Bali’s latest hotspots for hip and
happening travelers. By Evelyn Chen
Up until recently, Southern Bali
was known mostly for its resort property enclaves of Nusa Dua and
Jimbaran, its superb surf breaks and the holy cliff top temple of
Uluwatu. But as the Southern coastline (also known as the Bukit
Peninsula) heats up with numerous million-dollar super luxury
resort developments—including Banyan Tree Ungasan, Raffles Amartha
and Alila Uluwatu—the quiet, dusty and relatively less-travelled
Bukit is emerging as the playground cum luxury vacation homes of
the rich and famous.
Trendy Dining
Bumbu
Swiss chef Heinz von Holzen can be considered Bali’s adopted son,
and a trip to the island is not complete without experiencing an
authentic Balinese cuisine at his highly revered Bumbu Bali
restaurant at Tanjung Benoa. For your virgin trip to this open-air
eatery with thatched roofs, try the sate lilit (minced seafood
sate) and the be celeng base manis (pork in sweet soy sauce).
Alternatively, pick the nasi campur (rice served with assorted
meats and vegetables) or the rijsttafel (an elaborate meal
consisting of many side dishes) meal.
Jl. Pratama, Tanjung Benoa;
+62-361-774-502; www.balifoods.com/bumbu
Di
Mare
Di Mare is arguably Bali’s most desirable dining destination of the
moment. Situated 150 meters above Ungasan’s rocky out drop, it is a
semi-circular dining room built to resemble a yacht with a view
that defies belief and top-notch Mediterranean cuisine to match.
Standouts from Chef Raymond Saja’s well-crafted menu include the
trio of Jimbaran bay prawns
(grilled, tempura and chilled) and pan-seared Alaskan scallops with
strips of prosciutto resting on a bed of truffle and herb risotto.
Do not miss the well-made tarragon panna cotta lounging in a pool
of passion fruit perfumed jus; absolutely sublime.
Banjar Wijaya Kusuma,
Ungasan; +62-361/848-2200; www.karmakandara.com
Il
Ristorante
For refined Italian fare minus the stuffiness at the extreme south
of Bali, there is Il Ristorante at the amazing Bulgari Resort.
Situated on a U-shaped raised black teak platform overlooking
frangipani trees and a reflection pond, the sultry Il Ristorante
continues to draw in the affluent crowd long after the Bulgari hype
simmered down. Disappointment is near impossible with Chef Diego
Martinelli’s creations; try the flavour-packed cappuccino of
pumpkin served in a teacup or the achingly tender pan seared tuna
with grilled zucchini. Under the supervision of Martinelli, Il
Ristorante appears to have come into its own and adopted an
endearing personality in Bali’s food circuit.
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar
Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu; +62-361/847-1000;
www.bulgarihotels.com
Kafe Warisan
You pass a gallery retailing local artefacts before you step into
the old world alfresco dining room of Kafe Warisan that overlooks
an expansive rice paddy field near Seminyak. The moniker Kafe may
seem a little displaced considering the restaurant serves up
flawlessly executed classic French fare that far surpasses the
churns of a bistro. But by September, all this many not matter when
owner, Dou Dou, relocates his restaurant to a neighbouring unit and
renames it Metis. Keep our fingers crossed that Dou Dou will keep
his signature “must haves” on the new menu, including the grilled
scallops with hot foie gras and roasted Alaskan black cod with
white truffle mashed potatoes in a crab bisque emulsion. We assure
you that it is worth the 45 minutes drive from the
Bukit.
Jalan Raya
Kerobokan 38; +62-361/731-175;
www.kafewarisan.com
Kayuputi
Meaning white wood in Bahasa Indonesia, Kayuputi is a
double-storey, all white, fine dining destination in the stunning
St. Regis of Bali. For the perfect meal, check out Chef Oscar
Perez’s contemporary cuisine that showcases his refined European
cooking techniques and preference for fresh and Asian-based
ingredients. We recommend the tuna tartar and lava stone grilled
Australian Black Angus sirloin steak.
