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Bali Part 25
Michael Taylor’s 21 day Balinese adventure ended in real time more than one week ago, and it is now coming to an end in Cyberspace, as well.
Today he reminisces about one of his last dinners in Bali, prepared by Celebrity Chef Bagus Bajra, who heads the kitchen at CasCades Restaurant at Viceroy Bali, a boutique hotel that is located on the outskirts of Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali, the Island of Gods.
Indonesia’s Best Restaurant?
What do the Miele Guide, American Express, Indonesia Tattler, and Wine Spectator all have in common?
They have all recognized CasCades Restaurant – the open air fine dining eatery at Viceroy Bali on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali – as one of Indonesia’s top restaurants – if not its absolute best restaurant.
The menu is basically French, but there are strong Indonesian influences.
“The original concept was to be a French restaurant, but it is difficult to do a French restaurant in Bali so we decided to include Indonesian food,” says Executive Chef Bagus Bajra.
As a result, the current menu – which was launched six to seven months ago – features French, fusion, and Indonesian dishes. Foie gras, for example is served with Balinese fruit.
OMG! Tuna Tartar!
Severs at CasCades Restaurant at Viceroy Bali in Ubud are professional, enthusiastic, friendly – and eager to serve. Photo Credit: Accidental Travel Writer.
I’m not big seafood fan, but – somewhat surprisingly – I DO like raw fish. So when I read “tuna tartar” on the menu, I was tempted. So I ordered it as my starter. And I was NOT disappointed!
When my tuna tartar arrived, it looked like an uncooked hamburger paddy on steroids. It was about the same circumference as a hamburger paddy, but about twice as high. There were these large pink meaty chunks of raw tuna, they glistened – if I remember correctly, they were coated in some kind of oil – and I believe there were also sesame seeds scattered atop.
Forget the details. The taste and the texture were sublime. This is what I wrote in my notebook: “Melts in your mouth. Very generous portion.”
Act Two?
Unfortunately, I was so overcome by the tuna tartar, that I forgot to take notes for the rest of the meal. If I remember correctly, I had a succulent chilled tomato soup, a yummy prawn salad, and a mouth-watering thick slice of beef that was perfectly seasoned and tender to a fault.
When it came time to order dessert, I surveyed the offerings, and I was tempted – very, very tempted. If truth be told, however, I was absolutely stuffed. As I alluded to earlier, the servings at CasCades are generous.
I honestly didn’t have room. So I settled for coffee.
Looking ahead, I will try to control myself on my next stay at Viceroy Bali, eating less of the tuna tartar, and leaving more room for what follows …
