FASHION RESTAURANTS & VILL AS - BALI & SOUTHEAST ASIA ST YLE
Rp. 60.000
N O 13.3 DEC '16 - FEB '17
FASHION T EPPAN YA KI KO
ROOMS
TRAVEL
FASHION
D INING
Zen Hideaway
Tasmania
Summer Solstice
Azul Beach Club
Palm Garden Amed
Shibuya
Love Child Sancerre
Happy Chappy
Central Java
Bali Bakeries
26 FRV l 4 Bali
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EDITION 13.3 DEC - FEB
Contents. 16
E L ME R K AT Spanish flavours and the new Uluwatu
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A ZU L BE A C H C LUB Cocktails and dining at the island’s latest hot beach club
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BA L I CA FES Check out the new kids on the Bali café block
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BA L I C H OCOL AT E FA CTORY Meet the man with all the chocolate secrets
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H A PPY C H A PPY Chinese cuisine to leave you smiling
BA L I BA K E R IES
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The best spots on the island for sweet treats
DAVA AT AYANA
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Premium steaks at Bali’s newest upmarket grill
AT T RA INE
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Flavours of the Spice Route in Jakarta
4 8 HO U R S IN Y U NNA N PROVINC E Will Meyrick discovers the charms of rural China
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C H A MPA G NE & BOR D E AU X Exploring France’s famous wine regions
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ZE N H ID E AWAY Peaceful swings in Ubud
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PA L M G A R D E N A ME D Charmed by the Lost Coast
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FAS HION KO & FIO
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Fashion infused with Japanese aesthetics
LOVE C H IL D
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The birth of a shop inspired by tropical living
HOUSE OF A L A IA
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Alchemy & artisans forge inspired jewelry
SA N C ER R E Bohemian island living
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86 L A LUNA FASH ION A bold & colourful summer solstice
C U LTU RA L & N AT U RA L G E MS
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Explore central Java
E AST COAST TASMA NIA
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Feeling at home at Piermont Retreat
S HIB UYA C ROSSING
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The heart of the action in Tokyo
MOUNT TA K AO
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A natural escape
CASTE L D E L M O N T Following George Clooney to Italy
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P T K ubu Dua M edi a J l. Pe tite nge t 12A, Ke rob oka n, B a li, I nd one sia Te l. +62 361 847 5457 | Fa x. +62 361 847 5458 ema il: info@frvb a li.c om www.frvb a li.c om Di recto r Guna wa n I nd rob a skoro Graphi cs C o o rdi nato r Te guh Ana nta (artwork@frvb a li.c om) P ho to g raphy Ra ma d ha n, Ad a m R a syid Di stri buti o n Ii n I nd ra p utra , Ma d e , Dwi i nfo@frvb a li.c om Fi nance Sri W ita ri, B a gus Oka Mark eti ng Oc hy (oc hy@frvb a li.c om | sa le s@frvb a li.c om) A dmi ni strati o n T he re sia , Poojie , Swa n Co ntri buto rs T homa s Jone s, Da vid Tra uts, Nic k Wa lton, Ve Ha nd ojo, Z ia Aussum. S ubscri pti o n Ye a rly sub sc rip tion a va ila b le in I nd one sia - R up ia h 199,000 Conta c t: sub sc rib e @frvb a li.c om Se nd e - ma il to the a b ove for d e ta ils. Co nsul ti ng Stua rt D W ilford (stua rt@frvb a li.c om)
Fashi o n Restaurants and Vi l l as Bal i mag azi ne i s an i ndependent, q uarterl y publ i cati o n. N ex t edi ti o n deadl i ne F eb 15, 2017
FRVBali FR V Ba li m a ga zin e is pr in te d u n de r lic e n se d tr a de m a r k . N o pa r t of th is m a ga zin e sh o u l d b e re produ c e d with ou t th e wr itte n pe r m ission of th e pu blish e r. A ll r igh ts re se r ve d. A r tic le s re f le c t th e opin ion s of th e a u th or s, a n d n ot n e c e ssa r ily t h o s e of th e pu blish e r s. F R V Ba li m a ga zin e is distr ibu te d by; P T K u bu Du a M e dia , P e r iplu s Ja va Book s a n d P T I n doprom . Con ta c t th e e -m a il a ddre sse s a bove f or f u r th e r in f or m a tion .
