Table8, Mulia Hotel, Jakarta
Table8 has been recently regarded as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Jakarta, what with it being located in one of the most prestigious hotels, and its impeccable interior decoration. It’s probably the most beautifully decorated restaurant in Jakarta, alongside with its French counterpart, Orient8, also in Mulia Hotel (I assume that 8 would be the hotel’s lucky fengshui number?). I have been wanting to visit this restaurant for a long time, I’ve read about it in magazines, heard people talking about it. But in reality: the food’s just not that good. Seriously. It’s a combination of Szechuan and Cantonese dishes, with little ‘twists’ here and there (i.e. the peking duck served with slices of peach, chilled crudités-styled vegetables, etc.)
Now I’m all for fusion-ized cooking, I’m not one of those people who are like “ooh they shouldn’t do weird stuff to good food” *coughMOMcough*, but they might want to rethink doing it to chinese food, which is arguably the best kind of food there is (anyone?). The duck, however, was really. I mean, it was fatty (which most roasted duck dishes in Jakarta lack), crispy, juicy. Wow. But then again the duck itself isn’t worth the whole.. other dishes you have to go through (it was a buffet, I HAD to try everything. cmon). The other dishes were just. meh. I DID hear that they change their buffet menu every day, so was I really that unlucky to have gone there in a bad day? I somehow doubt it.
- Food: You can honestly find better chinese food in Jakarta. hint - Crystal Jade Palace in Grand Indonesia.
- Place: I felt like walking into a Chinese palace. Ok exaggeration but srsly byootiful.
- Price: The price was VERY reasonable. Rp. 168, 000 per pax for a buffet in a five-star hotel. I must warn you of the taxation system in this country. gah.
- Overall: I would give it a 2 out of 5. One point for the roasted duck, and another for the interior.
Cheerios,
Dodilia
P.S. Oh gosh pictures. I really wanted people to focus on the review rather than the pictures so.. (a.k.a I was too embarrassed to take pictures cos the waiter’s all foux-y and stare-y)
