Most new arrivals in Bali have as one of their major priorities the desire to try Balinese restaurants. Most will have had some form of Indonesian food, but very few will have ever experienced true Balinese cooking in it's purest form unless they have been invited into a Balinese home, and then only at the time of an important ceremony.
It took a Swiss chef, with vision, to give all of us the opportunity to enjoy the unique cuisine of Bali. After many years at the Grand Hyatt as their Executive Chef, Heinz von Holzen has created Bumbu Bali.
Built as an open cluster of Balinese Wantilans, each small dining area faces out onto a common courtyard, where the gamelan often play in the evenings, or sometimes and exhibition of Balinese dance. The restaurant is equipped with a very original Bali kitchen, open for all to see, as well as a professionally equipped western version.
For the first time visitor to this exotic cuisine, there is a Balinese Rijstaffel together with a seafood equivalent to make it easier for you to order your meal. This banquet-style feast consists of three entrees, a soup, and seven main dishes, followed by desserts and Bali Kopi. The price of either of these menus is Rp.135,000++ per person.
We decided to be adventurous and make our own selections. The result was still a nice balance of tastes!
An entree of Ayam Pelaleh consists of shredded chicken with chilies and limes. The traditional Balinese dish, Satay Lilit was a mandatory selection. Eating in Asian style, we ordered all of our courses to arrive at the same time. Everything came with a variety of Balinese vegetables and sambals.
For mains the selection was quite varied, even though we had an unusual group with us, including Balinese [no beef], Javanese [no pork] and an English vegetarian [little seafood but no meat]. We had little problem coming up with a well balanced spread of sensational food, and at a most agreeable cost.
Siap Mepanggang, grilled chicken with a roasted coconut sauce, was quite exceptional. Chunks of chicken, with the crispiest of skin, and meat so soft and juicy. Hasil Laut Bumbu Kuning was a mixture of seafood in a yellow coconut milk sauce. Kambing Mekuah is lamb that has been simmered in coconut milk and spices. Kenus Mebase Bali is braised squid with lime and lemon basil.
Siap Base Kalas, Chicken in Spiced Coconut Milk, wonderfully fragrant. Semur Lidah is a memorable dish, Ox Tongue in a Sweet Nutmeg Sauce. Someone had to try the Jukut Ares. Duck soup with banana stems, and pronounced it perfect, and our vegetarian friend insisted on a plate of the usually horrific tempe [soya bean cake or tofu]. This one certainly was not horrific, but almost stole the show. Tempe Manis, small strips of soya bean cake tossed in a mixture of sweet soy sauce and finely diced chillis, it had been wok fried until very crispy. We all almost became vegetarians overnight. Sensational!
Bumbu is the Balinese word for spice, and at Bumbu Bali your senses are overwhelmed with spices in the nicest possible way. In fact we found the spices quite mild, perhaps they have been toned down for the wide variety of tourists that are always flocking to Bumbu Bali. A most pleasant way to spend an evening, sitting in a Balinese garden enjoying unusual, but very enjoyable food, and all at incredibly good value.
For all of those home chefs, Bumbu Bali also presents intimate hands-on cooking classes. These can even include a trip to the fish markets to learn the secrets of buying the right produce. Everyone, who lives in or visits Bali, should eat here at least once! You are unlikely to get the opportunity anywhere else in the world!
