Reviving Romance
Samsara Ubud offers a romantic dining experience that is so much more than your usual rose petal-laden dinner. It offers the love story that will remind you why you fell in love in the first place.
On an idyllic island like Bali, lovers and diners can find endless romantic dinner programmes on offer to rekindle the fire. It takes, however, more than just a candlelit setting and scattered rose petals to keep the love alive. At the exquisitely gorgeous Samsara Ubud, lovers are invited to a romantic gastronomic journey to remember. Not only is the dinner unforgettable, it also serves as a friendly reminder, a story-telling rendezvous – if you will, that love takes work, but it will be worth it.
The story begins at a scenic gazebo, built using antique hand-crafted wooden pillars, that sits by the lush Ubud jungle and trickling streams. Beyond beautiful, the setting highlights the use of recycled wood in the pillars, chairs and table – showing that you should not just throw things away. Just like love needs to be constantly worked on, renewed and re-energised.
You can choose between the Indonesian or European menu, and let the journey take you on a scrumptious five-course delight. Let's start our love story with the Indonesian set menu, opening with the much-loved Indonesian-style mixed salad called gado gado. Symbolising the mixed feelings one gets when they're in love – anxious, ecstatic and simply thrilled – the gado gado holds rich flavours and textures, just like it's supposed to. Unlike the authentic gado gado, however, this one is presented in a simple and sophisticated way – giving a whole new look to the beloved dish.
Now you've passed the jittery beginnings and are into the exciting phase of being in a relationship. Executive Chef Iwan Sutrisno presents two sultry and divine dishes, sup buntut and gulai kambing. The dishes successfully marry Indonesian flavours with western techniques, reminiscent of two different people making it work when they're in love. The sup buntut sees Italian-style tortellini filled with succulent oxtail meat, served in the unmistakable tasty meat broth.
As you and your loved one surely reach the comfortable phase, a simple lalapan is served. In Indonesian cuisine, lalapan comprises raw vegetables served with sambal, and serves as an accompaniment to chicken rice dishes. The comfort food offers the sensation of feeling safe, familiar and homey.
The journey is wrapped up in a sweet note with refreshingly cool es cendol served on a kintsugi-inspired plate. The cold reminds diners that there will always be issues to resolve in a relationship, but if you follow through, you will get a sweet ending. The kintsugi-style plate is also a reminder that just because something is broken, you should not dismiss it too quickly. On the contrary, if you take time to work on it, it can result in something unique and beautiful. After all, a wise man once said, “To fall in love is easy, to stay in love is a different matter.”
The European set menu is just as intriguing and seductive, comprising the aphrodisiac beef tartar with crème fraiche, ginger flower and toasted walnuts; salmon crudo with mango salad, champagne jelly and caviar; tenderloin beef with spicy potato hash and savoury rawon froth; and brûléed cheese cake.
“I created the dishes in the Intimate Set Dinner menu with happy moments in my mind. I drew inspiration from my own experience and other people's,” Iwan mused. “Through the dishes, I hope people continue to celebrate and cherish wonderful moments, no matter how small or big.
The Kelusa at Samsara Ubud
(samsaraubud.com)