FA S H I O N R E S TAU R A N T S & V I L L A S
Rp. 75.000
E D I T I O N 1 2 .2 S E PT - N OV
VILLAS
T RAV E L
FAS HI ON
D I NI NG
Puri Bawana
Malacca
Camping
La Sal
The Beji
Nusa Ceningan
Glamorously
Char Char
Sky Li
Vietnam
Island Gal
Ubud Health Cafes
B A L I & S O U T H E A S T A S I A N st y le
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FA S H I O N R E S TAU R A N T S & V I L L A S B A L I & S O U T H E A S T A S I A n st y le
E D I T I O N 1 2 . 2 S E P T - N ov
CO N T E N TS
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C HAR C HAR BAR & G RI L L Stepping up in Seminyak
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SAI G ON STRE E T Good Morning Petiten-gettttt!
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U BU D HE ALTH CAF ES Five of the healthiest cafe breaks
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L A SAL The best Spanish food in Bali
BL ANCO PAR MAND I F
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Fine dining in Ubud
JAKARTA G I A
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Dining with George Calombaris
WARU NG TU RKI
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Some capital Turkish cuisine
A C E H C U I S I NE Will Meyrick's in Indonesia's far west
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P U RI BAWANA Villa excellence in South Bali
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VI L L A THE BE JI Six bedrooms of Canggu opulence
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A RAF F L E WI NNE R Jakarta's newest luxe hotel
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FAS HI ON The Amanwana high life
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B I N TA N RE L AXATI ON Indonesia's Sanchaya Resort
H OTE L KU RRAJ ONG
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A walk through Australia's past
SL E E PI NG I N SAI G ON
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Vietnam's new Pullman Hotel
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H OTE L ME T ROP OL E Hanoi's very best in colonial style
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I SL AND GI RL Fashion at Mozaic Beach Club
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THE BAT Helicopter Taking tourism to the next level
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CATHAY JAKARTA A walk through Jakarta's Chinatown
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VI E TNAM VI BE A tale of two cities and a tiger
N USA C E NI NG AN
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A hop, skip and jump from Bali
YOGJA TI ME
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A weekend in Indonesia's cultural capital
CA M E RO N HI G HL ANDS
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Malaysia's world of tea and strawberries
M A L A CCA An ancient world of trade and spice
16 B its & Pieces
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140 30 Jakarta FO od
54 Wine
56 C heese
60 overnight S ing
86 V illa S k y L i
102 Fashion Bits
114 Fashion N U N U I
116 RICHARD J OHN SAUT E R
118 FAS H I O N F EST I VA L
148 Directory
162 L ast Word
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P T K ubu Dua M edi a J l. Petitenget 12A, Kerobokan, Bali, Indonesia Te l. +62 361 746 3751/52 | Fa x. +62 361 847 5458 email: info@frvbali.com www.frvb a li.c om Di recto r Guna wa n I nd rob a skoro Graphics Coordinator Te guh Ana nta (artwork@frvb a li.c om) P ho to g raphy Moc h. Sulthon, R a ma d ha n, Ad a m Ra syid Di stri buti o n Ii n I nd ra p utra , I ma m, Ma d e , Pur na i nfo@frvb a li.c om Fi nance Sri W ita ri, B a gus Oka Mark eti ng Oc hy, De wi (oc hy@frvb a li.c om | sa le s@frvb a li.c om) A dmi ni strati o n T he re sia , Poojie , Swa n Co ntri buto rs Rajendra, David Trauts, Erza ST, Veronika K, Herman Von Be r nha rd i Agua yo, R a tih DP. S ubscri pti o n Yearly subscription available in Indonesia - Rupiah 280,000 Conta c t: sub sc rib e @frvb a li.c om Send e-mail to the above for details. Consulting Stua rt D W ilford (stua rt@frvb a li.c om) L eg al Asso ci ates Nyoma n Ge d e Anta guna SE, SH, MH ACS La w Offic e J l. Mertanadi 88A, Kuta, Bali. Te l: 082145689996 Fashi o n Restaurants and Vi l l as Bal i mag azi ne i s an i ndependent, q uarterl y publ i cati o n. N ex t edi ti o n deadl i ne N o vember 15, 2015
