June/July, 1998
No. 035/VI/98

cover story

After The Boom
What future is there for
Bali's modern theatre
scene?

Warung Society
Bali has its own history of
communal philosophising
and coffee-drinking

Renaissance
Twenty years of Bali's
Festival of the Arts

beyond
bali

Sumbawa's Secrets
Photographs from
Kuang Amo

regular
features

Dangerous Times
Orchestrating a
cremation in Ubud

Home Grown
A preview of
the Quicksilver Pro

Adventure
Getting over a fear
of diving

Health and Beauty
Foreign aid for optic
health

Books
The Painted Alphabet
reviewed

Food
Two boutique hotels,
two top chefs

Fiction
'Our Moon'
by Mas Ruscitadewi

Jungle Drums

advertising index for
Bali Echo web site

In these times of scarcity and soaring prices, both Zainal Hassan and Per Tostesen continue to serve up exciting new tastes that challenge patriotic palates. This, says Melody Kemp, is proof of their culinary genius.

It is perhaps ironic that at a time when Indonesia’s population is finding it hard to buy food, tourists to Bali have access to some gourmet delights. It is about time. Let’s face it, nasi campur and mie goreng hardly constitute culinary high points. The West has long been attempting East-West/ Pacific Rim culinary experiments, and this trend arose in the hip cafes of the American West Coast and was picked up by arty chefs in Australia. The two establishments presented here extend this style to Bali - they offer good and imaginative food that doesn’t break the bank.

Chefs generally have impressive egos. They are often talkative, proud and fiercely competitive. The two chefs whose food is explored in this article are no exception. Consider however, that these men (and chefs usually are men) are not only artists, creating assemblages of texture, colour, taste and form, but central to their task is to train Indonesian staff in the finer points of food and wine. Due to local conditions, they have now been able to create impressive and affordable signature food from irregular supplies of locally available produce.

THE LEGIAN

The Legian Hotel is a brave architectural statement at the less-traveled end of Seminyak. The strong lines and soaring towers untinged by ubiquitous gold leaf or thatch announce that one is in for something different. This is an intelligent hotel, designed with an eye to detail and elegance. The banquettes on the bar are finished with shelves stocked with books on design, art and culture, thankfully not confined to that of Bali.

I was met by the congenial General Manager, Ferdinand Wortelboer. "We have tried to present food that does not taste like hotel food. Let’s face it, hotel food on the whole is not challenging. We have the type of guests who like to be challenged. Our guests may not be gourmets, but they are discerning." We slurped on a gin and tonic as we chatted. I had not been able to find tonic for at least two months. "Surely it’s a problem right now finding ingredients," I ventured, enjoying another draft. Ferdinand smiled. "I will not accept that we can’t find something. We just need to try harder, or be more flexible. What we have achieved is something to be proud of in these difficult times."

At that point we were joined by the Executive Chef, the irrepressible Zainal Hassan, impeccably turned out, not in chef’s whites, but in a Chinoise shirt and dark linen pants. Singaporean Zainal has a personal approach to food, "Whatever I do is a reflection of me. If the food speaks to you I feel I have succeeded."

So talk on, I thought as we headed for the breezy restaurant. The menu is not one for the dithering diner. It is full of tempting combinations and cultural references. I opted for baked pigeon with sage with a sweet and sour pineapple sauce, after noting that Zainal refuses to give recommendations. I was torn between that and a carpaccio of pepper crust with cucumber relish. But then there was seafood ravioli in coconut, lime and lemongrass sauce...

I must admit to trepidation, given that sweet and sour conjures childhood memories of tinned pineapple in red cornflour-thickened sauces, smeared all over what could have been good food. So I was delighted when the pigeon turned out to have complex tastes, a variety of textures, and its sweetness offset with a tang of dill. Delicious! My partner had the bisque of roasted crab with mushroom dumplings. From his silent concentration, I could tell he was well satisfied.

Next was roasted hare, in rosemary and thyme on an onion tartlett with a red wine reduction sauce. The hare was a little tough, which is hardly surprising considering how far it had come, but the overall taste was excellent and the textures complementary. The onion tartlett added piquancy which balanced the herbaceous tastes. All of this was washed down with a delightfully crisp New Zealand white wine which complemented the food so well it was tempting to keep ordering.

"The nature of tourism has changed", Zainal noted, "but on the whole, restaurants have not. Many get reputations they don’t deserve. The bottom line is excellence and creativity at an affordable price. Difficult guests can be a blessing, as they encourage us to improve and get better at what we do."

I looked out at the dark sea that provided the background music. "We try to carry through with excellent food at all levels. If guests want a late night or even a midnight dinner on the beach with a waiter, we will do it," Zainal said following my gaze. "Picnics are catered for. All the guests have to do is talk with me about their ideas. We serve high tea at 4 pm - again, wherever you want it." Georgia, the Assistant Manager, who accompanied us to dinner, took up. "And at ‘turn down’, guests are given a small basket with Balinese snacks which Zainal has made that day."

Feeling compelled by the onerous task of writing a complete food guide, I ordered a passionfruit soufflé served in a shell to share with my partner. Instead of two spoons, we received two miniature soufflés which exploded with the taste of passionfruit with a lime base. A fabulous finale before heading upstairs to snooze.

The room itself was an extension of all that happened below. A small veiled basket held (now wilting) canapés while another held the promised snacks. The suite’s kitchen contained freshly ground coffee with a couple-sized percolator. Bottles of pistachios, mixed dried fruits and bright carnival coloured sweets replaced the usual individually wrapped soggy biscuits. A cone of incense sat on the desk. I lit it and went to bed.

The next morning, a dip in the wild surf failed to generate an appetite after the dining of the previous night. However, my partner ordered the Eggs Benedict while I opted for the basket of pastries. The tower of crisp bacon teetering on two poached eggs arrived with a fresh orange juice supported by a chi chi cafe latte. While the sauce lacked the tingle of tarragon, it was still good. My pastries were fabulous. The pain au chocolate was delectable, but the piece de resistance were the confit. A coulis of raspberries and a compote of pureed green oranges both sang on the palate. The coffee, in swimming-pool sized cups, was strong and well-balanced.

As some would say: charge it to your expense account and go for it!

Above:
1. The irrepressible Zainal Hassan.
2. Per Tostesen and his photographic crew.
3. Dishes by Zainal Hassan - Yellow Snapper in Lemongrass, Coriander and Chili Spice on Stir Fried Baby Spinach, Mungfish Sashimi in Pickled Bak Choy and Cucumber Relish, Sauteed Baby Lobster with Shiitake and Bean Sprouts, Bok Choy and Shredded Herbs, Seared Baby Chicken on Sweet Corn and Mushroom, Confit of Vine Tomatoes with Basil and Olive Papenard.

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