The Restaurant offers diners a personalised dining experience based on quality ingredients and the kitchen team’s unrivalled passion for food.
The Restaurant at The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah is a whole different ballgame compared to most of its counterparts. Idyllically set amid the resort’s vast paddy field, The Restaurant is laid back, but at the same time sophisticated, it’s elegant but not assuming – just the right balance to make it a perfect dining destination in the serene area of Ubud.
One thing that’s immediately evident to the guests here, aside from the breathtaking views, is the personal touch in the top-notch and friendly service. The host and the servers will greet you warmly, and if you’re lucky, Executive Chef Khairudin Nor – better known as Dean – will come out and converse with you about your culinary preferences. The menu comprises the best of Asian and Western delicacies, but the culinary potential goes way beyond the printed menu, as Dean always tries to deliver any particular dish preferred by the guests.
Dean always tries to surprise with eclectic international flavours that taste brilliant. A big factor that contributes to Dean’s solid kitchen is the resort’s elaborate organic garden, which is manned by Dean himself with help from his team. From herbs and edible flowers to rice and tropical fruits, the garden has it, and it’s all bred organically with a strict no pesticides policy.
The Duo Seafood dish is unique, the house-smoked salmon has a subtle finesse to it, and combined with the scallop mousse, balsamic caviar and Balinese-style saffron beurre blanc, the whole dish is vibrant and refined at the same time. Another simple but divine dish is the poached kampong egg with truffle, potato tuile and organic asparagus. A classic dish that’s enhanced with a hint of truffle and magnificent presentation, guaranteed to make your dining experience at The Restaurant unforgettable.
To get to know more about The Restaurant and the brilliant brain behind it, Dean talks to Exquisite Taste about the kitchen essentials.
E: What is essential in running a successful kitchen?
D: I have a fabulous team, I think I cannot excel in the kitchen without them. No chef is an island by himself. The whole Chedi is a team as well, I cannot work without my sales people, and the good thing is everyone is a team player here.
E: How would you describe your style in the kitchen?
D: I’m an old-fashioned boy. My food is very simple, down to earth, nothing too mind-boggling, no mathematics and no science. It’s just a matter of the right techniques of cooking. I put my mind, body and soul into it. No shortcuts, we need to work hard for it.
E: What about the food at The Restaurant?
D: We give the guests a chef’s gift and a welcome card stating, “Whatever you want to eat, let us know and we’ll cook it for you”. The menu that we have here is only the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes the guests want something very particular, and we always try to deliver. We’re guest-oriented people. I always try to talk to my guests and find out their likes and dislikes. The important thing is I try to use as much produce sourced from Indonesia as I can, and it has to be organic, with no pesticides.
Tuna Confit
Ingredients
- 200g yellowtail tuna fillet
- 15g Japanese seaweed
- 100g shallot
- 200ml Shiraz
- Cherry tomato cut into two
- Mandoline-sliced cucumber
- 1l grapeseed oil
Method
- Heat grapeseed oil to 42C.
- Place the tuna in the oil, fully submerged for one hour.
- Blend the Japanese seaweed into powder form.
- Roll the cooked confit tuna over the seaweed powder.
- Sautée the shallot, add Shiraz and reduce until the shallot is caramelised.
SERVES 2
The Restaurant
The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah
Jalan Goa Gajah, Ubud,
Bali 80571, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361975685
ghmhotels.com