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FR V B a l i m a g a z i n e i s p r i n t e d u n d e r l i c e n s e d t r a d e m a r k . N o p a r t o f t h i s m a g a z i n e s h o u l d b e re produ c e d with ou t th e wr itte n pe r m ission of th e pu blish e r. A l l r i g h t s re s e r v e d . A r t i c l e s re f l e c t t h e o p i n i o n s o f t h e a u t h o r s , a n d n o t n e c e s s a r i l y t h o s e of t h e p u b l i s h e r s . F R V B a l i m a g a z i n e i s p r i n t e d b y P T M e g a I n d a h ( T: 0 2 1 - 6 1 9 0 5 2 9 w w w. m e g a i n d a h o ff s e t . c o m ) a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y ; P T K u b u D u a M e d i a ( I n d o n e s i a ) , P e r i p l u s - J a v a B o o k s ( I n d o n e s i a ) , a n d P T I n d o p ro m ( I n d o n e s i a ) . Con ta c t th e e -m a il a ddre sse s a bove f or f u r th e r in f or m a tion .
F R V B ali Mag az ine
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E d itor’s Note FRV Bali – It takes you places
As the Bali high season approached near the end of July there was a moment when it appeared that natural forces were going to disrupt proceedings of Bali’s busiest period in a negative way. Mount Ruang had blown its top in East Java and was causing all kinds of havoc at Bali International Airport, as well as four other airports in the immediate region. There was a lot at stake at that moment as it appeared the high season could have been in total disarray. The local tourist market depends heavily on the month of August, and especially the Merdeka Long Weekend (Indonesian Independence Day) period, and obviously thousands of tourists are wanting to spend their precious holidays in peace without disruption. Thankfully the winds began
to blow in the right direction and the volcano eruption began to subside leaving us with a slightly battered high season, but in all, one that could have been a lot worse. In the end, we are always at the mercy of the natural forces around us and have to give thanks that sometimes the circumstances do go in our favour.... As we go to press there are no volcanic ash advisories and we all hope it stays that way.
accommodation, from villas, resorts and hotels, from around the region. We have two stunning fashion shoots, one from the natural wonderland that is Moyo Island and the Amanwana resort, and the other from closer to town; the Mozaic Beach Club on Batubelig Beach. FRV also visits Vietnam, Malaysia, Yogyakarta and Nusa Ceningan and we have a walk around Jakarta’s Chinatown in this edition plus a lot more.
Inside this edition of FRV Bali our team has been travelling all over the island, country and Southeast Asian region. Some excellent new restaurants have opened and been checked, and older ones have been revitalized and revisited. We also feature some spectacular
There is always something for everyone and this edition is no different. We trust you will enjoy the ever changing and evolving FRV Bali magazine. Read on... Any comments, suggestions or gripes direct to this email: editor@frvbali.com
F RV C O N T R I B U TO R S David Trauts This English correspondent founded The Beat magazine and then the group’s flagship, FRV. He always enjoys new experiences and the freedom of the getaway – sometimes far, sometimes close, but always fun. Good food, good wine, good people and times are the essence of an enjoyable life—you don’t need many or much, it’s the quality that counts.
Erza S.T. Summer has been quite a busy time for this opera and winter loving writer. From exploring Jakarta’s famous Chinatown, having a quick chat with the famous Aussie Masterchef judge and chef George Calombaris, visiting the new Raffles Jakarta, to hosting the opening of Warung Turki, he is still far from slowing down. Next: preparing an upcoming winter trip!
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RAjendra Travel writing is an admirable and important profession that takes a lot of dedication, hard work and a smidgen of luck to make it pay. Yet despite the hardships, Rajendra sees it as a calling to take the opportunities that arise and share the lessons learned with the FRV community. This issue it’s off to Malaysia for a ride up to the cool Cameron Highlands and down to the hot sticky streets of Malacca.
