Editor's Rating
Earlier this month, we were invited for a lunch session at Shang Palace, the Chinese restaurant inside five-star hotel Shangri-La Jakarta. Although it wasn’t our first time there, this event was quite special because we got to try some signature dishes by the new Executive Chinese Chef, Christopher Chai.
Before I continue further with the Chef and his signature dishes, let’s talk about the restaurant first.
Greeted by two lion statues on each side of the entrance, combined with warm colors of maroon, red, green and gold dominating the interior of Shang Palace, the place is undeniably fulfilled with thick oriental sense. The restaurant area is very spacious and divided into 2 main areas: the first one just near the entrance is located near the glass window overlooking the beautiful garden. The bigger/main area is in the inner side, where the buffet stations are prepared and the area is basically dominated with red and gold colors.
Although Shang Palace serves various kinds of a la carte authentic Chinese cuisine, one of its most popular specialty is the All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Menu which are available every weekend (Saturdays & Sundays), with rate of IDR 248,000++/person including Chinese tea & Lemon tea.
The restaurant accommodates 327 person and has 6 private dining rooms as well as the Lotus ballroom. The private rooms are very comfortable because they are quite spacious, comes with a sofa set, television and perfect for family gathering. However, it’s more convenient if we pick a private room when we order a la carte menu. We have ever been in private room for a weekend brunch and it was troublesome to go back and forth to take the food from the buffet stations.
Without further ado, let’s move on to some of signature dishes by Chef Christopher Chai that we tried this time!
Deep-fried Prawn Coated with Corn Flakes
If you’re familiar with Prawn with Mayonnaise, this is very much similar to it, with additional crunchy corn flakes which are given GENEROUSLY. At the first glance, it was almost like seeing a plate of corn flakes because they totally covered the prawns. Not that I am complaining, though. XD
Not only the corn flakes, there are also cuts fruits sprinkled on top, which are dragon fruit and mango. Yes, the yellow dices looked like a corn at first, but they are actually mangoes. Lovely!
See how mouth-watering the prawns are? Super crunchy and tasty, just like what I expected from a Prawn with Mayo!
This dish is available in 3 size portions: R (IDR 128,000), M (IDR 192,000), L (256,000).
Baked Scallop Stuffed with Shrimp Paste and Homemade Bean Curd in BBQ Sauce
Must applaud Chef Chris for the creativity of this dish, presentation-wise, it looks like volcano in Japanese fusion restaurants. The base is homemade bean curd which I fell in love with from the first bite, very soft, smooth, and thick at the same time! The scallop is fresh and big, giving a nice flavor into the already-tasty bean curd. This is definitely a dish that guests of all ages can enjoy!
Again, this dish is also available in 3 size portions: R (IDR 148,000), M (IDR 222,000), L (296,000).
Steamed US Beef Short Ribs with Vegetables IDR 78,000
Beautiful presentation combined with beautiful taste. The meat was thick yet very soft and tender, eating this was almost effortless because it immediately melted in the mouth. Amazingly, the meat was drizzled in sauce, and it absorbed until inner part of the meat, giving a full taste in each cut.
Three of four dishes, and I was *still* impressed. A LOT.
Braised Lohan Vegetables Stuffed in Bean Curd Skin Money Bag IDR 58,000
Our last menu this time was a “money bag” with broccoli by the side. Once I broke the bag, the generous filling of vegetables flew down. I love the simplicity of the presentation and the “complexity” of the dish itself. Taste-wise, this was good but nothing really special.
Those 4 dishes are just few of Chef Christopher’s signature dishes that have been introduced since early May 2015. Chef Chris comes from Ipoh, Malaysia, and has been with Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta since 2008 as Chinese Banquet Chef. In 2012, he got promoted to be an Executive Chinese Chef in Edsa Shangri-La Manila, Philippines. Since late 2014, he returns to Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta to lead Shang Palace’s versatile team of chefs.
Overall, we enjoyed our lunch at Shang Palace this time, since we hadn’t really tried their a la carte menu before since we usually go for the dim sum buffet. Looking through the price, I think their prices for the dishes are quite reasonable considering the location and the quality of the food themselves. Service was good but not the best, as I expected something much better from a five-star hotel restaurant like this.
Last but not least, thanks for having us and see you again soon!
*All prices are subject to 21% service charge & government tax
*The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.
** This review is written based on our visit on 6 June 2015.
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SHANG PALACE
Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta Level 1
Kota BNI
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 1
Jakarta 10220
Phone. +62 21 2939 9562
Opening Hours:
Lunch:
Mon-Sun 11.30AM – 2.30PM
Dinner:
Mon-Sun 6.30PM – 10.30PM
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