B A LI’ S IC ONIC SHOPPING D E STIN ATI ON Welc ome to Bali ’s n ewest hu b for retai l an d relaxati on . We i nvi te you to be a par t of thi s global vi llage, where i ntern ati on al bran ds share spa c e wi th Bali n ese labels. C ome SHOP, EAT & PL AY wi th u s. Indu lge i n c ock tai ls an d cu ltu ral cu i si n es. Be pampered at ou r award-wi n n i n g spas an d salon s. T he ai r i s c ool here, park i n g a breez e. We look for ward to havi n g you over.
Seminyak Village, Jln Kayu Jati No.8, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia
S em i ny a k Vi l l a ge @sem i ny a k vi l l a ge
MARKET P L ACE
SH O P
B AMB O O B LOND E TIG ER PAL M
S P R I NG S PA R I MOWA
LI LY J E AN
ANOT HE R I SL AND L I VI NG T H E B O DY S HO P
M C 2 SA I N T BART H
MC M
FAR AH KHAN
M R E S O RT
ASH L EY ISH AM RESORT
AL D O
BALI’S ICONIC SHOPPING DESTINATION R O CO CO R ESORT
EAT V ITA LUX E
TH E D UC K KING
B O NHE U R SENSATIA BOTANICALS
P L AY CL AN
BUD D H A WEAR
SHA KUHACH I O U R DAI LY D OSE X(S)ML
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WA HRUN G B ALI
INTIM E
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DAR LING C AF E
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P LAY
Surprisingly different...
ALILA SEMINYAK HOT 25 LEISURE RESORT IN ASIA SMART TRAVEL ASIA
ALILA SEMINYAK Unfurling along a pristine beach on Bali’s southwest coast, mere steps from the Indian Ocean, Alila Seminyak Bali ups the ante on tropical cool. A stunning Seminyak beach resor t that radiates sophistication, vibrance and vivacity, offering an indulgence of luscious lifestyle facilities and refined spaces for chilling out in style. COMPLETE YOUR FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS WITH THE PERFECT GIFT TO YOURSELF These pampering treats at Spa Alila: Enjoy a complimentar y 60-minute manicure or pedicure with ever y 60-minute full body massage you book or pick up a two-day spa pass and indulge in any of our spa and beauty treatments for up to 4 hours a day. Switch off, de-stress and rejuvenate for the New Year! For more information email seminyak@alilahotels.com or call +62 361 3021 888 www.alilamoments.com/seminyak
“OUR FAVORITE HOTELS IN THE WORLD” GOLD LIST 2016 CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER USA
ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU . BALI
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SELF STYLED HOLIDAYS AT ALILA LOWEST RATE + PRIVILEDGES B a l i o f fe r s a s p e l l b i n d i n g m i x o f r e l a x a t i o n a n d adventure, histor y and culture, age-old traditions and modernity. Discover its many unique sides in one complete experience with Alila. Style your travels any way you want, encompassing a stay in any or all of our four hotels in Bali....
Be an Alila Discover y member and reap the benefits : www.alilahotels.com/Alila-Discover y Share your Alila Moments from your instagram and hashtag the Alila hotels to be featured on www. AlilaMoments.com
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For more information email : social@alilahotels.com
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B I A S A G R O U P. C O M | B A L I S E M I N Y A K - S A N U R - U B U D - B A T U B E L I G | J A K A R T A K E M A N G
www.theyakmag.com
Volume fifty Three dec/jan/feb 2016-2017
The Yak Magazine Sophie Digby, Agustina Ardie, Nigel Simmonds Creative Director Stuart Sullivan Sales & Marketing Peta Johnston, Amik Suhartin Production Manager Evi Sri Rezeki Graphic Designers Irawan Zuhri, Ida Bagus Adi Accounting Julia Rulianti Distribution Made Marjana, Putu Widi Susanto, Gede Swastika, Kadek Eri Publisher PT. L.I.P Licence AHU/47558/AH/01/01/2011 photography: lukas vrtilek. styling: The Ö. Model: Sabien
Advertising Enquiries Tel: (+62 361) 766 539, 085100431804, 085100431805, 085100431796
Reintjes, Balistarz. Hair&Makeup: Julia Hauer. Shot on location at Villa Tamarama, The Ungasan Clifftop Resort. dress by ali charisma.
e: info@theyakmag.com, sales@theyakmag.com The Yak Magazine, Kompleks Perkantoran Simpang Siur Square, Jl. Setia Budi, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia
OK you know the drill. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced electronically or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the authors not the Publisher. The Publisher
© PT Luxury In Print
reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not comply with the magazine's design criteria. The Yak will not be held responsible for copyright
Printed by Gramedia Printing Group
infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and/or contributors. Check us out online, we’re awesome (if we do say so ourselves). Peace.
www.theyakmag.com
The Yak Magazine Bali.
@theyakmagazine
The Yak’s monthly e-newsletter is sent to 16,000 mailboxes every month.
Archives, additional content and more at www.theyakmag.com
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contents 16
Twist and Shout
18
Fridge Magnet Candy
20
Charity First
22
New and Noted
32
Lost In The Woods
Yakety yak
dates with destiny
one world
new in the hood
causes
34
Barang Barang
38
Swansong
out of the box
culture vulture
42 12
42
Samanfah
48
Ylva Falk
52
Trudi Christensen
54
Tai Graham
58
Koby Abberton
people
people
people
people
people
64
Anggun
66
Elena Avdeeva
sounds around
people
96
68
Ariel Leve
72
Brad Gerlach
78
To The Manor Born
96
Byron + Bali
100
people
people
Yak fashion
oral pleasures
oral pleasures
Da Maria
102
Kaum
104
Naughty Nuri’s
54
oral pleasures
oral pleasures
100
contents page 88, Omnibus: dylan
106
Dugong at Suarga
110
Al Diwan
112
Mix It Up
114
Azul Beach Club
116
The Rum Renaissance
oral pleasures
oral pleasures
Big Six
oral pleasures
taken not stirred
68 14
120
Live & Dangerous
124
Where The Wild Things Are
126
Akua, Jimbaran
128
Awarta Nusa Dua
130
Kaiana Spa
feature
over the edge
oral pleasures
spa out
134
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua
136
Client Clobber
150
What’s What
152
Horror Scope
venting in a villa
fashion freestyle
ad directory
astro yak
spa out
66
124
104
yakback I gather the verb to “contort” comes from the Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere from torquere – to twist. It usually has negative connotations of pain and distortion, however in this day and age, and speaking all things luxury, I believe its negativity should be upped a notch or two, into the positive, to one of creativity and fabulosity. We all know what it takes to be different, innovative and cutting edge – to be ‘original’ one has to have a defined, unique take on things, a refreshing ‘twist’. So with contortion in mind, we at The Yak bend over backwards to bring together an inimitable tribe of modern day contortionists and imagination shapers. Right at the start we meet a real live body-bender in our Culture Vulture Swansong feature. Next up, Samanfah Wilson who playfully spirals into the world of myths, magic and mermaids. Ylva and Ariel Leve bring a “childhood less ordinary” to the next couple of pages before we ‘downward dog’ in reverence to Trudi Christensen, Bali’s activewear guru with her Dare2Wear brand. Tai, Koby and Brad, globally recognised surfers, and all-round good guys, are up next. Following is our fashion, and we all know that top fashion designers are driven to distort the normal into the fabulous on a daily basis. Our favourite feature, Omnibus, touches on the Dylan syndrome, dear twisted poet, Nobel laureate, inspired being who dislikes most forms of convention. Subsequently we head out in to the land of Oral Pleasures to find some of the most gifted and capable creatures of cuisine. Here things have definitely been “uptorted” to be the best of the best, using quality ingredients, some of them very “out of the box”. Creativity and lots of surprising flavours, visuals and crafted infusions – – a contortion of flavours of a very positive kind. Here we taste everything from vegan to Lebanese, Tiki cocktails through to the surprising mix of sushi and live jazz. After food, we’ll need to sleep and work-out so we choose to go glamping, a definitive distortion on the traditional, luxury over-night option of villa or hotel, before we head out to into the waves to stand up and paddle – very little contorting here and only from the upper body… Wrapping up with this, our 53rd Issue, The Yak’s most revered twist is the one of fate and fortune, and that can be enjoyed in our very own AstroYak horoscope column, written by our very own Dr. Deepak, not so much a contortionist – although he might just get a crick in the neck with so much star gazing. All’s well that ends well, so here we wish you all an au revoir to 2016 and a happy incoming 2017 with all its torts and turns - May The Yak be with you.
16
Dear Yak, Thank you, such a great magazine! Visually and editorially. Hana Bojangles.
Dear Yak, On your recommendation we sampled the new Nusa Caña rum the other day at Azul’s Tiki Bar. Full marks – a good round flavour with a taste of quality. Nice to see a local brand aim big.
Our pleasure Hana, thanks! Mark Smith Bali.
Dear Yak, Came across The Yak while on holiday here and checking where I want to live in Bali! I’m an Australian jeweller. I read The Yak in a cafe, it’s such an awesome publication. I want to take a copy home – where can I purchase one from, I’m in Berawa…
Dear Yak, Loved issue 52 – great mix of people, places and fashion. Keep up the good work!
Emma Bulpit, Jeweller-Designer-GardenerStylist-Communty Artist
Alan Haynes Canggu.
Thanks Emma. Generally the form is to slip the venue copy into your bag lol. Otherwise we’re on sale in Pepito’s, Popular and a bunch of other places!
We shall endeavor to do so Alan, just for you.
Dear Yak, Have just been reading this month’s issue – love it – so well done! Love the softness of the styling this time, it’s really gorgeous. Louise Cogan, Cocoon Medical Spa
Hic.
Dear Yak, Where can I buy a copy of your mag in Singapore? Debbie Hall. Try any Periplus bookshop Debbie! Or online at www.theyakmag.com.
In The Lap Of: Bill Bailey Our favourite musical jester Bill Bailey rocked up on the island .... and as usual blew our minds with his comic antics. Can it really be 15 years since we played backing band to his genius during an impromptu concert on the isolated Moluccan island of Banda? Happy days. While in town we of course thrust our organ into his hot and sweaties, and we also gave him a copy of the magazine. Rf rf.
calendar
fridge magnet fodder for the peripatetic.
YEAR OF THE FIRE ROOSTER The Chinese New Year begins on January 28th, so we say goodbye to the year of the Fire Monkey and usher in the year of the Fire Rooster. Astrologists predict that the year of the Fire Rooster will be good for business, but only through hard work, and they advise against taking on any risky ventures. They also say this is a good year for weddings. Celebrations will be taking place around the region, so do like the Chinese do and clean out your house, pay off your debts, buy some new clothes and get out there and party it up with great food, lots of drinks, dancing and music. You never know, you may even snag yourself a few red envelopes filled with cash. INTERNET CAT VIDEO FESTIVAL Instead of hunkering down in front of your computer watching videos of fluffy kitties and cantankerous cats all alone, why not join other feline video fanatics at the Internet Cat Video Festival and watch hours of carefully curated kitty reels in a social setting? The festival will start touring the world in 2017 with stops in Japan, Australia, San Francisco and Portland in January, followed by many more locales throughout the year. Each tour stop will include cat clips ranging from six-second Vine videos to short films, as well as plenty of food and drink to add to the festivities. Plus all events will support local cultural and animal welfare non-profits in the cities and countries where they take place. www.walkerart.org/internet-cat-video-festival IF YOU’RE IN FRANCE… December 10 to December 17 Rise Festival (Les Deux Alpes): Party at the top of the world at award-winning ski resort Les Deux Alpes this December during Rise Festival, a week-long Alpine bash featuring rocking après ski parties, super amped-up stages with top-tier DJs courtesy of Ibiza Rocks the Snow, and high altitude nightclubbing sessions. Also on the roster are Alpine morning yoga sessions, ice rink discos, seriously sweet snowparks and powder-covered pistes. February 11 to February 26 Nice Carnival: The Nice Carnival has been taking place on the French Riviera as far back as 1294 when the Count of Provence would come here to get his party on. Today this colourful celebration is still going strong and right up there with some of the top carnivals in the world. For two weeks straight you can expect to see elaborate floats filled with vibrant paper mâché creations and revellers dressed in extravagant costumes throwing out handfuls of gorgeous flowers. February 11 to March 1 Fête du Citron (Menton): Ice and snow sculptures may have their appeal, but there’s nothing quite like the citrus creations that parade the streets of Menton during the annual Fête du Citron or Lemon Festival. Located on the Côte d’Azur where the sun shines 300 days a year, Menton has the perfect climate for growing perfect lemons that are highly sought after by chefs around the world. Every year the town celebrates their famous fruit with a huge gala. IF YOU’RE IN NEW ZEALAND… December 29 to December 31 Rhythm and Vines (Waiohika Estate, Gisborne): Imagine spending the last few days of 2016 on a gorgeous green vineyard estate sipping on divine wines, chowing down on gourmet eats, and listening to killer bands and DJs from around the world. Welcome to Rhythm and Vines, a three-day music festival where you’ll find three stages hosting over 100 international and local artists including acts like Kimbra, AC Slater, Culture Shock and Ocean Alley. There will also be art installations, 18
JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL JAVA JAZZ FESTIVAL Last year Jakarta’s grooviest music festival attracted about a half a million jazz aficionados who came to rock out to soulful performances by top musicians from around the globe, and this year will be no exception. Taking place from March 3rd to March 5th, the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival will feature a solid lineup of international and local talent with a focus on jazz, but also branching out into R&B, rock, blues and even some hip hop thrown in for good measure. This year’s talent includes heavy hitters like Mary J. Blige, Macy Gray, the Chick Corea Electric Band, Blood Sweat and Tears, Paulinho Garcia and Naughty by Nature. www.javajazzfestival.com SUNBURN FESTIVAL Asia’s biggest electronic dance music festival usually takes place on the beach in Goa, but this year Sunburn Festival will get the crowds moving at a new location in Maharashtra. Party people can expect the same spectacular stages with epic light shows and sound systems, as well as an A-list lineup of some of the world’s most sought-after DJs including Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. The festival will kick off at noon on December 28th and run until December 31st, making this one New Year’s Eve blowout you definitely don’t want to miss. www.sunburn.in comedy shows, and motocross events, plus a wide variety of campsites with tents, teepees and glamping set-ups. January 19 to January 29 World Buskers Festival (Christchurch): Performers of all genres will be taking back the streets of Christchurch during the World Buskers Festival, the biggest gathering of street entertainers in the entire Australasian region. At select locales around the city you’ll find all manner of shows including comedy, circus, contortionism, burlesque and ventriloquism, plus food vendors and pop-up bars. February 2 to February 5 Wanderlust (Wairakei, Great Lake Taupo): Fans of the Bali Spirit Festival will find tons to love at this four-day celebration of mindful living set in one of New Zealand’s most gorgeous natural resorts in a geothermal valley. The festival brings together world-class yoga and meditation instructors, expert speakers, artists, musicians and chefs for action-packed days filled with movement, inspirational talks, guided outdoor adventures. IF YOU’RE IN NEPAL… February 24 Maha Shivaratri (Pashupatinath temple, Kathmandu): All over the Hindu world people celebrate the god Shiva on the evening of this auspicious full moon, and one of the most fascinating places to see the festivities is at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. Here thousands of people gather to give offerings of fruit and flowers to the deity, bathe the Shiva lingams in a mixture of milk, water and honey, and meditate on overcoming darkness and ignorance. February 27 Losar: Celebrated in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Tibet, Losar is the Tibetan New Year and a time of great celebration for Buddhist people. In the days leading up to Losar, homes are cleaned, Buddhist temples are decorated in bright prayer flags, and families gather to eat, drink and pray together. On the morning of the New Year, the Dalai Lama makes a special speech and leads the monks and laypeople in prayer.
The Samaya Seminyak offers the prime location at the beach front of Seminyak beach. Featuring a stretch of long sandy beach, The Samaya Seminyak is within walking distance to anything in Seminyak, including well known restaurants, bars, and shops.
www.thesamayabali.com Laksmana Street, Seminyak 80361 - Bali info@thesamayabali.com +62361 731149
giving back
helmet laws and Rubbish collection. need we say more?
PROJECT PROTECT On the evening of November 1, 2016 a 13-year-old Balinese girl was driving her mother and two younger siblings home on their motorbike when she veered into oncoming traffic and collided with another motorbike. Tragically she and her mother died, and her younger sisters – aged seven and five – survived but suffered severe head wounds. None of the family members was wearing a helmet. Unfortunately this is just one of many fatal motorbike accidents that happen on a daily basis around the island. In fact, statistics show that there are about five traffic deaths every day here, and a large percentage of these involve young people not wearing helmets. Project Protect was created to raise awareness about helmet usage and decrease the number of child fatalities due to head trauma. Josef Mayrhofer originally planted the seeds for Project Protect and then teamed up with Chris Sperduto, who has made it his mission to educate Indonesian children and parents about the importance of wearing helmets and how to properly wear them. To do this Chris goes into elementary schools and gives safety presentations to the children. Taking on the persona of Helmet Man, he gives fun and interactive lessons on motorbike safety and shows the children the correct way to put on and strap up a helmet. Project Protect also distributes free helmets to children in the schools they visit. To date they have handed out over 6,500 helmets with the hopes that Balinese children will get into the habit of wearing them from an early age, and encourage their parents, friends and relatives to do so as well. They also hand out helmets to older children at schools and routine traffic stops, and are working closely with a number of Rotary Club chapters in Bali to expand their distribution network. Each helmet costs about IDR50,000 to manufacture, and the costs are covered entirely by donations and sponsorships from companies, organisations and individuals. Organisations and companies also have the opportunity to place their logo on the helmets they sponsor, which has the dual benefit of potentially saving lives and increasing brand exposure for the sponsors. All donations and sponsorship money go directly back into the programme. www.safekidsfoundation.weebly.com PEDULI ALAM From the vantage point of Bali’s busy cities and tourist areas, the problem of plastic waste and waste management may not be immediately apparent. However, head to some of the more rural spots around the island
20
and the problem quickly becomes glaringly obvious. Trash collection is simply not available to most rural villagers, and when you combine this with a lack of education about the effects of burning trash and throwing it in the waterways and forests, it is easy to see why the problem is escalating. Peduli Alam was created to tackle this problem. Back in 2008, long-time friends Charlotte Fredouille and Laetitia Girouxas travelled to Amed on Bali’s east coast, and they saw the effects of plastic waste first-hand. They saw how plastic bags had come to replace natural wrappers like banana leaves and how improper disposal of waste was clogging the waterways. They also saw the connection between contaminated water and the rise in diseases in the area, as well as the decrease in fish in the waters. At this point they decided they needed to do something. The two French women established the NGO Peduli Alam – which means ‘protect nature’ in Bahasa Indonesia – in 2008, and they became the first to tackle the problem of waste management and waste collection in Amed. To start they built 50 waste bins in the villages, each made out of durable concrete or metal with a sign explaining that they are for non-organic products like plastic, glass and metal. Then they organised and paid for a trash collection service to pick up the rubbish in the villages once a week and take it to a sorting station. The organisation also began working closely with local authorities and leaders to implement education campaigns in schools and villages in the area. They went into elementary schools and taught nearly 650 students how to deal with waste, distributed information about waste management in Bahasa Indonesia to teachers and students, as well as books about the environment, stickers, posters, pencils and notebooks. Peduli Alam recently collaborated with the Trash Hero Amed chapter, a group of volunteers who collect rubbish along the beaches and in the villages along the east coast of Bali. Peduli Alam supplies the trash bags, sticks and gloves to the volunteers, and they also transport the majority of the trash collected to a sorting station. The trash that is not sent to the station is used to make Ecobricks and bags made from recycled plastic. While Peduli Alam’s efforts have been wildly successful, they still have a long way to go. Future plans include building more bins and extending their free-of-charge rubbish collection service to other villages and regions, and further developing their recycled plastic program where they collect plastic waste from local businesses and teach local people how to turn it into artistic and useful items like bags, wallets and lampshades. Donations can be made in person at Le Rendez-Vous Doux in Ubud, Limajari
Cargo in Kerobokan or by bank transfer. www.pedulialam.org CLEAN ISLANDS, HEALTHY SEAS Every year Indonesians throw away about 3 million tonnes of plastic, much of which ends up in the oceans. So much so in fact that Indonesia is the second largest marine polluter in the world. The effects of this can be seen on nearly every beach in the nation, and now even on shores as far away as Queensland, Australia (home of the Great Barrier Reef ). A recent beach clean-up in Mapoon conducted by the Tangaroa Blue Foundation revealed unprecedented numbers of items manufactured in Indonesia. In 2016 Tangaroa Blue volunteers collected 1.8 tonnes of marine trash from a beach in the remote Mapoon aboriginal community on the Cape York Peninsula. Tangaroa Blue manager, Heidi Taylor says, “During this event we cleaned up 10km of beach and removed a huge number of items that had barcodes indicating that they were manufactured in Indonesia. None of these products are sold in the region where they were found, and most haven’t seen sold in Australia at all”. Included in the plastic waste they collected were thousands of Aqua bottles, Jungle Juice bottles and Bayclin bottles. This prompted environmental action organisations like the Boomerang Alliance and Australian Marine Debris Initiative to alert the IDEP Foundation. For those who don’t know, IDEP Foundation is one of the leading organisations in Indonesia promoting safe and sustainable living through a connection to nature. IDEP immediately took up the call to action and partnered with Boomerang Alliance to develop Clean Islands, Healthy Seas to help tackle the global marine plastic pollution crisis. The program is a sustainable, plastic waste-recycling, community-enterprise system that will clean up the land and sea and help generate income for community benefit on Nusa Ceningan, a small developing tourist island off of Bali in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area. This win-win circular economy pilot model aims to be self-sustainable within two years, and IDEP plans to replicate this model in the future on other small developing islands that currently have no waste management infrastructure. They will focus mainly on islands in eastern Indonesia that are close to the Throughflow Current, which connects Indonesian waters to Australia’s coastlines. To help IDEP launch this exciting pilot programme, contact info@idepfoundation.org to become a sponsor or donate. www.idepfoundation.org
LI VI NG W I T H O UT W ALL S
The urge to get back in touch with Nature is becoming the decisive factor for the Third Millennia traveller, who is escaping from urban centers and eager to embark on journeys rich in experiences, authenticity and five-star services. SO GLAMPING WAS BORN (GLAMOUR + GLAMPING) Glamping is a style of eco tourism that can fulfil this dream, using eco-structures, STRUCTURES WITH ZERO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, that perfectly integrate into their surroundings. Ecological and eco-friendly yet with comfortable, luxurious and refined furnishings, inspired through this respect for the environment.