Kawasan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua;
+62-361/847-8111; www.stregis.com/bali
Sarong
Bali
When you are in Bali’s chic Seminyak district, you will have to
check out Will Meyrick, a hunky chef who is rousing a buzz. If not
for the sensuous and gothic dining room with sheer drapes and
beaded lampshade chandeliers, come for the utterly authentic high
Asian cuisine inspired by the street foods of India, Thailand,
Malaysia and Indonesia. Make no mistake, the cuisine is not fusion;
think fork-tender tandoori lamb shank topped with chopped shallots,
onions and chillies or crispy roti canai with butter chicken gravy.
Even the Asian tapas menu hits a high with the expatriate
community—we love the oysters with coriander, deep fried shallots
and chilly lime dressing.
Jl. Petitenget 19 Kerobokan; +62-361/737-809;
www.sarongbali.com
Hip Hotels
Bulgari Resort
The hype over Bulgari’s deliriously beautiful coastal resort at
Uluwatu might have settled, but this medieval fortress-like 59
ocean-view villa with dark grey boulders continues to be a
frequently talked-about resort in all of Bali. Designed by
architects Antonio Citterio & Partners, each of the resort’s
guestrooms feature an outdoor cabana with plunge pool,
a glass-encased bedroom and an equally spacious black Terazzo-clad
bathroom with a sunken tub. The eight-treatment room spa stands out
in the indigenous stone-clad resort as the only structure in the
resort housed within an antique Joglo house from Java. Bulgari is
the type of resort where you can spend the entire day flitting from
plunge pool to outdoor shower to the sunken bath without leaving
your villa.
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu;
+62-361/847-1000; www.bulgarihotels.com
St. Regis
Bali
Probably the slickest and most starry arrival in Nusa Dua in recent
years, St. Regis Bali tips the luxury scale with 79 suites, 42
private villas and two residences in a setting that boasts
well-manicured lawns and lush landscape by Bensley Studio. Pick
from the selection of spacious villas; we love the 580-square meter
one-bedroom Strand Villa for its colonial and dark wood interior,
aromatic Laboratoire Remede toiletries and its direct access to the
Nusa Dua beach. Foodies will not want to miss Asia’s most decadent
breakfast experience at Boneka (note: Breakfast included in room
rate); there are oysters, foie gras with egg cooked à la minute,
sashimi and even tapas style creations served throughout the
morning.
Kawasan
Pariwisata, Nusa Dua; +62-361/847-8111;
www.stregis.com/bali
Shopping
Spots
While the cobblestone laneways of Seminyak bristle with up market
boutiques (checkout G&V Bali for unique antiques and St. Isidor
for custom-made bed linens), the shopping options at the Southern
tip of Bali is considerably limited to commercial offerings at the
neighbouring Bali Collection in Nusa Dua. But why join the crowd at
Seminyak or Nusa Dua if you can be one of those in-the-know
pursuing niche shopping? Peruse and purchase refined stoneware,
porcelain ceramics and tabletop accessories directly from
Jenggala
Ceramics (Jln Uluwatu
II, Jimbaran; +62-361/703-3111; www.jenggala.com) at Jimbaran; they supply to most five-star
hotels and resorts in Asia, including Banyan Tree. Alternatively,
check out one of eight varieties of wines made in Bali using
Balinese grapes by Hattan Wines (Komplex Dewa Ruci #3, Jl. By-pass Ngurah Rai;
+62-361/768-418; www.hattanwines.com) at their 14.5-hectare vineyard at Singaraja.
The good news is that wine tasting is available at their Kuta
retail shop called Cellardoor.
How to get
there: Singapore
Airlines flies direct to Bali thrice daily for $510. As a cheaper
alternative, Air Asia flies daily, direct to Bali for $296 return.
Fares quoted here include tax and
surcharges.
Currency: S$1 = Rp. 7,083