Shanghai Blue 1920, Menteng, Central Jakarta (foodioz.com)

The original article was published by Foodioz.com. Read HERE.

Writer: Yovent

 

The story this time is about a restaurant in the Central Jakarta area which has been around for a long time. But they had closed for about 2 years in the moment of renovations to renew the interior of the restaurant. Shanghai Blue 1920 is a Chinese Peranakan restaurant with an enchanting classic interior concept. It looks from the exterior to the interior with the appearance of a beautiful bar station and a ceiling painted with sky views.

Bright colors throughout the room to chairs with carved flowers look beautiful. Classic ornaments are found all around the corner of the restaurant, one of which is that the old Chinese-style chairs look unique. Then the spiral staircase is in accordance with the concept of ancient buildings.

After not operating for a long time, Shanghai Blue 1920 is back with a new concept in terms of interior, new menu, and new chef. Chef Ashiung is from Malaysia so it fits perfectly with the Chinese Peranakan menu concept. The menu that I tried this time consisted of several familiar Asian dishes such as Crispy Oat Squid, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet Sour Tilapia, Cai Po Tofu, and 3 Eggs Vegetable.

You may find this dish in typical Chinese Asian restaurants in general. Compared to a Chinese restaurant with an original concept, Shanghai Blue 1920 shows more Peranakan dishes with a different touch. My favorite Crispy Oat Calamari is served well, the quality of the squid is good, the crispy layer is not too thick and not oily. The squid texture is just right.

For some dishes, such as tofu cai po and sweet and sour tilapia, it’s little lacks flavor, for tofu cai po which is less concentrated sauce, while the sweet and sour sauce of tilapia is less flavorful even though the texture of the fish is very soft and doesn’t smell fishy, but it’s kinda plain.

The overall experience of having lunch here is quite pleasant. Various dishes are quite familiar to us, the taste is according to the tastes of the Jakarta community. In addition, you can also feel the classic and ancient Chinese-style nuances which are very slick. Don’t forget to take interesting photos for social media content.