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
WHERE ECOLOGY MEETS DESIGN
combining the taste of a holiday in contact with Nature with the benefit of the services and accommodation of five-star luxury hotels.
WILD GRASS BAR & GRILL JIMBARAN After celebrating mucho success in Bandung, Altima Group’s Wild Grass Bar & Grill has expanded to Bali and opened a more rustic back-to-nature location in Jimbaran’s Samasta Lifestyle Village. They stay true to their urban roots with industrial decor like brushed cement, exposed brick and iron fittings, but have also added natural touches like lush green plants, freshly cut flowers and wooden tables. The menu shows influences of both East and West with dishes like the Pork & Crab Bun, Spicy Prawn Pasta and Lychee Panna Cotta. They also have a great selection of drinks for teetotallers and tipplers alike including the Snow White Mocktail and Mango and Berry Sangria. Tel: +62 361 472 5698 www.altima.co.id
SOUTH SEA SEDUCTION Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but pearls are the ultimate symbol of femininity and grace. The Bali Pearl celebrates feminine beauty in all its forms with their new South Sea Pearls collection, available now at their boutique at the W Retreat & Spa Bali. Using Balinese cultured pearls in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes and 18-karat white gold with rhodium plating, they have created a unique line of classic pearl necklaces and ear studs, funky bangles, and avant garde rings and necklaces, some with the addition of diamonds and gemstones. Each piece is uniquely Balinese, expertly crafted, and one-of-a-kind. Tel: +62 361 473 8106 ext. 8024 www.thebalipearl.com
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BEST IN BALI GIFTS Sometimes the stars align in all the right places to make great things happen. Such was the case when an executive at card and giftware company the Aird Group came across the Best in Bali Instagram feed and got in touch with owner Christina Iskandar. For those who don’t know her, Christina is a long-time Bali expat and creator of the Bali Diva Lunches, which raise money for various Bali charities. Christina was already thinking about creating a line of cards to help her fundraising mission, and now her vision has come to life. The Best in Bali range of cards, notebooks, key chains and fridge magnets feature dreamy images of Bali, and they are already selling in Australia’s leading news agencies with five per cent of all sales going towards the Suryani Institute for Mental Health.
MoVENPICK RESORT & SPA JIMBARAN BALI Bali gets a taste of legendary Swiss hospitality and style this January with the opening of Mövenpick Resort & Spa Jimbaran Bali, an elegant new property set just steps from Jimbaran Beach and next door to the Samasta Lifestyle Village. The resort caters to all types of travellers from young families to honeymooners to business executives with 297 rooms boasting all the mod cons, a freeform pool with an artificial beach and lap pool, a 24-hour gym, the Meera Kid’s Club and plenty of dining options including Anarasa restaurant with live cooking stations, the JeJaLa Pool Deck, and Above Eleven Bali, a rooftop bar and lounge serving exotic cocktails and Peruvian-inspired cuisine. www.movenpick.com/en
SECRET SPEAKEASY SIPPING We were wondering when the speakeasy-style bar was going to make an appearance on Bali’s drinking scene, and finally we’ve got one in our midst. Celebrity chef Mandif Warokka has been keeping busy opening up chic dining spots in Ubud and Seminyak, and now he brings us Modicum Gastronomy & Artisan Bar, a hush-hush watering hole where you have to be buzzed in to get your buzz on. Once admitted inside you’ll find a slick salon outfitted in leather sofas, velvet cushions, dark wood and exposed brick. Etta, Louis and Miles play in the background, while switched-on servers sashay across the room with exotic tapas and classic concoctions like the Old Fashioned, Negroni and Gimlet. Tel: +62 877 6101 1987 www.modicum.id
GOYA’S CULINARY AND CULTURAL JOURNEY Perched on the edge of a jungle ravine at the end of peaceful Jalan Bisma in Ubud, Goya Boutique Resort celebrates Balinese culture in its architecture and design, warm hospitality, and interactive experiences that allow guests to learn more about the island and its people. Join their talented chef on a full or half-day culinary exploration with a tour of the Ubud market and a hands-on cooking class where you will use mortar and pestles to transform local ingredients and spices into traditional Balinese dishes like Sate Ayam (chicken skewers), Pepes Ikan (steamed fish in banana leaves), and Sumping Nangka (steamed jackfruit cake). Tel: +62 361 370 5265 www.goyaboutiqueresort.com
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SAILORS, MERMAIDS AND SALTY BABES Posh Petitenget has a new playground with a nautical theme that has already been seducing the jet set with its seaside vibes. Sea Vu Play is big, bright and airy with long wooden tables perfect for parties and groups, as well as cabana-style booths with comfy cushions. Stop by for sundowner cocktails like the signature Castaway with vanilla rum, Kahlua, Frangelico, espresso and vanilla sugar, or the Perfect Storm with gin, lemon juice and grapefruit soda. They’ve also got great grub like sliders, pizzas, fish n’ chips and nachos, as well as shared plates where you can sample an array of their most popular items. Tel: +62 878 6192 6172 www.seavuplaybali.com
ALL-STAR DRINKING AND DINING Frestro is already making waves on the Petitenget dining scene for their lineup of team players that reads like a who’s who list of the best in the F&B biz in Southeast Asia. To start, the menu was designed by celebrity chef Mandif Warokka, who decided from the get-go that the kitchen would only put out the freshest and finest ingredients sans chemicals or additives. Backing him up is Executive Chef Jovan Koraag, formerly of Piedra Negra in Singapore and most recently Jamie’s Italian here in Bali. Then you’ve got Diageo Reserve World Class Indonesian Bartender of the Year 2015, Ayip Dzubri manning the bottles along with sommelier Nicolas Lento formerly of Urchin Grill & Raw Bar. With such a high-calibre crew putting out inspired drinks and dishes, Frestro is sure to give Bali’s best restaurants a run for their money. Tel: +62 361 934 5888 www.frestro.co.id
JIMBARAN BAY BEACH RESORT & SPA Situated in the sleepy fishing village of Kedonganan, Jimbaran Bay Beach Resort & Spa is the Bukit’s newest bolthole where you can escape from your day-to-day stresses and relax in five-star comfort and class. This 121-room resort features modern Balinese architecture and design, elegant rooms outfitted with all the comforts of home, Hiu Restaurant for Asian and international delicacies, an expansive pool replete with a pool bar, and the Baruna Sky Lounge on the 5th floor where you can sip on tropical cocktails and mocktails and watch the sun sink slowly into the sea. Tel: +62 361 705 999 www.jimbaranbaybeach.com
SOORI BALI Six years after debuting as Alila Villas Soori, the stunning seaside resort designed by renowned architect Soo K. Chan recently emerged as its own luxury lifestyle brand under the name Soori Bali. Located on the shores of a black sand beach in Tabanan under the shadow of Mount Batukaru and surrounded by UNESCO-protected rice paddies, this unique Earthcheck-certified resort features 48 villas crafted out of stone from local quarries, an event venue perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, a serene spa, and an Indonesian specialty restaurant, all set amid nature in what Soo Chan calls a ‘spiritually charged’ space. Tel: +62 361 894 6388 www.sooribali.com
BAMBOO BLONDE GOES DIGITAL Fashionistas on the island have been flocking to Bamboo Blonde since 2007 for their cutting edge clothing and accessories inspired by the latest Australian trends and island vibes. Now you can snatch up their latest collections from anywhere in the world with the launch of their online shop. Check out their website to shop for all the same attire and accessories that you would find in their stores, as well as their BB Home products like pillowcases, beach towels and candles. Throughout the year they will also be offering great deals and flash sales, and if you sign up for their newsletter you’ll get 20 per cent off your first online purchase. www.bambooblonde.com
SAVAGE BY NAME, SUSTAINABLE BY NATURE Serving up gastronomy-calibre ingredients at bistro prices in a casual Canggu setting, The Savage Kitchen offers up a bistronomy (or what they call beastronomy) vibe. Grab a seat in the Japanese wooden pavilions or at a table in the open-air courtyard and dig into fair-trade organic fare that caters to all diets. These guys have sought out only the finest suppliers, so each drink and dish is made with top-notch ingredients like superfoods and seeds, line-caught fish and grass-fed beef, natural nectars and cold-pressed coconut oil. Start with a cold brew coffee, master your own meal by choosing six proteins, salads and sides, and finish with a classic cocktail or a glass of fine wine. Tel: +62 819 1641 4541 www.thesavagekitchen.com
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C O L A B – D I N N E R O N LY
FRIDAY 16TH DECEMBER M E X C A L E R I A OPENING OF THE first Mezcal bar I N I N D O N E S I A AT Motel Mexicola WE will be holding a series of Chef c o l l a b o r at i o n s NO.1 COLAB DEC 16 with AFRICOLA!!
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for more info around Motel Mexicola events - info@motelmexicola.info + 6 2 3 6 1 7 3 6 6 8 8 J l . K a y u j a t i N o . 9 X P e t i t e n g e t , S e m i n ya k , B a l i
THE ANVAYA BEACH RESORT BALI Kuta Beach just got a little classier with the grand opening of The ANVAYA Beach Resort Bali, brought to us by Santika Indonesia Hotels and Resorts. This five-star property boasts 495 rooms across seven categories including Deluxe Rooms, Beach Front Suites, and The Anvaya Villa, and each has been designed with one of Bali’s three main historical periods in mind like the Bali Aga, Hindu Bali and Modern Balinese era. You can spend your days here cooling off in the pool, strolling the beach in front of the resort or wining and dining at one of their chic restaurants. There is also a kid’s club, state-of-the-art ballroom, and inhouse fitness room on site. Tel: +62 361 751 267 www.theanvayabali.com
ASIA’S FIRST HELI-SURFING TOURS Finding perfect uncrowded waves can be a challenge in Bali, this being the world-class surfing destination that it is. However, now guests of Four Seasons Resorts can enjoy the ride of a lifetime both in the air and on the water with the launch of Tropicsurf’s HeliSurfing tours. In just 45 minutes they will whisk you off to the pristine jungle and beaches of East Java to hit up Grajagan, otherwise known as G-Land and home to some of the most legendary tubes on the planet. Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or still learning the ropes, you’ll definitely have bragging rights at the end of the day when you return to the comforts of your five-star resort. Tel: +61 7 5455 4129 www.tropicsurf.net 28
MAMAYAGA TATTOO If getting inked in Bali is at the top of your bucket list, then Mamayaga Tattoo has got you covered. The international artists at this Seminyak house of tats have years of experience doing all sorts of styles including Old School, New School, Tribal, Japanese and more. Stop by for a free consultation and custom design, and then let them work their magic using disposable sterilised equipment from Australia and Europe and hypoallergenic ink from the USA. They also offer aftercare support for all of their clients and can answer any questions you may have about the entire process. www.facebook.com/mamayagabali/
the lawn upgraded For those of you who have been paying attention you’ll know that The Lawn – formerly pretty much just that – is moving on up into a cozy ocean side venue on the beach at Batu Bolong, aiming to become the latest sunset venue of choice. It has great pedigree, with Mr Single Fin himself Tai Graham pulling the strings on the project, and will feature a laid back beach vibe with high-end values. And a sunset view to die for. Look out for a sharing inspired menu featuring flavours of the world. Locally sourced produce, seafood, salads and pizzas, with something for everyone, whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or meat lover. Music will cover the bases from soul to hip hop and jazz, with architecture to match the landscape. “After making our name as Bali’s favourite low key sunset locale,” said Tai, “we’ve upgraded our offering without changing our vibe in the slightest. To our regulars, we can’t wait to have you back, and to our new friends, come in for a drink sometime soon, we can’t wait to meet you.” www.facebook.com/The-Lawn-Canggu
DA MARIA 24 HOURS NATURALLY RISEN NOW OPEN DAMARIABALI.COM
OPEN 7 DAYS 5PM–LATE LATE NIGHT PIZZA + DISCO FROM 10 PM 7 DAYS SUNDAY BRUNCH FROM 11AM DA MARIA X TEN PIECES SHOP 7 DAYS
BUKIT PANDAWA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB The recently opened Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club is the fifth golf venue on Bali and the first 18-hole par-3 championship course in Indonesia. Designed by Bob Moore of California-based JMP Golf Design Group and managed by AccorHotels, the course is located on a spectacular limestone cliff overlooking the world-famous surf breaks of the Bukit Peninsula. Some holes are back-dropped by the Indian Ocean, others are accented with waterfalls, lakes or terraced rice paddies, and all are subject to wind. After a challenging game on this world-class course, players can drop by the clubhouse for al fresco dining and drinks in the rooftop restaurant overlooking the sea. Tel: +62 812 3628 2828 www.bukitpandawagolf.com
WARUNG FOOD WITH WORLD-CLASS STANDARDS Whenever Indonesian globetrotter Juan Pierre Anthony returns home to Bali, his first stop is always his favourite warung for home cooked Indonesian fare served in a laid-back setting. Despite having eaten his way across more than 50 countries, this humble warung is always on Juan’s mind, which got him thinking about how great it would be to combine homey warung food and vibes with world-class culinary standards. When he met fellow surfer and chef Hugo Coudurier his plans fell into place and MyWarung in Canggu and Echo Beach were born. Here Chef Hugo draws on his years of experience working in Michelinstarred restaurants to create simple, yet elegant dishes that showcase Indonesian flavours at warung-style prices. Tel: +62 82 339 120 880 www.mywarung.com
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COCOPOKEBALI The wait is over! The highly anticipated Coco & Poké located at Bali’s most sort after sunset spot, Single Fin is finally open from 11am - 6pm daily. If you haven’t heard of poké (pronounced POH-kay), you are in for a treat. Poké Bowls are prepared fresh daily using organically farmed vegetables from Mount Batur. Choose Coco & Poké signature House Bowls or create your own style Salad Bowls with Tuna and Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken, Pork Satay and Tofu topped with house-made sauces. Coco & Poké also bring us the worlds first Vegan and Bio Fermented Coconut Soft Serve, CocoWhip, all the way from Australia to Indonesia. It tastes delicious and the health benefits will amaze you. These mouth watering CocoWhip Breakfast Bowls are the perfect way to start your day right or create your own Cocowhip Bowl from the selection of fresh, yummy toppings and sauces. Enjoy a Bowl whilst taking in Bali’s most breathtaking views. For more information like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/cocopokebali and follow us on Instagram @cocopokebali
STARFISH BLOO’S NEWEST CULINARY STAR Pan Asian cuisine is the name of the game at Starfish Bloo, and Ashley Garvey is the man in charge of making the culinary magic happen. Originally from Melbourne, Ashley left school at the age of 15 to work in a professional kitchen, and it was there that his talents in the kitchen began to flourish. Since then his culinary career has taken him to Michelin-starred kitchens in Australia and the UK and on a journey of discovery throughout Asia. As Chef de Cuisine at Starfish Bloo he brings innovative ideas to the tables by incorporating modern Asian flavours using the finest local ingredients that can be found around the island. Tel: +62 361 300 0106 www.starfishbloorestaurant.com
causes
body painter orly faya paints people into landscapes to highlight our universal connection, writes Lou Neitunz. So Orly, how would describe your first impressions of Bali? I was about three years old the first time I went to Bali and have returned with family and alone over the years. I have always loved the island. It gives me a sense of warmth, ease and flow. I feel very drawn to the place and hope one day to visit to paint, focussing on the element of water. Growing up – who would you say were your strongest influences and why? My parents and siblings; I come from a very close family. My mother is a particularly strong role model for me, in her courageous choices throughout her life. I was always supported to follow my dreams, and so I have. My father also taught me my most valuable values, like during my early babysitting career he told me to leave the place better then how I had found it. I think I try to apply this value to the world. Was your family or home artistically charged? Yes and no. My mother always painted and created, wrote and cooked with a lot of passion and creativity. I was always encouraged to draw and paint, perhaps because it was one of the few activities that would capture me into silence and stillness. I was and still am a very active person, with wings that help me fly. With five kids under nine years old in my family, we had to be creative to entertain ourselves and were always playing theatrical games – and although I always loved to paint, creativity has not always been my central focus. My last few years of high school were very academically focused and I studied Law and Psychology and ended with a BA in Anthropology, after which I continued on my path, travelling and rediscovering my love and necessity for art in my life. How did you first find yourself painting bodies? I saw an image of a dear friend of mine completely body painted and was blown away by the possibilities. I commented on that image and the woman who painted my friend just encouraged me to give body painting a try! So I did and I have been in love with this practice ever since … and the way I work has changed considerably in the past six years. When did you first realize this is what you wanted to do? These outcomes have all been organically realized. I act and feel and make choices. If something has not felt right i.e. not brought me joy, I have not continued to do it – this is the way I am. I cannot do something that is not aligned with my heart. This has been a very challenging aspect of my life but has led me to doing what I love! What’s your biggest challenge in doing what you do? I have been following my heart since as long as I can remember, and that means I travel a lot. I have been travelling now for 14 years. I established my life and my work around 32
travelling, so much so that now I go back home to rest. Though it was much easier in the early days, now the logistics of healthy living are made challenging on the road. Maintaining my dietary needs, yoga, and getting a good night’s sleep are all basic things that are much harder whilst travelling. This is definitely the biggest challenge lately. Any other collaborations or locations you would still like to capture? There is much, much more to come. I am currently in Costa Rica collaborating with an Iboga Yoga Retreat in the forest of the Pacific side and will head to connect with the Bri Bri people after that on the Caribbean side. After this I head back to Peru and back to Australia for about nine months before my US tour begins next July. For three months I will be painting the towns of Boulder, Colorado, Arizona and the East Coast and New York regions. By November I will already be in Zambia with a Women’s Healing Retreat and hopefully connecting and collaborating with the Kassena people of a little town called Tiébélé in Burkino Faso and their amazing painted houses. Such collaboration would essentially end in an exhibition fundraiser with partial profits returning direct to their community. Every day I am grateful for the endless opportunities that present themselves with my work painting people into the world. Your work also aims to support Indigenous cultures – can you tell us more about the Emerging Earth People Project? Emerging Earth People is a series of creative collaborations between myself, various international film makers and indigenous peoples from around the world. The first five creations were born from the people of Australia, and collaborations have now extended to the people of the Andes, with collaborations in Zambia on the horizon. Through the vehicle of collaboration, we learn about one another and about ourselves and via the medium of film, we capture the significance of the ‘journey’ to connect with one another for the shared cause – our Earth. A journey to produce images and film media that reflect the direct connection between people and their lands, and stimulate cellular memory of human origins, elevating consciousness to awakened states. The aim of showing these processes via film is to hone in on the trials and tribulations of cultural collaboration, to help us all understand the need for anthropological awareness when working with people in the world. This project is needing supporters and collaborators so please get in touch if you are interested in joining the movement! www.orlyfaya.com www.emergingearthpeople.com
capsule trucker - black idr420.000; raen convoy - deus ex machina colab, grey idr4.250.000; rico tote black idr350.000; camo tee black idr390.000; moto boardshort idr550.000 www.deuscustoms.com
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culture vulture
Photography: Saskia Koerner Contortionist: Julie Anne Cameron Black one piece: Mak ar a Bikini: vintage CalVin Klein Blue One piece: Mak ar a
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people bali kid samanfah wilson passed on law school to find her way as a costume designer now pulling weight in london. she spoke to tony stanton about life as a mermaid.