Salvador B New Yorker, U.S.A., moved to Bali in nineteen eighty three, painter, writer, musician and song writer. Through the years he has been noted as a true renaissance man in that perspective. As a writer he has contributed many an articles on the life styles of Bali as well as interviews, openings, fashion and food reviews.
Nick Walton Nick has been writing on travel for over 10 years, including most recently as the travel editor for the South China Morning Post. From his home in Hong Kong he regularly travels throughout Asia and beyond, looking for new experiences, trends and destinations, both for his travel pieces in over 60 magazines globally, as well as his weekly radio show.
Veronika K Veronika is not only a journalist, but also a professional mermaid and a travel junkie. Praguebased, she has been living life in flip-flops since 2008. If not on her laptop forging words, she can be found playing in the ocean or practicing her headstands. Vero’s hobbies are breakfast, lunch & dinner and writing about herself in the third person.
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BITS & PIECES new Spanish dishes & experience at el kabron After their successful paella and rice dish menus, El Kabron on the cliffs overlooking the Uluwatu beaches wants to step it up again and extend their daily choices in the famed sunset fine and casual dining restaurant. “With creating this new menu, we would like our guests to enjoy a full lunch or dinner and a new Spanish experience of seafood dishes, for meet lovers, and all with the authentic Spanish and Mediterranean touch,” says El Kabron’s David Iglesias. It must be time to try for yourself!
republik 45 cruisin’ The newly established Republik 45 has been going from strength to strength since it opened its doors this year. Their signature Indonesian menu has found many a foodie fan, and their stylish new venue has been a huge hit with both local guests and overseas travellers. Now growing the customer experience and adding another angle to the venue, Republik 45 has engaged in an entertainment program accurately befitting the elegant and charming atmosphere. Dinner has taken on a whole new swing.
level of additional content. Top international and local artists swoon through a myriad of jazz, soul, funk and contemporary sounds, giving the customers even more reason to indulge further at this remarkable new eatery. The menu retains its traditional roots, and is entirely dedicated to the authentic flavors of the Archipelago. The restaurant continues to offer an exceptional range of rich and flavorsome dishes, providing a true taste of Indonesian history. Bookings are essential, functions and events are plentiful, and live music is always on the menu Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 8pm. www.republik45.com
Acoustic melodies add their own delicate flavour to the dining experience, bringing a new, yet subtle
THE NINTH ANNUAL BALI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (BALINALE) From Thursday 24th September until Wednesday 30th September, South Kuta Beach will be playing host to the 9th annual Bali International Film Festival, known as ‘Balinale,’ which includes film premieres, daily movie screenings, professional industry forums, exhibitions, and filmmaker gatherings, concluding with the popular audience choice awards. Running with the theme ‘Face of Diversity,’ Balinale is centred around its new official venue partner, ‘Cinemaxx’ at Lippo Mall Kuta, Jl. Kartika
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Plaza, South Kuta Beach, with the week-long festivities held in conjunction with the South Kuta Beach Business Association. Pre-festival events will take place on the weekend of 18th – 20th September with ‘Movies under the Stars’ on Kuta Beach. Visitors can enjoy the free open-air cinema, family activities, exhibitions, special refreshments and great live entertainment happening on Jl Raya Pantai Kuta.
