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Dishing & Spooning for Bali | |
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Surely the island's finest restaurant experience is Kafe Warisan in Seminyak. Appropriately located in this upmarket enclave north of Kuta and conveniently located near the airport, Seminyak has got to be the smartest recherché district of them all. Forget Sanur and Nusa Dua. Outside of the island's remote areas (such as the parched eastern coast bulge), Seminyak is the place for the new millennium's "naughties." Where else on earth can you feast al fresco on duck fois gras sipping champagne, while gazing at a bucolic rice paddy and shanty hut. It's the stuff of dreams, and French patrons Dodi and Saïd are the consummate hosts. The menu favors typical French country dishes like bean cassoulet, duck confit and foie gras on brioche, with no fault to its classic expertise. The restaurant seats surprisingly few, built into a courtyard around stylish antique shops. Delicious and unrivalled on the island. |
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Also keep an eye out on the light refurbishment going on across the street from Gado Gado, on Jalan Dhyana Pura. There, Sofitel has just taken management of the rambling Royal Seminyak property (formerly The Grand Hotel), and improvements are afoot at this 120 room property. (And it's très convenient, just down the road from one of the island's only two gay nightclubs, Q-Bar. Walking distance, if you are two sheets to the wind after a night of udder abandon.) The Living Room is a perennial favorite for "modern/international" cooking, whatever that means. Especially enchanting is the white colonial-style open verandah and dining room facing gardens spectacularly lit with hundreds of candles each night. The restaurant sells fun lounge-style cds of their music (the perfect small gift to bring home), most songs having a decidedly French bent. Come especially for drinks and maybe appetizers in the evening, but go elsewhere for the main feed. Unlike the other restaurants, Bintang Lima/Puri Seafood is strictly traditional Indonesian. It is the most humble -- and inexpensive -- on the list, and not fine dining. But for an introduction to regional Indonesian dishes, this is the place to come. Its surprisingly extensive menu clearly identifies foods by region and island, and don't overlook the black board specials. Open evenings only. |
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| UBUD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We adore traipsing through Ubud on the island's center, particularly because its compact size allows for traipsing -- that is, literally walking from place to place. Everywhere else, you are restricted to taxis and other road options -- although these are always conveniently accessible almost everywhere. It is just the interminable fare bargaining we occasionally like to avoid after a satisfying dining experience. It pops the bubble, so to speak. Especially so, if we are stuck in the middle of nowhere after dark. Ubud's fine dining experiences are rare, sprinkled with a bit of humble pie on this list. |
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| Conveniently set in the centre of town, the ultra-chic fit out at Ary's Warung is the place to be seen in town. The bar is downstairs, and dining up, with a degustation menu – about 9 courses in all, with special prix fixe optionally including two glasses of wine, at 200,000 and 260,000 RP (about US$30) respectively. The food belies its simple Australian origin: the chef left town after the tourism crash, and the kitchen fledglings struggle for tasty grub. And the bitter, muddied caiprioska cocktails demonstrate why citrus should not be squeezed in advance: it turns bitter. More convenient for the staff, evidently, but horrific on the palate. Café Lotus has made its name in central Ubud from its gorgeous courtyard setting amongst a royal temple and pond full of lotuses. The magical atmosphere is not equalled by the food, and especially not by the tepid beer. The night we walked in the place was near empty, yet the staff insisted we sit well back from the prime courtyard tables because we had no reservation. We finally prevailed, only to still leave a nearly empty restaurant with plenty of free courtyard seating. As for the dishes: well, if we wouldn't order deep fried camembert in the West, why would we want to eat it here? Just back from one of the island's best suckling pig eateries, Terazo is dominated by a large Tonic poster of French colonial vintage. The two story atrium is impressive, but the food was so indifferent that we presumed the chef was away and the staff at play. Alas, the chef was in town, proving no tribute to his skills. Most notably, the “steamed” clams were nothing like the menu description, being broiled with a crumby topping (pun intended.) Located near Mozaic, Indus is nestled amongst a group of shops and other eateries making it a convenient stop for a bite. Owned by the Casa Luna people who introduced Balinese cooking classes to the area, Indus focuses largely on sub-continental Indian inspiration, which is not inappropriate considering Bali's Hindu parentage. We were transfixed there over breakfast watching the local rat family feast on the restaurant's morning altar offerings, but less than spell bound by the slow service and casual staff. (Seems the Australian owner was out of town, so this time there was an excuse!) Its setting gazing across a giant gorge and rain forests is stunning, and well worth the cost of an indifferent espresso. The Balinese food at Murni's Warung is indifferent; the western food even less enticing. Yet another unique setting, built along the cliff of a canyon, those in the know skip down some five flights of stairs to the lowest restaurant level, practically level to the grotto-like stream. If you chance on locals bathing au naturel, courtesy dictates that you avert your eyes. |
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