like VIP area, with only 4 long tables inside.

 
Need we say more?
  Food making process
It can be seen very clearly even from the main entrance, because they put glass windows to let customers see how they make the food they serve us.

Steamed Chicken Dumpling (6 pcs) – IDR 49.000
I’m a big fan of dumplings, but xiao long bao? Not really. But this ones are really, really well-made. The skin is so thin it is very smooth, I couldn’t even feel the flour taste at all, unlike the usual dumplings that I eat. Besides that, although the skin is so thin, it is not very fragile, so even if I take one using chopstick, I still can manage to get that on my soup spoon without breaking it. Nice.

This is how it looks like after I broke the skin. The soup was rich in flavor, very delicious indeed. 
Won Ton Noodle Soup (Shrimp & Chicken) – IDR 59.000
Noodle was very well cooked, won ton was tasty.  

Fried Chicken Cutlet with Spinach Noodle – IDR 52.000
When it came out, I was surprised of the chicken cutlet portion. In the menu though, they only serve the cutlets on top of the noodle, not separated this way. Considering that, it was really worth the price. Moreover, the spinach noodle was nice and unique, so I was satisfied I ordered this.

Braised Szechuan Sliced Beef Noodle – IDR 55.000
I didn’t try this but Mr. R said it was nice, too. The soup looks a bit scary with all the oily bubbles and stuffs, but actually it was pretty light, or so I was told. Then again, the noodles are just hard to resist, it’s so chewy and soft, very delicious.

Chili Prawn Udon – IDR 72.000
This doesn’t look too appealing actually, but tasted good. Imagine stir-fried udon, cooked with mixed sauce, combined with slices of fresh seafood. Oh yes, despite of its name, it is not that spicy. It’s a very simple food and I’m sure everyone will love it.

Xiao Long Bao Gems Mix (7 pcs) – IDR 65.000
So they have these cute colorful dumplings in the menu, don’t blame me if I felt I had to order these 🙂 Each color represents different fillings:
1. Emerald (green): Salad Green
2. Topaz (orange): Golden Corn
3. Pink Diamond (pink): Seafood
4. Ruby (red): Bolognaise
5. Citrine (yellow): Cheese
6. Onyx (brown): BBQ Chicken
7. Sapphire (purple): Garlic Chicken
Surprisingly, they really tasted different each. Some are very strong and totally up to its name, some are not. Nevertheless, it was still worth a try!

Mango Pudding with Fresh Mango Slice – IDR 35.000
Nothing special except they serve this with milk. The mango was exceptionally sweet, but for a price like that, I’d prefer making some mango pudding myself at home XD

 
Cookies & Cream Ice Cream (1 scoop) – IDR 32.000
This one is just usual cookies & cream ice cream, but they serve this with rice crispies topped with chocolate liquor, which made it extra sweet but still very enjoyable.

Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean (1 scoop) – IDR 32.000
Again, it was really, really nice! The green tea ice cream was just fantastic beyond words. Yes, it was that good! The red bean combination just made it even more perfect. Love this!

Triple Delight – IDR 35.000
So, this one was a unique dessert so I decided to try it. The drink was made from 3 ingredients, green tea (bottom), aloe vera (middle), and mango juice (top). Isn’t it interesting? Supposedly it was served with a hint of coconut milk on the very top, but I changed with milk. The taste was unique, a bit hard to drink if you use straw (because of the aloe vera and pudding at the bottom), but still I would recommend this.
As if the food isn’t enough to please you, the convenient and comfortable place will make you feel “attached” to your chair. Friendly, helpful and informative waitresses are always ready near your table to assist you whenever needed. 
Definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants in Jakarta.
Din Tai Fung
Plaza Senayan Arcadia 
Ground Floor Unit X 101-103
Jl New Delhi No 9 
(+62-21) 5790 1288/7