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Giddy Up & Get Your Early Bird Tickets for Melbourne Cup Bali’s biggest lawn party is now merely weeks away! Guests fortunate enough to secure tickets to last year’s Melbourne Cup party at The Canggu Club already know it’s definitely one event on the calendar that can’t be missed! Not simply a day for racing enthusiasts, the 2015 Melbourne Cup Gala on the first day of every November and this year, Tuesday November 3rd is a celebration of fashion, food, five star entertainment and fun. Seats for last year’s Melbourne Cup Champagne Marquee and Cocktail Party sold out well before the event and many missed out on a sensational day. To
ensure there are fewer pouty faces and FOMO this year, Tickets for the Melbourne Cup Champagne Marquee and Cocktail Party are already on sale and according to our sources are selling fast. Discounted ticket prices are available until September 18th. Whether you are enjoying the elegance of the marquee, mixing it up at the cocktail bar or checking out the form (on and off the track!) everyone can be assured of some first class fun. Gates open at 10am on the day with three hours of free flow from 11am. Multiple screens throughout the Canggu Club ensure punters can catch all of
the race day action. There will be competitions for best dressed and fashions on the field, not to mention awesome entertainment by internationally acclaimed artist and former Noiseworks frontman Jon Stevens, supported by our own local rocker, Marina Sidik and her band, New Energy. Dance your way toward sunset and party through the evening with entertainment until 8pm. There are two choices for punters on the big day. The Champagne Marquee with canapés, three course gourmet cuisine, free flow Nicolas Feuillatte French Champagne, Babich wines, Heineken and San Miguel Light
for the fantastic early bird price of Rp. 1,700,000 for Canggu Club members or Rp. 1,800,000for non members. Table of ten receive a further discounted ticket price of just Rp. 1,500,000 per member or Rp. 1,600,000 for non-members. Cocktail Party tickets that include cocktails, canapés, beer and bubbles with early bird prices starting at Rp. 900,000 and Rp. 1,000,000 for members and non members respectively. Beat the heat with Babich wines, Bintang, San Miguel Light and sparkling Chandon along with tasty tidbits throughout the afternoon. In keeping with The Canggu Club’s ongoing dedication to local charities and adding to the outstanding fundraising success of last year’s Melbourne Cup spectacular, all proceeds from auctions, sweepstakes and raffles from the event will go to supporting Solemen Indonesia. Their tireless efforts to help the disadvantaged in Bali making them more than worthy as a beneficiary. Secure your tickets for this marvellous event through our website or at Canggu Club Reception. www.cangguclub.com
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Chris Sal Ans
Chris Salans, one of Bali’s top culinary ambassadors and winner of the World Gourmet Summit’s 2014 MANITOWAC Restaurateur of the Year, amongst many other accolades, opened his latest dining venture in July called SPICE by Chris Salans. Chris who has developed and mastered his own style of cuisine – marrying the techniques of modern Western cooking and presentation, with the local ingredients and amazing flavours of Indonesia in his signature restaurant Mozaic, has now brought his award winning cuisine to a lively, hip café, and all-day dining concept that is accessible to everyone.
Fresh and yum Baby organic vegetables, tempe and fresh curd in a tumeric dressing
spices up Ubud once again
The modern air conditioned gastrobar offers great food at extremely affordable prices with a pedigree in dining hard to match on the island, but now presented with casual overtones and a relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere. It’s a café. Spice takes its inspiration from traditional local markets. It’s brightly lit with warm tones using some funky decorations like suspended recycled wine and liquor bottles as light installations and the walls are adorned with a collage of antique chopping boards and vintage kitchen artifacts doubling as canvases for images of ingredients and spices. Even the ceiling is beautifully decorated with traditional Balinese pots
Spice exterior A view from the street
and urns. You can sit at the bar counter that faces the open Nayati kitchen and watch the interactive culinary theatre created by the team preparing your dishes, or opt to sit down at communal tables at the front while watching Ubud life pass you by. The Spice menu focuses on Balinese and Indonesian flavours and sustainable local fresh produce. To illustrate the diversity of these flavours, the menu adapts to the seasons depending on the ingredients that are available at the market. Each dish is based on a highlighted local ingredient and all served on beautiful locally made Kevala tableware. As with the food menu, the funky beverage selection masterfully showcases fresh Indonesian ingredients and flavours too. Spice by Chris Salans is open from 11am to 11pm offering quick bites to a full hearty meal. Spice Jalan Raya Ubud No 23. Ubud 80571, Bali, Indonesia. Tel: +62 361 4792420. www.spicebali.com
