Casual Japanese Dining Hits Sanur
Fresh on Sanur’s laid-back dining scene is Soya, a stylish restaurant offering the comforts of casual Japanese dining using the freshest ingredients and a modern touch.
Strategically located on Sanur’s main eat street, just a few metres from the entrance to Griya Santrian, Soya provides seating for up to 40 guests with two distinct dining areas.
A long outdoor terrace offers comfort and European style with its black stone floor, creamy white tables and large wicker-style chairs with thick padded cushions. Light and airy, there is a small bar in the corner and funky light fixtures. Eye-catching, bright red latticed panels fold back to frame the street and the large, shady trees. Serving excellent coffee and refreshing sorbet-laced iced teas, as well as Soya’s delicious food, it is a relaxing space to just sit and while away some time, while enjoying a morsel or two off the tempting menu.
For those escaping the heat of the day, the indoor dining area is air-conditioned and offers a contrasting style with its black tables and chairs, dark walls and splashes of red from flowers and the striking Japanese artwork lining the walls.
The menu offers a range of tempting treats, from wakame seaweed salad, udon and ramen noodle dishes and Japanese-style curries, to modern twists on sushi and various bento meals. Many of the dishes feature authentic flavours, while others have been carefully reinvented and tweaked, influenced by European tastes.
Specialities of the house include the refreshing cool Tuna Martini appetizer with its diced fresh tuna, seaweed, crunchy cucumber, spicy mayonnaise and fish roe. Of the modern sushi, Jumbo Dragon is a popular choice featuring crunchy prawn tempura, cucumber, smooth avocado and diving eel caviar. Yaki udon, the Japanese version of fried noodles, offers thick, chewy noodles with either chicken or beef and stir-fried vegetables and, topped with flaky bonito fish shavings, has a true Japanese flavour and quickly vanishes off the plate.
On the dessert menu, the tempura ice-cream is quite a hit. This irresistible ball of fried vanilla ice-cream is presented resting on a splash of strawberry sauce and comes topped with a chocolate wafer, a fresh strawberry and a swirl of cream. However, a strong contender is Soya’s Japanese-Indonesian version of fried banana – the enticing Banana Rock and Roll. With a hint of chocolate sauce spread along the banana, which is then fried in light tempura batter, it is served with a large scoop of vanilla ice-cream and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
This popular dining spot is open for lunch and dinner and is already taking its place as one of Sanur’s must-try restaurants.