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Hi Samanfah. First off, let’s clear up that spelling of your name so the whole world doesn’t think we’ve made a dreadful typo lol … it’s pretty original. I suppose original is what I was aiming for! From a young age, I never really understood why people are all unique but get called the same thing. One Steven is a completely different person to another Steven – so I never really understood why they would have the same name! Aside from that, we also live very much in a world where online identities are a large part of our visibility – try typing “Samantha Wilson” into Google and watch the days pass as you try and find the one you are looking for! By changing the last few letters there was only one of me… I wasn’t ready for a full on internet name transformation like so many who have been rebirthed as “Moonstone Twinklepuff” or whatever, so I just changed it to sound the way people pronounce it here in London. Where were you born, and how did you grow up? Because of my father’s job working with hotels, I had a rather scattered upbringing with a lot of moving. At a young age, I hated moving and the idea of change and leaving friends behind. However as I got older, it became so natural to me I developed a sort of restless leg syndrome that drove me to constantly seek change and new environments, and still does. I definitely had a very privileged upbringing that allowed me to see a lot of the world at a very young age. I was born in Adelaide and then proceeded to grow up in India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali, where I spent the majority of my teenage years. At the age of 14 I realised if I didn’t move away, there was a good chance I would spend too much time on the beaches of Sanur pretending to be a mermaid instead of actually getting school work done. So I applied for boarding school back in Adelaide, where I was born. Boarding school turned out to be a pretty restrictive environment for a Bali kid, there was no leaving the grounds without permission, no motorbikes, no beaches and not a lot of freedom. I went from being treated like an adult at the age of 15 to being treated quite like a child who needed constant minding, which didn’t suit me too well. I remember the itchy long tartan skirts I had to wear and the uniformity that was forced upon us, which really drove me a bit mad and resulted in me dying my hair bright pink. It goes without saying that I was suspended until my hair returned to a “natural colour”, no matter how hard I protested that I was trying to raise awareness for breast cancer. I think that imposed uniformity and controlling environment is what really made me look for escape in art, painting, making clothes... and secretly keeping two mice called Penny and Ishmael in my cupboard who would accompany me to class and keep me entertained when the lesson just wasn’t cutting it. And then college or uni? What did you study? Although it doesn’t sound like it, I actually took my education extremely seriously, got top grades when I graduated and planned on becoming a lawyer, accountant or entrepreneur. At the age of 16 I had fallen madly in love with London so the second I graduated the first thing I did was hop on a plane to the UK to get on with some university applications. I got accepted to a handful of fantastic schools in London and the UK to study law, business and finance and upon going to their open days and hearing their pitches on all the fabulous money hungry companies I could work for, I got cold feet and had a bit of a breakdown – I realised I was about to sign away four years of my life to a course that I wasn’t passionate about. I sat in that lecture hall and listened to
him talk about what graduates of this University could accomplish in the business world, but all I could focus on was the back of everyone’s head! I know it sounds strange but I was getting more and more depressed about the fact that everyone in the room looked absolutely identical from behind. All the girls with a blonde or brown bun or ponytail, boys with clean cut hair and business suits – again I had found myself in an environment where individuality was not expressed or celebrated in any way. I had to get out of that lecture hall, and found myself turning away every single offer, much to the panic of my dear parents! At that point I started asking myself where my passions lay, and the one thing I kept coming back to was fashion and design. It was what I did when I was meant to be doing homework in my Australian boarding school room, it was what occupied my mind whenever I was meant to be doing something else productive, and it was simply what made me happiest. Growing up in Bali had always enabled me to make my own clothes from a young age, rather than mindlessly purchasing them from stores. I could really make things that were a bit too colourful, sparkly and weird to be in shops. So that was that, and I finally convinced my parents to let me apply to fashion school under the condition that I go to Central Saint Martins, a fashion school that had taught the likes of Alexander McQueen and many other greats in the industry. The deal was that if I did not get in, I was to go back and accept those business school offers without argument. So, having never really done art or design before, I hurriedly put together a portfolio in a few weeks to submit. I really believed I would get in because my heart was so invested in it at this point – but unfortunately that email in my inbox told me I did not get a placement. The feedback I had gotten more or less told me that my designs were not sellable – they were a bit too bizarre I suppose for the world of fashion. I was beyond distraught with the thought that I would be enslaved in business school for the next four years. At that point one of my best friends in London asked me why I didn’t look into being a costume designer. It would allow me to design without the restriction of being marketable to the mass population and would put me in an industry that was about making art rather than money. I did some last-minute applications and was lucky enough to be invited to interviews at a couple of the best costume schools in the country. The first was at London College of Fashion, and the second was Wimbledon College of Art. When I walked into that interview at Wimbledon with a bag of ramshackle costumes I had furiously stitched together, a lovely older man sat behind a desk, and when I went to shake his hand he proclaimed: “Oh no darling, in theatre we don’t shake hands, we hug!” and I immediately knew where I was meant to be. He looked through my portfolio and this bizarre collection of feather capes and crowns I had made for my interview and put me straight onto the course where I spent the next three years. I graduated about a year ago with a BA in Costume design for theatre and screen and have been busy ever since making all sorts of ridiculous creations. What is Jackalopeland? Well, a Jackalope is a mythical animal in North American folklore, a rabbit with antlers that has a fond taste for whiskey! Apparently these unicorn rabbits can mimic the voices of humans and only breed during lightning flashes.
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people
Jackalopeland is an imaginary world in my head filled with these little rainbow antlerbearing bunnies, a place full of magic, colour, sparkles and imagination. It became the name of my clothing brand because it reminds me that whatever I design should fit into this dreamworld, instead of the world we seem to live in that has a common uniform of black, grey and beige. It keeps me off of the straight and narrow with my designs. Under the name Jackalopeland I make mermaid tails, unicorn headpieces, wings, crowns and colourfully adorned pieces that belong to this dreamworld.
from my upbringing in Asia. My love for bright colours and ornate decoration definitely has roots in India and Bali where I spent a few years growing up. When I want to gather ideas and inspiration for the bigger picture of what I want to create, I often look to animals and fantasy artwork. Artwork and paintings are another huge inspiration to me, with incredible fantasy artists such as Hannah Yata, Camilla D’Errico and Mai Ja being some of my favourites. Even travelling around America and spending so much time in nature has really infused me with fresh inspiration.
Who’s wearing your custom made pieces? It’s really fantastic, I get to make pieces for so many different people and productions ranging from models, singers, actors, performers, dancers and professional mythical creatures to people who just want a bit more magic in their wardrobe and lives. I find that sometimes doing one on one commission pieces for people can be more rewarding than those big jobs with the big names, just because at the end of the process you get to see someone take home a piece that really brings them out of their shell and empowers them at the same time.
Is anything off limits in costume design? I really don’t think much is off limits in the world of costume design. I mean, right now I am in the process of designing a pink fluffy vagina costume for a stage performer – if genital costumes are not off limits, I can’t imagine what would be.
Have any of your designs appeared on film? We guess that would be a yes! Yes! I was actually lucky enough to start designing for and working on films and music videos when I was in college at Wimbledon. A few directors approached me and I got to start making costume pieces for screen quite early in the game. In my second year of college I actually got accepted to go and intern on a film in the middle of nowhere in China, for a Jackie Chan movie called Dragons Blade starring John Cusack and Adrian Brody. Although I was interning, the head designer really took interest in my work and ended up getting me to help with the final designs for some of the main characters, which was one of the first monumental points where I felt confident I could pull my weight in the world of costume design. Alongside working as a designer and maker on productions, I rent out my collection of costumes and handmade pieces to other stylists. My designs and costume pieces have really been rented and flown all over the world, from sending my unicorn horns to Romania for Doritos advertisements to people picking up mermaid tails for underwater shoots. You never really know what is coming next. We’re also guessing you’re no stranger to the festival circuit … where have you been this year? Oh gosh, well this year has been especially ridiculous with the festival circuit. I actually fell in love with a Canadian six years ago and made him marry me the day he met me in London. We had a ramshackle wedding ceremony that day with a wizard minister on the canal in Camden, and then launched ourselves into the water where I proceeded to swim amongst the rubbish in my puffy wedding dress. This year we bought a motorhome and took it to eight festivals in Canada and America. I have actually spent the last six months living on the road with him, making costume pieces on the go and frolicking about in my mermaid tails at all sorts of festivals and bizarre landscapes! From small intimate festivals in the Canadian forests to huge festivals like Burning Man in the Nevada Desert, this year has really made me feel like I spend more time on festival grounds more than anywhere else.
What are you working on at the moment? At the moment I have a bit of a backlog of commissions to get working on now that I am back in the UK. I have two crowns, a mermaid tail, fairy wings and two unicorn horns to make before the month is up with more and more things coming in each week. I am also designing and making costumes for a Studio 54 New Year’s Eve party at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Dubai, which has been extremely fun to research and immerse myself in. You worked at the MTV EMA’s last year and Beiber was on the ticket ... Spill the beans please… Last year’s work doing costumes for the European Music Awards was one of the most intense and exhilarating jobs I have had the pleasure of working on. I was working with a fabulous costume team on that job, and we had just over two weeks to put together costumes for many of the dancers and performers that took to the stage. There were definitely a lot of big names that we got to work with – Pharrel, Bieber, Rudimental, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Duran Duran and more so there was a lot of pressure to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. Justin Bieber definitely dominated that show, winning most of the awards, but as far as beans to spill, your guess is as good as mine – my head was too busy buried under piles of fabric and buttons in the costume room to pay too much attention to the celebrities. What’s next for Samanfah? I am in the process of designing my own line of costumes, clothing and headpieces for Jackalopeland. Living on the road for the past six months made me realise how developing an online business is the best way to work while travelling and exploring the world. I started building an online store for all of my creations on my website www. samanfahwilson.com which I am relaunching in January with a new micro-line of magical creations. At the moment I am waist deep in designs I have developed over the past few years, trying to narrow down all of my ideas to a select range of costumes and headpieces that will hopefully bring some colour and sparkle to people all over the world. Alongside being a professional mermaid and unicorn, I have also decided to become a multi-coloured psychedelic lamb, which I will hopefully transform into next summer with a new rainbow light-up sheep costume, so stay tuned! That would be something we’d like to see. Many thanks Samanfah!
From where do you get your inspiration for your designs? Inspiration comes from all over really. I think a lot of my aesthetic and inspiration comes
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www.samanfahwilson.com
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ozlem esen is mesmerized by dancer, style freak and martial artist ylva falk. photo chloÉ bonnard.
people
In a world in which certain women have become famous for doing nothing but promoting themselves and glorifying their non-lives on social media, it’s refreshing to meet someone of substance who has actually got things going on. When you first meet Ylva Falk, and you look beyond her unusually striking beauty and ever-changing chameleon style, there stands a confidence reminiscent of an ancient warrior queen. It’s no accident perhaps that her name means ‘Falcon Wolf’. A modern day warrior, as she starts to talk her blue eyes widen with wonder and magic as she tells stories of faraway lands, leaving you wanting more. Ylva was born in Sweden and ripened in Paris. She’s the girl you wanted to be at school that every boy wanted to be with … with her Kung Fu, Muay Thai background she could kick your butt in one swift move and dance off into the distance in another. She is a Quentin Tarantino movie. The lady is a singer, dancer, choreographer, sculptor … to name a few of her talents … and she’s destined to be bigger than ABBA. I caught up with her to see what is next on the horizon. Ylva, can you tell us a little about who you are and how you grew up? I grew up in the Swedish countryside in the middle of the forest with no one around, only nature and animals, hippie parents and big dreams. I’ve always felt like an alien so I knew instantly I didn’t fit in. As the outsider I had nothing to lose and no one to follow but myself and my ideas. We didn’t really have TV (or were not allowed to watch it) so my early inspiration came from my dad’s record collection, especially the covers. It included a wide range of music and styles, everything from Bob Marley, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Run DMC, to Dolly Parton, The Sugarcubes, Madonna and Michael Jackson. My passion was dancing and I started to take dance classes when I was four or five. I knew early on that I loved being on stage. My other passion was to dress up. By the age of six I was already going to secondhand shops to find clothes to make mini fashion shows. I tried all the most extravagant clothes and made up stories and characters that fitted the outfits. When I was nine I started going to rock festivals and my mother helped me to make outfits. I coloured my hair in fluorescent colours and by 10 years old I had dreadlocks. My parents divorced when I was 11 and I moved closer to the city with my mum, so there were more dance classes. I left home when I was 16 and went to a contemporary dance school in Gothenburg. After some years of dancing, break battles, eating disorders, depression, control issues and therapy I decided I needed to leave Sweden and see if I might fit better somewhere else, so I went to Paris and joined a hiphop dance school. I fell in love with life again. Since moving there I’ve also been travelling a lot, physical and spiritual journeys, meeting shamans in Mexico, living and training with Shaolin monks in China, performing at Miami Art Basel and Coachella … What are you currently working on? Right now I’m working on choreography and costumes for a show with my performance art group House of Drama for an event in Moscow for Louboutin. I’ve also been filming for a movie, Dracula Is Not Dead directed by Luizo Vega, in which I play the second lead. I’ve also been dj-ing and performing here and there. In my spare time I’ve been studying with my friend Lisa Traveso to become a personal trainer. I’m also into Jivamukti yoga. What does a typical day entail for you? Wake up not too early, like around 10, spend 30 minutes on singing exercises (because I want to become a singer one day) while doing the dishes and preparing breakfast, checking my mails, making to do lists in my home office … preparing performances and outfits, maybe a meeting for a job or an audition … then some kind of sport (yoga, dance or power training) cooking some nice vegan food and either go dj-ing or performing somewhere. Who are your biggest style icons? That’s a hard one … maybe Verushka? Also Ninja and Kung Fu movies, the ’90s, Sci-fi movies and all the world’s tribes. What defines style and sex appeal to you? Style: It’s not what you wear it’s how you put it together. It’s what you represent and
stand for, without fear. It’s about listening to your heart. Sex appeal: No fear! Knowing and playing with different sides of you. Letting fantasies out, not judging, and having fun. What are your ultimate goals in life? To never stop evolving. To be happy. To have kids. To be the best version of myself. To find inner peace. To go with the flow. To follow my heart. To inspire others to be themselves and to be strong. To continue to go for my dreams. To always learn new things. To have a place in the countryside where people can learn and share. To realize my own artistic project Y.L.V.A. Where do you draw inspiration from? From my life, my friends, love stories and journeys. From my inner dreamworld. What are you listening to at the moment? Always classics like Sade and Erykah Badu but also Oko Ebomdo aka 19, Bonnie Banane, Tommy Cash, Hamza … What does love mean to you? Everything! In every sense. Living from the heart, being generous, letting love in, falling in love, giving love, receiving love. What would you want to be remembered for? As someone generous in my art and a person you’d want to have around that lived her life to the fullest. What scares you? What excites you? What is happening in the world right now. What excites me is martial art, nature, being on stage and doing my thing … If you could swap lives with someone, who would it be? Bruce Lee or Frank Zappa. Or some kind of animal, a falcon or a panther (in the wild of course). Best moment you have had in life so far? Oh another hard, hard one … so either when I was in a cave overlooking untouched land outside L.A with the guy I was falling big time in love with … or that same week on stage at Coachella. Or while taking mushrooms with a shaman in Mexico. Or the first time I made love with the guy I am currently super mega in love with! Or when I I trained in kung fu in China … or the first time dancing in Breghain, Berlin! Too many good moments in life. What does the future hold for Ylva? I hope a lot of love and kids and sustainable living in a tree … the hippie dream! But also a music project that is slowly evolving. Be active and trust life and what shall happen will happen. www.ylvafalk.com
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THE ESSENCE OF LEBANON IN THE HEART OF BALI
Jalan Petitenget No.99x, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Badung, Bali, Indonesia Phone: +62 819-9993-2655 • www.aldiwanbali.com
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Ondy Sweeting talks to Trudi Christensen, Norwegian powerhouse behind Bali’s fitness label dare2wear. photo: stephane sensey.
who dares wins.
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Something is bothering Trudi Christensen – and it’s a question that is being discussed more and more around her brand Dare2Wear. It is about demand. And supply. Her highly recognisable fitness wear collection is on a roll. With the mothership store in Batu Belig, Dare2Wear has an outlet in Lippo Plaza on Sunset near Seminyak, Soham Fitness Center in Petitenget, two places in Ubud and the sports wear range is being rolled out in 20 Jakarta shopping malls from this month. The cool little factory of 12 staff including tailors, admin and graphic design/web design guys with 14 specialist sewing machines – is set for expansion, or possibly a shift. “Our big discussion now is about capacity. We will either have to expand the factory or out-source part of the work. We will still keep our own factory for conceptual and new design work, but I just cannot produce the huge amounts that are being ordered now. Outsourcing is an expensive option while growing the factory allows me to keep control over what is being produced, and how,” says Trudi. It’s a problem of success. Trudi is a woman with big plans to take her yoga, fitness and athleisure wear brand to the world. Our money is on the growth of manufacturing and maintaining control. “My strongest ambition is to make this work. I could feel that in the early days people thought I was crazy and really doubted me. But Dare2Wear was never going to be a little shop around the corner,” she says. Trudi – who has a strong professional and personal background in the fitness and fashion industry, plus a successful career in Norway with a software Telco – still had a dream to start her own fitness wear label back in chilly Europe. “I did some experimenting with fitness wear production in Portugal and selling the product online but the margins where too small in Europe,” she says. With her husband Stig, the opportunity came up to move to Asia and Singapore was an idea. “I said ‘no way’ to Singapore and Bali came to mind as a place that has yoga and is spiritual as well. I also saw the potential opportunity in the manufacturing market in a way that is very appealing to me. I had never been to Bali but that was where we decided on and I don’t regret it one bit. I love Bali.” With her life packed into four suitcases and installed into a Bali hotel, on day two Trudi set out to find possible factories where she could get started on realising her dream. “I knew it was the right time and the right place. I thought I would buy some fabric and set up a few machines. I had no idea how complex it is to make high quality fitness wear. The fabric is as important as the thread and the sewing techniques. The past four years has given me a whole new education,” she says. Starting the Kerobokan factory was a savvy business move,
allowing small batches of samples to be made and quality controlled by the ‘Trudi Test’ – in which she wears, tears and tests every design and tweaks it or puts it back on the drawing board until it is gets her nod of approval. “I started the factory to avoid burning through money by having to give manufacturers big orders that end up not selling.” She adapts styles to suit different body types so all women are comfortable. Pieces have waist options of low-rise for the skinny types and hi-rise for fuller bodies. All the prints are uniquely created by Dare2Wear and many of the hot sellers are on their fourth or fifth rendition. Aside from wheeling and dealing export agreements in Singapore, Spain, Dubai, England, the USA, Norway, Sweden and Australia, she is ruled by her vision of the Fitness Candy Store. “I have a concept in my head by this name and I see women walk in and take this and that and reach for all the things they want. In our Batu Belig store I experiment with this. I test shop designs and monitor what sells and from which display or rack. We are about to have a major renovation of the store to create a super contemporary look-and-feel to the space that I could package up and sell as a franchise.” So the future could see Bali’s Dare2Wear as an international franchise operation or a massive wholesaler to the global fitness industry. Whichever way Trudi decides to roll the dice, it will not be a small shop around the corner. “I love Bali and my brand and I will continue growing it. I knew I would never give up. Giving up is not an option.” www.dare2wear.com
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Tai, what the hell have you been up to? Haven’t seen you in a while … I’ve been busy man. Got engaged to my amazing girl, been working on a couple new projects, and signed a super rad deal with Billabong. I guess I’ve moved into a transition period where I was all about surfing, chasing swell after swell all over the archipelago pretty much every other week. At one point I think I did over 20 trips in a year. It was where I was at. I’m still as down as ever to chase the wave program but I’m a bit more selective. Put it down to a few injuries and other things in life falling into place. My surfing, my personal life and my business. My passions fall into these different aspects. So it all feels good. It’s amazing to think back to the early years at Single Fin … and what it’s become. You must be proud of that. Yeah it’s crazy. I remember when I got the call from my friend saying that my now business partner wanted to meet up and chat about doing a restaurant and bar up at Uluwatu. My buddy Tipi and I had just finished our first bar venture with Black Dog and things progressed for both of us. He went on to some great things and I took the plunge to head up to Ulu’s. I was super apprehensive at first with the distance and the market up there. But man the place is so magical. We started super small, my partner had the history with the hotel and location and I took care of the brand. It was tiny, 70 square metres or something. I really like observing markets, and trends and seeing where the gaps lie. I also like to celebrate the location and environment it sits in. The challenge was to simply get the girls to go there. I know that Uluwatu was full of guys because of the surf, but only the die-hard girlfriends who enjoyed basking on the beach and waiting for their boyfriends would bother to come down. For the everyday girl it didn’t have much to offer. So we tried to create that. I also didn’t want to take any of the business away from the locals in the warungs. No nasi goreng, no jaffles, no banana pancakes. I wanted us to work with the environment in as many aspects as we could. Six years on and a few extensions, we have a couple retail stores, a clothing line and some joint partnerships with guys like Nalu Bowls, and giving jobs to over 100 staff. It really makes me look back and think wow, look at this. And now there’s the new spot in Canggu, The Lawn. What can we expect there? I’ve always loved Canggu. It was one of the first spots I surfed when I was young. I’d ride my bike from my mum’s house down to what’s called Echo now, hang with the boys and surf all day. There was a warung with the temple at Echo, one warung up by Pererenan and one at Batu Bolong. They were the three main spots, it was little dirt roads and all. To see what’s become of it now is like wow, that happened quick. I’d always wanted to do something down Canggu way, again it sat in well with what was important to me … being in front of really good waves ... ha, ha. With this location though again I really want to celebrate what’s going on locally. We have taken on a beach warung-style build, but just a scale up to accommodate more people. We’ve kept this big beautiful patch of grass, hence the name The Lawn. Something about grass, and by the beach, it reminds me of being a kid by Burleigh Heads, chilling on the grass, having some lunch and watching the surf. We’ve used some beautiful recycled timbers and kept things as environmentally conscious as possible. I really wanted this to blend in and look like it was meant to be there. The mantra we’ve been working off is that it’s “a laid back beach lounge with high end values”. A relaxed beach bar feel but with great service and product. What’s been the hardest part of bringing a project like that together? There’s always challenges with new ventures no matter how simple and smooth you may see it going. It’s hard but its fun. I enjoy the start up phase the most, the conceptual phase, design and planning, then seeing it come to fruition is awesome. I guess I’ve had itchy feet for a couple years now to get a new project up. I like to stay super busy and have multiple things going on, it’s when my mind is at ease, funnily
enough. But to answer your question the hardest part was getting it off the ground and getting started, after that it’s just working off the vision you’ve put in place and problem solving. When’s the opening party? December. Just in time for the wet season! Because beach bars are awesome in the rain ... What’s the story with Billabong global? Yeah it’s rad. I mean I’m super stoked to have the opportunity to align with Billabong. It’s a brand that I’ve liked since I was a kid. They’re home base is in the hometown I grew up in as well. I’ve kinda calmed down from being the full surf frother, but they were down to keep things more about quality over quantity. I help out on the creative side with the creative directors with shoots as well. I like the whole phase of a shoot from the concept of a campaign to seeing it come to life with us guys in the water getting barreled out in the 8-10 foot perfect Indo wave. We worked out a pretty cool deal that allows me to do what I love to do and have it compliment each other. What does a sponsorship deal like that mean for you in terms of travel and adventures? I guess my whole thing during my surfing career has evolved into being about chasing the tropical tubes. I live in Indonesia, with the most perfect waves in the warmest water in the world. It’s seriously a dream. I’ve had a few trips this year with the global guys like Taj, Jack Freestone, Italo Ferreira and Joel Parkinson. To be able to head out on adventures with these guys, sitting on a boat getting pumping waves all day and kick back and drink a beer at the end of it is a dream. I’ve definitely put my time in here, studied the weather patterns, the ocean movements with tides and all the technical side of surf forecasting. My theory is if I’m going to do something I may as well make it the absolute best I can do. Any epic wipe-outs so far this year? No, thank god! I had a rough patch last year and the year before with really bad neck injuries, tore my MCL in my knee, ligaments in ankles – but thankfully this year has been all good. I mean aside from the odd reef cut and all, I’ve been in the clear. (Insert over the falls shot here, lol). How’s your love life? Good. My fiancée and I are planning to get married next year. We’re both super busy – she has her thing going on being co-owner and creative director of Faithfull The Brand, and I’m keeping busy. But we made a pact to always keep things balanced. Bali taught me about balance. So amongst our travels, if one of us can come along and help out with the other we’ll do that or we like to take time out head to somewhere off the grid and enjoy each other’s time. We just got back from Rio, Brazil. Amazing. Will you ever get too old for all this? How do you keep it fresh? I hope to be surfing in my 70s. I’d love to one day have a son and go on a surf trip with him. My dad is a huge inspiration for fun. He’s 62 years old, fit as a fiddle, walks and works out everyday, can party all night, comes on jungle surf missions with me (even though he can barely swim) just to hang out. But he’s just a massive (literally) ball of fun. My buddies actually joke about him being way more fun to hang out with than me. That’s pretty funny. Look forward to a beer with you at The Lawn bro, best of luck. Cool, I’ll see you there. T.S. www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lawn-Canggu
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people
Legendary Bra Boy koby abberton has forged a life worth living from the fire of a turbulent youth. He spoke to Sarah Douglas about his past, his beautiful present and how he helps brothers less fortunate. photographs: Saskia Koerner.
together in arms: koby abberton and son makua.