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The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival returns to the Island From October 28 –November 1, 2015 With the theme “17,000 Islands of Imagination” this year’s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival will feature the immense diversity of Indonesian writing talent, including leading literary figure Putu Oka Sukanta, controversial award-winning filmmaker Nia Dinata, shortstory writer and political journalist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and winner of the 2013 Southeast Asian Writers Award, Linda Christanty. The Festival will also welcome social advocate Andreas Harsono, celebrated Indonesian novelist Eka Kurniawan, humanitarian and East Timor rights campaigner Galuh Wandita, and Founder of the ASEAN Literary Festival, Okky Madasari. From the international scene, the UWRF will be joined by the creators of The Lonely Planet Guides - Tony and Maureen Wheeler, Pakistani
author of international best seller How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, Mohsin Hamid, popular Chinese-American memoirist Anchee Min, short-story author Nam Lee and The Rosie Project’s Graeme Simison. Being held over five days, the festival will consist of panel discussions, workshops, literary lunches, book launches, poetry slams, film screenings and more. Other featured guests include Chigozie Obioma, author of The Fisherman, 2015 Stella Prizewinner Emily Bitto, North Korea defector and TED Talk sensation Hyeonseo Lee, Palestinian scholar Mazin Qumsiyeh and winner of the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, Sofie Laguna. Founder and Director of the UWRF, Janet DeNeefe, said that now in its 12th year, the not-for-profit Festival is becoming more important to the literary, artistic and cultural landscape than ever before. “Indonesia is not only one of the world’s most rapidly evolving nations, but also home to one of the largest and most diverse populations in the world,” she says. The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival aims to do something about that by bringing the world’s leading thinkers and doers, bridging geographical and social divides, to discuss the topical issues that affect us all. www.ubudwritersreadersfest.com
undersea celebrations From the wrecks of Amed and Talumben and the impressive macro sites around Kubu in the east, to the artificial Bio-Rock reefs and underwater sculpture gardens of Pemuteran and the pristine cliffs of Menjangan Island in the west, North Bali has an impressive array of dive sites and underwater opportunities. To help celebrate this diversity, in October from the 23rd to the 26th, the Pemuteran Bay Fest will be celebrating all things aquatic with endless activities on land and below the waves, including an underwater art parade, conservation workshops, art exhibitions, a culinary bazaar, and expos of all kinds for divers and landlubbers of all ages. So book early and head to the north of the island to enjoy a Bali you never knew existed. www.pemuteranbayfest.com
Photo: Veronika
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we have a winner! Congratulations to Ben Duncalf of Perth, Australia, on winning a cabin for himself and his partner on the fantastic 12-day ‘East Indies Spice Exploration’ cruise on the wooden pinisi schooner, the Ombak Putih, courtesy of SeaTrek Sailing Adventures here in Bali. And don’t they look chuffed hearing the news! Sailing from Flores and up the islands of East Nusa Tenggara to the Banda Islands and on to Ambon, with plenty of island hopping, blue seas, spectacular snorkeling, friendly locals, great food and relaxation, we wish them happy sailing on their trip of a lifetime.
SOUTH KUTA BEACH South Kuta Beach Business Association (SKBBA) is proud to launch its new website –www.southkutabali.com – complete with eRes online booking system, which enables visitors to South Kuta Beach, Bali, to book their stay at any of SKBBA’s member-hotels using the live booking system to take advantage of any last-minute deals. Furthermore, Australian guests who stay for six nights or more in any of the SKBBA member-hotels will qualify for the ‘All the Fun Under the Sun’ promotion which includes the ‘South Kuta Beach Passport’ – a voucher-booklet with a value in excess of $500 offering discounts and incentives on a variety of lifestyle, dining and entertainment options in the South Kuta Beach area, as well as a free, branded shopping bag in keeping with the Association’s environmental initiatives. The ‘South Kuta Passport’ also includes free use of bicycles. Running with the slogan, ‘Be Clean, Green and Lean,’ the bikes are available free-of-charge at any of the SKBBA member-hotels for guests to use at any time, offering an environmentally-friendly way to explore the area, while also keeping fit. www.southkutabali.com
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