Spice

Just in case you haven’t heard, there is a delicious treat waiting to be discovered in Ubud called Room4Dessert. This is the creation of the palate seducer Will Goldfarb of previous Room4Dessert fame in New York City. Famed for creating avant-garde desserts and known as ‘The Prince of Pastry”, Will is the unchallenged master of turning simple ingredients into seductive plates of delicious desserts. Local products and Indonesian preparation techniques have given Will a whole new string to his sweet bow. Indonesia has an enticing range of products like belingo, kemangi, palm sugar, tombong, snakefruit and klepon that have added zest to his already well-honed art. Room4Dessert serves 9 different desserts, each with its own character, presentation and taste. Here are 5 of my favourites...

Combining great cuisine and interactive renditions, Banyubiru at The Laguna Luxury Resort & Spa offers an exquisite cultural dining program, involving a Balinese Blessing, fire dance performance and dinner ceremony that take the guests into an intimate journey through Balinese and religious performances. This fascinating dinner program begins with a gathering of guests at the Cascade bar close to the lobby to view a fire dance enacted by three dancers and two musicians. At the conclusion of this dramatic dance I was escorted with the rest of the guests to an open area just in front of a Pura (temple) in the Temple Garden. Here for the blessing I took part and experienced first-hand the basic ‘five steps’ of the Balinese Hindu prayer procession. A walk through the garden followed...

A recent renovation has given Café Degan more seating capacity and extra comfort for their guests. This popular café is known for its Indonesian and Thai dishes and is now able to present these in the style they deserve.Two VIP rooms have also been added and each has a capacity for 10 diners or can be combined to accommodate a larger group. An outdoor terrace provides a refreshing eating venue on fine nights and the new items have been added to their already extensive menu. Being a seafood eater by nature I went for Degan’s Mangut ikan lele – catfish fried with coconut oil and then reheated in a soup bowl of coconut milk, green tomato and ‘petai’ an Indonesian bean. Smooth and moreish this dish is best taken with steamed rice. I followed this with bebek tumis cabe – wok-tossed fried...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#FFAC00"] Sushi Hana has expanded and refurbished its dining area in true Japanese style. This popular sushi restaurant has taken the presentation and delivery of meals to new levels with the affirmation that Japanese food is so much more than the iconic California roll. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] Located on Sunset Road in Kuta, Sushi Hana offers a wide range of traditional Japanese dishes along with Pan Asian fusion. As well as the main dining area this restaurant has 4 Tatami rooms, 3 VIP rooms, a Samurai room, function room and an outdoor dining area. Sushi Hana is well equipped to cater for personal for private functions, parties, meal conferences as well as taking excellent care of personal diners. The sushi bar...