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The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9 Koby Abberton has spent his life looking over his shoulder; for the next blow, the next big wave or the flashing blue lights that signal trouble again. The father, partner, brother, world-renowned big wave surfer, gang leader, Bra Boy and son, gained fame in the documentary penned by his oldest brother, Sunny, and narrated by actor Russell Crowe, Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker Than Water.
“The reason why it’s not happening at Maroubra is because of the Bra Boys. Girls go to Cronulla, Bondi, everywhere else in Sydney and get harassed, but they come to Maroubra and nothing happens to them. I read all this stuff about kids getting harassed because they want to have a surf and I say ‘are you kidding?’ The beach should be for Aussie kids. But if you want to go to beaches and act tough in groups you better be able to back it up. If these fellas come out to Maroubra and start something they know it’s going to be on, so they stay away,” he famously told newspaper reporters following the riots.
Much of his life is tattooed onto his skin and most famous of all his tatts is the one imprinted around his neck: My Brother’s Keeper. The story of Cain and Abel was retold to Koby Abberton by a friend who spent time in solitary confinement in Sydney’s notorious Long Bay prison, a shadow on the now famous beach suburb of Maroubra where Koby and his brothers grew up.
Where he draws the line is hard drugs and despite all he saw growing up he found himself addicted to prescription painkillers after breaking both legs diving off a cliff.
Cain’s refusal to give up his brother to the Lord resonated with a young Koby who claimed it and had it printed on his skin. He believes it is the first chain of command tattoo ever, designed to inspire a gang of young men to take up the call and become what we now know as the Bra Boys, the infamous surfer gang, the brotherhood.
His dark days are well documented, growing up rough, finding the waves, attracting sponsors, riding high and then finding himself in court accused of having knowledge of a murder committed by his second brother, Jai.
Maroubra is a beach, it’s a call to arms for a legion of young boys who grew up in broken homes, wracked by violence, drugs and poverty. With little to call home they gravitated to the surf. It became their friend, their nemesis, their stage. Perched on a cliff overlooking the waves of Bali’s Bingin Beach, today’s Koby Abberton seems a world away from the wild boy he was. With a beautiful partner, Olya, and a baby boy, Makua, at his side, he still tells harrowing tales … but the worst of them are no longer his own. “I get messages every day from kids in trouble. They reach out to me and if I can, I’ll drag them off the ledge. I could convince kids to do anything and these days the thing I’m most proud of is the work I do with suicide prevention,” he explains. Koby Abberton understands those boys better than most. He was that boy who could have died trying to make sense of growing up with a drug addicted mother, a string of violent boyfriends, friends and brothers who were always on the wrong side of the law, with little hope of a future or redemption. “I just tell them if you’re willing to die anyway, then go out and do shit. It may not be right, maybe it’s fucked up, but I get them to go out and try things, put that energy into something else.” He has no idea how many he has helped but through his mate’s organization … thousands have been pulled away from the edge. The Bra Boys have forged a reputation for standing up for each other and keeping all threats out, including the police and local drug dealers. The Cronulla race riots first saw Koby Abberton and his brother’s hit the TV screens when they met with rival gang leaders and forged an agreement to keep gang wars away from the beaches and out of Maroubra following violent riots on nearby Cronulla Beach.
“You think you know better but sometimes shit creeps up on you and before you know it, you’re where you said you’d never be,” he confesses.
“Yeah, he got off on self-defense and I got a suspended sentence for not seeing him. He was there but it was dark and I knew something was up, so I threw him out. But hey, I didn’t see him, and that really pissed off the coppers, they threw everything at getting a conviction and they got nothing in the end.” What am I, my brother’s keeper? The film documents a lifetime of wrongs that may yet turn out right. Koby plays with the big boys, many of his closest friends are famous surfers, businessmen, sports stars and just as many are ordinary boys suffering the same kind of wrecked life that he himself endured. He first came to Bali when he was 14. He hated it. Was ripped off by a taxi driver on his way from the airport and hoofed it to Sumbawa where he found near perfect waves and a generation of surfers who showed him the way. By the time he was 16 he was coming regularly to Indonesia to make surf movies, they made 10 in all and the Indo life got into his veins. Fear has never played large in the life of Koby Abberton, at one time the world’s most famous big wave rider. He never had a lot to lose. Growing up in a home broken by drugs and violence, he was one of four brothers who lived on their wits and found solace in the waves that crashed on their local beach. The question of who’s going to save you was answered for Koby at a young age; “stick together and we’ve got a chance”. Along with his two older brothers, Sunny the eldest and Jai next in line, they never knew their fathers and Mum was in such deep shit, she probably couldn’t help them. Left to their own devices they took to the streets, which led to the endless beach where their futures were savaged and finally saved. Meeting Koby Abberton today, it’s hard to believe all the stories, nor his dark past. He’s unfailingly polite, soft spoken and despite the tattoos and scars that cover his body,
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he’s open, generous and sweet. He wants to cook for you, would give you his last shirt. He’s a saviour and perhaps his greatest challenge now is saving himself from his tattered reputation.
“I want him to have a backyard, grass to run around on and yes, some help around the house.
He is and will always be a keeper of the brothers, although these days the bra Boys have new mentors and the suburb is in the throws of gentrification as rents in Sydney soar. His future is far from certain as he opens a new chapter in a salt-encrusted book but so far, despite all that’s been thrown at him, he remains surprisingly optimistic. He’s riding a wave of his own right now but the surf is never far behind. He’s at home here and friends with most of the best surfers in Indonesia and the world, he laughs at the idea of the locals heading out to compete on the world stage.
“Australia is too hard and I like this way of life. I also see a lost generation emerging in Australia with the ice epidemic and I do all I can to spread the word,” he explains.
“I don’t see it, it’s too good here, the waves, the lifestyle, the help, they don’t like it when they leave and some of them are the best I’ve ever seen, but fat chance they are leaving here,” he laughs.
“Normal kids grow up looking up to the Bra Boys and we protect the kids from the local drug dealers, in our community at home we kick their asses and we kick them out. It isn’t nice but that’s what we do.”
If you can’t beat them, join them and save the ones you can, it’s all part of the reason he’s here in the first place and maybe, why he survived when so many didn’t. The next chapter in the story of the most famous Bra Boy is still unwritten – but he’s scratched a few sentences in the sand and Koby believes the rest will write itself.
His son is his greatest inspiration now. He wants him to grow up with all he never had.
When his friends started a suicide prevention movement, Koby jumped on the wagon and rode it on television, through fundraisers and used his celebrity and tough reputation to reach a generation of lost boys, some of whom he has literally plucked from the jaws of death and brought to Bali.
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www.facebook.com/KobyAbberton
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anggun
a rockstar at 20, anggun didn’t rest on her laurels but instead moved continents to claim a place on the world stage. she talks to tony stanon
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sounds around
Anggun, you hardly need any introduction, but if we were to ask you to describe yourself to an alien from Mars, how would you do that? Lol, well I am a Javanese woman, singer-songwriter, a mother to a gorgeous daughter, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, a feminist and an epicurean who’s very much concerned about the world and people in general. I know it’s exhaustively put but it is what it is :D
education did not consist of me saying “No”. I had to learn by myself that it is important to speak up because not only does it save you time it’s also important to draw the line between what you like and what you don’t like. It gives people an idea of who you are.
When was the first time you realized you could sing, and that your voice was perhaps different from other children your age? I couldn’t really remember when because singing came so naturally to me. Back when I was about six years old, I used to only listen to The Beatles, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath … which was my father’s music collection … because there wasn’t any music for kids and the only Indonesian pop songs available would not qualify as “listenable” for children my age. So it was safe to say that I didn’t make any comparison with other’s my age.
What do you consider to be your strongest attribute? My capacity to adapt.
Growing up in Jakarta, who were your musical heroes? Apart from the bands I mentioned above, I grew up listening to a lot of rock, hard rock and even metal bands. In fact I started my career as a rock singer in Indonesia, so my heroes were The Police, Bowie, Metallica and Queen.
What have you been up to this year, and what’s the plan for 2017? 2016 was filled with many joyful events both personally and professionally. I released my French album which is still doing very well; I started touring in June and will only finish the tour in July 2017. I had my wax figure made and that is now sitting at the Madame Tussaud’s museum in Bangkok; I did an amazing three-song collaboration with the iconic ENIGMA whose album has been released worldwide; I got invited for the fifth time to the Vatican for their Christmas show and got to sing for Pope Francis … and finally I get to close the end of the year at one of the most gorgeous hotels in the world, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali.
Do you still have friends you keep in touch with from your childhood in Jakarta? I recently reconnected with a few of my school mates, thanks to social media. By the age of 20, you’d sold more than four million albums in Indonesia, established your own record company and produced your own work … what did that feel like at such an early age? It was a wonderful feeling, followed by many deceptions. Having success meant that somehow you were right, and that can be dangerous when you’re in your 20s. It’s not healthy being that young and having people saying how great you are, how beautiful and talented etc every single day; it’s easy to lose sight of what’s real and so easy to become a spoilt brat. Money and success can pollute the relationship between life and people. It must have been odd to go from such enormous success to living in Europe and being relatively unknown … how were those years? It was much needed I’d say. I somehow wanted to change my destiny. I needed to know what I was really worth, and though it was scary at first because I had never experienced rejection, it was extremely good and necessary.
I saw you perform in Singapore in 2001 … halfway through the first song the power shut down leaving the entire theatre in silence and darkness. What was that moment like for you? Technical glitches do happen and no matter what the show must go on. I remembered to do the same song I was singing again, the crowd loved it, all went well :)
Your top three songs of all time are … That’s uber hard ... 1. Ne me quitte pas – Jacques Brel 2. Life on Mars – David Bowie 3. Love of My Life – Queen What humanitarian projects have you been involved with lately? Every other Wednesday for the last two years I have been going around my district in Paris with the incredible team from Protection Civile. We distribute coffee, soup, blankets … but mostly we give our time to homeless people. Time well spent. Anggun thanks for yours. You’re welcome. Anggun performs in Bali on New Year’s Eve at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua. www.anggun.com
You’re a Javanese artist who’s had to learn the ways of Europe … has that always been a comfortable fit for you? It was a bit uncomfortable at first. Being Javanese means that my
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people Elena avdeeva talks to Tony Stanton about ink, art and Slavic folklore. photo: saskia koerner.
Elena, where are you from and how did you grow up? I was born in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Kazakhstan. I grew up in pretty wild conditions, but I’m happy with exactly how it was. When did you start Babayaga Tattoo and what’s the story with how it was born? Babayaga Tattoo was founded in November 2015. It was my husband’s idea to create a studio where people could get a piece of body art with a unique design and perfect quality that would remain so for a lifetime. What does Babayaga mean? In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is an ugly old woman who lives in the forest and eats babies. She lives in a wooden house that stands on chicken legs, and she’s both good and bad, sometimes helping those who seek her out, and sometimes hindering them. So she’s in the middle. What are the current trends in ink? Good art is always in trend. How many artists do you have at Babayaga? Where are they from? We have three artists at the moment. Kim Angel from Sydney, a really cool guy with a unique style which he calls his divinely inspired geometric patterns. Sod-dog from Kalimantan, he is the best at all kinds of mandalas and dot work, and Arthur Kim from Moscow, he has amazing old school style. All of them are absolutely unique and very, very handsome! What’s the usual process from start to finish for a Babayaga tattoo? Our clients book via email, Facebook or Instagram or directly in the studio. After that 66
happy life.
they come down for a session with the artist who draws them custom design, then they put the stencil on the skin and if both the artist and the client are happy with the size and placement, they start work. Once the tattoo is finished, our manager offers some information on aftercare. It’s all done to the sound of music and everyone enjoys the process. What’s the worst tattoo you have ever seen? I have never seen bad tatt! They are all great; each of them has a story and memories. What’s the best you’ve ever seen? My tattoos and my husband’s. He has a portrait of me on the inside of his under arm :). Have any of your artists ever refused to do a tattoo? No, we love our clients, and always try to do the best for them. What is Mamayaga Tattoo? This is our second project, sister of Babayaga. We had so many great artists we needed more space for them, as we really wanted to show their amazing work to our clients. So we opened Mamayaga Tattoo in Seminyak, on the second floor above the wonderful shop Skull. What’s next for Babayaga? A happy life. Amen to that. @babayaga_tattoo
people
Ariel: “Men and women have let me know how much the subject matter has resonated with them.”
ariel leve’s literary memoir of growing up in manhattan with ‘a parent who can’t be a parent’, is a Mesmerizing portrait of something familiar gone wildly awry. photo: lucky 8.
Ariel, you’ve just published an extraordinary memoir about growing up with your mother, but you never name her in the book. Why is that? The name was changed to protect her privacy. The story does not require I name her; I was interested in conveying the feeling of what it was like to be an only child growing up without boundaries in an emotionally unsafe world. For those who haven’t yet had the chance to read An Abbreviated Life, can you give us an idea of what the book is about?
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It’s largely about the aftershocks of a childhood spent under siege. I grew up in Manhattan, the only child of a gifted but unstable poet. It was an unconventional and bohemian world of artists and writers. The unpredictability of my mother’s moods meant I often had to navigate an emotionally perilous landscape. So the effects of trauma on a child’s brain and how it plays out in adulthood are explored. Adaptive behavior that allowed me to cope with stressful and anxiety-producing circumstances as a child later became maladaptive as an adult. The narrative jumps backwards and forwards in time. It examines the past through the window of adulthood.
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people
Do you think the main theme in the book - a childhood dominated by a disturbed parent - is more common than many people think? Judging from the response to the book, I would say it’s prevalent. Both men and women have let me know how much the subject matter has resonated with them and even though the specifics differ, a sense of helplessness is a familiar feeling they can relate to. However, I would argue that the main theme of the book is about making sense of the chaos and breaking free from the tyranny of the past. What drives the story is a desire for clarity and emancipation. What’s the worst memory you have of growing up? What’s the best? My memories are grounded in feelings. I can recall experiences but reciting the event is often anecdotal and devoid of sentiment. My emotional memory is far more powerful. In that respect, the worst of it would be a chronic state of panic, dread and numbness. The best would be time spent where there was no conflict, anxiety and uncertainty. One of the reasons it was essential for me to write this book was to understand why I was unable to access feeling positive memories. In the book it’s mentioned that Norman Mailer was your godfather … were you ever in touch with him, or any of the other literary figures who graced the parties at your home? The reference to Norman Mailer as my godfather in the book is there to illustrate how it was impossible for people – even lofty and willful figures – to say no to my mother. She cultivated and attracted New York’s cultural and intellectual elite. There were raucous parties at the apartment and for me, as a child, these notable people were adults who were behaving badly and keeping me awake. I didn’t know who they were and it didn’t matter. Of course later, I was able to distinguish their accomplishments and appreciate that they were great artists and thinkers in their own right – but no, I didn’t seek them out.
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Do you think your book would have been published by such a reputable publishing house if your mother had not been such a leading name in the Manhattan literary scene? I had a track record as a proven writer with two previous books (also published by HarperCollins) and I’d worked as a journalist for many years so I suspect that experience helped. I had never written a memoir before but they took a chance based on the proposal I submitted. There are many factors that go into the decision to publish a literary memoir – the subject matter, the quality of the writing, and whether or not anyone will actually buy the book. The latter is naturally a concern for publishers. I can’t say what the determining factor was when they decided to go forward. You’re not the only person in Bali escaping strife in the West I imagine… what has Bali given you? I like that you say strife in the West; that’s true. But there’s strife everywhere! Bali has given me balance, family, a sense of calm, and a slight improvement in the patience department. I’ve been coming to Southeast Asia since I was a small child because of my father, who still lives here, so there was always a link. It’s provided another perspective. People say New York is a bubble but so is Bali. I need both bubbles. Do you think it’s harder to get literary fiction published in the US these days, compared to say, the ‘80s? I have no idea. What I can say is that it seems there are numerous outlets for literature to be published today – fiction and non-fiction – some great literary journals and so on. You maNhattan memoir. should ask Salman Rushdie what he thinks. Midnight’s Children came out in 1981. Or Toni Morrison. She’d probably have a decent answer to this question. When was the last time you spoke to your mother? In a dream I had a few weeks ago. An Abbreviated Life: A Memoir is available on Amazon.
people
He was rated #1 in the surf world by the age of 20. His peers say he’s among the best big wave surfers of all time. He’s a stylish protagonist of the sport, in and out of the water, a father-to-be and an all-round amazing fella.
Brad Gerlach spoke to Ozlem Esen about life, coaching … and why he doesn’t have typical days. Photos: Saskia Koerner.
gerlach.
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Brad, tell us about your early life growing up in California, and how you got into surfing. When I was eight years old I bought a surfboard for $7. I remember this because I used to get a dollar for every year on my birthday. I only had $7 because I spent the other $1 on the ice cream man. Anyway, I tried surfing one day around this time with my dad. He didn’t help me, he just stayed on the beach. He couldn’t stand cold water (long story), and I didn’t stand up because it was a rough onshore day and the waves were really close together. I didn’t like that I didn’t stand and told my dad that I didn’t want to surf anymore. Then two years later my mother moved us close to the beach in Leucadia about three miles north of Cardiff. I walked to the beach with a friend that summer day in 1976 and found a surfboard with a picture of Jesus on it. Evidently someone had thrown it off the cliff or something. I didn’t know that of course so I asked everyone on the beach if it was theirs. Nobody claimed it so I took it out and stood up on it right away. It had no fin so it slid around every time I stood up. I was hooked. I ran home to get the $7 board and surfed every day after that until I got hit in the nose with it. Over the next two years I broke my nose in four places, had a 150 stitches, spent lots of time in hospital and had two surgeries. I vowed to never surf again. It fucked up my face, I had to wear a cast and people would stare at me everywhere we went. I hated it and was pissed off. After a while it healed and I skated around everywhere. My friends were all at the beach, so eventually I went back to the water, agreeing to only kneeboard. I rode half a wave on my knees and thought it felt stupid so I stood up and was immediately hooked all over again! North County San Diego is home to the Self Realization Center. It’s on a cliff in Encinitas overlooking my favourite wave ‘Swami’s’. Since my mother worked and I was very independent it was inevitable that I would meet all kinds of hippy/ spiritual people into yoga and health food and surfing. I thought they were cool and I loved being a surfer and skater. I watched the whole first movement of skating happen in San Diego with Logan Earth Ski, Bahne, Greg Weaver, Rampage, pool skating, and going to Carlsbad skate park. Tony Alva and Jay Adams were heroes to me and I wanted to be a pro skater for a while but I chose surfing instead. I didn’t like having cuts! They never healed! You’re considered one of the sport’s most stylish surfers – who were your style icons growing up, in and out of the water? Oh thank you for that nice compliment, coming from such a stylish person as yourself! Well, I liked Shaun Tomson a lot when I was young. He came across as intelligent, well dressed and ripped! I liked to dress nice my first year of high school at 14 years old. I got into Punk Rock and cut all my hair off and listened to The Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedy’s, Germs, Buzzcocks … but just before that I was into Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. They were my favorite bands when I was learning to surf and dreaming of being a pro. I loved Larry Bertlemann until I met him and he was a dick to me. Which made a big impact. I thought to myself that I would never be like that to a kid that looked up to me when I was on top! Ha, ha. I loved Buttons in the water, he was really cool to me too. He always looked like he was free and having a lot of fun. And it was confirmed when we shared a wave at Lowers in 1979. You know, I always liked James Bond, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson. My dad and I liked to watch those kind of movies when I was young.
