Coffee Wood-Smoked Q uail

AT FRESTRO & BAR, SEMINYAK

Amagnet for those seeking quality food and beverages, Frestro & Bar is a plush but remarkably good value venue in Seminyak, Bali, that offers a menu crafted by one of Indonesia’s most celebrated chefs, Mandif Warrokka, backed by his impressive bar and kitchen team.

Under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Jovan Koraag, the open kitchen turns out a magnificent selection of expertly prepared and plated dishes and specialist curated foods that help ensure guests return time after time.

The à la carte selection features a range of dishes inspired by the different culinary influences of the Mediterranean with a range of pastas, pizzas, raw dishes and a selection of signature dishes like the spiced lamb soup, camembert and apple calzone and the gorgeous coffee wood-smoked quail.

In appearance the quail resembles a miniature roast chicken, but what this bird loses in size, it more than makes up for with its rich flavour, succulent meat and interesting contrast of textures. Roast quail is traditionally eaten throughout Europe and around the Mediterranean, served with game chips and redcurrant jelly, but in typical Mandif style, the Frestro offering is somewhat more creative and complex.

In part the complexity comes from the coffee wood smoke that gently draws out and improves the natural flavours of the meat, but also via the choice of the accompaniments. In using beetroot, onion, chard and foie gras, Mandif creates depth and an extremely delicate fusion of taste, texture and smoky fragrance.