Yes, it also offers many Korean dishes but it is still essentially
a Japanese restaurant. Outside, beside the entrance through
a traditional Japanese garden, is a small roadside bale. Inside
in the air-conditioned comfort you can either sit on floor
cushions that would normally require a yoga drilled posture
[but here they have a well in the floor so you are just sitting
on the floor although without any back rest], or at normal
wooden tables and enjoy your meal without a backache.
Through the glass window box are fake pink cherry blossoms,
tacky you may think but actually it seems right for the place,
it is very Japanese, along with all the bamboo stalks. The
staff of course are local, the lady chef a lucky find in Jakarta
where she has been running Japanese restaurants for many years.
The menu, apart from being a mix of Korean and Japanese, is
unusual to me as not many of the Japanese dishes you see regularly
in western countries are here, in their place many mysteries.
Exploring those mysteries is fun, particularly when just about
everything tastes great!
Sure there are many Sushi and Sashimi options with the usual
set options. You can order 15 pieces of different Sashimi
for Rp.75,000, good for 2-3 persons, or a similar sized Sushi
set for Rp.170,000, or you can order specific items. Any yes
there are a couple of Tempura and Teriyaki dishes but that
is where old familiarities disappear.
Korean options begin with Chge-Nabe, the famous Korean Steamboat,
a mix of pork, tofu and vegetables you cook yourself with
a spicy broth. Maguro-yukke is raw tuna and egg mixed together
with a spicy Korean sauce. Renkon-Teriyaki is slightly spicy
slices of the lotus bulb, an unusual and wonderful taste!
Everybody knows Korean Kim-Chee [that chilli cabbage], but
here there are different options; with Chijimi it is mixed
into a pancake with soy, whilst Buta-Kimchee has it tossed
with pork and stir-fried. Buta-Shouga is pork shavings stir-fried
in sake, soy, ginger and sesame oil/seeds. Tasty!
The best concept here is to order a large variety of dishes
[they area all entrée size] and share for a wild and
varied taste sensation, mixing the Korean ones [normally fiery
with chilli but here they are quite subdued] with the usually
sweet and soy-based Japanese options. Eat with rice of course,
or with Yaki-Onigiri, grilled rice balls dipped in soy.
Vegetarian options abound, and even if you are a meat freak
add a few dishes into your spread to further vary the tastes.
Eda-Mame, just boiled soy beans, the Japanese love them and
what could be healthier? Potato Salad is in unusually mashed
form mixed with mayonnaise. Agedashi-Dofu is deep-fried tofu
and Japanese radish with soy, Dashimaki is an Egg Roll, a
roll of many layers of super thin omelette. Kinpira-Gobou
is a variety of vegetable roots and carrot, Asupara-Goma is
boiled asparagus with sesame sauce, as simple as it sounds,
perfect cold spears with that pleasant sesame flavour. Okon-Miyaki
is a Japanese pancake with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise.
Chikuwa-Ten combines fried fermented soy beans with chikuwa
[a Japanese food product, it is tube-like and made from ingredients
like fish surimi, salt, sugar, starch, and egg white. After
mixing them well, they are wrapped around a bamboo or metal
stick and steamed or broiled, then cross-sliced looking like
calamari rings].
There are many seafood dishes, most using small fish. Tako-Itame
is fried octopus with mushrooms, Asari Butter Shoya steamed
clams with a butter and soy sauce, Ika Fly a whole squid,
the different parts prepared separately. Sanma is a salted
grilled Saury fish. Yaki-Nasubi is grilled eggplant topped
with dried tuna flakes. Jyako, dried small fish an mashed
Japanese radish with that ever-present soy. Yaki-Mesgi an
unusual fried rice lettuce combined with small fish. Kaki-Fly
are deep-fried oysters, the biggest I have ever seen, a tartar
dipping sauce on the side.
There is just one Tempura option, a mix of Vegetables and
Prawns in that light rice batter. Their Chicken Teriyaki is
one of the best, slices of tender and juicy chicken breast
liberally soaked in that sweet soy and mirin mix. Japanese
Croquettes are large balls of beef and mashed potato, crumbed
and deep-fried, with a sticky tangy sauce.
No Japanese menu would be complete without a range of Noodle
[Udon and Soba] and Rice [Don] dishes, particularly for the
lone diner, or a group who do not wish to share the normal
Japanese feast [even in a Western restaurant a Japanese couple
will often order 4-5 dishes to share, much to the amazement
of the local Balinese staff].
Some noodle dishes are served cold [Tempura of Tofu and Ten
Zaru a cold soy soup], but most are hot. Tsukimi combines
either Udon or Soba noodles with egg and leek, Yaki is fried
Soba noodles with vegetables and tonkatsu sauce.
Katsu-Don sees slices of pork in sweet soy topping a bowl
of rice, Oyako-Don is chicken and egg, omelette style, on
top of the rice. Ten-Don is a topping of Tempura Prawns and
Vegetables.
Desserts are very unusual. Try Daigaku-Imo, fried sweet potato
in a sweet soy sauce, or the more western Pancakes, a pile
of them accompanied by butter and honey.
You should really drink Sake and complete the full experience.
I like mine hot, leave it in the serving flask and only pour
each thimbleful when ready to down the lot in one swallow,
it is not a sipping drink! The slow burn warms your stomach,
and the ensuing relaxed mood works its way back up!
Man Maru is something totally different for Ubud and Bali.
A classy small restaurant, with a bit of style and flair!
QUICK REVIEW
Restaurant : Man Maru
Address : Jln. Raya Sanggingan,
Sanggingan,
Ubud.
Telephone : 972.519
Open : 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 midnight, daily.
Parking : Street only.
Price : Rp. 300.000 for two [+ drinks]
Credit Cards : Visa, Mastercard, JCB.
Food : Japanese / Korean
Wine : Many types of Sake.
Service : Always smiling.
Atmosphere : Cherry Blossoms.
Overall : Cool, clean and tasty!
Reviews that appear in Bali Advertiser are based on actual
visits to the establishments listed, without the knowledge
of the restaurants, and are not paid for by the individual
restaurants.
Opinions expressed here are those of Gerry Williams and not
necessarily those of Bali Advertiser. Gerry Williams attempts
to write from a ‘typical’ diner’s perspective
and whilst quality of food is the most important criteria
overall, value for money is the real measuring stick.
