Massimo is still open for lunch, early dinner, takeaway or home delivery. When this menu says ‘home made’ they really mean it. ‘Home made’ has always appeared to me to be very overused words in Bali whenever describing the pasta of the house or the gelato, they never tell you in whose home it was actually made? At Massimo’s on Jln Tamblingan, in Sanur, all is home made whether it be the pasta, gelato, Italian bread, Italian cheese or the latest addition, semifredo. Dine there at lunch time and sit towards the end near the cashier’s desk and you will see the long pasta table with staff hand preparing all of the pastas. I have sat there and watched, intrigued, on many occasions. The affable Massimo will always stop in passing to explain the procedures. Pasta available here covers the full range plus the stranger and more unusual pastas of his home territory, Lecce. There are also many non-pasta Lecce dishes on the menu as well. Whatever you order do not foeget to finish with some of his magical semifredo, it is an experience not to be missed. The various styles on offer are displayed in a special refrigerated display just inside the front entrance.
10th Table, in central Lovina in Bali’s north coast, offers things a little different. Now they go very French with Foie Gras. served with a brioche and mango chutney and a balsamic reduction. Pickled pearl onoions and shredded spring onion are added to complete a modern twist on an oold classic.
L’Osteria, on the corner of Jln. Hanoman and Monkey Forest Road, has stayed open, with well spaced tables, also offering takeaway and home delivery. Their Pappardelle Bolognese that I often enjoy here is perhaps the best pasta dish I have ever enjoyed in Bali. Homemade pasta, soft and delicate, a perfect size portion for a pasta dish and well balanced with the beef ragu. Their Pizzas have a large crusty rim and are laden with toppings. There is a full range of the usual Italian mains but a little different is their Zuppa del Capitano, a fisherman’s stew served with roasted garlic crostinibread and their Burrata Italiana, a whole Burrata mozzarella with confit cherry tomatoes and rocket salad.
Aperitif, the fine dining restaurant at Ubud’s The Viceroy continues to open for lunches and early dinners. There are now a range of degustation menus; Lunch, Dinner, Prestige, Vegetarian and Romantic. At the top of their list [Rp.1,500,000 ++ p.p.} Prestixge, begins with a trio of exotic ‘snacks’; caviar blini, venison tartar and a fish waffle They are followed by a Chawamushi Oyster, red caviar, sake and nori and then a Hokkaido Scallop with sea grapes, tomato essence and mushroom dashi. Then comes the seafood dishes; Mud Crab with Kaluga Imperial caviar, then a Lobster Tortellini with smoked red caviar. After which you have a choice; Opu Fish with miso, scallion and chives, Kaluga Imperial caviar and caviar buerre blanc or you can have the Kagoshina Wagyu [A5] served with green asparagus, soy, confit potato and cured egg with more caviar for an extra small fee. Finish with Aperitif’s classic Peanut Butter and Jelly dessert. An incredible new canapé is their Charcoal Puff canape with Smoked Mackerel inside [pictured]. A very popular cocktail at the pre and after dinner cocktail bar is their signature Cocktail Apéritif Reviver. It is mixed with Scottish Gin, Blue Curacao, Fino Sherry, Yuzu, Rosemary, and Pernod Absinthe, one that you will remember!
Ji is predominantly Japanese. It is found at the front entrance of the Tugu Hotel, at Canggu. It is a relatively new restaurant but inside it could be many decades old. A typical Tugu fit out that uses the room that once housed many Chinese-Balinese Buddhist antiques, with a street front entrance added. Sashimi, Sushi and Maku Rolls with many different seafood combinations are the main event. All the normal Japanese mans are available Tempura, etc., with many added international dishes, many which could be described as healthy! Such as the Yellowtail, dragonfruit and shisho mushrooms, or the Cured Salmon with pineapple and coriander. Interesting salads include Tiger Prawns and noodles, Duck Breast and shimoji mushrooms or Roasted Pumpkin with Roquefort. I like the Sticky Ginger Chicken with chilli and honey to give it that hot and sweet taste.
Cafe Gazebo is found amongst the tropical jungles of Ubud in the new Hoshinoya Hotel. The menu combines the cuisines of Bali, France and Japan with that distinctive Japanese impecable service style. A welcome and amazing newcomer during this awful pandemic.
Cafe Greco [at the Lovina lights] has added a new item which everyone is dropping in to take a supply home to have as TV snacks; Merengue Cookies. They come in a lot of different flavors, such as Chocolate, Strawberry, Lime, Pineapple, Milk, Mocha, and many more.
Spice on Raya Ubud is master chef Chris Salan’s offering of Asian spiced dishes. Whilst it is just small and café style the dishes all prepared to an almost fine dining level. Serves are small, so you can order many dishes and explore your taste buds. An example is their Yellow Noodle Laksa, Egg and Chili Sambal served with grilled gindara fish. It provides an amazing contrast of tastes.
By Gerry Williams
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