Sophisticated. Sumptuous. Intimate.
These are the three words that best describe our Sunday Brunch at Rumari, Raffles Bali’s signature restaurant.
Situated on the hill above Jimbaran Bay, Raffles Bali is the ideal property for the most luxurious stay in South Bali. When I heard about their twice weekly Sunday brunch, I was curious to find out about the experience.
Having been personally greeted by the hotel staff and Katya, the general manager, we began our gastronomic journey with the mixologist’s creation, Loloh, as our welcome drink. We were then whisked away to our table in the inside section of the Rumari restaurant.
The whole brunch is basically a fine dining experience but with unlimited orders. You have a table side presentation that is passed around, but also a curated a la carte menu selection that you can choose as you wish.
After ordering our first 2 courses (grilled tuna and scallop), three amouse bouches were passed around as our starters. The first was a mix of tartar. The second was a pancake. But the third took the stage completely; a chef’s creation of steamed fish simmered with passion fruit jus and topped with jalapeno and caviar. It looked and tasted amazing, a nice mix of spicy and herbs.
See how it was presented to us!
Having just finished the three amouse bouches, our courses were ready to be served. Both were good, although personally the scallop was definitely the highlight.
After the seafood, we went for land territory. I ordered foie gras, historic pork and wagyu.
And just like before, none of them disappoint. The foei gras was soft and tasted great. The Heritage Pork (from original Bali pigs which is the black speckled kind) had a nice sweet and savory twist.
Then when I tasted the wagyu, my facial expression clearly changed as it was tender, juicy and tasted really amazing.
Part of Rumari’s experience is that the chefs went to each table and explained the meals and restaurant philosophies. He was right at the table when I made “that” face, and she smiled.
“The wagyu is really a favorite with our guests,” she said. I’m with the majority on this.
He explained that Rumari follows the philosophy of the resort; the main theme is the locally produced sustainable resource. Just as Raffles Resort brings together the best of Bali, from the woodwork, to the structures and furnishings, Rumari Restaurant focuses on bringing Indonesia’s best local produce throughout its menu.
The next two table show clearly demonstrates this and even surprised me.
The first: Cheese Galore!
And oh my, how shocked I was when I learned that all these cheeses are locally made in Indonesia.
9 different cheeses; from soft to hard, all European style but made locally from Java and other parts of Indonesia.
And to add to that, they have many toppings and 3 honeys to choose from. My personal favorite is the clove-infused honey, a totally new taste that I’ve never tried before.
The second: Arak Twist!
Arak Bali is a traditional alcoholic drink that can be found in every corner of the island. Rumari takes it to another level, by infusing various fruits and herbs and serving it over ice.
The rocks weren’t just ordinary ice. They used locally grown edible flowers and iced them inside each crystalline cube. This intrigued me a lot; It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this!
By this point, my stomach was at its limit. But there was still the last course of the day; sweets.
Sunday brunch is accompanied by a variety of tableside desserts, all personally explained by the pastry chef. They all looked tempting!
And finally, a plated dessert that I ordered rounded off this magnificent brunch nicely.
It was already 4pm when we finished and the sky started to change to a lighter color tone. So, I thought, why not take a little more time to enjoy this lovely oasis.
A Sunday done right, and we can’t wait to come back here again.
Love
Michele Budianto
Quoted From Many Source
