On Saturday night I had a serious craving for Chinese food. It's no secret that Pantai Indah Kapuk, or PIK as it's more commonly known, is undoubtedly one of the best places in Jakarta to eat Chinese food. I would usually think twice before heading North. It can be a pain to get to because of traffic. But luckily during fasting month, there is a big traffic reduction. Albeit only at certain times. With that in mind, there really was no time like the present to head over to North Jakarta!
When I arrived at PIK, I didn't really know what to expect. Basically there are 2 roads, both of which have an abundance of places to eat. The only trouble is knowing which one to choose. I already knew that I wanted to eat Chinese, as this area is famous for it. After driving around, I settled on a place called Jin Mu Dumpling Restaurant. This restaurant specializes in Dumplings, La Mien and Hong Kong Seafood. It seemed perfect for what I was looking for.
The restaurant was already busy when I arrived, and is spread over 2 floors. I was seated on the second floor. I was pretty hungry when I saw the menu. It's a good thing that I can understand a little Bahasa, because the menu is not in English. I knew I wanted to try the seafood and the dumplings, both of which are specialities. So I set about trying to decide what to order from the extensive menu.
Because this restaurant is famous for its dumplings, it made sense to order a portion of those. I ordered the Australian Beef Dumplings with Cabbage and Onions, Siu Kiau 42.7k. They also offer pork or shrimp dumplings if you prefer. These dumplings are served on a hotplate and slightly resemble crepes. In regards to the taste, they are deliciously light and the filling was super tasty! I really enjoyed the flavor when they were dipped in soy sauce. I would totally recommend ordering them if you are visiting Jin Mu Restaurant.
I knew I wanted some form of seafood when I arrived at the restaurant. Seeing as I'm a big fan of Squid, I ordered Cumi Cabe Garam, 39.7k. This is Deep Fried Squid with Chili. Again this dish was very tasty. The batter wasn't at all heavy, and the squid was very fresh. I thought the chili added extra crunch to the dish and also brought out the flavor of the Squid. I always enjoy a little spice, and you cannot go wrong with Jin Mu Dumpling's Chili Squid.
Whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant, I always order a vegetable dish. This is simply because I love the way Chinese prepare their vegetables. Pocai Cah, is a type of Chinese vegetable and Jin Mu's version was served with Chinese mushrooms in a garlic sauce. If you are looking on the menu, it's called Pocai Cah Aneka Jamur, 39.7k. Even though I know the names of most Chinese Vegetables, this one was a little confusing. As the menu is in Bahasa, I just hoped for the best! When the dish was served however, I was relieved. I loved it's simplicity. The vegetables were well seasoned with garlic, and it reminded me of classic Cantonese cooking. Really, a clear winner for me.
The next dish I ordered was one I knew well from Cantonese cooking. Beef in Black Bean Sauce, 58k. Sapi Lada Hitam is slightly different than the version I knew. When you first taste it, the dish seems very sweet, but then you get the distinct aftertaste of the pepper. I wasn't wowed by this dish, but all the same I did enjoy the peppery taste of the sauce.
When eating out these days, it seems essential to order rice! I think I have been influenced by the Asian style cooking for so long. Now it seems impossible not to order rice. So I ordered the Nasi Goreng Telor, 25.7k. Otherwise known as Egg Fried Rice. This is a Chinese classic, but Jin Mu Dumpling's version was more Indonesian in taste. Definitely fusion. In fact, I found that all the dishes I tried were a mix of fusion Chinese. But that did indeed did make things quite interesting for the overall dining experience.
If you are heading over to PIK, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for dumplings and seafood. This was the first time I had dined out at a restaurant in PIK, and I had a very good first impression. I have to hand it to Jin Mu Dumpling Restaurant, the food I tried was very good. Next time I would think about ordering the La Mian, which is also one of their specialities. I enjoyed my time at PIK so much, I want to go back and try some more yummy cuisine! Happy eating guys!