FR V B ali Magaz ine
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E dit ion 13. 3
D ec ’ 16 - Feb ‘ 1 7
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E D I TOR’S NOT E FRV Bali – IT TAKES YOU PLACES
Recently while I was travelling in Tokyo, which you can read about inside, I noticed something about the information one gets through social media about new places. It had actually been a while since I was in a brand new place where I had never been before, so I was interested to see how people go about finding information of where to go without any local knowledge, through the all encompassing and now all powerful social media platforms. To begin with I checked on Google whatever I was looking for, such as ‘best restaurants’ or ‘best bars’ then crosschecking what came up on websites and local magazine platforms like Time Out, etc, with what people were saying on Tripadvisor. Or, searching hashtags in Instagram like Tokyo breakfast, lunch, nightlife etc. That all worked fine as many names and ideas flashed across
my phone or laptop screen, but after visiting a couple of the suggested places I began to realise something. All these venues are full of tourists. They aren’t full of locals. It’s like you travel all the way across town to sit in an overcrowded venue, shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of other tourists with their faces stuck in Tripadvisor or Facebook. These places are making a fortune out of these references on social media and to be honest, most were rather ordinary. In the end, the most interesting places were found by chance, through word of mouth, friends who had lived there before or friends of friends living there still. I recall travelling the world alone as a young man years ago before the Internet was imagined let alone social media. What a challenge finding anything was back then. But the funny thing is, even with all this information buzzing around us,
the unexpected or impromptu moments, meeting someone new or discovering a new place are still pretty much the same today as they have ever been. In the end I used a small tourist booklet with maps and interesting places listed more than the internet on that trip to Tokyo. I want to dedicate this edition to all those moments that stick in your memory for ever, the moments that made you the person you are today. And they weren’t moments with your face buried in pages of social media. We trust you will enjoy this edition of FRV Bali. If you would like to send in some comments or encouraging words please do it via editor@frvbali. com – we’d love to hear from you!
F RV C O N T R I B U TO R S DAVID TRAUTS This English correspondent founded The Beat magazine and then the group’s flagship, FRV. He always enjoys new experiences and the freedom of the getaway – sometimes far, sometimes close, but always fun. Good food, good wine, good people and times are the essence of an enjoyable life—you don’t need many or much, it’s the quality that counts.
ERZA S.T. Erza ST writes for many Indonesian publications and is a regular bon-vivant in his home town of Jakarta. He has been the head honcho of the Indonesian Opera Society for many years and can be caught at many of the classical concerts around the country. He loves winter in European countries as much as he loves good food and conversation in the best restaurants in Jakarta.
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THOMAS JONES Travel writing is an admirable and important profession that takes a lot of dedication, hard work and a smidgen of luck to make it pay. Yet despite the hardships, Thomas sees it as a calling to take the opportunities that arise and share the lessons learned with the FRV community. This issue he’s taken to the sttreets of Tokyo to find that it’s not such an enigmatic city mission after all. A major encouragement to go visit.
SALVADOR B New Yorker, U.S.A., moved to Bali in nineteen eighty three, painter, writer, musician and song writer. Through the years he has been noted as a true renaissance man in that perspective. As a writer he has contributed many an articles on the life styles of Bali as well as interviews, openings, fashion and food reviews.
NICK WALTON Nick has been writing on travel for over 10 years, including most recently as the travel editor for the South China Morning Post. From his home in Hong Kong he regularly travels throughout Asia and beyond, looking for new experiences, trends and destinations, both for his travel pieces in over 60 magazines globally, as well as his weekly radio show.
VERONIKA K Veronika is not only a journalist, but also a professional mermaid and a travel junkie. Praguebased, she has been living life in flip-flops since 2008. If not on her laptop forging words, she can be found playing in the ocean or practicing her headstands. Vero’s hobbies are breakfast, lunch & dinner and writing about herself in the third person.
