The all new Gardin Bistro & Patisserie Seminyak
A hidden gem in a small forest
Gardin Bistro & Patisserie is a new and distinctly different Seminyak eatery that features arched stained glass windows, heavy wooden doors, gothic door furniture and stone-faced walls and floors. Its gothic design concept clearly sets it apart from its peers and is the brain child of Jason Kurniawan of the company All In, who also brought us the very popular Odysseia in Pacific Place, Jakarta.
The bistro takes cues from Odysseia, from the star-like lampshades, to the open French garden-style seating, even the cute salt and pepper pots. But it’s the unique gothic design that catches the eye, made even more impressive as Mirror – the upcoming nightclub and event property at the rear of the restaurant – rises like a cathedral, in the near distance.
‘it’s the unique gothic design that instantly catches the eye’
“We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the current industrial design trend,” says owner, Jason Kurniawan, “as well as using a combination of glass, textures and elements to try and make a beautiful marriage between the man-made and natural.”
There are three dining areas, to the left is quiet and intimate, right is the inside dining area and beyond that, through an arched doorway, is a large conservatory surrounded by lush tropical gardens. The high ceilings and elegant neo-gothic lighting create a great atmosphere, helped along by some chilled tunes. Tabled seating is comfortable, featuring thick padded multi-coloured cushions, which along with some tastefully placed art lifts the gothic design faultlessly.
The bistro is fabulous and the staff friendly and helpful, but what about the food and drinks?
English Executive Chef, Tommy Rook, set himself the audacious task of delivering a menu combining international favourites alongside classic Indonesian dishes created using international techniques and styles. The result is an exciting fusion experience as he presents standards like Wagyu beef steaks served with mash, a delicious BLT, pulled pork sandwiches, salads, soups and a range of other classic meat and fish dishes. But it was the international take on Indonesian cuisine that really grabbed my interest, so I ordered the Wagyu Indonesian Fried Rice, the Balinese Snapper Fillet and finished up with a selection from the impressive patisserie.
The fried rice was quite remarkable – a rich, hot and spicy rendang-style sauce covered five lumps of tender Wagyu ribeye, which, along with a handful of emping, surrounded a flat cylinder of fiery fried rice, topped and fried egg. The sauce combined with the rice rather than being absorbed resulting in a more complex and complementary taste structure, it was very good!
‘The fried rice was quite remarkable – a rich, hot and spicy rendang-style sauce covered five lumps of tender Wagyu ribeye, which, along with a handful of emping, surrounded a flat cylinder of fiery fried rice, topped and fried egg’
The fillet of lightly cooked snapper on a bed of creamed sauce served with a contemporary coconut infused rice roll and topped with raw Balinese sambal followed. The fish was another spicy offering from Chef Tommy’s kitchen that not only looked the part but was very tasty too.
Meanwhile, on the sweet side, the liberal use of fresh nasturtiums, swirls of chocolate and other decorations makes the patisserie range very enticing. Eventually I plumped for the fruit tartlet, mango berry and carrot cake, alongside a black coffee. The pastry, fillings and sweet-spice balance was excellent with the set custard being particularly silky in the tartlet. The raspberry topped mango berry pyramid offered minimalistic beauty and complex layered tastes and texture and was probably my favourite.
Gardin is on Jl. Petitenget in Seminyak and by November will open at 7AM for breakfast. Closing at midnight, it’s a perfect place to catch up with friends over decent coffee and explore the range of freshly made cakes for yourself, or with its large range of wines and beverages, take lunch or dinner either with a group in the conservatory or tucked away romantically as a couple. Located in the heart of Seminyak it makes an ideal place to eat great food and relax into the late evening.
Favourite Feature:
Freshly created cakes. Only three of each are crafted each day, luckily there are 33 different ones to choose from!
Recommendation:
For those who like it hot, the Wagyu Indonesian Fried Rice.
