Intimate, dusky and romantic dining set amidst lush tropical greenery and water.
Situated in central Bali, Ubud has long been celebrated as the cultural hub of the island and, over the years, has attracted a legion of celebrities, anthropologists, artists and even film producers eager to explore the rich and distinctive local heritage. But aside from the wonderful sights, sounds and spirituality, todays visitors are just as likely to be in town exploring its growing reputation as one of Indonesia’s premier culinary destinations as they are to be seeking nirvana.
Determined to preserve the essence of what has made Ubud so alluring, resorts like Desa Visesa Ubud harness its quintessential spirit in both design and operation in offering a collection of authentic accommodation, activities and an array of often exceptional dining experiences. In the latest step towards providing a fully immersive experience, Desa Visesa recently opened Lumbung Restaurant, which proffers a selection of exceptional Chef Mandif Warokka-guided Indonesian cuisine in a truly Balinese setting.
A dusky, romantic venue surrounded by tropical greenery and water, Lumbung takes its name from a traditional rice barn. The experience begins as guests are greeted at the ornate gateway and escorted down the sweeping natural steps into a space rich in dark woods and soft lighting that features both intimate and group dining areas adorned with orchids, Balinese carvings and extremely comfortable rattan seating.
With the menu Chef Mandif has drawn inspiration from all around Indonesia and brings many of the most distinctive regional tastes to the table as he opens with a collection of sharing small plates, soups and classic Indonesian snacks. Deliciously authentic, choose from dishes like the rujak bowl, octopus dabu-dabu, tahu isi udang and the highly recommended soto Bandung, a rich beef broth with white radish soya beans.
In true Indonesian style, the theme continues with sharing-plate main courses like line-caught red snapper with woku belanga, ayam masak buluh, chicken slow cooked in bamboo using spices from North Sulawesi, a scrumptious rendang Minang platter and the deliciously creamy lobster kalio, a silky coconut-based curry.
The à la carte dishes like cumi bakar à la Jimbaran, Jimbaran-style grilled squid served with water spinach in a spicy sauce along with signatures like the seafood platter and Lumbung bebek betutu, duck braised with Balinese spices served with lawar kacang, and a spiced mix of long beans and grated coconut are equally as impressive.
Dishes are often accompanied by sambal but for the full experience order the sambal platter, which means you can adjust the spiciness of your dish and also gain an insight into the differing interpretations of this most Indonesian of condiments.
For dessert try the Manado kelapa tart, a young coconut tart with walnuts, raisins, custard, meringue and rum hailing from North Sulawesi. The tart is sensational, but both the jajanan pasar platter – the street food dessert of the day and pisang rai seem equally as popular.
Conveniently located on Jalan Suweta, Desa Visesa is just 2km north of the Ubud Royal Palace. Set between two narrow river valleys and built around working rice and vegetable fields, it is open from 11am until 11pm and aside from the sublime food also offers a range of classic and innovative cocktails, a good collection of wines, soft drinks and a collection of speciality teas.
Lumbung Restaurant
Desa Viesea Ubud
Jalan Suweta, Ubud
Bali 80571, Indonesia
T: (+62) 3612091788
lumbungpadiubud.com
