What chefs say
Six talented toques share how they put their own twist on locally made cheese.
Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa
A big supporter of locally produced cheese, executive chef Christopher Smith features them in the resort’s international all-day dining restaurant, Clay Craft, including a lavish cheese display on the breakfast buffet. “I believe the cheesemakers in Bali are producing fantastic products. I’ve received good feedback from our guests. Our direction is to ‘go local’ for as many products as possible and I am super happy to see the way the cheese industry is evolving here,” says Smith who is a huge fan of Bali Alm’s Romadur cheese for its creamy, jelly-like texture with salty note.
The resort serves cheeses such as Brie, Manchego, Tilsiter and Bocconcini, which are sourced from three local producers: Bali Alm, Camilla Mozzarella and Pasti Enak. Cheese-centric dishes on Clay Craft’s à la carte menu include Grilled Halloumi with Chorizo Sausage, Bagel and Rocket Pesto as well as a savoury Baked Camembert with Grilled Pear, Prosciutto, Tomato Chutney and Sea Salt Crackers.
Hyatt Regency Bali
“We’ve been sourcing for high quality and reliable cheese producers that we can partner with. Luckily, we found Bali Alm and Gioia Cheese whose products matched beautifully with our concept,” states executive chef Nadine Waechter-moreno. The Switzerland native has worked with Hyatt since 2008, including a stint as chef de cuisine of Park Hyatt Tokyo. The chef uses Romadur, Halloumi, Herbes de Provence, and goat cheese at Hyatt Regency Bali. “Our Prosciutto and Burrata Pizza is one of our most popular pizzas along with the Burrata as an appetiser,” explains Waechtermoreno. The resort has two dining options, Omang Omang offering comfort food, and Pizzaria, a charming beachfront Italian restaurant.
Ayodya Resort Bali
Executive chef Mitsuaki Senoo oversees 10 dining venues at Ayodya Resort Bali, on top of banquet, in-room dining and the club lounge. Senoo currently leads 150 chefs and kitchen staff and works with local cheese producers like Gioia Cheese, Bali Alm and Massimo. “Their quality is high and most importantly, their products are fresh. There is no reason to import when you have access to good quality cheeses such as these,” says Senoo.
Raclette, Halloumi, Burrata, Scamorza, Provolone, and Pecorino are widely used by the resort’s dining venue. One of Senoo’s signature dishes – and a guest favourite – is Saganaki Greek Style Halloumi & Scamorza.
Potato Head Beach Club
Known for championing local products and zero waste, Potato Head Beach Club has been working closely with two Bali-based cheesemakers for the last two years. It gets yoghurt, Halloumi, Camembert, Blue cheese and Romadur from Bali Alm. A shipment of freshly made Mozzarella, Stracciatella and Taleggio arrives from Gioia Cheese each day. “Mozzarella from Gioia Cheese is exceptional. It's fresh, creamy and has just the perfect texture,” explains executive chef Wayan Kresna Yasa.
Star dishes include the Salami and Parma Ham Pizza and Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza.
Alila Seminyak
Since opening its doors in 2015, Alila Seminyak has shown its commitment in using local products for their gourmet fare. Locally made mozzarella is used in the resort’s Pizza Margherita, signature Beef Burger, pasta, and cheese platter. Breakfast at the stylish beachfront Seasalt always comes with a tempting display of cheese such as Brie, Camembert and the incredibly dreamy Triple Cream Camembert Cheese. The latter is executive sous chef Ngurah Heru Wijaya personal favourite. “We work closely with Pasti Enak. They create unique products such as Sake Kasu Cheese or Rahu Cave Aged Cheese with Coconut Ash coating,” he shares.
The Ritz-carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place
Rizky Apriliana, head chef of PASOLA Jakarta, gets a lot of positive feedback on one of his restaurants dishes - the Burrata cheese. The Burrata comes from Camilla Mozzarella and is made with herb dried tomatoes, crispy potato skins and tamarillo chutney. The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant also receives Cacciotti from a cheese artisan in Lombok and Camembert from Bali Alm.