SPICE – A Taste Of Things To Come
SPICE by Chris Salans promises to be a mouthwatering prospect, the third restaurant from acclaimed American-French Chef Chris Salans, one of Bali’s top culinary ambassadors, recipient of prestigious awards, MANITOWOC Restaurateur of the Year and chef-owner of award-winning Mozaic brand.
However, prepare for something completely new and mouth-wateringly different.
Salans’ new venture in Ubud, SPICE by Chris Salans, is a casual, modern hip café, with a “Gastrobar, Local Flavours, Funky Drinks” concept. SPICE promises to be an eclectic and exciting culinary journey of taste, touch, smell, sound and sight, where diners not only interact directly with the chefs but with Bali itself, the island’s environment, culture, ingredients and aromas, and where the cutting-edge menu comes inspired by local ingredients and flavours. Patrons are able to access a high quality eaterie, but competitively priced.
“I’m not changing—rather, evolving,” declares Salans. “I’m not going back to basics but covering more of the F&B market—first, fine-dining, then, a beach club and now a casual café, SPICE—a cuisine concept for the masses and more accessible—which I’m happy about.”
SPICE challenges the conventional notions of the dining experience in several ways. Infused with an informal, lively ambiance, the intimate space is dominated by a bar counter facing the open kitchen, in similar vein to a sushi counter.
Here, around 15 to 18 diners are able to interact directly with the chefs, watching them prepare live every bite of food—pure gastronomic theatre! Additionally, a limited number of sit-up communal tables within the premises are also available.
The menu at SPICE will flow with the seasons and has been created to illustrate the amazing range of Balinese and Indonesian flavours, highlighting how these ingredients can be presented in diverse ways. Salans and the Mozaic brand underline French cooking techniques, but the SPICE chef de cuisine is Asian, so expect plenty of Asian influences.
“The focus on locally sourced, sustainable fresh Indonesian produce and flavours is the key to my cuisine and will always remain the focus of all my culinary ventures,” confirms Salans. “A chef should always use ingredients that are innate to his or her environment, grown in an organic way and supporting the local economy. In Bali, the Mozaic brand is proud to use local ingredients, showcasing them on the international gastronomic stage.”
Actually, the name SPICE and underlying inspiration derive from vibrant local markets found throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Nostalgic references feature spices and herbs artistically fashioned as table-top centre pieces and interior walls adorned with a collage of antique chopping boards, vintage baking pans and wine crates doubling as canvases featuring images of spices utilized by the chefs.
At SPICE, traditional menus are dispensed with: diners choose an array of dishes from a large blackboard, with the menu divided into self-explanatory sections, such as “Harvested and Farmed”, “Raw” and “Fins and Shells” but with Balinese ingredients and flavours very much the key players in dishes—including gems like kluwek nut, torch ginger flower, durian, lesser galangal, cumin leaves. Additionally, dishes are served in small portions, in a fluid sequence, as soon as they are created in the kitchen. Get ready for divine signature dishes, including kemangi leaf and kenari nut-crusted baked salt-cured white fish and crispy pork belly in turmeric dressing.
Similar to the food menu, the funky beverage selection also presents a signature cocktail range that, again, masterfully showcases fresh Indonesian ingredients and flavours.
Salans thinks Ubud is ready for a culinary concept such as SPICE. “Ubud is evolving as the new hot culinary destination,” he states. With its delicious new concept, SPICE will certainly spice-up Ubud’s sophisticated culinary progression.
(www.spicebali.com)