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Bits & Pieces CELEBRATE FESTIVE SEASON 2016 WITH ALILA SEMINYAK Alila Seminyak brings something surprisingly different to the yearend festivities in Bali. Whether you live in Seminyak, or are heading to Bali for a family winter escape, there’s an indulgence of festive culinary offerings, spa treats, and a magical evening to welcome in 2017. Enjoy Christmas Eve Dinner in a white Winter Wonderland, dining on a four course family style seasonal dinner, accompanied by live Christmas carols and a visit from Santa. On Christmas Day the festivities continue with a special Christmas Brunch. The luxury Seminyak beachside resort also offers you the chance to celebrate the New Year in style – be that a
sunset dinner or the Prohibition Party: Welcome in 2017 by heading back to 1920s USA. A period when alcohol was banned and drinking meant being creative. From a secret entrance with a passcode to hidden rooms, walk back in time and into an underground ambience for an evening of dining, drinking and socializing which includes a sumptuous five-course dinner and performances. If you’re still standing, there’s a New Year’s Day brunch on offer too. www.alilamoments.com/seminyak/ happenings email: seminyak@alilahotels.com
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL CHEF RYAN CLIFT EXPANDS INTO BALI Ryan Clift, an award-winning chef based in Singapore and the owner of the famed Tippling Club, Open Door Policy, Open Farm Community and Ding Dong is all set to launch his new culinary project in Bali. Grow will be opening in mid-December, as part of the restyled L Hotel in Petitenget. “Bali has been one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, but it’s pretty much a new emerging spot for gastro tourism, and I’d love to be part of it,” Ryan explains. The concept behind Grow is to develop a sustainable business model, working with local entrepreneurs and farmers. The new venue is set to offer an all day, dynamic menu based on available produce, with plenty of healthy options including
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rustic homemade pastas, salads and fresh soups. Ryan trained under some of the world’s great chefs including MarcoPierre White, Peter Gordon, and Emmanuel Renaut, before moving to Singapore and establishing his own highly successful ventures. Tipping Club has also been ranked No. 31 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 and named 12th on the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2016 list. The restaurant quickly caught the attention of critics and was named in the Top 20 of The Miele Guide – the first authoritative and independent annual source for Asia’s finest restaurants. Grow will give you the chance to experience some of Ryan’s culinary magic right here in Bali.
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Bits & Pieces MYWARUNG APPOINT CHEF HUGO COUDURIER AS CULINARY MENTOR Chef Hugo Coudurier from the 3 Star Michelin Awarded restaurant, Guy Savoy Paris has been appointed Culinary Mentor for MyWarung Canggu and MyWarung Echo Beach. MyWarung is the brainchild of Indonesian native Juan Pierre Anthony who has spent most of his adult life travelling the globe. However when he returns home to Bali, he is always drawn to the humble Indoensian warungs, which provide a homely environment and freshly cooked food at affordable prices. Juan’s vision is to combine the experience of his beloved warungs with world-class culinary standards.
Looking for a break from finedining restaurants, and unsure of where his next challenge would lie, it proved to be a perfect choice: “I needed a break. I wanted something more casual, and I fell in love with Bali. So, when this opportunity came up, it was a natural fit,” said Chef Hugo. With local cooking talents he will personally mentor the menu and kitchen staff development for MyWarung outlets soon in Canggu and Echo Beach. Opening on 19th December 2016, with prices ranging from IDR 20K to IDR 75K, get ready for a tasty and affordable treat encompassing western and Asian Flavours.