Then by my junior year I was into KROQ and I loved musicians like David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Robert Palmer, and what they wore. I have always been into music. I traded my motorcycle for a record player when I was young. My dad didn’t want me to hurt myself and talked me into it. What you have been listening to lately? I haven’t been listening to a lot lately because I was fascinated by all the political stuff that has happened here in the US. I mean wow, what an eye opener. It’s just crazy so I had to follow it. But I do like the new Radiohead album. And I like to listen to KCRW. I haven’t been playing much music myself lately but that’s normal for me. It comes in waves and since my lady is pregnant I have just been so happy to hang with her. She is a musician as well so we play together sometimes and plan to make some music when we move to Australia. What drives you? Creativity, originality and style, in lots of different forms. I am turned on by design, humour and aesthetic. I love clothes and playing around with colour and tones. Colour on my boards, wetsuits, towels, my car, guitars, walls in my house … it goes on. I look for inspiration in people and how they do things, how they see things. I am driven to helping my students surf better, and for some, help them to rewrite the cutting edge of performance surfing. Tell us a little about Wave Ki. It’s the method of teaching that I developed through my study of martial arts with my two sensei’s Adrian Crook and Laura McCormac, adding in my countless hours of surfing. I teach people how to harness the power of the wave through efficient movement and awareness of themselves. Wave Ki is practiced on land and mimics surfing. It teaches people how to surf in a safe environment. Then it is up to them to do Wave Ki every day. My students who practice Wave Ki get better, the ones who practice every day get better faster. My most famous student is Conner Coffin. He has been doing Wave Ki for six years. Other students include rising stars Noah Hill and Taro Watanabe. They have been doing Wave Ki since they were 10 years old. My newest student is 15-year-old Max Beach and he has improved like crazy and is catching up to the other guys! Your dad was a diving champion and gave you great advice with your surfing. What was some of the best advice he gave you about life, love and work ethics? He has given me a lot of advice: Don’t go around with no cash, like don’t be that guy. Don’t get married too young, lots of women out there. Look people in the eye and give a firm hand shake. A good deal is one that is good for both parties. There is always something to learn. Show up when you say you are going to, your word is everything. Don’t smoke a lot of pot, just a little if there’s pressure, lol. That was a funny one when I was 15. He said it will make you stupid and you don’t need to smoke more than one hit to get high. Those are fatherly things … but where he has been the biggest influence is with my surfing. It would take up a lot of space here if I were to go into it, but basically he taught me to look for efficient movement, and that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so if you do something that doesn’t give you speed or control then it’s unnecessary and will probably look shit. He is very blunt but very smart. He saw things that I didn’t see and he showed me and talked to me about them
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people
to keep my interest. But these guys have it: JJF, Dane Reynolds, Jordy Smith, Jack Freestone, Conner and my young students Noah, Taro, and Max. I have recently been coaching a girl and I like to watch her too. I still love to watch Tom Curren, and Mike Rommelse absolutely shreds with great style. What is style to you? It’s about having good manners, looking understated, owning a personal look, having a good sense of humour and not being cheap! How do you overcome doubt? By feeling it fully. It’s the only way it dissolves. What best describes who you are? I care about people and I strive to give credit to the people who deserve it. I love the underdog and relate to people who have struggled and overcome. I love to teach and help people. I am a good listener. And finally I love to make people laugh, even if it’s at my own expense.
poetry in motion.
over and over. I feel like he passed down his eye for beautiful movement. I am very grateful to him for all the time he spent with me, video-taping me, giving me feedback and sharing the passion he has for watching the body moving beautifully. He was an Olympic diver from Hungary who placed 4th at Melbourne in 1956 – he was 18 and it’s too bad he didn’t get a chance to go back at 22 for the US games. He says the Chinese, who are the best divers now, copy a part of his unique style that the University of Michigan head coach wanted to change. He refused… What are your favorite boards to ride? Chris Christenson is one of my best friends and has been shaping my boards for 10 years now and they are the best ever. He is a genius and a wonderful artist, original and hard working. Salt of the earth, diehard integrity. I love Chris so much so it is cool to call him with feedback on my boards. And meet him in the snow to ride together. I am stoked and have such a good thing going with my boards. I usually ride 5’11 x 19 six channel swallow tail while I am in Bali. But I bounce around depending on the power or lack thereof. Anywhere from 5’7 x 21 to 6’ 18 7/8, mostly swallow tails. If 20-year-old Brad could speak to Brad Now, what would he say? Work to be more flexible than anyone else in your sport. Stay focused on surfing, the women will come to you :). As a pioneer surfer how do you feel about the new era of surfers? How has surfing evolved in your point of view? I think some of the new era surfers are great, especially the ones that can mix the modern with the old stuff. But those are few and far between. Most of the surfers are jocks, much the same as before. It’s the ones doing different stuff that are intriguing. It’s usually that they aren’t progressive enough with their surfing 74
What does a typical day entail for you? I don’t have typical days but the most consistent thing is stretching and doing Wave Ki, then spending time with my lady. I surf or work or do both. I could drive a lot or stay close to home. Just depends. I am not structured and organized. I like to be free, however if I have made an appointment I am good at keeping it or letting them know in advance if it needs to change. It has to be fluid like this because a lot of my work depends on mother nature. What is your most epic wave memory? I have so many but one that sticks in my mind is a giant tube I got on a first wave one morning, alone at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. On a borrowed 9’3. My new friend at the time Zen Del Rio (who is now an old friend) let me borrow his board because his back was bothering him. I planned to paddle out with Coco Nogales at first light and he didn’t show. So I paddled out alone and within five minutes a bomb came right to me, and I was like “fuck I have to go”, so I took off hoping the board was a good one and I slid down the face into a giant cavern. It started breathing. By this I mean it got bigger and smaller while I was in the tube. It threw out way in front of me and I thought for sure I would get flogged but somehow I just kept going, and I had time to think, hey I might make this thing, then no, no way, then wait, nah, holy shit I might… and I did. I did a small personal claim that I was sure nobody saw. But Coco had just woken up and stood out on his balcony to witness it. Ha, ha, ha … odelay! Who in your opinion is the most iconic surfer that ever existed and why? The Duke. Multiple gold medal Olympian, pioneer, ambassador for surfing and gentleman. How would you like to be remembered? As a good person with class and manners; a loyal friend and an inspired and innovative teacher. A contributor to surfing who didn’t take himself too seriously and blazed a trail. A classy dresser, stylish surfer, good son and brother, loving partner and an awesome dad. And an animal lover. I love animals. Thanks Brad. You’re welcome Ozlem. www.bradgerlach.com
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: @bambooblondeindo
BALI : Jl. Laksmana | Discovery Mall |Jl. Raya Seminyak | Jl. Raya Legian | Bali Collection | Beachwalk | Jl. Batu Belig | Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud | JAKARTA : Kemang Village
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yak fashion
dress by Miss Milne. belt and sunglasses by christian dior. TĂźlay wears baby gap.
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photography: lukas vrtilek
styling: The Ă–
Model: Sabien Reintjes, Balistarz
Hair&Makeup: Julia Hauer
Shot on location at Villa Tamarama, The Ungasan
Clifftop Resort.
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yak fashion
swimsuit by Shakuhachi. cape by Ali Charisma. shoes by YSL. sunglasses by christian Dior, available at the prisoners of st
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petersburg.
vintage Jumpsuit by children of the. Belt by Gucci. Sunglasses by surfabilly. Shoes by The prisoners of st petersburg.
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yak fashion Dress by Ali Charisma.
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Dress by Miss Milne. Shoes by Shakuhaci. Sunglasses by Gucci. Hat by mimco. suitcase stylist’s own.
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yak fashion Jumpsuit and shoes vintage Chanel.
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Vintage dress by children of the. shoes by the prisoners of St petersburg. necklace and vintage camera stylist’s own.
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yak fashion Black dress by Miss Milne. shoes by YSL. Tülay wears Ralph Lauren dress.
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vintage dress by children of the.
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omnibus
“You’ve thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled, Fear to bring children Into the world.”
drew corridore ponders a post trump world laid bare in the lyrics of nobel laureate bob dylan.
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Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll
He is the ninth person to be awarded the literature gong for poetry since Alfred
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
Nobel’s foundation was set up in 1900. Let’s get over the whole “giving the
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
literature award to a musician” thing . . . Bob is barely a musician, as anyone
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
who is familiar with about six guitar chords knows. His performances have,
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
however, been backed up by many fabulous players.
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing . . .
Some sorry scribes have equated Dylan’s Nobel Prize to an author receiving a Grammy award. I look forward to The Satanic Verses when it is reiterated as a rock opera – that might just take care of my insomnia.
Chimes of Freedom by Bob Dylan, 2016 Nobel laureate for literature . . . Let’s have a look at a couple of well-known Nobel laureates’ works – W.B. Yeats . . . and a more worthy recipient of the prestigious award I cannot imagine,
(1923 medal) and T.S. Eliot (1948 medal):
despite the opprobrium of a number of sooky word snobs.
That crazed girl improvising her music. The venerable and recently passed Leonard Cohen quipped: “Giving
Her poetry, dancing upon the shore,
Dylan the Nobel Prize is like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain.” A back handed compliment? Leonard (who, for our
Her soul in division from itself
beloved millennials, was quite famous) has always been somewhat opaque.
Climbing, falling She knew not where,
Unfortunately for those of us who absolutely love his poetry he is also somewhat
Hiding amid the cargo of a steamship,
dead. It will take me a very long time to try to reconcile November 2016.
Her knee-cap broken, that girl I declare
Kurt Vonnegut – who has authored some of my best-loved books – called Bob
Heroically lost, heroically found . . .
A beautiful lofty thing, or a thing Dylan “the worst poet alive”. - William Butler Yeats, A Crazed Girl Kurt has obviously never read my poetry . . . nor that of Kanye West. Very . . . um . . . early 20th century with regard to his depiction of women (too As Dylan’s words echo down many decades – as fresh and prescient as the
much kneeling at the foot of patriarchy?) Not to mention his confusion of tense.
day he penned them – I am simultaneously conflicted and content. Bewildered and buoyant. The positive side of this confusing calculus is that, after a period
Because I do not hope to turn again
of absence, I’m once again on The Yak. Great to talk to you again. The band’s
Because I do not hope
back together, the beer fridge is fully stocked . . . play that funky music white
Because I do not hope to turn
boy.
Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope
Bob Dylan, amongst select others, is a machinist of my moral compass (except,
(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)
I no longer strive to strive towards such things of course, when the wheels fell off and he foisted upon us an evangelical muse).
Why should I mourn The vanished power of the usual reign?
I turned my back for five minutes (to grapple with life’s ever changing circumstances) . . . and upon turning around again the Philippines is led by a
- Thomas Stearns Eliot, Ash Wednesday
murderous maniac in the form of Rodrigo Duterte (who appears to be getting on famously with Jokowi, which is a bit of a worry); loutish clown Boris Johnson
A post-WWII existential dirge . . .
is the British foreign secretary; the Malaysian government is eerily reminiscent of the shady characters in a filmic trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Okay then, Bob Dylan released One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below) in 1976:
And no matter how much I stick my fingers in my ears and sing lah lah lah, lah lah, lah, I cannot shut out the tyrannical tirades of a gilded guttersnipe who
Your breath is sweet
hails from New York City and was recently elected as the United States’ 45th
Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky
president.
Your back is straight, your hair is smooth On the pillow where you lie
I wish fervently that the times, they are a-changin’ – as Bob suggested they
But I don’t sense affection
might in his song of the same name, in a world hurtling towards a perplexing
No gratitude or love
precipice – but they quickly stay the same.
Your loyalty is not to me But to the stars above . . .
It’s not Bob Dylan’s fault we’re probably buggered in all sorts of ways. He gave us the words (mantras?) to counter the vainglorious verses that are uttered
Your daddy he’s an outlaw
in the forums of wealth and power . . . and repeated without repudiation in
And a wanderer by trade
mischievous and misguided media manipulations.
He’ll teach you how to pick and choose And how to throw the blade
This, I think, was the point the members of the Swedish Academy were making.
He oversees his kingdom
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omnibus
So no stranger does intrude
listened to All Along the Watchtower. They have little time, and no empathy
His voice it trembles as he calls out
for, people born with darker pigments. They assume poverty is a form of
For another plate of food
weakness.
Bang! We know exactly with whom we are dealing. We see the traits
Their ghettos are formal and grand.
the daughter has inherited from the father. We see her strength and his vulnerability. And we can feel the tension rendered in 96 words.
This year we have witnessed two people who live in such ghettos engage in a Faustian experiment with American democracy – one a deeply flawed
Friends, you be the judge. Was the Nobel committee on the right track?
individual who, nevertheless, would have been eminently qualified to negotiate the toxic vagaries of the US governmental system. The other has
In Dylan’s exquisitely painful characterisations of Quinn the Eskimo, Drunken
been described by Michael Gerson in the Washington Post as a person who
Ira Hayes, and Hurricane (Rubin Carter) we become witnesses to the plight
operates with, “ . . . a materialistic, Nietzschean ethic – an ethic of dominance
of those who are rendered powerless by conceited conservatism and its Big
and revenge in which power and success are worshiped and the weak are
Brother bigotry.
treated with contempt and cruelty”.
The very bigotry and unreconstructed bastardry fondled (in a sickly
In short, the kind of “ethic” described so grandiloquently by Ayn Rand whose
fascinating way) by the gilded guttersnipe and regurgitated over the angry
demented jottings about Atlas shrugging are so appropriately ignored by the
faces of a cohort of Americans – who have never had the ticker to interrogate
Swedish Acadamy.
the nonsense of The Book of Genesis – gathered together in a compact of catastrophic ignorance.
Hillary and the gilded guttersnipe have revealed the fragility of certainty in those of us who signed up with the social justice movement and sang along
A lot of us were listening, Bob, back in the day, skinning up the odd herbal
with Bob Dylan et al all those years ago. Barack Obama campaigned on a
cigarette and tuning our guitars. Gathering together in groups, unafraid
platform of “hope”. The defeatists amongst us – whose belief in the concept
(because of you) that our vocal chops were wobbly at best. Telling our
might have been abandoned – need to re-gather and start listening to poetry
harmonica-playing friends we were all meeting at Star-Fire and Moonbeam’s
and music again. We need to embrace our younger sisters and brothers who,
place when we were really headed over to Camomile Tea Pot’s tree house. A
by dint of the Great Osmosis, have inherited responsibility for subverting the
good time was had by all.
dominant paradigm.
What you should have been doing though, Bob, is extensive touring gigs
Perhaps, it must be said, not quite in the same way as it has been subverted
throughout the US Bible Belt, not preaching to a happy choir of stoners.
by Donald Trump and his supporters.
With backing vocals provided by your good self, Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte
This wheel’s on fire
Marie and the whole gang we pretended to understand the turgid revelations
Rolling down the road
in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (give Robert Pirsig a Grammy),
Best notify my next of kin
we tripped the light fantastic with Carlos Castaneda, some of us attempted
This wheel shall explode!
to fathom what Karl Marx (who was posthumously awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for economics) was on about. We loved trees and animals; we wore
Thanks again Bob . . .
berets and hated the very idea of war – for my part because I saw what it did to my father and Uncle Bill.
There is a strong imperative for us to reject the populist twerkers whose
We grew up with a brittle certainty that we walked the path of righteousness.
lives are more important than the charlatans whose very existences can be
fame games distract and distance millions from an understanding that their summed up in two words: click bait. Morally certain, also, are those who have spun in the orbit of demagogue
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author Ayn Rand and her ilk – those who see the world in terms of “winners”
How’s this one . . . Rodrigo Detertes – the aforementioned Philippines
and “losers”. Their certainty is less brittle than ours because, more often
president, notorious not only for extrajudicial killings of untried drug users and
than not, they claim permission from, and the protection of, the God of
dealers (see also, poor people) but also a vulgarian who has peppered his
Genesis and, often, by dint of genealogy rather than getting their hands dirty
public utterings with expletives aimed at personages of world renown – has
they spend a good deal of their lives playing the spoons . . . silver spoons.
vowed to stop swearing after God “spoke” to him on a plane trip home from
They swapped conspiratorial glances and sniggers in days gone by as they
Japan in late October. According to this porcine president God said (while
changed times.
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omnibus “This wheel’s on fire Rolling down the road Best notify my next of kin This wheel shall explode!”
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most other passengers slumbered, apparently): “If you don’t stop (swearing) I’ll
Frissions of static concocted to line silk purses: the mirrored sows’ ears of
bring this plane down now”.
sojourns never undertaken because we, too, are static
Fucking hell!
We are too static . . . while statisticians reveal us in all our vainglory
So let me get this straight . . . no worries about murdering people in their
In all our laziness . . .
hundreds, if not thousands, but because Detertes has a potty mouth, God is down with committing a couple of hundred extrajudicial killings Himself.
The brittle certainty of the social justice movement might be down but it’s not out. Witness the commitment of those who put themselves in harm’s way in the
Given His staggering alleged history though, I suppose I shouldn’t really be
cause of Médecins Sans Frontières. Witness the innate goodness of the John
surprised . . . or, in a more rational mode, we could come to the conclusion that
Fawcett Foundation ( Yayasan Kemanusiaan Indonesia ) on Bali.
Detertes is simply full of shit, delusional, and dangerous. There are many who deserve the plaudits of the Swedish Academy and The current Australian government concocts policy designed, ideologically
recognition in the wider world. And few of them are favoured by millions of likes
and illogically, to penalise those who are most vulnerable in that society, and
on Facebook and endless retweets on Twitter.
poisons the public purview (without interrogation by increasingly mindless media) of powerless people – whether they be unwitting victims of “disruptive”
Bob Dylan – after a period of recalcitrance – finally acknowledged the acclaim
technologies or the detritus of far-flung wars.
offered to him by the Swedish Academy. As he should, lest we regard him merely as a performance pariah; an artist with his head firmly placed up his own
We might turn to Bob Dylan’s Masters of War for some clarification:
fundament.
You’ve thrown the worst fear
In an interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph he was asked if he would
That can ever be hurled
accept the award:
Fear to bring children Into the world
“Absolutely,” Mr. Dylan said. “If it’s at all possible.”
For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed
According to The New York Times: “In the interview, his first in almost two
You ain’t worth the blood
years, Mr. Dylan is described as being surprised but pleased by the honor.
That runs in your veins . . .
‘It’s hard to believe,’ he said. His reaction upon being told that he had won: ‘Amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?’
Albert Einstein (another Nobel Prize recipient) said: “The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.”
“In typical fashion, he . . . resisted giving much endorsement to interpretations of his work — even those by the Swedish Academy, which, in announcing Mr.
“Trickle-down” economics for instance – the ultimate disingenuous insanity
Dylan’s prize on Oct. 13, likened his songs to the poems of Homer and Sappho.
that assumes a minimalist taxation regime at the top end of town will provide magnificent employment opportunities for those who don’t have access to
“I suppose so, in some way,” Mr. Dylan said of that comparison. Some of his
untold wealth, and an alleged antidote for the egregious mundanity of “lesser”
songs, including Ballad of Hollis Brown, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Hurricane
mortals.
and ‘some others’, he said, ‘definitely are Homeric in value’.”
Or the fossil fuel industrialists (and their political patsies), whose venomous
Dude, we love you in so many ways. But in so many others you are a bit of a
vilification of renewable energy visionaries, debase progressive policy outcomes
wanker. Let not our brittle certainty lay in glittering shards on trampled earth
in favour of muppets mired in moribund myopia.
because of your disdain for anything you might regard as “establishment”. And don’t show up, if that’s how it’s going to be.
The people of some of the smaller Pacific island nations are drowning, not waving, folks!
And to you, dear reader: If you agree that current trending means we’re headed in a dystopian direction we might, perhaps, consider outsourcing policy
To quote myself . . . without recourse to the blessing of Kurt Vonnegut or,
approvals, not to our elected or unelected representatives but to the Swedish
indeed, Bob Dylan (published in fuller form in a previous Yak):
Academy, The International Court of Justice, or even the UN that, in and of themselves (however imperfectly), seem to grasp how things can work in a
Fear keeps you here / militates meretriciously in movement of mind and body /
world where the driving force for all is fairness, equity, access, rational inquiry
in private places you are wont to visit / in your timidity / in your lack of tolerance
and careful conservation of dignity and integrity.
/ in your totalitarian tripping of the switches that terminate lives, dreams, desires
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oral pleasures
Byron Bay and Bali - spiritual twin sisters in a world of fashionable food.
City dropouts long ago created a type of utopia in Byron Bay with farms that became biodynamic and a population that cared about the provenance of food. Then came kombucha, kaffir lime and the super subversive man bun. Sound familiar? Bali, it seems, has been developing as kind of spiritual twin sister of Byron Bay. Just take a look at Canggu. Byron native Pablo Fourcard’s Watercress Café in Batu Belig opened in 2013 to purvey delicious, healthy foods that are both local and sustainable for the earth. Success was instant and quickly fathered Milk & Madu in Berawa, Watercress Ubud and the new Bangkok Hustle Thai joint and Schmurger – concept stalls at Berawa’s night market. Pablo’s elan was perhaps moulded during his idyllic bohemian childhood, growing up surrounded by nature and beauty, alternating life between France, Bali and Byron Bay before finally embedding in Bali. “When I finished my studies in Byron I travelled the world’” said Pablo, “but when I returned to Bali I knew I was home. I knew this was the place that I wanted to settle down and raise a family. It’s the smell of the monsoon rain, the incense in the offerings and the genuine interaction with the locals.” Pablo believes both Bali and Byron have a shared history of being publicly outed as awesome destinations by a stream of adventurous surfers and wandering hippies. “Both places promise a kind of alternative lifestyle,” he said. “Travellers visit Byron and Bali for that sense of spirituality and community with visitors and locals enjoying life together. Though a certain gentrification has taken place, both Bali and Byron maintain a fine thread to the past and still have a whisper of that old promise. Every single expat who lives in Bali has chosen to live here and that’s a powerful thing. They are artists, musicians and creators that have found a place that allows them to manifest their dreams,” he says. As his café empire flourished, Pablo bumped into an old Byron friend Jordie Strybos, who was honeymooning here. The two created a
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business called Good Food Brotherhood. “My family had recently sold our business Byron Bay Gourmet Pies and Pablo knew that I had a few dollars in my pocket, so he grabbed me while I was on my honeymoon,” says Jordie. It seemed a good match given that Byron Bay Gourmet Pies not only sold the usual steak and mushroom combo, the chain had branched out into vegan products, gluten free and pastry made of ancient grains. “It seemed right to pack up and move to Bali,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier to be here with my young family, great friends and a buzzing business.” Pablo sees the cafes as creative hubs where ideas are birthed and developed. “We look at how we can do good for the community. The cafes provide an out for change and prosperity, the Byron Bay way,” he said. In 2017 Good Food Brotherhood will open another Milk & Madu in Ubud in collaboration with the Ubud royal family as well as Ulekan, which is an island campur cum Byron Bay café concept for Berawa. They’re also launching a Watercress menu on the luxury charter boat Rascal, plus opening a secret location warung. In 2018 the team plans to start a cold pressed juice company called Impressed. The group also has Love Child – a style pad offering chic gear from interesting city brands. Enter Byron born and bred Executive Chef Josh Job – who has been dipping in and out of Bali for years and has worked at Nusa Lembongan’s Sandy Bay Beach Club as well as Kokomo Resort and Beachhouse on Gili Trawangan. “Working with the boys is excellent,” Josh said, “as we are all on the same page when it comes to offering truly high quality, fresh and clean foods that are healthy and great to eat. We make food that people really love. The cafes are not just eating places, they are busy hubs and a part of the local community.” Pablo couldn’t be happier with his new charge. “When Joshy came
Clockwise from top left: Saigon Street’s Morgana Reid (photo: dasha); Veda, Batu Bolong (photo: Lucky 8); Ben Cross, Ku De Ta; wild and wonderful at Savage Kitchen.
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oral pleasures Clockwise from top left: Brothers in food Jordie and Pablo; other photos by lucky 8. paddock to plate at Veda Cafe; fruit crush and homey interiors at Watercress; Nic Lazzaroni’s creations at Settimo Cielo.
