HAKA Dimsum Blok M — Restaurant in Jakarta

it was early at 7am, dec 29, 2004 when we got here after a short brief walk from a hotel across.. but more than half of the seats were occupied and some online drivers were waiting for their orders.

my house is actually less than 7km away from blok m area but i sometimes with my wife and daughter book a hotel just to spend a full day for having culinary things in this area... for the sake of oldtime..😅

it would be normal to see morning crowds on street stalls.. but it's a resto.. that made me sure that the dishes are good..

indeed.. all six different menus on the table were great and comforting.. unfortunately some of my intensional foods were not available.. shouldn't happen since it's a 24hrs resto

their ordering and payment system is effectively reduces chaotic queues.. that's cool for an "old fashioned" resto.. though when i was there online payment system were not established yet.

i'm not chinese but the oldskul ambiance of the resto felt so familiar since i had many chinese friends on my childhood 30-40 years ago.. idk where they are now 😁 hope to see them back sometime..

the odd thing is the narrow steep stairs.. it's not good for mid-age and old people especially when stepping down. i can imagine how chaotic it would be on busy hours 😅

definitely recommended for my self and my family... and for you too.. 😁

add.. another breakfast at jan 28, 2025.. i would like to order cheong fan.. but again.. just like my previous visit it wasn't available yet. was really a disappointment but the comforting lo mai gai made it up...

by the way, they really need to fix the stair.. just...

I arrived at Haka Dimsum with a sense of anticipation, buoyed by the buzz on social media which connects to the current trend where traditional styles are integrated in modern ways.

The waiting area, though lively, felt a bit constricted, with a long waiting list and limited space that reminded me of the popularity rather than its intimate charm. At first glance, the exterior promised a throwback traditional dining approach, yet stepping inside revealed an experience that did not entirely mirror the facade. Notably, the steep, single-flight staircase at the entrance limits accessibility for some guests, and the visible presence of several wet trash bins near the front could benefit from a more considered upkeep.

The dining experience was moderate and the prices were reasonable enough that gives a balanced approach to affordability. However, some of the dishes (especially those with uniquely intriguing names and icons) left me pondering their consistency and presentation.

I want to pinpoint a small service hiccup that slightly dropped my overall experience of this restaurant. At first, I received a refill of iced tea with a plenty of ice and a bit of the tea. Thus, I requested the waiter to refill the tea without the ice (since there were still plenty of ice left in my glass), but they unexpectedly threw away all of the ice, leaving me with a glass of warm tea? It underscores that even in a place with high social acclaim, there is room...

I have no problem with a long waiting list as long as the overall experience is worth it. Sadly, this restaurant is not worth all the hassle.

We went to the restaurant after lunch, around 2 PM. After waiting for around 30 mins, we got seated on a 5-person table though it was just me and my friend. When we got to the table, it was dirty. There were lot of chili oil and ice spill on the other side of the table, so it was noticeable. But when the waiter served us our food, he didn't clean the table. He came back three times to our table and not once tried to clean it until I asked him to.

The more disappointing part is the food. We ordered siomay, hakau, fried shrimp dumplings, lo mai gai and chili oil noodle. The steamed dim sum (siomay and hakau) tasted like heated frozen food. The lo mai gai was not that bad, but contained too much dried shrimp for my taste. The fried shrimp dumplings was quite okay. My friend ate the chili oil noodle and in their opinion it was basic.

We paid around Rp160,000,-. For the service and taste of food that we got, I think it was too expensive. I could get more delicious dim sum with a better service at that price in another place. I don't think I will visit this restaurant again, nor recommending it...