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At your Leisure: Shang's swan song
THE LAST DAYS OF THE SHANGRI-LAâS SHANG PALACEWords and Photos Kevindra P
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THE LAST DAYS OF THE SHANGRI-LA'S SHANG PALACE
Words and Photos Kevindra P. Soemantri
The mythical paradise of Shangri-La, created by James Hilton'the writer, not the hotelier'in his novel Lost Horizon in 1933, was an inspiration for the Malay oil plantation tycoon Robert Kuok.
With a dream'and money'Kuok built the world's first Shangri-La hotel in Singapore, in 1971, creating a real utopia for the wealthy.
Suntoso Lyman took the brand to Jakarta in 1994 under PT Swadharma Kerry Satya, founding a hotel that offered a respite from the city's bustle as well as a utopia of fine food.
I recently visited the Shangri-La Jakarta's Shang Palace, a Cantonese fine-dining establishment overlooking the hotel's serene garden.
By the way, the restaurant is only steps away from Satoo, the best all day dining and buffet restaurant in Jakarta. (It used to be Coffee Garden back in the 1990s).
I heard laughter from the imperial dining room as a group of Chinese businesspeople spoke with a humorous and pleasant waiter.
Proceeding to my table, I noted that the decor was all red and gold, the colors of prosperity, according to the Chinese.
After ordering, a plate of handsome segmented suckling pick appeared on my table.
Appealing to the eye, it featured thinly sliced pork skin that snapped when tapped'a sign of perfect crispiness. Underneath was moist, flavorful and fatty pork that had been roasted for almost five hours.
I dipped the meat in a sweet-and-savory hoisin sauce served alongside a fluffy mini-pao that played with texture and, most importantly, offered an intense flavor. A hint of Chinese five spice started to appear.
Next was a dish of golden shrimp coated with silky mayonnaise. The natural sweetness of the shrimp was preserved by precise cooking. Their freshness was complimented by a sweetness that came from the mayo.
Another surprise was a golden ball, which for me amusingly resembled an imperial seal.
It was a flawless combination of semi-brunoised shrimp hidden inside crispy golden coating.
Suddenly, I tasted something odd-something familiar to my palate but not from the Chinese repertoire.
It was foie gras, brilliantly infusing the prawn with natural robust-gamey fat that melted out during the deep frying processes.
Perfection came when dipping the golden ball into a comforting homemade mayonnaise.
The emperor Zhou'a renowned gourmand according to Confucius'once said if the meat was not cut properly, he would not eat.
My next dish would have satisfied him: A sexy deep fried king prawn, bathed with a generous amount of spicy, fragrant sweet-and-sour sauce.
The prawn was deep fried until its skin was crisp and then combined with lychee sauce, which had a sweetness that was remarkably delicious.
The golden bun served alongside the prawn was a perfect compliment. With the taste and texture of potato bread, the firm bun was designed to be dipped into the pond of the lychee sauce. The bread absorbed all of its flavors-nut, ginger, spicy, fruity and honey.
My server was named Neneng. She entertained me with her funny and happy persona. Before I realized it, she replaced my dirty plates and utensil with clean ones, topped off my drink and made sure that the angle of my chopsticks was at a perfect 315 degrees.
Like all great dynasties, Shang will come to an end. Management plans to close the restaurant in April and revamp it along more modern lines, which raises some questions.
Will the new Shang offer fine-dining, a la the ritzy La Chine at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan? Will big-table service and extravagant dishes give way to more singular plates?
Whatever the new direction, I have faith that the new Shang will bring fortune to everyone who dines in it.
And I do hope Neneng is still there, pleasing and entertaining guests with her fine and fun service.
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Shang Palace
Shangri-La Jakarta
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1
Jakarta, 10220, Indonesia
Telp. 02129399562
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Side Dishes
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Superchef Alain Ducasse was both a winner and a loser, picking up the highest rating for his restaurant at Paris' swish Plaza Athenee hotel while losing a star for another of his tables in the French capital -- the equally opulent Le Meurice hotel.
The merciless pressure top chefs are under was in the spotlight after French-born Violier's death on Sunday at the age of 44, just two months after his Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world. 'AFP
A culinary award with a sustainable twist
Top chef launched a new global culinary prize Monday to reward cooks who make an impact beyond the kitchen.
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