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along everything just clicked,” he said. “We get each other and speak the same language in terms of what we are trying to achieve.” At the top of the Byron Bay cooking cartel is the main man of highend culinary offerings at Bali’s one and only Ku De Ta – Executive Chef Ben Cross. He’s the man behind the important collaboration with a host of international chefs called the Culinary Collective at the beach club’s fine dining and experimental kitchen laboratory Mejekawi. Ben, who gets as amped in the kitchen as he does on a long lefthander at Old Man’s, jumped into his culinary career at the famous Rae’s on Wategos in Byron Bay. He has travelled the world since then and has pounded the pans in three-Michelin-starred Can Fabes in Spain along with Tom Colicchio’s Craft in New York. Interestingly, Vinnie Rae, who started Rae’s at Wategos, which he sold it in 1993 – is a partner in Petitenget bar and restaurant Shanghai Baby. “I’ve been in Bali for nine years and am not even remotely thinking of leaving,” said Ben. “Bali and Byron offer similar environments. It’s surf, sun and no winter and what’s not to love about those drawcards?” While the star chef cannot imagine leaving the island any time soon he does flirt with the idea of settling down in his hometown. “I can see myself going back to live in Australia at some stage. Sydney is not really liveable anymore so Byron would definitely be the place to go. It would be great just to have a pile of money, to not have to work and go back to Byron and surf and set up a business,” he said. Saigon Street’s general manager Morgana Reid is a Byron thoroughbred and still calls the cape town home. “Byron Bay is a very open minded, freethinking community that’s highly accepting of people who live a life differently from the main stream, which is pretty true of Bali. In Byron hippies living in tepees are neighbours to conservative farmers – and it works,” she says. Morgana started her hospitality career at the iconic Beach Hotel in Byron Bay, which was then owned by film producer John Cornell. She went on to live the dream in Sydney but returned to Byron after having her first baby. Then she had another one and as a single mum and turned up in Seminyak for a six-month chill. Businessman Andrew McLatchie spotted her skill set as rare and gave her a job. Morgana then went on to work at legendry restaurant Sarong but really cut her hospitality teeth over five years at Cocoon Beach Club before she took on the launch and management of Saigon Street, which is owned by Aki Kotzamichalis of Ku De Ta fame. “I came here for six months and eight years later I’m still here,” said Morgana. “The kids love it and I have the best friends here that anyone could be lucky enough to have. Bali is a special place and so is Byron, which is considered sacred by indigenous people. While I like to think that the bright lights of New York City will be my next stop in all reality cities are awful. If I ever leave Bali, I would go straight back to Byron Bay,” she said. Top Italian Chef Nicolas Lazzaroni was born in Casino, which is about 80 kms from Byron – virtually local in terms of that vast brown land. He
honed his skills at Byron Bay’s Oriental Express and its sister French/Italo fine dining restaurant Bayside Bar and Grill. Chef Nic moved to Bali when he was 21 years old to oversee the renovation and launch of Bridges in Ubud. “We have a real Byron vibe in Bali,” he points out. “When I was young I worked hard in Byron and probably went to the beach six times. I was mainly in the kitchen. The Ubud years were similar to Byron in that I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. The reality is that it can be hard to tell the difference between Ubud and Byron. “Bali is a special place for me and has presented opportunities that I would never have had anywhere else. It’s been great for my career. I would not consider ever moving back to Byron, or Australia for that matter,” he says. Nic went on to launch Seminyak’s gorgeous rustic Italian diner Settimo Cielo and he is now preparing to open his own venture in Jimbaran Bay. Opia Dining Destination is a big scale establishment that will offer Asian share plates and a view that is pure northern New South Wales with cliffs, a vast blue ocean and golden crescent beaches. Among Canggu’s newest cafés is Veda in Batu Bolong – the first venture of Byron Bay locals Amanda and Sage Wieland. This pretty diner showcases the skills that Amanda and Sage have collected during their combined 45 years in Byron. Amanda tends the courtyard gardens with the love that she lavished on her permaculture work in the Byron hills, while Sage built the front café as an extension to the traditional Balinese compound in which the café is located. The beautiful result of their labour includes a stunning stained glass window, a gold metal carving and the rustic beam work. Dedicated to artisanal produce, the Wielands make their own fermented foods including sauerkraut, kaffir and kombucha as well as sauces and sambals. The menu is as organic as possible with an ethos of paddock-to-plate. Amanda and Sage are long-time friends with a clutch of Byron boys including Jordie and Pablo, Josh Davies from Savage Kitchen and Jonathan Russell from Green Ginger and The Elephant in Ubud. “Without these people from Byron Bay our path would have been much harder,” said Sage. “They are generous in making introductions from suppliers to staff. Without these friends I don’t think we would have even considered creating this café,” she said. Josh Davies is the Byronian behind Berawa’s The Savage Kitchen and the executive chef of Chosen Experiences, an outfit that offers exclusive retreats worldwide that focus on wellness through fitness, nutrition and mindfulness. Josh is as passionate about surfing as he is CrossFit and food, so Byron is an ideal second home to his Bali base. Maybe Lord Byron was referring to some deep spiritual connection between these two sacred places that he could never have possibly known about in 1810: ‘Happiness was born a twin.’
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oral pleasures
blue is the colour.
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sara douglas joins the capri set at the hottest joint in town, da maria.
The pizzas kept coming, blackened crusts with molten cheese and myriad toppings. A whole porchetta danced over the coals, salivating into the open fire, while two bars kept pace with a massive crowd of well-heeled guests at the opening of Bali’s latest destination dining experience, Da Maria. These guys know how to throw a party. It was never going to be anything but fabulous. When the man behind one of Sydney’s most iconic restaurants, Icebergs, meets Motel Mexicola’s dynamo team, the buzz could be heard well beyond Seminyak. When these guys go large, the roar is enormous. The opening party alone was two hours of dazzling pizza action and a bar handing over artisan cocktails à la Capri to well over 500 first nighters. And so it began. With modernistic retro interiors crafted by Roman interior designer, Lazzarini Pickering, a menu inspired by Maurice Terzini’s Italian heritage and the full force of the Motel Mexicola team behind them, Da Maria is officially a sensation. To top it all off, ex-Sydney chef, Londoner Steven Skelley, has stepped up as Executive Chef and really there is not much that could go wrong. Against a swirling sea of blue and white stripes offset with brilliant yellow, deep banquettes and delicate wrought iron furniture, the smart looking chefs ply their trade in an open kitchen that spans the length of the dining room. A bar at the front captures the mood from the start while a sweet courtyard out the back has a twinkling fountain and a second bar. The mix of modern, Italian classics is sexy and skillful yet still rustic in simplicity. Commencing with a range of Assagini (small bites) to tempt, one can imagine an operatic soundtrack, but not here, disco rules and somehow it fits. Chef Steven Skelley has had a big year, or more. Landing in Bali to take on seafood restaurant Urchin, Steven thought it would give him a chance to take a breather after a long stint at one of Sydney’s most loved restaurants, Pier in Rose Bay. “Yep, the plan was to take things a little easier, spend time with my wife and young son and eventually put Urchin on the international map.” Well, best laid plans and all. Steven was lured away by Mexicola’s Adrian Reed with plans to step up the menu at the Motel and launch three new destination restaurants. Not all at once of course, but things are moving fast. Meanwhile his own ambitions to open a sourdough bakery, Farine, came to fruition. One could (well, I could), write an entire story on the beautiful bubble-crusted bread, the divine doughnuts and brioche, croissant and more on display at Farine, but that will have to wait. As the Da Maria project got the go ahead, Steven was dividing his time between the bakery, the full speed ahead Motel Mexicola and overseeing the kitchen at Da Maria. “It’s not what I expected but I wouldn’t change a thing, it’s mad but it’s great,” he says. His mornings now start at the bakery, where bubbling loaves of artisan sourdough loaves have the Canggu set in raptures, before heading off to Motel Mexicola to check the prep and the specials for the night before fronting up at Da Maria for service. “There’s a little bit of pressure,” he laughs. Once again he’s slipping into a steep learning curve. With two native Napoli pizzaiolos working the lava stone ovens and turning out brilliant pizzas on 24-hour fermented dough, he’s catching up real quick.
“These guys are just brilliant, what they do with dough is insane, they take it to the next level,” he laughs. They also make for great eye candy. Da Maria’s menu is choreographed by Maurice Terzini, who now has a string of restaurants and pubs across Sydney. The menu is short but rich with large and small options but it’s hard to go past the pizzas, which literally take 90 seconds from topping to bubbling, blackened temples of temptation. Priced from Rp90,000, it’s no wonder the crowds are streaming in. Conscious that many guests will order pizza, the main dishes are sized and priced to please. If you can drag your gaze away from the pizza area, (be still my beating heart), the menu moves on to Assagini (small bites). There are some classics and some fresh takes here that are hard to resist: take the fresh sardines, crumbed with hints of lemon, orange and almond and drizzled with EVO; the baby octopus crisped and served over overnight beans with red wine vinegar and pasley; wood-roasted beetroot dressed with shaved ricotta salata and julienned radichio, playing sweet, salty and bitter to great effect; and a crudo menu that is simply delicious. Arrosticini is also on the list; baby skewers of tender lamb roasted over the fire and served with lemon, rosemary and salt. Each of the Asagini items offers 5 pieces for Rp60,000 which isn’t too bad at all. La Panarda is a plate that is based on traditional family feasts and although its been pared back a bit, it is still a feast. A selection of starters and crudo is followed by the little lamb skewers, followed up with pizza, porchetta and salad, and a refreshing finish of fresh watermelon. At Rp250 per head, you’ll get a pretty good taste of Da Maria with this. There is a small raw menu and four mains that look delicious; four pastas, including one that is playing over in my mind, a braised beef shin sauce laid over pacheri and dressed with parmesan, it’s on my list! The pasta is imported from Italy, most of the ingredients come from Australia or are sourced locally. And the porchetta! That beast of pure pork pleasure, roasted over coals for long hours, laid to rest and then served traditionally with a bit of focaccia to wipe through the juices, that has to be for another visit. I’m making space for this despite assurances that it is light and beautiful. Waiters bustle here, they don’t linger longer than necessary, the bar staff are set up to go before the doors open, dressed in variations of Maurice’s clothing line, Ten Pieces. The drinks are retro and artisanal with Campari and Aperol cocktails leading the way but plenty of herb-infused spirits to mix are on the menu and afters come in the shape of home-made coffee tequila and limoncello. And the beat goes on. It’s a party waiting to happen, every night. Late night pizza+disco+bar equals happiness to a jaded crowd who are spoiled for choice. Mostly though, it’s hard to deny Da Maria’s freshness, its vitality and those pizzas, dream on baby. www.damariabali.com
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oral pleasures
When it comes to creating an epic new restaurant, the team at Potato Head know a thing or two ‌ particularly when it concerns local flavours. Ondy Sweeting goes ethnic fine dining.
Explore Indonesia through Kaum’s sambal selection.
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Kaum is a stellar addition to Bali‘s culinary scene as Potato Head’s exploration of tribal foods.
much of Kaum’s menu, including salt from the North Bali seaside village of Amed, which is highly mineralised.
If you fancy something unforgettable begin in a traditional holiday position of sitting on a deck watching the sun sink into the ocean, listening to smooth tunes and rolling waves while sipping an Indo 75 – Potato Head’s version of a French 75 – with lemongrass infused gin, lemon juice, mint and sparkling wine. Then enter Kaum – a realm of contemporary style with clean lines, square tables with comfortable chairs surrounding a long timber shared table that is at the centre of this buzzing dining room.
“It’s amazing how many recipes develop over time to become cures for a range of conditions. Herbs are widely used as medicine in traditional cultures and so they are in our foods too,” he says.
Kaum loosely translates as ‘clan’ from Bahasa Indonesia and the menu is tribal fare extrapolated to high-end dining and a collaboration between PTT Family creator Ronald Akili, chef Antoine Audran – a long term expat native to France – and famed Indonesian culinary activist Lisa Virgiano. The menu is an exercise in the anthropology of Indonesia’s vast archipelago, which has more than 17,000 islands, according to the CIA World Factbook. Chef Antoine and Kaum brand Ambassador Lisa Virgiano trekked to remote areas to unearth unusual dishes and flavours that are largely unknown outside of the indigenous region. Virgiano cares little for flavours and textures but is fixated on the origin of foods and ingredients. This is the woman behind Jakarta’s Underground Secret Dining where native Indonesian cuisine is served at evenings in cemeteries and ancient buildings. Happily Chef Antoine is in charge of the menu that offers a rare insight into the extraordinary flavours of Indonesia and is supported by a fabulous team of well-educated wait staff who are friendly and fast. Begin with the Goho Ikan Tuna, which is from the Maluku region near West Papua. The delicate flavour of the fish is enhanced with a marinade of coconut oil, citrusy calamansi and fresh belimbi, part of the star fruit family. This is topped with crunchy almond-like kenari nuts and a sprinkle of ginseng leaves. Such a combination of acid over soft fish puts this dish at the front of the feast since the fine flavours are easily doused by the pungent herbs and spices of curried sambals. Then indulge in the Gulai Udang Aceh – slow-cooked prawn tails in a lush traditional curry flavoured with okra and subtle plantain from Aceh in northern Sumatra. These dishes are not only taste bombs of complexity they are also packed with medicinal plants. The Ikan Lele Sambal Tangkil – pan-fried catfish fillet in spicy green chilli – features a melinjo relish. Melinjo leaves are an antioxidant super food that reportedly helps alleviate anaemia and some eye problems.
Another standout both medically and taste wise is Bobor Daun Kelor Kelapa Muda – moringa leaves and snake gourd stewed in coconut milk and served in the shell. Moringa is used as a treatment to reduce swelling and to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney stones and asthma. As a dish is has refined flavours that are exquisitely tropical and balmy. The yellow rice is spiced with turmeric, which is now considered to be the world’s most powerful plant for fighting disease, and cooked in coconut milk. It’s ethereal. Explore Indonesia through Kaum’s sambal selection of five unique sauces. Sambal Rica Rica is crafted from lemongrass, red chilli, ginger and lime juice and showcases fresh flavours, while the Sambal Ikan Teri Bakar is sharp and salty from whitebait and spiced with red chilli relish. The Sambal Matah – a personal favourite – is the perfect melange of shallot, lemongrass, torch ginger, coconut oil salsa and red bird’s eye chilli that puts the heat on. The black Sambal Kluwak was more refined than its liquorice-like appearance would suggest. Kaum’s approach is certainly different to the recent trend of swank Indonesian diners with Chef Antoine and Lisa working with hand-picked tribes from 600 indigenous groups. Virgiano studied food’s relationship to Western culture as well as the philosophy of rendang while Chef Antoine trekked to Toraja to learn how to make dishes that are wrapped in banana leaf and grilled inside bamboo. Balinese offerings are far from common with the delicious Sate Bentel Dengan Acar Rujak being a multi sensory experience of fat lamb hewn into a sausage then skewered and grilled as a sate. The spices perfectly compliment the richness of the lamb. The dessert list is interesting and delivered an exceptional Klappertaart that acknowledges Indonesia’s Dutch colonial past. This heady ovenbaked coconut bread pudding is caramelised on top and packed with plump rum-soaked raisins, lightly dressed in chocolate meringue and served with coconut sorbet. While Kaum has an impressive wine list and some cracking cocktails, the menu sang a pink song and the French Lavau Tavel Rose GrenacheCinsault-Syrah was unquestionably perfect for the diversity of flavours. www.kaum.com
In fact, Chef Antoine loves to honour the medicinal herbs that appear on
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oink.
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oral pleasures
the naughty nuri’s legend continues its homage to founder brian aldinger with the opening of a new spot in seminyak that pushes all the right buttons. words: stephanie mee. photos: lucky 8.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that turn out to be the most legendary. This was certainly the case for Brian Aldinger and his wife Nuri when they opened a humble warung on the side of the road in Sanggingan, Ubud, in 1995. Their aim was to serve simple dishes and drinks to wandering backpackers, but what they ended up with was Bali’s most iconic BBQ institution lauded in The New York Times, frequented by visiting celebrities, and recreated all over Southeast Asia in franchise form. Naughty Nuri’s Seminyak is the most recent incarnation of the warung, and while they stay true to the original recipes for Nuri’s killer ribs, twisted martinis and laid-back vibes, they’ve also got a few new tricks up their sleeve. No story about Nuri’s can begin without paying homage to Brian, the magnetic personality who made the original warung what it was. Holding fort at his bench overlooking the street, Brian would welcome expats, locals and tourists of all sorts – often pulling people in straight off the street – to join him for good food, bucketloads of drinks and great convo that would range from philosophical musings to ribald rhetoric all in one sitting. Sadly Brian is no longer with us, but his inclusionary spirit still prevails at Nuri’s and its branches. Seminyak may seem like the antithesis of Ubud and perhaps an odd location to carry on Brian and Nuri’s easy-going vision, but as you pull up to Naughty Nuri’s Seminyak and glimpse inside, the rustic tin roof, wooden bench tables and aroma of smoky grilled meat wafting through the air are definitely reminiscent of the original. And much like the original locale back in the day, you will most likely be greeted by a charismatic character who will welcome you into the fold. In our case it was the effervescent and entertaining manager Debbie. Debbie immediately offers us a cocktail, but we decide to forgo a few of Nuri’s killer martinis, even though they were deemed the best martinis outside of New York City by celebrity chef, food writer and TV travel show host Anthony Bourdain. For those who haven’t tried them, these monster libations come in 125ml pours of pure legitimate-label-only booze. One will get the conversation flowing, two will have you wobbling, and three will get your name carved onto ‘Nuri’s Wall of Fame’. We opt for a few civilised lime margaritas instead. It is lunchtime after all. As the servers shake up our margaritas tableside and pour them into massive glass bowls on stems, Debbie fills us in on the Nuri’s Seminyak story. The four franchise partners decided to stick with the original BBQ shack concept and add a few modern touches like a sun-dappled stone garden filled with pink piggie statues of all sizes, and a wide variety of seating like high-top chairs at the bar and a counter overlooking the street, long wooden tables with benches, and intimate four-seaters. Worthy of a mention are also the gorgeous washrooms with cool air-conditioning and pristine fixtures. Prior to opening in August, the Nuri’s team was working closely with Nuri’s sister to learn how to recreate the famous BBQ ribs that put Nuri’s on the map, as well as classics like the Grilled Pork Chop (helping to save millions of innocent plants killed by
vegetarians every day), the Filet Mignon, Sausages (your choice of Spanish chorizo or German bratwurst) and the Grilled Chicken. While these recipes stay the same, Debbie reveals that they do have their own supplier for the steaks and sausages, which come straight from Australia. The Seminyak team also cooked up a few new creations like the Pork Fun Buns with slow-cooked pork slathered in Asian BBQ sauce and piled high on a soft brioche bun, the Nuri’s Fish Wings, crispy golden triangles of tender Barramundi with the fins intact, and the Umpa Lumpa Shake, the ultimate Instagrammable treat of a creamy chocolate milkshake drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream, brownie chunks, pretzels and a toasted marshmallow. Of course we have to go for the ribs, and they come just like we remember them from the original Ubud spot with tender, falling-off-the-bone meat kissed with hints of charcoal, Balinese spices and Nuri’s signature tangy sauce. Squeeze some lime over top, dig in with your hands, and we can pretty much guarantee you’ll lick every finger clean. Like your ribs a bit more fiery? Ask for their tear-jerkingly spicy extra pedas sambal. At Debbie’s recommendation we also go for the Double Whammy Cheeseburger with two juicy patties stacked on one another, smothered in melted cheddar cheese and topped with just enough pickles and lettuce to add a bit of greenery and crunch. For sides we go for the Coleslaw with a creamy guilt-free cashew dressing, the Mixed Bag of Fries with crinkle-cut, straight and wedge fries, and the Pork Poppers, succulent balls of minced pork with a smoky dipping sauce. FYI – Nuri’s BBQ sauce tastes amazing on pretty much everything on the menu. Much like in the old days at Nuri’s, our meal segues into more drinks and freeflowing conversation, and we find ourselves hours later suitably sated, a little bit tipsy and surrounded by a slew of new friends. While we definitely suggest coming here to get your rib fix, we also recommend allocating a few hours to linger over martinis or margaritas and chat with the amiable staff and ever-rotating crew of new and regular patrons. After all, we’re pretty sure that’s just the way Brian would have wanted it. www.naughtynurisseminyak.com
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oral pleasures
dugong shining Dugong shines as a study in luxurious sustainability at the heart of an extraordinary retreat overlooking the waves of Padang Padang beach. Ondy Sweeting probes the possibilities. Be sure to arrive before sunset as the sunrays disappear over the Padang Padang limestone cliffs. The lounge inside this bamboo architectural masterpiece does a particularly fine sunset in cool comfort as it captures a gentle sea breeze. A Jurang cocktail and a cool towel is the perfect pick-me-up while taking in the vast wide view. As darkness creeps in the neon blue lights turn the long pool into a contemporary artwork against the night sky. Before launching into Dugong’ culinary delights, it must be told that Suarga is a unique labour of love and bold dedication to superb environmental practices. Immense tree trunks are used to support walls over the two level villas. Abandoned pontoons, broken down houses, factory floors and other sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council were taken apart and shipped to Bali to craft this impressive project. The beautiful stone walls were not quarried from pits but hand picked and collected from indigenous villagers in the hills of the Sumba Island. In fact, many local Sumba people work onsite to ensure the perfection of every piece of stone and in an effort to gift these people with skills and experience that can be gained from working in Bali. Suarga feels like it has organically grown from the ground and been beautifully endowed with a rare luxury. On the rooftops lie banks of solar panels and low energy use technology rules internal systems. At Suarga the concept has to shine through all operational levels and activities. Then there is the food. The menu reads a tad tame on paper but be prepared to amaze your mouth. The sustainability philosophy rules this kitchen where all produce is sourced within a 50-kilometre radius – with only few exceptions such as specific plant oils and wine. Chicken eggs are from local farmers on the Bukit, which are often sourced through charities. As befits this aquatic location on the Padang Padang cliff, Dugong – named for the 106
wonderful though endangered lumbering and lovely marine mammal – has a menu brimming with the fruits of the sea including house pickled sardines, which sound rather Nordic, tender tuna Carpaccio and a delightfully sweet tuna tartare. The range of choices including a fresh green vegetable gazpacho or delicious grilled baby corn will elate vegetarians. The smoked Gindara fish with a spicy rujak was melt in the mouth soft with a fiery punch of the rujak – or Indonesian pickles – is softened by the fresh herbs. The tartare of white fish was beautifully balanced by tart acidic sweetness of pineapple revealing a freshness and simplicity that is often hard to achieve. For lovers of curry, the green fish curry is an opulent rendering of that globally adored Thai favourite comfort food with sumptuous chunks of delicate fish in a thick and creamy sauce that is packed with Asian green herbs and spice and topped with fresh red tomatoes and crisp coriander. This is served with a bowl of perfectly steamed red and white rice from Bali’s traditionally terraced farmlands. Another standout dish is the sautéed Barramundi that has been developed specifically for a western palate that is not overly enamoured by the flavours of Asia. Produced on a heavenly bed of mashed peas and exquisite vegetables that have just the faintest touch of Indonesian ingredients, this is a fine dish of complementary flavours. It is easy to linger for a long time sipping cocktails or something from the wine list while enjoying the amazing architecture and relaxed ambience of Suarga. Dugong is a chic restaurant where the casual code obscures the true fine dining nature. It is unlikely that it will remain a ‘sleeper’ among Bali’s culinary crowd visitors for very long. www.suargapadangpadang.com
The new level of service and style at your own terms. Featuring contemporary Balinese design interior which allows romantic couples to experience a secluded romantic retreat.
