Most people tend to have a fixed idea of what "Chinese food" tastes like. Often, the phrase conjures up thoughts of spicy Cantonese food with its savory stir-fried vegetables, noodle soups and dumplings.

But China's vastness and cultural diversity means its cuisine has an array of culinary traditions that differ greatly from the popularly known Cantonese food.

JP/Prodita Sabarini

Singapore-based Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holdings last week introduced their latest concept restaurant specializing in the understated taste of Teochew cuisine.

Originating from the city of Chaozou in Guangdong province, Teochew cuisine is less heavy-handed than spice-laden Cantonese dishes, and depends more on the ingredients' freshness and natural flavor for the taste. Most of the dishes are seafood mixed with vegetables.

The restaurant, located in Pacific Place in the Sudirman Central Business District, is the ninth Crystal Jade outlet in Jakarta. Since opening its first restaurant in 2007, Crystal Jade has aggressively expanded its business, with success. Crystal Jade Palace in Grand Indonesia, Central Jakarta, with its fine-dining concept, was awarded the 2008-2010 Hospitality Asia Platinum Award (HAPA).

Crystal Jade's special assistant to the managing director Stella To said the Crystal Jade Teochew restaurant was a conversion of a previous restaurant opened in November 2007. The restaurant has been renovated with an additional 1,160 square feet for five private rooms.

It was in one of these private rooms that I sampled a variety of Teochew dishes for lunch one day last week.

The appetizers were a mix of Teochew and Cantonese dishes. Sweet and tender Cantonese-style roast duck was teamed with a crispy crabmeat roll and marinated jellyfish. This gives a clear example of the difference between Cantonese and Teochew cuisine: The marinated duck got its sweet taste from the spices, whereas the jellyfish and the crabmeat roll were tasty on their own, and not overpowered by herbs and spices.

The next dish was a unique seafood soup served inside a coconut. In the soup was tender and juicy crabmeat, the shell peeled off to make it easier to eat, a slice of sea cucumber and a dark shiitake mushroom. In this very fresh and light soup, I could detect the subtle taste of the coconut, which complemented the savory flavor of the crab.

I also had marble goby steamed with tomatoes, pickled vegetables and plum. The slightly sour sauce went well the fresh sweetness of the fish.

In a special show, the chef gave a live demonstration of how he prepared the saut*ed beef rib with sugar snap peas. The chef, originally from Hong Kong, heated a large frying pan, and poured in a thick dark sauce. Next he added the sliced beef and the crunchy green peas.

The beef had a warm peppery taste, but as the chef did not use many spices, it was a little bland for my palate. The sweet peas were a nice addition.

I was very excited by the restaurant's crispy noodles. Pan-fried over a low heat, the noodles were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They were served with sugar and vinegar, which gave a delightful sting.

Finally, for dessert, I had sweetened yam paste with gingko nuts. The yams were steamed, mashed and sweetened to create a dessert.

Teochew cuisine is a pleasant choice if you want to savor the natural and fresh taste of the ingredients. In Stella's words, it is "food without a lot of covering up".

The food tells it as it is, just like a fresh face without makeup.

Crystal Jade Teochew

Pacific Place, Level 4 Unit 02

Jl. Sudirman Kav. 52-53

South Jakarta

Tel. 21-51400437

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