The sight of steaming baskets stacked atop one another easily stirs excitement. Dim sum, while typically a morning treat, has been popularly extended to be part of brunch and supper culture. And in Jakarta, restaurants and its street renditions are gradually turning it into a day-long affair that we won’t be shy to commit to. Taking a notch further is Haka Dim Sum Shop in BSD whose hours extend around the clock and unapologetically done so.
Haka Dim Sum sets itself apart from the rest of the shophouses by how uncluttered it looks: a signage and an outdoor seating backdropped against a glass wall that gives a view into the rest of the eatery. Inside, the unfinished cement walls are adorned with old school Chinese posters and a catchy neon that reads “HAKA” in a room with just a handful of wooden tables.
It’s a straightforward deal. One comes frequenting the place knowing that the establishment’s forte lies in their myriad of the bit-sized dishes. Name any of your favourite: Hakau, perennial Ceker (chicken feet), Lumpia Kulit Tahu (tofu skin springroll), or Charsiu Pao (barbecued chicken bun) – they’re solid players to make your meal wholesome.
Make your indulgence all the more delightful with Pao Telur Asin (salted egg bun) with the oozing salted egg yolk in a black bun. At last, never skip on Haka’s very own Cheong Fun Medan as well: this Medanese-style rice noodle roll with cut up turnip cake, deep fried u yen (taro cake) glazed in sweet and tanginess easily takes the torch of the entire menu.
Knowing that this entire fare at Haka won’t trigger a dent in your wallet makes it all the more irresistible, and goodness knows the power that dim sum holds in bringing people together. Upon the idea of relishing on the bite-sized goods with family and friends, Haka Dim Sum Shop made the right choice to turn its establishment into a 24-hour dim sum affair.