Jalan Pratama 168, Tanjung Benoa, Bali 80363 Indonesia, For reservations call +62 361 778 788 or Toll Free 0800-140-1147 Reservations@ConradBali.com or visit ConradBali.com
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oral pleasures With a history steeped in divine dishes and warm hospitality, the food of Lebanon arrives in Bali on a floating cushion of love, light and luxurious comfort, writes sarah douglas. photo: lucky 8.
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Located above street level in a building designed to house a chic new apartment complex with guest rooms, studios and a roof terrace, Al Diwan is a very personal statement and one gets the feeling it’s a trip down memory lane for owner Amed, a long-time Bali expat. “I left Lebanon when I was six, grew up in Africa and then moved to France,” he says. “In Paris there are hundreds of Lebanese restaurants. My favourite is located opposite the George V Hotel and this restaurant is named after it. It was my favourite because the food they served was in the style of Southern Lebanon, where the spices are a bit stronger, the perfume is more potent,’ he explains. Al Diwan’s décor is bordering on the surreal. Part luxurious living room in a well-appointed Arab home, part VIP airport lounge. Decorated with lush velvets, sparkling curtains, cut glass, mirrors and floating fabric-covered wall details. With windows looking over the street scene in Petitenget and across to the W Resort, it floats above the busy street below. The food is where the story comes together. With a Lebanese chef, spices imported from the Middle-East and a host of house-made delicacies, from the yoghurt and labne, to the dips and the spectacular falafel to the Lebanese breads, each bite tastes wonderfully authentic. Reading through the menu transports you immediately to a more exotic place. For the novice it can be quite a mouthful but thankfully the translations are beneath. Try wrapping your mouth around ‘moutabal batinjan’ (smoked eggplant dip), ‘warak enab bezit’(grape leaves stuffed with rice), or ‘juwaneh bel kozbara’ (chicken wings baked with garlic and lemon juice). It’s like meandering around a culinary kazbah. A smoke and mirrors bar is located at the front (although this is a non-smoking restaurant, owing to the air-conditioned confines, however there’s a smoking area outside the door). Slipping in for a quiet one seems entirely appropriate. To sample a few dishes, we ordered Lebanese style with a mixed mezza to start. The array of dishes included some balila, batata harra, falafel, rakayik jeben and fatayer sabanik. What actually appeared was beautiful small plates loaded with garlicky chickpeas dressed in olive oil; little pastries stuffed with spinach and scented cheese cigars; the
most spectacular falafel I’ve possibly ever eaten, fresh and crisp on the outside and soft and scented inside, with a tahini dip; and potatoes roasted with garlic and lemon. A fatoush salad was served alongside. The Lebanese love their vegetables and Amed explains that fresh produce is delivered every morning and remains untouched, washed or cut until the order arrives. The vibrancy of the vegetables is in evidence here and the fatoush salad was crisp, bright and flavoured with fresh herbs with crisp croutons on top. Delicious. We then went the meat lane with a mixed grill platter, also very traditional. The scent of the garlicky grill is irresistible and the grill for one was plenty for two of us. Lamb is served as kebabs, lahme mishweyeh, and minced lamb on skewers, kafta, alongside a chicken shish tawouk, or kebabs. All served with a parsley and onion salad and a garlic dipping sauce. The meat was flavourful, slightly charred with the perfume of souks and sidewalk grills. A little chat with the Lebanese-born chef, Hassan (we spent a little time learning to pronounce it), is a glimpse of the passion project here as he explains how many of the recipes originated in his grandmother’s kitchen. My dining partner went mad for the pickled turnips, which Hassan explains he pickles by the kilo, together with his beetroot. Who knew those little pink battons could inspire such rapture? Settling in to our extravagant velvet-covered armchairs to have a chat with Amed and linger over memories of Lebanon, the world and Middle Eastern food was a chance to further indulge in the colours and flavours of the region. The meal ends with two beautiful hot pillows of fried goodness filled with sweetened cheese, slathered with pistachios, rosewater and honey. A fireworks display at W filled our view and the low lights and Arab music encouraged us to linger in this exotic bubble for a little while longer. Al Diwan is an experience that immerses you in the culture as well as the traditions of a proud country whose culinary influence can be felt in many of the world’s capitols, and now right here in the heart of Seminyak. www.aldiwanbali.com
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big six
We all have friends who want to mix it up. Sarah Douglas visits six vegan friendly cafes sure to keep everyone happy.
Watercress and Milk & Madu They come in all shapes and sizes, ages too; from the yogis and the fashionistas to the yummy mummies and the grass-fed ordinary folks. Watercress and its sibling Milk & Madu have a slap up menu for vegans, vegetarians and the hungry mortal. Wash it down with a flavoured kombucha, an almond milk smoothie, a garden-inspired cocktail or a soothing glass of wine. Watercress is most famous for their legendary salad bar which keeps everyone in tip top shape but if you’re having a weak moment, or dining out with a carnivore, the burgers are every bit as delicious. Milk & Madu churns out a mean wood-fired pizza alongside their outposts of Nalu bowls and endless cups of Revolver coffee. Breakfasts are as saintly or sinful as you like and damn, they are all good. Best of all, there is no judgement here, eat as you like, the health-conscious will love it and so will your indulgent friends. The team who run the popular cafes love what they do and you can feel it in every bite, no matter what you order. Tel. 0 85102808030 www.watercressbali.com Yak Map N.3 Tel. 4081872 www.milkandmadu.com Yak Map N.1
great selection of teas, alongside wine and beer. It’s all about balance, and they have it in spades at both of these Instagram-worthy cafes. Tel. 085100161907 www.elephantbali.com/green-ginger Yak Map O.1
La Baracca An Italian pizzeria that puts vegans and the gluten intolerant on their main menu, it’s no surprise that they’ve opened a second with a third on the way. The only thing better than the pizzas is the warm welcome everyone receives and yes, the prices. Vegans go mad for the pizzas that come with vegan cheese and friendly toppings. There are also gluten-free pastas, lots of vegetarian friendly options and warm, friendly service, affordable imported wine by the glass and a welcoming atmosphere. They speak Italian here, they also speak health conscious comfort food, alongside the big, beautiful pizzas in every variation that pour forth from the wood-fired oven. Pastas, salads, appetisers, stylish pasta dishes and enough choice to please everyone, means you can bring the whole family, come with groups of friends or enjoy a quiet corner of La Baracca. That’s what it’s there for. Tel. 738373 (petitenget); 4715283 (canggu) www. labaraccabali.com Yak Map N.1/N.3
Peloton Peloton is a place where vegans can take their meat-eating friends and introduce them to a naughty but nice way of enjoying vegan-friendly food. The vibe is sunny and casual and they defy the staunchness that can sometimes be felt in health food-driven cafes. From pancakes to smoothie bowls laden with fruit and home-made granola, to a delicious range of salads and hot al a carte dishes to a range of temptations that will drive the sweet tooth mad, Peloton matches a vegan friendly menu with a good dose of fun. Think home-made candy bars, vegan-friendly iced lollies and a whole array of deeply, delicious vegan cakes and slices. Introduce your friends to something that is never stuffy, never boring, filled with vibrant colours and flavours and you may well have a convert on your hands. Tel. 085954131451 www.pelotonsupershop.com Yak Map O.1
The Elephant and Green Ginger Green Ginger Noodle House opened in Berawa, Canggu and quietly won over the neighborhood. It’s home-style vegetarian Asian dishes hit the spot for those who linger on the exotic but also want a comfortable place to hang out with their lap top or catch up with a friend in a sunny corner of the pretty garden. You can feel the love here in every bite and the staff are like a family, busy in the kitchen making Asian-style salads, carefully watching their laksas, grinding the spices for their noodle dishes and slicing up portions of home-made cakes and slices. The Elephant in Ubud was the next step for the owner of Green Ginger. The spectacular location overlooking a valley is only one of the reasons to visit the Elephant. The vegetarian and vegan friendly menu here is full of home-made goodness and attention to detail, from the wholesome breakfasts, lunches and dinners to happy cocktail hours, a delicious smoothie menu, a
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Wacko Burger The fact that you’re a vegan doesn’t mean you don’t crave a good burger and Wacko serves it your way. Available in completely vegan options, including the rolls, the veggie burgers are every bit as delicious as the meat and chicken versions. The staff is well versed in the ingredients in every menu item and can help to negotiate the pitfalls that vegetarians, vegans and the gluten-free can encounter with hidden ingredients. There is enough variety for everyone and they are completely at home with special orders and creating something everyone can happily enjoy without worry or fuss. Wacko Burgers is becoming famous for their cheeky yet casual menus, the funky interiors and the choice, this is have-it-your-way a la carte heaven. Tel. 082144010888 www.wackoburger.com Yak Map R.11
Locavore Much-loved, much-lauded, Locavore is the restaurant that foodies rave about. For the vegan who wants to dress it up, these guys have a way with vegetables that defies modern cooking. A full vegetarian degustation menu can easily be tailored for the vegan and you may never eat this well. Organic produce, much of it grown in their own garden, is transformed into jewel-like plates of flavour. A simple tomato becomes a broth you will write home about. Beets shine, stunning sourdough rolls, hot from the oven, are dressed with mango and coconut dipping sauce and course after creative course of stunning vegetablebased dishes roll out. Of course the menu also features local duck, lamb, homemade sausages and delicate dishes for the meat-friendly eater. The vegetables however always take centre stage at Locavore in ways you may never have imagined and will not soon forget. Tel. 977733 www.www.locavore.co.id
oral pleasures
THE tiki touch Azul Beach Club Bali has three levels of epicurean experiences, magic mixology and a funky island vibe aimed at Bali’s social and jet set elite. Ondy Sweeting slips in. photos: lucky 8.
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With a Tiki Bar offering inspired cocktails, a tropical aesthetic of sand white and azure blue, casual dining in a bamboo tree house with a more elegant dining scene on the ground, Azul seems to have it all. There is an infinity pool flanked by sun lounges and pods and a Jacuzzi that glows in the dark. Then there are the uninterrupted beach and Indian Ocean views. The only way to kick off an Azul evening is with a cocktail or two at the second level Tiki Bar. Order Island Nectar in an Easter Island-influenced vessel. This fresh and fruity mix is a secret recipe but hues of passionfruit and rum with a teeny tad of rucola are ever present. Creative spark is everywhere even among the non-stem stemware. A Golden Colada – made with the original Puerto Rican recipe – comes in a rose gold metal pineapple. Remove the top and perch the cup upon it. It’s fun and frivolous. The cocktails are supernacular. In fact just about everything Azul is both chilled and fizzing. Don’t expect elegant couture and high heels – do expect an awesome dining destination. Behind the pans is Chef Arief Wicaksono. He was Chef de Partie at the 2000 opening of Bali’s first beach club Ku De Ta. He then moved to a concept restaurant in Dubai’s Wafi Complex. Chef Arief returned to Bali as Chef de Cuisine at Spice restaurant in the Conrad Resort and Spa and later opened Karma Kandara. After another stint in Dubai, Chef Arief joined the legendary Metis as Executive Chef. He now aims to create a type of culinary revolution at Azul Beach Club with a captivating menu that draws from his extensive training, which is more than a little euro-centric. Think classic steak tartare with shaved Italian Grana Padano cheese or the sumptuous hand prepared lobster and crab tortellini served in a lush kaffir lime butter veloute. Ikura caviar bombs deliver deeply pleasurable salty blasts to lemongrass and coconut foam. Chef Arief dips into India with an impressive tandoori oven that produces a remarkable green tandoori chicken and coriander raita to go with the charcoal naan bread. Simple numbers like a sweet and citrusy snapper ceviche sprinkled with green chilli, coriander and soaked in lemongrass and lime granite and the Yellowfin tuna tartare with black tobiko and a creamy avocado guacamole are a strength that suits the location. Those with a taste for traditional Western food will adore the Salt Bush lamb shanks slow cooked in a Moroccan tangine with chunks of carrot, chickpeas, parsley and a rich meaty sauce. Perhaps roasted lamb loin with butternut pumpkin mash will satisfy the urge or maybe an Australian cut of rib-
eye steak with Cajun wedges and garlic herb butter will set a meat feast straight. Azul has five choices of wood fired pizza including a classic Napolitana with tomato, anchovies, capers and cheese through to a Tom Yum King Prawn pizza with green mango slaw and kaffir lime leaves. Those who want to explore local cuisine can opt for a crispy Balinese pork belly that has been cooked for 14 hours. Do not miss the Spanish churros for dessert. These are feather light and crunchy and dusted with cinnamon powder. Three dipping sauces are passionfruit, an opulent chocolate and a sublime salted caramel sauce. The chocolate chilli cake is a single portion of warm lava cake that produces only the faintest palate of chilli. It is served with house-made chocolate chilli ice cream and an elaborately decorated praline. Azul’s kitchen is clearly occupied by a committed chocophile. A tight wine list offers French and Italian choices of Sancerre, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese and a Pinot Noir by the glass, while wines from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the USA and Chile come by the bottle. It’s easy to secure a good wine without wading through pages of cellar stock. Already Azul has gained a reputation as a superb Sunday beach club destination for Bali’s expat influencers who arrive with family and friends to settle in for a day of eating from the barbeque and enjoying the expert mixology. Kids disappear into the pool or hang out at staff-led activities. Azul’s menu has been so carefully put together that it defies the casual ambience of the restaurant. Service is sharp and knowledgeable and the environment has a chilled beachside wow factor that only hard work, clear vision, and faultless taste can produce. Like everything about Azul Beach Club, the music has not been left to chance and rolls through cool island tunes to fabulous drumming in the Tiki bar and excellent live acts. Azul will easily secure a well-deserved place as a go-to dining destination where diverse tastes from across the globe are beautifully satisfied by Chef Arief’s menu of expertly executed dishes that have the flair that only comes with deep experience. Jump in. www.azulbali.com
beach club bliss at azul.
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taken not stirred
THe RUM renaissance rum is back and it’s hit the big time in tiki bars near you. tony stanton spoke to liquid creator sam jeveons about the rum revolution. photo: adi guna.
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Rum is back in the minds of bartenders. Even though the ubiquitous mojito and daiquiri never went entirely out of style, as a subconscious backlash to a decade of hard-to-find and strong drinking speakeasy trends, rum, in all its guises, is bringing the fun back into cocktails and driving a more laidback approach to a night out. As rums begin to differentiate themselves by their taste, style and geography, so rum cocktail trends in international markets have been simplified to showcase the best of the spirit. Rums have muscled in on classic whiskey drinks like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, making smooth, rich and delicious alternatives for the stiff classic drink. Pairing well with bitter flavours like coffee and Campari, rums have also made it on to modernist menus in Espresso Martinis and Negronis in cities throughout the world, offering an alternative to vodka and gin. Punches and sharing cocktails offer an inclusive night out for guests and although fun, have a serious historical pedigree as the cocktails of choice in the 18th and 19th centuries. All in it’s a renaissance for the pirate’s favourite tipple, and it’s led to an explosion of rum-centric bars in Bali. We spoke to Sam Jeveons, co-founder and liquid creator of Nusa Caña, the rum leading this new charge on the island, to get his perspective on our rum romance. Hi Sam. What’s behind this sudden surge in rum and Tiki, and how has Nusa Caña played a part? It’s all about bringing back the forgotten story of Indonesian rum. With an amazing local history, ancient techniques and unique production methods, Indonesian rum was once the toast of European bars and the imbibing world in centuries past, and for good reason. But this spirit and this story was all but lost to history. Our liquid philosophy at Nusa Caña has always been to create a stand-out Indonesian rum that would appeal to drinkers everywhere. The vibrant and rugged taste might appeal only to a niche consumer, but our vision is to bring this rum style and story to a world audience, so we set about blending the rum for today’s tastes. Blending the historic, with the familiar. We retained the heart and attitude of the Indonesian spirit profile – green young coconut, banana, dried spice, sugarcane – and blended out the harsher vegetal and agricole aspects found in traditional rums across Java. The result is a smooth white ‘Tropical Island’ flavour. What’s so unique about Indonesian rum? Every step of traditional Indonesian sugarcane rum is unique and imparts an unmistakable flavour. Sugarcane originated from Asia and specifically Indonesia. It was a hybrid strain of Indonesian sugarcane that cultivated the Caribbean and kick-started their sugar cane plantation and rum industries. Indonesia’s strain of ‘original’ robustum sugarcane is the starting point of our production. Molasses (the sticky residue and once unwanted by-product of sugar production), local water and red rice cake (beras merah) are fermented in wooden vats with local yeast. This creates a flavour packed liquid ‘wash’ of around 9% abv, ready for distilling.
The Chinese bought distilling techniques to Java in the 15th Century and their style of pot stills are still in use in Java today. The fermented molasses is distilled twice in these steel stills, giving a unique characterful rum of around 65% abv. The rum is then aged and rested in large teak wood vats. Our Caribbean cousins use a smaller sweeter and softer oak barrel to impart the aging characteristics. In contrast the much larger barrels of tight grained teak wood impart a drier flavour and retains the distillate’s straight up attitude and young vibrant taste. After aging the rum our final step is to blend it for today’s tastes and reduce the abv from 65% down to an easy drinking 37.5%. Where have you seen your rum used in cocktails here on Bali? In most recent bar crawls I’ve been lucky enough to come across some of Bali’s best bars and up-and-coming bartenders. Frestro provides Indonesian twists on serious classic cocktails, but also has a lighter tropical side and is shown in Ayip Dzuhri’s signature Nusa Caña cocktail. ‘Tales of Honje’ is served in a Tiki mug and combines Nusa Caña rum, Aperol, pineapple, vanilla, lime and Honje chutney in a refreshing mix of local ingredients. Helmut Roessler has gone all out in his rum inspired Tiki cocktail bar at Azul Beach Club, the first of its kind in Bali. Nusa Caña is featured in many of the bespoke tropical drinks but to get a sense of the fun and simplicity of his menu order the ‘Vacation In A Glass’. A citrus and spice interplay, Nusa Caña rum is shaken with dry orange curaçao, island fresh orange juice, lemon juice and local raw honey. Raka’s menu at Night Rooster in Ubud, the offshoot and sister to Locavore restaurant, takes local sourcing and ingredient sustainability to a new level. His recipe for ‘Pigs Share’ cocktail uses barrel-aged Nusa Caña, orange rind infused Nusa Caña (both done in-house), Pimms #1, tree-ripened Mango, passionfruit, raw mango infused honey and punchy home made ginger beer. The skins of the mango are recycled and fed to the pigs to sweeten their flavour for subsequent restaurant dishes. It’s delicious, thoughtful and uniquely local. At Baker Street Social, Oka in his dimly lit den serves up the ‘Island Kennedy’, a play on a Daiquiri, fabled as JFK’s favorite drink. Nusa Caña rum, spiced grape syrup, lime juice, coconut cream and coconut water produce a soft, sweet, tropical respite from the heat. Never to be outdone the Baker Street boys also serve Nusa Cañapes – rum and cocktail inspired savory snacks. The Potato Head family serve the ‘Tirta’ cocktail at the original Beach Club in Seminyak. Served in a hollowed out coconut shell and garnished with the island’s tropical flowers, the bartenders under Dre Masso’s leadership shake up Nusa Caña rum, fresh coconut and sugarcane juices with raw honey. Simple ingredients, effectively balanced to create a refreshing tropical island rum drink. We shall be sure to sample them all. Sam Jeveons, thanks for your time. My pleasure. See you at the bar! www.nusacana.com
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LIVE& DANGEROUS
stephanie mee goes in search of live music and finds nirvana in a plethora of places.