Hugo and Juan met in a chance encounter surfing in Canggu.
www.mywarung.com
DA MARIA BRINGS THE AMALFI COAST TO BALI Restaurateur Maurice Terzini’s modern Italian restaurant in Osteria style highlights the simplicity of Italian food, wine and great design. Terzini has combined forces with Adrian Reed of Motel Mexicola to deliver the latest addition to the thriving Seminyak dining and bar scene. With stunning interiors by Roman architects Lazarini Pickering, Da Maria highlights the diversity of Italian food, wine, music, fashion, art and friends, with more than a little Capri in the heart of Seminyak. Maurice Terzini is best known for establishing several truly iconic Australian dining venues in Sydney such as Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (IDRB) and Da Orazio Pizza & Porchetta in Bondi Beach. Terzini
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is known for dreaming big, and in this standing comes Da Maria with a variety of indoor as well as outdoor spaces, all inspired by a typical 1960s Italian Restaurant Courtyard. The team at Da Maria have designed a fun and accessible menu representing a modern approach to classic Italian flavours. Pizza features prominently, but be sure to try some of other offerings which include traditional Italian Porchetta (whole local pig) and Abruzzian Arrosticini – traditional lamb skewers with lemon and rosemary also. Head on down for a unique mix of contemporary Italian cuisine and a feel of Sydney right here in Bali. www.damariabali.com
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NEW IN TOWN
El Merkat & The New Uluwatu. El Merkat is a new restaurant on the Bukit and is set to make the Uluwatu area all the more livable. FRV finds out why. El Merkat is a new restaurant/ café on the Uluwatu Road just before the Pecatu Indah/ Dreamland turnoff. It has plenty of pedigree as it is the new food outlet from the El Kabron group. El Kabron of course is the famous destination restaurant not far from this new outlet, perched on the Uluwatu cliffs with with one of the most spectacular sunset views on the island. El Merkat, though, is all about the casual dining! It’s Sunday morning and we bounce out of bed. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and we decide to take a drive up to the Bukit. Just like everywhere in south Bali the Uluwatu area has exploded in the last few years as resorts, hotels, villas and international and local people alike gravitate to the area. It’s still a wildness in some parts, and most of it is still rural, which gives it a country feel, but it is getting busy and there is change afoot, with new, exciting restaurants offering a tasty choice in international quality, and Canggu eat your heart out, great soul food. El Merkat is helping to lead the way in this new Uluwatu. The new eatery is a café style restaurant open from 8am to
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11pm every day of the week. There is a spacious outdoor and indoor dining area with an upstairs space ideal for meetings or gatherings of any sort. The décor is very Mediterranean with blue and white-washed colours, and timber finishes. It’s comfortable, cozy and the food is excellent. Only the freshest of produce is used to make a selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes. Try some tasty variations on regular breakfast dishes like Eggs Benedict and Florentine and then if adventurous move onto the ‘unusual’ breakfast mains like Catalan scrambled eggs, Iberian sunny side up, or Wasabi Katsoubushi Florentine. Just from the names you begin to realise just how a la minute this place is. From there try the Toasts or Terrines with more Spanish sounding names of cured chorizo or Manchego cheese, and then the Bokatas – Mediterranean style sandwiches with a choice of crusty baguette or delightfully herbaceous Focaccia. We tried the fantastic fried chicken mushroom and the jalapeno roast chicken bokata and they were both right on point. Maybe the focaccia wins over the baguette, but I will leave that to you to decide.
This all makes for a perfect lunch and while you are at it, you may as well try some of El Merkat’s homemade ice cream, which is also top quality. There is a growing dining menu with wholesome and simple dishes like raw tuna, salmon and beef carpaccio and tartar dishes, or a choice of tuna, salmon and beef roasted dishes which come with vegetables. They also have some great salads on offer too. And whatever you do, don’t forget to try the Sangria, it’s delicious!
Everything is so wholesome and great quality, and at such a reasonable price that one can imagine all the surfers and others living in the area stopping in for a feed just about every day of the week. El Merkat is not only helping to lead the way in dining in the new Uluwatu but is also giving people a great reason to move down there to live. FRV
Section.
Restaurants
at your dream destination.
