Restaurant Locavore

While in Ubud, I decided to be very brave and venture outside my comfort zone when it comes to food.  I made a reservation at this highly rated restaurant, where the food is all locally sourced and it's  all weird and high-falutin' ;-)  I went fully prepared to hit a second place on the way home if I needed to!

Here it is, course by course. And I tried everything, even if just a little nibble.

Spinach leaf coated with tempura

This thing on the left was a pillow with cream and tamarind goop. That got 1 nibble. Eew

Black rice pancake with smoked egg emulsion, puffed black rice, and edible flower. Not bad, I ate all of it.

Grilled Shiitake mushroom. So so. Not a fan of mushroom texture.

This is the point when they served me what I thought was the centerpiece for the table.  This is an edible bouquet which they spritzed with hibiscus perfume water and sprinkled with sea salt. 

I forgot to get a picture of the Oyster mushroom but it was crispy and I liked that.

This is hot and cold tomato.  So icy tomato sorbet and warm tomato consommé.   It was interesting and not altogether awful.  It was pretty salty for me though.

Potato with shallot onion, crouton, and I forget what else.  I liked it.

These were just introduction foods.  Thank goodness I only ordered 5 courses!  I tried to order 3 dessert courses by they talked me into just 2. 

Sourdough bread with two spreads: mulberry and pig's oil (I asked twice to make sure I heard right) and passion fruit with coconut oil.  The latter was my favorite, though seriously, plain butter would have been just fine.  I doubt they have any of that there!

Course #1: watermelon steak tartar, wasabi leaf mayonnaise, pickled shallots, thinly sliced watermelon radishes (from Plaga, Central Bali), bawling goreng. 

Course Two: Cucumber

Cucumber varieties served in various ways, homage telor sin (don't ask me) and mint leaf creme, cucumber blossom, raw cucamelon (second picture - how cute are those?!), table side grated fresh wasabi from Wonosobo, Central Java.

Course Three: Pork

Roasted pork belly from Payagan, Central Bali, blood sausage sauce (I did not touch that except to move it off my plate), kaolin in bacon fat (no idea what that was - the less I knew the better), applesauce, brined green pepper corns, bacon crumbs.  This was actually pretty good. 

Here they come again with random things I didn't order.  This was bandkrek sorbet with spice syrup. I didn't particularly care for this. 

Course Four: Seasonal Fruit

White chocolate and passionfruit ganache, mangosteen sorbet, rambutan gel, raspberries from Plaga, North Bali, vanilla tuille, dehydrated raspberries, coconut jelly, marinated young coconut, mint leaves.  This was delicious.

Course Five: A bowl of citrus

"Local citrus varieties served in many different ways".  There was some meringue in there, I know that.

Bonus items

Chocolate merengue with some sort of topping

This was a little lime tart served on kindling. One piece was lit.  I honestly asked more than once which part I was supposed to be eating!  They have quite the elaborate presentations!

Finally, the last course!  Charred apple with apple ice cream inside.

Three hours of eating!  I was surprisingly full and wondered if I put all the food on one plate, how much space it would take up.  I'm proud of myself for trying it, proud of myself for even liking some of it, and I was so full I didn't even have to go get food on the way home!  This is the longest meal I've ever sat through.  Yay, me!