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