Where to eat in Jimbaran : Tapis at Kayu Manis Private Estate & Spa – The tastes of Indonesia

I taste food for a living, I have to sample various dishes whether I like it or not and share my culinary experience to my readers from around the globe. Nasi (steamed white rice) is my daily staple because I am Indonesian, but to be honest my tummy alter ego is a middle-age western woman whose comfort food is : bread, cakes, salad, potato, and spaghetti. The Asian cuisines I adore are japanese and thai. It’s hard for me to really enjoy Indonesian food because as a native, again it’s your staple, your everyday dishes, your mom’s cookings, and there’s nothing appealing in the taste nor on the presentation when it comes to everyday dishes. And when we go for a food tasting to an Indonesian restaurant, we sometimes need to re-create the platting for presentation and for the food photography, and think a bit harder about what so special about the dish that will awaken our international readers with mouth-watering menus.

This time, I was impressed. Located on a small road area behind Uluwatu main street, nestled in the famous fisherman’s village of Jimbaran Bay, and blessed with the tropical cool location under the coconut palm trees garden, Tapis Restaurant at Kayu Manis Jimbaran Private Estate & Spa is the bright hope of having Indonesian cuisine be regarded as one of Asia’s best delights. Tapis is actually one elegant Balinese villa compound specially built and dedicated for the restaurant, serving all day dining for in-house guests and open for public.

TWISTED INDONESIAN HERITAGE CUISINE

Indonesian cuisine is rich with flavors, herbs and spices and sometimes demands hours even an overnight cooking process. Here at Tapis Restaurant you could sample selective fine dining menus representative of the taste of Indonesia Archipelago. Balinese born, Chef Oka has created some signature dishes inspired by home-made recipes inherited from the older generations, using fresh local ingredients from the market. And no Indonesian cuisine is complete without rice, crackers, and sambal condiments. You will get the whole culinary experience here.

Here are some highlights from the extensive menus offered, we recommend you to try at Tapis:

Appetizers

TONGKOL SAMBAL MATAH – breaded tuna with fresh shallot and chili sauce (Genius! MOST RECOMMENDED)

LUMPIA BEBEK JAMUR – deep frying duck and shitake spring roll served with sweet sour sauce

Maincourse – Prepare to be surprised, it’s Indonesian food taken into another level

UDANG SAUS PETE – stir-fry prawn, Petai broad stinky bean chili sauce and  grill pineapple served with steam rice

MANGUT IKAN – pan seared snapper fillet with lemongrass chili sauce  served with vegetable and steamed rice

KARANGAN BE PASIH – grilled marinated baby lobster, king prawn, fish fillet, squid served with vegetable and  steam rice

Bebek Betutu – traditional Balinese smoked duck served with steam rice and vegetable (Least favorite, never like duck, and it’s too muddy messy with all this curry and spices, but there’s nothing simple about Betutu taste and the making process anyway)

SAPI SAUS RENDANG – braised beef in “Rendang” sauce serve with vegetable and rice

Dessert – Indonesian dessert at its finest? This is the place..

KLEPON NILA SARI – poach purple sweet potato stuffed  with palm sugar and red bean ice cream and grated fresh coconut (always eat Klepon right.
You don’t want to color your shirt brown..)

LIMPANG LIMPUNG – fried banana and jack fruit served  with icing sugar and Indonesian traditional ice cream (Kids will love this!)

ES PALU BUTUNG – steam banana , rice porridge serve with coconut milk  and grenadine syrup  on top

Kid Menu – Love how they name the menu in cartoon and superhero characters!
TWEETY BIRD – Deep fried breaded chicken with potato chips and cocktail sauce
KURA-KURA NINJA – Indonesian style fried rice with fried egg and prawn crackers
SPIDERMAN – Indonesian style fried noodle with ribbon egg and prawn crackers

Beverage – healthy and fresh drinks option for the whole family
KAYUMANIS SMOOTHIES – banana, cinnamon, yoghurt and honey
COCONUT SHADOW – strawberry, coconut, banana, yoghurt and honey
MANGO BREEZE – mango pure, strawberry pure, pineapple juice
YELLOW SUMMERING – orange, pineapple and cranberry juice

Best menu recommended to have this long Archipelago trip short is to have their Indonesian Rijstaffel Feast for two which is the perfect introduction to taste country’s different dishes in small portions.

Indonesian Rijstaffel image is copyright of Kayu Manis Resorts – www.kayumanis.com

BEHIND THE NAME

Tapis. It is actually derived from one the elements of a coconut tree people use – as you know almost all parts of the tree can be used. The restaurant is surrounded by coconut palms trees, very interesting to notice a rice basket the staff was serving the rice to our plates from, is made of tapis. At Kayu Manis, each villa is named after a coconut tree part I didn’t even know the meaning nor hear it.

Geo: “SO any meal (including potato fries and fried chicken) in indonesian food always comes with Nasi, ya?

VARIOUS DINING OPTIONS AT TAPIS (source: www.kayumanis.com)

Enchanting Moments Floating Dinner : a personalized experience for honeymooners and couples in love.
BBQ Dinner : perfect for family and friends to spend quality time together in a private villa setting.
Both dinners can be tailored to suit individual taste preferences with optional entertainment.
Cocktails & Canapés : Tapis provides a relaxing ambience for in-house guests to enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and canapés every day during their stay. It is a stylish Balinese setting to gather socially with like minded travellers whilst savouring a superb array of refreshments.
Tapis Celebrations : A special calendar of culinary events at Tapis covers major festive occasions such as Christmas and New Year. Each event is meticulously styled to bring east and west traditions together for a celebration filled with happy memories.

Air-con dining room, perfect for a small private function. I’m picturing Bali Foodies next gathering here..

If you only have one day left before leaving Bali, and still wanting to experience the richness of Indonesia culinary, Tapis Restaurant at Kayu Manis Jimbaran Private Estate & Spa could take you on a delectable journey to different regions and cultures of the Archipelago, in a matter of breakfast, lunch, or dinner time.

Chef Oka, thank you for the wonderful Indonesian fine cuisine fiesta..

 All images are copyright of Benny Risanto, Bali based freelance photographer – www.risanto.com and may not be downloaded nor reproduced without written permission of the Author. Check out also Benny’s Passion of The Day Photography website.

TAPIS at Kayu Manis Jimbaran Private Estate & Spa

Jl. Yoga Perkhanti, Jimbaran (behind the Yoga Perkhanti soccer field)
Phone            : +62 361 705777
Fax                 : +62 361 705101
Email             : experience@kayumanis.com

FIND KAYU MANIS on:

Facebook     : https://www.facebook.com/kayumanisresorts
Twitter         : https://twitter.com/kayumanisresort
Instagram   : http://instagram.com/kayumanisresort