Alila Ubud: Changes at The Chedi!

Food: International - Price: expensive
The Chedi has had a change of management company, and will soon have a change of name as well. The Chedi is to become the Alila Ubud, whilst it’s sister hotel at Candi Dasa, The Serai, is to become the Alila Manggis. The changes are already happening. Young New Zealand chef, Matt Coates, has been transferred from The Serai to The Chedi. At The Serai, his cooking school had drawn international acclaim. His past experiences, working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants [including Neil Perry’s Rockpool and Damien Pignolet’s Bistro Moncur], and his exploration of both Indonesian and true Balinese cuisine whilst at The Serai, have resulted in an intriguing menu at The Chedi.

Definitely a place for the adventurous ‘foodie’!

At lunchtime, wherever you sit in The Chedi’s grand restaurant, you gaze down upon the valley that houses the River Ayung. It is difficult not to be totally relaxed in environments like this. Nothing you order off the menu is going to upset that feeling.

The menus for Lunch are simpler than those for dinner, but still fascinating and totally adequate for that time of day. Start with a great Tom Yum Goong! This hot and sour prawn soup from Thailand seems to appear on every menu, but rarely tastes anything like the original. Here, big chunky prawns sit in a spicy broth with glass noodles. How can a soup be both hot and refreshing at the same time? This one seems to sharpen your taste buds, but don’t order a second helping, there is more to come.

A simple salad of mixed leaves, slices of Black Forrest ham, preserved artichokes and croutons of Ciabata, are tossed in olive oil. A Grilled Haloumi & Pepper salad is studded with rosemary infused croutons. The crunchy Spring Rolls are served with an unusual ginger sweet & sour sauce.

A Chicken Breast is stuffed with Parmesan and roasted garlic. The spice-crusted Tuna fillet arrives in a tomato and cardamom sauce. Saffron Angel Hair Pasta is combined with glazed prawns, roasted tomato, anchovies and breadcrumbs.

For those who crave their own special Pizza, select your own ingredients from a most impressive list. A simple hamburger is hard to find. But the Alila DeLuxe has crispy onion rings, beetroot, lettuce, bacon, egg and finally a tomato relish! Steak Sandwich addicts will be sated with a pita bread version, with tomato, lettuce, beetroot, cheese, onion jam and mayonnaise.

The Dinner Menu combines interesting International dishes with local specialities. Come to dinner at The Chedi, prepared for a feast you will not easily forget.

The Crab & Chilli Broth is with roasted garlic and lime. King Prawns are served with sautéed shitake mushrooms and sticky rice with a ginger, shallot and soy dressing. Sauteed Sea Scollops come with baby fennel, a watercress salad, flying fish roe and essence of tomato. A wonderful Caramelized Pork Salad is with spring onions, coriander and fried shallots.

But my entrée highlight is a Confit of Pheasant & Roasted Tomato, served with a light rosemary dressing.

The Crispy Skin Duck Breast is just that! Juicy tender meat, pink as it should be, with that crunchy skin that only the Chinese normally achieve. Perfect!

The Grilled Baby Chicken is with semolina noodles, snow pea shoots, long beans and basil jus. Beef Tenderloin is served with crushed waxy potatoes and crispy Parma ham. The Roasted Rack of Lamb is with Jerusalem artichokes & quince paste. The Pan Fired Gurami Fillet comes with a very unusual salad of roasted chilli, water chestnuts and marinated bean curd.

For a seafood super special, start with the Steamed Clams in a coriander and lemongrass broth and follow with the Glazed Prawns [with roasted tomato, anchovies and breadcrumbs in an angel hair pasta].

A feature is made of local dishes on the menu at The Chedi, none more so than Bali’s famous Bebek Betutu. This wonderfully spiced, slowly cooked duck is an unique eating experience. It is served, traditionally, with Urab Pakis [fern tip salad, shredded coconut and beans], Jukut Nagka dengan Undis [braised young jackfruit in Balinese spices and black beans] and yellow rice.

A full Balinese Rijstaffel is available, when you are presented with a full rice table of eight local favourites. For Rp.190,000++, reasonable value for this level of quality. Of course you may prefer to order your Balinese dishes from the menu separately?

Bebek Kaldo dengan Bungkus Udang is a most unusual soup. A spicy duck broth with bean shoots and prawn dumplings. Ayam Pandan is strips of spiced chicken breast, wrapped in Pandan leaves. Pepes Ikan & Sambal Matah is grilled Snapper that has been spiced and wrapped in banana leaves and is served with a ginger flower sambal.

Ayam Lalapan is grilled chicken in a tomato sambal with lime. Ayam Kurry Hijau is a green curry of chicken, with toasted coconut and a pineapple chutney. Many interesting side dishes can also be ordered; Tum Babi [a spicy pork mince in banana leaves], Jukut Nangka [braised jackfruit in Kencur and chilli], and a great tangy Rujak Campur [green mango, peanut salad and toasted rice with a tamarind sauce].

I am not a Vegetarian, but some of the offerings at The Chedi could almost convert me! A Beetroot Consomme with cherry vinegar and parcels of caramelized apple and walnut. Grilled Asparagus is with Kipfler potatoes, crispy basil and a green salad. Roasted Pumpkin and grilled radicchio with duck egg pasta and thyme. Wonderful Sweet Corn Cakes with a tamarind, coriander root and lime dressing.

That Dessert section of far too many menus seems to be nothing more than a mandatory appendage. At The Chedi, it is a menu in itself!

A simple Hot Chocolate Souffle, with chocolate sauce and butterscotch ice cream….yum! A Blackberry and Apple Crumble, a Passionfruit Brulee with mango spoom and sugar bark. Throw in a local flavour with a Glazed Salak Tart, with blood orange and a Cointreau and coriander seed compote. The Tamarillo Compote of honeyed Madeleines is served with a white chocolate ice cream.

An excellent wine list and very professional service will top off an evening of fine dining that you will not forget!

Address: Alila Ubud, [ex The Chedi] Payangan, Ubud.
Phone: 975.963
Email: ubud@alilahotels.com
Open: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Credit cards: BCA, Amex, JCB, Dinners, Master, Visa
Wine: excellent list