Aperitif @ The Viceroy has amazed everyone with its incredible fine dining experience, taking us back 50 years, chandeliers, crystal and all. Their original 8 course degustation menu remains but there is now also a 5 course option as well as an 8 course Vegetarian menu. One of the stars of the main menu, and there are many, is the Beef Tartare [pictured], hand chopped prime raw beef blended with egg and spices, topped with cured egg and cucumber seeds. Other unique items include the Iberico Pork, Papuan Crab, Canadian Lobster, Caviar, Foie Gras, Duck Magret and the most sensational of all, the Venison Wellington. Aperitif is a dining experience never to forgotten.
Art Café Bumbu Bali, Jln. Siligita Selatan, Nusa Dua is the new home for Swiss chef Heinz von Holzen, a big improvement from the original Bumbu Bali. Not only is the new version open all day but it also offers air conditioning, necessary when eating spicy food.
Avenue is an American gastropub on Jln. Permelisaqn Agung, Canggu. It is also the new home for long time Bali American chef William Collier [ex Happy Chappy, Sentosa’s EVO, Alila, etc]. The menu suits the place, you could almost be in New York, but with a Bali touch. Wagyu Beef Sliders, Confit Pork Belly, Tuna Sashimi Poke, Slow Roasted Beef Po’Boy sandwich and with memories of EVO there are some interesting pasta dishes. Hand-rolled fresh Garganelli with oxtail ragu and smoked ricotta, sweet grilled corn Risotto with rambutan wood-smoked rock cod and hand-rolled Potato Gnocchi with potato truffle foam, crisp onions, pancetta, parmesan. For the beer drinker there are two draught and 18 bottled options.
Liebeling is almost rural with its rice paddy views on Jln. Kunti II, Seminyak. They serve both local Indonesian fare and a selection of western dishes. A relaxing spot so close to the action but also far removed from it. The menu has a German influence, as the name suggests; Schnitzels, Currywurst, etc. The Chicken Wings are very popular with their super sticky BBQ sauce [made with honey and palm sugar]. As are the Honey Burgers. The oxtail soup is full of meat unlike the bowl of bones often served elsewhere.
Duck, Duck, Goose is a Canadian chef’s interpretation of Asian street food. It is found on Jln Mertanadi, Kerobokan. The menu has dishes from just about everywhere in Asia, They do not claim that all are perfectly traditional as many are re-invented from their own travel memories. Fresh, clean and relaxed, an interesting stop for a tasty snack or meal.
Boss Man sells burgers, from their two locations; Poppies II and Raya Cendana.The Original has 160g beef patty, American cheddar, iceberg lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, grilled onions, pickles, American mustard, thousand island, horse radish aioli. The Al Capone has a 160g beef patty, bacon, grilled onions, smoked cheddar, creole chutney, wholegrain aioli, house-smoked BBQ sauce. The El Chapo is a bit more spicy with its 160g seasoned beef patty, jalapeño, cheddar cheese, rocket, onion, coriander, chipotle mayonnaise, salsa verde. There are also chicken, babi guling and vegetarian burgers or select three of them and they will be prepared as sliders.
Café Sardinia has been one of the leading food outlets at the Kuta Beachwalk Mall and it now has a second outlet at the recently opened Trans Studio Mall on Imam Bonjol, West Denpasar. It retains its Italian menu from Kuta but with many local Indonesian dishes added. Under the same management as Cocoon its quality is assured. Open from breakfast [eggs benedict, nasi goring, breakfast burrito], and then follows an interesting all day menu of Salads [Caprese, Thai, Chicken, Greek, Poke Bowls], Soup [Minestrone], Mains [Steak, Chicken, Seafood] plus an Indonesian Menu.
The Open House is a Mediterranean restaurant in Jimbaran on Jln, Permelisan Agung. In a garden setting they offer a substantial all day menu. Soups can be Soto Ayam, Tom Yum Goong, or Pumpkin. Salads of Apple, parmesan and rucola, Penne, capsicum, tomato, parmesan and basil, Caesar or the Indonesian Gado-Gado. Mains of Tuna, Barramundi, Prawns, Chickedn, and Indonesian Beef Rendang, Ayam Panggang, Satays. Simple style and excellent value.
Union Ubud on the corner of Raya Ubud and Goutomo is one of the latest to open in Ubud, where a new restaurant opens almost every day. A pleasant design helps make the visit relaxing as does the smiling staff and excellent tasty food. Brunch, lunch, dinner or just snacking in between, the menu has it all. Burgers and coffee are an any time fill-in. With an impressive list of cocktails this is a place at which it is easy to spend an hour or two.
By Gerry Williams
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