All good food
FO OD, DINING, CHEFS, CUISINE
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BALI RESTAURANTS
Azul Beach Club. Location:
Written by:
LEGIAN - BALI
DAN ASHCROFT
The striking bamboo structure that is Azul Beach Club cuts a commanding presence on Padma Beach, and is the latest hotspot for daytime grazing, sunset schmoozing and everything else in between. FRV takes a closer look to see what all the buzz is about. Intrigued at the prospect of visiting a top-end beach club that’s not in Seminyak, I head down for a Friday afternoon session, keen to check out what all the fuss is about. Billed as a ‘beachfront bamboo tree house’, Azul is a three-storey emporium of casual, family-friendly fun, where you could happily lose a day hanging out in the open-air restaurant, infinity outdoor pool with sun loungers or private dining terraces. Despite having flung open its doors just a few
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months ago, people are already flocking to this stylish venue, which has everything you’d want from a proper beach bar. As the name suggests, vibrant flashes of deep blue are found throughout the ramshacklechic structure, with cobalt cushions and furnishings, and eye-catching motifs lining the bar front. Funky light fixtures that sway in the sea breeze and humorous quotes scrawled on the ceilings further add to the laid-back air.
The result is effortlessly casual, enhanced by a menu that perfectly fits the vibe thanks to renowned local chef Arief Wicaksono, and an exclusive Tiki-inspired cocktail list that is built around that most tropical of spirits: rum. Not just any old grog either – most of the creations on Azul’s drinks menu utilise up-and-coming local distillery Nusa Caña, based right here in Bali. Bringing back the forgotten story of Indonesian rum, Nusa Caña
The striking bamboo structure of Azul.
Cool, casual dining in the upstairs Tiki Bar. 19
Poolside lounging with a view.
Green Tandoori Chicken with Coriander Raita Dip.
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Decadent Caramella Chocolate Brownies.
Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare from the specials menu.
Tropical Tiki cocktail creations.
is a premium spirit blended for today’s tastes, and is the ideal cornerstone of Azul’s Tiki creations. Helmut Roessler - the man behind the mixtures – runs the show at Azul, but obviously is happiest when tinkering with the drinks list. Ask him about the cocktails and his eyes light up; “People tell me that this is not a real Mai Tai” he chuckles (handing me a Mai Tai), “so that’s why I call it 2.0. I’ve updated it”. A good swig confirms this – it contains three kinds of rum and, according to the description, a dash of ‘tropical love’. Whatever that means, it requires some restraint not to down the whole thing on the spot. Another nice touch is the custom crafted glassware. Each drink comes in its own unique Polynesian-style Tiki head, designed to compliment the sipping experience. “Can you believe we are the only rum bar around?” continues Roessler. He
has a point too; the refreshingly light drinks are absolutely ideal for the island atmosphere of Bali – especially the orangecinnamon infused Bali Bali, and the fruity Island Nectar, served in one of those statues you see on Easter Island. Feeling a touch punchdrunk and in need of some sustenance, I descend to the ground floor level restaurant to meet chef Arief, who has promised to send out some of his favourite dishes from the menu. Well known for having helmed the kitchens of some of the best restaurants in Bali, Wicaksono brings a creative eye and fine dining sensibilities to the relaxed fare at Azul. The weekly specials menu seems like a good place to start, and I tuck into the butter-soft Tuna Tartare, which comes with cucumber, black tobiko and avocado guacamole. Being a beach club, you’d expect the fish dishes to be on point, and Arief ’s version of the tartare
is right up there – particularly thanks to a light wasabi mayonnaise dressing that gives the perfect kick. Switching to the ‘land’ section of the menu board, my main course comes in the form of the Green Tandoori Chicken. Served ‘DIY’ style, the juicy chunks of skewered meat are accompanied by a coriander raita dip and organic leaf salad, as well as a couple of bamboo flour black naan breads to wrap everything up. To finish on a sweet note, the Caramella Chocolate Brownies go down an absolute treat, although I’m hard pushed to finish the enormous portion that would easily be enough for two. Every Friday from 8pm Azul presents ‘The Islanders’ – featuring a rotating mix of local reggae artists, and so with dinner done and the band about to kick off there’s nothing for it but to pull up a seat at the bar and get stuck into another Tiki. FRV
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