After getting our bodies nicely oiled with a final session of Balinese massage, HY and I were ready for a good savory lunch. There was still a good 3 hours to spare before our airport transfer spirited us back to the sunny isle.
It was difficult to get late lunch in Benoa so I googled up nearby hotel restaurants that served late lunches at 4pm. St. Regis Nusa Dua popped up.
We got ourselves driven to the hotel and the nice hotel staff at the entrance introduced us to Kayuputi, the hotel's fine dining restaurant. No matter how atash, it's still a beach resort so casual dress-up is allowed. We were given a short tour of the impressive all villa resort in a golf buggy as the hotel staff did a quick detour of the sprawling grounds enroute to the restaurant. The villas were either beach front or have personal access to the lagoon (a huge landscaped pool that link the villas).
At Kayuputi, there's a choice of indoor dining or outdoor dining in the private pavilions overlooking the beach and of course, with plenty of breeze. We got a pavilion to enjoy the panoramic view of the sea with the relaxing sound of breaking waves. For the real romantics, there were just 2 prime tables overlooking the beach that looked perfect if you wanted to pop the question.
Private Pavilions set above a water feature overlooking the beach and the sea.
Fresh Banana and Coffee Milkshake
Complimentary Bread from the Chef
Thinking that it was a pizza, we told the waiter that we didn't order that but only to be told that it was a complimentary bread from the chef. This 'pizza base' was sprinkled with garlic, sesame, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. It was so good that we had to surpress the urge to request for a second helping to bring onto our flight and then refuse airplane food.
Alaskan crab meat and tomato maki roll, mixed cress and toasted sesame seed salad, marinated honey dew melon ribbons, soy ginger drizzle and crispy oven dried tuile.
The Alaskan crab leg maki caught our eye in the list of entrees. Chilled minced crab meat was wrapped in thin slices of tomatoes. Shreds of rockmelon and arugula were acompaniment to the maki. The crab meat was light, chilled and awashed with that raw sweet taste of the sea.
I was delighted at how light and refreshing this creation could awaken our taste buds. It seemed to be a dish meant to be eaten with a pair of chopsticks. I tried forking a piece, which resulted in the crab meat crumbling out of the thinly sliced tomatoes. With a pair of chopsticks provided, everything was intact before they were taken apart again, inside our mouths.
Fresh Made Linguine Pasta with Spiny Lobster meat tossed in a white saffron sauce and plenty of fresh herbs.
HY's choice of linguine was a touch of perfect al dente in a well flavored white wine saffron sauce. There were generous chunks of lobster meat that matched the smell of the Balinese sea brought in by the breeze. The ingredients were thrown in with touches of precisione, resulting in a taste that was light, refined and definitely singing the tunes of a seafood fine diner. Bon appetito!
Miso cured Gindara Fish Fillet a la plancha, wilted Kenyan beans, Shimeiji and Enoki mushrooms, a light coconut milk and kafir lime foam, red chilli oil, citrus sea salt.
My Gindara (sablefish or black cod) fillet settled on a bed of wilted Kenyan bean, bean sprouts and mushrooms. A dollop of coconut milk and kafir lime foam was splashed on the crispy 'suntanned' exterior of the Japanese fish giving a tropical touch.
I love the thick slice of Gindara fillet for that smoky crispy exterior enveloping a homogeneous tender interior.
At Kayuputi, service was immaculate, prompt and unintrusive. The breeze, the sand and the sea was a great compliment to the fabulous cuisine. I bet the dude lying beside the beach here would agree with me.
Kawasan Pariwisata
The St. Regis Bali Resort
Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
Tel : 62 361 8478 111
