As a food blogger, an important part of any holiday (and well, any occasion really) is good food. This was definitely the case during our recent stay at Uma Ubud, a stunning 5 star resort where the food philospohy is all about being healthy and not eating all that differently from what you would when at home. And that's a good thing too- there's nothing worse than coming home from holiday to realise that you may have relaxed a little too much while away!
Under the guidance of Como Resorts' Executive Chef Amanda Gale, Uma Ubud's restaurant Kemiri offers a menu that showcases the various cooking techniques of Southeast Asia utilising local and indigenous ingredients of Indonesia. I was also interested to learn that Amanda earned her apprenticeship at Neil Perry's Rockpool. Meaning 'candlenut' in Bahasa (candlenut is also a key ingredient in Indonesian cuisine), Kemiri's day-to-day operations are overseen by Executive Sous Chef Nyoman Rai who helps create delicious, healthy meals for guests from Uma Ubud's 29 rooms to enjoy at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast at Uma Ubud was a great way to start the day. We would start with a fresh juice of the day, followed by either a plate of tropical fruit, fruit salad with yoghurt, or some cereal/muesli. Then we would order from the a la carte menu that included multiple vegetarian-friendly options, such as an egg-white tortilla (delicious!), omlette, or even a balinese take on french toast or ricotta hotcakes.
We also dined at Kemiri on our final evening in Ubud, which is the focus of this post as it was a very memorable meal. It was our final evening to soak up the beautiful atmosphere of the resort's tranquil surroundings by night and to reflect on our holiday there. And it is a beautiful restaurant (see more photos in previous post).. it is open and airy, situated next to a pond with a waterfall, and beautifully lit by candles as we arrive for dinner.
My apologies for the quality of the photos to come, readers! Romantic lighting makes food photography slightly tricky! :P
We start with some vegetable crackers and a paw paw salsa as we peruse the menu.
First, we start with a vegetable amuse-bouche packed with invigorating southeast asian flavours.
Mr Ladybird tucked into his Handmade egg noodles, Asian greens, mushrooms & garlic chives, soy & sesame.
As the kemiri menu contained only one vegetarian option, I ordered from the resort's everyday menu and I selected the Vegetarian burger with side salad.
We rarely order dessert, but as it was a special occasion we decided to treat ourselves to something sweet.. For me, the Warm chocolate & cinnamon fondant with Bedugul strawberries. I didn't get a shot of it, but the oozy innards were good. I'm not used to my fondant being quite so sweet, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
For Mr Ladybird, one of his all-time favourite cakes ... Orange and almond cake with dates and sorbet. It was delectably moist and very moreish.
All in all, a true culinary highlight from our Balinese getaway. Thank you to the team at Kemiri for such a lovely evening.
Kemiri at Uma Ubud
Ubud, Indonesia