DEUS TEMPLE OF ENTHUSIASM You would think that Sunday would be a good day to wind down, especially in a laidback locale like the Gu, but over at the Temple of Enthusiasm it’s a whole different story. Sunday Sessions at Deus are all about getting down to live beats and jams with cold beers in hand amidst an eclectic crew of surf guys and gals, local luminaries and world wanderers from every corner of the globe. Good thing the space is big and breezy, because come 8pm the crowds start packing it in. Located in the middle of rice fields just a short drive from Echo Beach, Deus is so much more than just a sick bar and restaurant with kickass Sunday sessions. They’ve also got workshops on site where they create custom motorcycles and surfboards, a sweet shop where they sell said motorcycles and surfboards along with cool threads and bicycles, an art gallery showcasing local and international artists, and a retro style barbershop that attracts many a bloke of the bearded type. Much like their clientele, the food at Deus is a mash-up of global influences. Swing by in the morning and you can grab a California Breakfast Burrito, Chia Pudding or some energy balls along with your Deus Cold Drip Coffee. Throughout the day and into the evening the menu shifts to heartier fare like the Chorizo and Octopus Salad, Aussie Beef Tenderloin, or pizzas, paninis and burgers. For drinks, fresh juices and Bintangs are the norm, but they also have custom cocktails like the Lychee and Lemongrass Martini and their famous Bloody Deus. Come Sunday Deus’ live music sessions are definitely the place to be to catch some of Bali’s best bands, rockers from abroad and up-and-coming DJs. However, they also have tons of other events going on like Girls Night at the Temple on Thursdays when ladies drink for free between 8pm and 9pm, Wednesday Night at the Cinema when they play classic and cult flicks, and random parties celebrating everything from motocross events to surf comps and art exhibitions. www.id.deuscustoms.com RYOSHI HOUSE OF JAZZ Smooth saxophones, soulful blues and… sushi? It may not be the most conventional combination, but in Bali there really only is one place where you can hear live jazz on a regular basis, and that place is Ryoshi House of Jazz, which is also the flagship restaurant of Bali’s most popular sushi chain. Head to this Seminyak stalwart every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening and you’ll be treated to local and visiting talent throwing down everything from funk to African fusion, ska and soul. When Sagon Togasa came to Bali on holiday in 1984, he had no idea that the island would one day become his home and he the owner of a Japanese restaurant empire that would spread all over Bali and across to Lombok and Java. He opened the first Ryoshi on Jalan Raya Seminyak in 1993, and almost immediately people were flocking here for his authentic Japanese cuisine like sushi, tempura, and kushiyaki. Sagon had always had a passion for music, so he started up live jazz nights and they instantly took off as well. 120
Over the years some of Indonesia’s best musicians have graced the Ryoshi stage, and many return time after time to perform for packed houses again including Balawan, the Rio Sidik Quintet, Sandy Winarta and the Circle Band. They also have international guest musicians pop up on a regular basis like Afronesia and Jim Larkin, as well as cool East-meets-West ensembles like El Sambal who play a mix of Brazilian dance, samba, and jazz fusion. If you’re planning on getting into the groove at Ryoshi House of Jazz, we suggest heading out early to grab some dinner and snag a spot before all the good tables are taken. In fact, reservations are highly recommended if you want to be right up there close to the band. Once you’re sated with sushi, settle back with some sake or a glass of wine and let the good grooves roll on. www.ryoshibali.com SINGLE FIN Top points go to Single Fin for their spectacular location perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and the famous Uluwatu surf break. Their huge wooden balcony is the perfect spot to grab some cold ones and watch the sunset as bands and DJs jam in the background. As the skies darken and the stars start to come out, the bands and DJs pick up the pace and the crowds start moving and mingling. Ocean breezes? Check. Big fat beats? Check. Beautiful people getting down in a beautiful spot? Check and check. Single Fin started out as a humble surfer hangout brought to life by professional Balinese surfer Made Kasim and long-time Bali visitor Tai Graham. Their goal was to create a spot that was worthy of the iconic wave it overlooks, and it wasn’t long before word got out about this laid-back locale with stellar views, service and food. Now Single Fin is at the top of pretty much every Bali must-visit list for surfers and socialites alike. Open from 10am to 10pm daily (except on Wednesdays and Sundays when they rock on until midnight and 1am respectively), Single Fin has different vibes going on depending on what time you visit. During the day it’s all about sipping fresh juices and Revolver Coffee, snacking on salads and tacos, and watching surfers carve up perfect waves. Come late afternoon a steady stream of people start to trickle in, and by sunset the tables along the balcony are filled with folks throwing back Bintangs and digging into pizzas and pastas. By far the busiest nights at Single Fin are Wednesdays and Sundays when their acoustic jams go off. Best to get there early if you want to rock out Single Fin style, as the entire balcony fills up pretty fast and tables can be few and far between. For those who have the foresight to plan ahead, you can reserve tables on their website or by phoning it in. Keep in mind though that on Sundays they only book booths. www.singlefinbali.com THE ORCHARD BAR & RESTAURANT With super friendly staff, great English pub grub, and live music sessions several nights a week, it’s easy to see why The Orchard is becoming a firm favourite. On Tuesday,
Clockwise from top left: the orchad bar & restaurant; black shores; betelnut; ryoshi house of jazz; the orchad bar & restaurant; deus temple of enthusiasm.
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black shores.
Thursday and Saturday nights you can catch innovative musicians who kill it on the covers and also write and perform their own material, Many of the musicians you see on stage here have either already put out their own albums or are working towards that goal. The atmosphere at The Orchard is much like a neighbourhood pub with lots of brickwork, blackboards proclaiming the specials, and long wooden tables that encourage conversation and camaraderie. The bar is stocked with all your usual labelled spirits, and they have San Miguel, Guinness and Kilkenny on tap. Out back there is an open-air garden enclosed by brick walls, which is where the bands set up after dark. Every live music night is different at The Orchard with Everyday Folk on Tuesdays, Souled Out Thursdays, and the Marmalade Sessions going down on Saturdays. The resident performers are a mixed bag of Indonesian rockers and crooners including Aray Daulay, The Island Souls, Dee Dice and Sandrayati Fay. They also have special guests drop in all the time like Svara Samsara, Devildice, Rio Sidik and the Deep Sea Explorers. If you’re looking for an introduction into the local Balinese and Indonesian music scene, this is a great place to start. Although better known for its awesome live music nights, The Orchard is also a primo spot to dig into fab comfort food plates and tasty signature creations. In the morning they offer healthy fare like the Melon Bowl with cantaloupe, melon, cucumber and sunflower seeds tossed in cool and creamy yoghurt dressing with mint, and for lunch or dinner you can tuck into dishes like the Bangers & Mash, Chicken Kiev or Fish & Chips. Their Sunday Roast also gets raves reviews. www.facebook.com/TheOrchardBali BETELNUT Located in the heart of Ubud across from Puri Lukisan Museum, BetelNut is a unique two-storey venue that is part noodle and satay bar, part garden courtyard 122
cocktail spot, and an event space for live music and the arts. Every month they host hip happenings like album launches for local Indonesian musicians, film screenings of indie documentaries, comedy shows, poetry slams and more. If a popular performer happens to swing by Ubud, chances are they’ll be featured on the BetelNut roster. Despite its ample square footage, BetelNut is one of those places that you might miss driving along Ubud’s busy main road, as the building is actually set back from the road behind their shady courtyard dotted with palm trees and surrounded by boutique shops. However, once you find the door and step inside, you’ll find a roomy interior decked out in natural materials like bamboo, huge tree roots, and recycled coconut wood furniture, as well as huge black and white images of Bali circa 1900 adorning the walls. If you’re dining, we suggest sitting outside at one of the long wooden tables, where you can enjoy Indonesian inspired dishes like the Shredded Chicken and Banana Blossom Salad, Acehnese Seafood Laksa, or Minced Duck Satay while watching the parade of people and processions go by on the street out front. However, if live music is your jam then all the action will be taking place inside on the stage on the ground floor. Seating with stage views is also available on the mezzanine. BetelNut is a huge supporter of local musicians, so you’ll find plenty of shows with well-known artists from around Indonesia, as well as many up-and-coming stars born and bred in Bali. Past acts have included Rizal, Svara Samsara, and Sandrayati Fay, as well as international guests like Cellomano, Leanna Rachel and The Rhythm Hunters. Be sure to check out BetelNut’s Facebook page to find out when the next shows are going on and which exciting musicians they have lined up. www.decko.com/betelnut
WELCOME TO THE FIRST HAUTE COUTURE BRUNCH
Available every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm at Cut Catch Cucina. Starts from IDR 499,000++ • •
Complimentary for kids under 12 years old Free access to the pool
ITDC Complex lot N5, Bali 80363 | +62 361 849 2888 | H9078-FB11@sofitel.com | www.sofitel.com sofitelbalinusadua
sofitelbalinusadua
over the edge
D.Hump heads north-west to Menjangan. Words: Tony Stanton.
doe, a deer. right: glamp to the max.
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“When I first heard the word ‘glamping’ ,” Deus Ex Machina chief and famed photographer Dustin Humphrey told us, “it sounded a little pretentious.” So, always up for a challenge and in typical Yak fashion, we decided to send him on a little expedition – of the glamorous camping kind. His destination was Menjangan Dynasty Resort, Beach Camp and Dive Centre, all the way up in the north-west of the island, close to the point where Bali meets Java. It’s billed as ‘the ultimate glamping resort’, and we were curious to know how he’d get on. The first of its kind in Bali, the resort is designed to blend with the environment and provides a host of natural encounters through activities that include snorkeling, diving, trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, bird-watching and horse-riding. It sits on 16 hectares of land on a quiet peninsula beside a white sand beach and has been created to cater to outdoor adventure enthusiasts with an appetite for indulgence. It goes all out to fulfill this glamp dream. “When we arrived,” said Dustin, “we were greeted by a safari-suited GM, not something you see every day in Bali. Surprisingly enough the outfit complimented the environment and didn’t look out of place at all. Dede was a gracious host and the vibes started off great right away.” The resort’s position in a bay protects it from the sea, and offers a spellbinding vista that extends across the gentle waters of Banyuwedang Bay to the lowland forests of the West Bali National Park, taking in a mangrove-entwined coastline and the tiny uninhabited island of Menjangan, the craggy north-facing folds and ridges of the Tiga Saudara Mountains, and East Java’s volcano alley. “We were given a tour of the resort by golf cart,” said Dustin, who’s been around the planet as a photographer for the world’s biggest surf magazines. “We quickly realized that this was not a pretentious place at all, but rather a very well thought out destination. We arrived at our room, which on further inspection was a beautifully designed tent made of thick canvas, accented by furniture that suited the aesthetics.” The safari-style tented rooms and villas, combined with a series of magnificent communal spaces crafted in bamboo and ‘alang-alang’ thatch, present a refreshing alternative in architectural style and five-star flair. “For our first experience, we made our way down to the Putih Pasar beach club, where we grabbed some paddle boards and proceeded to paddle around the Banyuwedang Bay. Once we reached the middle of the bay, we had a
perfect view of the Baluran Volcano, which was awesome,” said Dustin. The glamping resort’s signature Pasir Putih Beach Club and Bar offers all-day dining, as well as the opportunity for romantic dinners in the setting of your choice. “In the evening, we had drinks at the resort restaurant overlooking the bay with a lush mountain view in the distance and colorful sunset clouds hanging above,” said Dustin. And then of course he had to check out the activities on offer. “We woke up bright and early the next morning and got on a beautiful local boat. Our first stop was Menjangan Island for some scuba diving and lunch on the island.” “Our dive guide, named Bram, was enthusiastic and an excellent guide, and on our second stop at Taman National Bali Park we saw a black tip reef shark and a sea turtle. “ Menjangan is possibly north Bali’s best kept secret, and if you haven’t visited, you should. It sits about five miles off the coast in the Bali Barat Nature Reserve, and it possesses some incredible natural riches. Menjangan in Indonesian means ‘deer’, and the name was given to the island for that very reason: locals observed herds of wild deer swimming to the island every spring over a distance of around 1.2 miles, and to this day it is home to a population of quite magnificent specimens. “The biggest highlight of our trip was when we were climbing onto the boat after the second dive and we saw two deer, a doe and a buck, walking down the cliff edge of the national park. Then they proceeded to go for a dip in the ocean. Beautiful.” Luckily he caught the moment on camera, which is mostly the reason why we sent him. His images on these pages show the majesty of an area thankfully protected from the vagaries of overpopulation, pollution and progress. “Back at the resort, the spa was calling our name,” said Dustin. “I’ve had many massages at many resorts,” he said, “but this would rank among the top. In open air tents, overlooking the bay, it was a perfect setting: luxurious yet simple at the same time. A great balance. Afternoon tea at the infinity pool, was the perfect ending to a great experience, I can’t recommend it highly enough.” Glamping conversion project completed. www.mdr.pphotels.com
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oral pleasures
the reign of spain,
sophie digby samples some serious sup and great spanish food at akua, jimbaran. photos: lucky 8.
A few of you might know The Yak team up close and personal, in fact quite a few of you, so it probably comes as no surprise that although we work hard we also like our time off. We’d really be quite happy with an eight-day week, if it includes a three-day weekend. #justsaying So, since we cannot bend time – we try, believe me – and we cannot reinvent the Gregorian calendar, we just have to find a way to slip in that little bit extra for fun and frolics. Lo and behold we find it. Quite by mistake I admit, but some of the best inventions have been born out of pure chance and ‘whoops, that wasn’t supposed to happen’. We find ourselves, on a random Wednesday afternoon, heading to Jimbaran to embark on something called SUP (Stand Up Paddle, for those uninitiated) and kayaking – I suppose it goes without saying that Yakkers are naturally good at the latter… Akua is our destination, located on Pantai Jimbaran next to the first ever restaurants of Jimbaran Fish Market. To fill you in Akua Bali is a divine Spanish restaurant, spread over three floors with an eco friendly water sports ‘arm’. And so to dinner we have come, but first a calorie-burning session is in order so that we can seriously tuck in and gorge ourselves on the amazing food that Chef Ion Gorrotxategi prepares. José, boosting our office energy to sporting levels, cajoles us in to taking our boards, paddles and kayaks to the water’s edge. And we are off into the small waves and paddling southwards edging away from the shore. We thought Sundara (Four Seasons Jimbaran) might be an on-the-way watering-hole surprise, and F & I decided we would be ordering the Espresso Martini. We were both wrong. We are here, José reminds us, to get away from it all, to look at Bali and life in general from another perspective; to paddle out in nature, as birds dive bomb for fish, as the fishing boats start their late afternoon fishing trips out to sea, as the gorgeous blood-orange sun starts it somewhat speedier
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descent into the horizon. Paddle we did. Tired we got. Calories we burnt. Passing Sundara we alight on the private beach that belongs to Mimpi Indah resort, and our troupe crafts a mini walking expedition to the old pier returning through and over the rocks. As we make our way back to our trusted water transport we kind of wish for a motorised method of return. Lazy we are. A gentle paddle to the centre of the horseshoe bay that is Jimbaran Bay, we stop to appreciate the sun in all his glory as, with the sea and the sky, an abstract canvas worthy of God’s gallery comes into being… stunned in silence and aching armed, we flop back onto our boards, look up heavenward and just breathe. Yes, we have found what we were looking for: we have found the midweek weekend. Picking our our paddles and our pace, in silence and in awe of sunset, we head back to Akua for that slap up meal we have been salivating about in our mind’s eye. Back on dry land, showered and refreshed mentally as well as physically, it’s time to invest in some calories. Spanish is as Spanish does and Akua has to be my favourite Spanish restaurant on the island – it is so authentic that if I shut my eyes I am in a bar in Campo Del Prinicipe in the Realejo of Granada. Jamón Serrano is a must, as are the croquetas. Then come our favourite, Gambas (prawns) al ajillo, Gambas plancha and of course the famous paella, in addition we add some Albondigas (meatballs) and a bottle of wine, Spanish of course. I am skipping dessert and going for the Gin Kas – a handcrafted lemonade with a splash of Mother’s Ruin (gin) to start our sobremesa. Time has stopped, the digestion and the conversations kick in. Yes, we will most definitely be taking a midweek weekend twice a month from now on. Grateful we are, privileged indeed. www.akuabali.com
...celebrate personal wellness
Sanur I Ubud I Nusa Dua I Jimbaran P. 62 361 705 777 F. 62 361 705 101 E. experience@kayumanis.com www.thegangsa.com www.kayumanis.com
spa out
pot luck At Awarta Resort’s stand-out spa, Katie Truman discovers that pots are not just used for merely cooking (as anyone worth their salt would know).
sublime.
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Sumptuous Awarta Nusa Dua Luxury Villas & Spa stands out among Bali’s mass of villas for its distinctive Peranakan-inspired culture and art, proudly showcased throughout the awardwinning boutique property. Their inherent ‘Peranakan’ heritage – a merge of Indonesian, Chinese, Malay and European historic influences – is visibly evident everywhere, from the palatial 14 pool villas to superrefined facilities that include Thevana Spa. In similar vein to Awarta’s lavishly decorated villas, Thevana Spa resembles more an uber-elegant mansion than a spa; the seven treatment rooms and public spaces richly furnished in solid wood furnishings typical of the Peranakan style, with predominately Chinese leanings, including antiquities and art works bearing Chinese characters. Even the curated spa menu is infused with Peranakaninfluences, offering an array of traditional therapies and treatments originating from mainly China, Bali and Java and Malaysia – some rare to find on the island. Although there are tempting beautifying offerings, like Kemiri (candlenut) Body Scrub and Boreh Bengkung, a traditional herbal anti-cellulite wrap, facials using premium Swiss products and salon-style mani-pedis and hair treatments, most of Thevana’s menu focuses on traditional, medicinal treatments and therapies with in-house, freshly prepared ingredients – including madeto-order scrubs and foot bath rituals – for therapeutic healing and restoring. Highlights cover massages, like the Tungku Batu, using heated lava stones and an ancient healing massage using a warmed herbal poultice or a Javanese Experience ritual, featuring indigenous Javanese herbal steam, Lulur scrub and body massage. And pre-treatment, be sure to try out the Kneipp Therapy room: walking through two contrasting shallow foot pools, one icy cold and one hot, for 15-minutes is said to increase vitality, boost blood circulation and the immune system, plus reduce the effects of stress and jetlag. Thevana Spa has however two signature treatments that thoroughly epitomize the spa’s essence – and won’t be found elsewhere on the island. Peranakan Heritage (IDR3,500,000 for couples) is a divine, two-and-a-half-hour ritual bringing together a handful of centuries-old treatments and therapies inspired by Peranakan traditions, using freshly prepared herbs and spices typically found in a “Nyonya” kitchen. Urut melayu incorporates Balinese, Thai and Swedish firm massage techniques, especially on more troublesome areas, to ease muscle tensions and the scrumptious Malay Lulur scrub, made from ground nutmeg, turmeric, cloves, lemongrass and cinnamon blended with rice powder and warmed olive oil, thoroughly exfoliates the skin and stimulates blood circulation. A Chinese medicinal and cleansing herbal bath, traditionally saved for a Chinese New Year ritual
but far too beneficial for an annual sampling, promotes robust good health and positive energy – the Jacuzzi tub filled with an aromatic infusion of lime slices, green tea, lemon verbena, pandanus leaves and lemongrass sticks – finishing-up with a warmed facial compress filled with organic green tea and sesame seeds for a face glowing with health. My favourite treatment however – and an authentic stand-out – is Pot Garam (IDR999,000) a sublime, nay, unusual, medicinal salt therapy, highly beneficial for improved circulation and treating through-the-roof stress levels and built-up body toxins the natural way. The star of this ninety-minute therapy is eight terracotta clay miniature pots, each crammed with medicinal coarse and purest salt and natural herbs and spices that number pandanus leaves, cinnamon and cloves, plus limes. Pot Garam is Malay and Thai-inspired, but also references traditional Chinese wellness practices of steamed herbal compresses or steam infusions to inhale. Once heated up (on a Teppanyaki-style tray in the treatment room), these little pots of goodness are then applied in three stages, starting off as a sensationally soothing, deep tissue massage, then compress-style concentrating on problematic areas and finally, standing for several minutes on key points – along the spine, upper back, legs and palms of hands – with both the heat and salt and herbs medicinal qualities seeping through the clay and absorbed into the skin. This ritual is seamlessly intertwined with a full body massage, my insanely skilled therapist using continuous Balinese-style, long firm strokes and pressure combined with a herbal massage oil, reflecting the nature of this treatment. Combined in unison, Pot Garam delivers instant relief to tired-out bodies, releasing tensions in the shoulders and lower back muscles with toxins and stresses literally melting away. Heat-based therapies are always highly beneficial, but unlike the similar hot stone massage, these handmade terracotta pots retain heat longer than stones, besides simultaneously administering the therapeutic salt and herbal concoction. And naturally, this is far less brutal and obtrusive (no tell-tale marks) than another heat treatment and die-hard celebrity fave, ancient Chinese cupping. By the time you partake in fresh tropical fruits and ginger tea in the impossibly elegant Tea Lounge, you’ll already start feeling Pot Garam’s beneficial effects kicking in; the entire body plunged into a profoundly relaxed, calm state and by the day’s end, hard to keep your eyes open and a guaranteed restful night’s sleep. And those benefits you’re not so much aware of, rest assured, will last a lot longer. www.awartaresorts.com
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spa out
tropical fix
sparkle.
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Katie Truman finds tropical bliss in downtown Seminyak doesn’t have to cost the earth.
All this year’s partying, social media overload, sunworshipping, cocktail consumption (and far worse pursuits) can lead to serious effects on your health, skin – and sanity. So, to recharge your batteries, pamper your spirit and indulge in a one-stop beauty splurge, without breaking the bank, hotfoot it to Kaiana Spa and Salon, conveniently located in the heart of Seminyak. This independently-run. boutique gem, tucked away in the same upmarket mini-arcade as Made’s Warung, is the antithesis of most of the neighbourhood’s more native-style inclined spas. Kaiana’s double-storey spa-salon wows with elegant French-colonial style interiors, replete with polished timbered floors and white walls and tastefully decorated with chandeliers, vases of lilac orchids and faux art deco mirrors – still as sparkling clean as when it launched two years ago. The main salon room provides a row of black leather vibrating chairs for some serious back massaging while getting your deluxe mani-pedis done. There’s waxing, beautifying and hair styling available in chic air-conditioned rooms, while some of the anti-aging facials and pro-active body treatments incorporate Pevonia Botanica, one of the planet’s highest-grade skin products combining marine botanical ingredients with technologically advanced formulas (pricey, but delivering highly visible results). Kaiana’s most preferred treatments however are more of the traditional, tropical variety combined with locally made customized spa products, which makes sense if you’re visiting this Island of the Gods and with a name like Kaiana, translating from Hawaiian as “island beauty.” Treatments include Balinese-style cream hair baths, infused with green tea, avocado or ginseng, for “because you’re worth it” glossy manes. There are deeply relaxing massages combined with fragrant blended oils you choose yourself, like the comatose-inducing, two-hour hot stone healing massage therapy, or scrumptious Lulur Therapy, a favourite of royal brides for pre-wedding prepping and a right royal scrub ritual, dating back to the 17th Century Javanese palaces. But for some indulgent top-to-toe pampering, Kaiana’s Spa Packages are especially popular and a darn good way to while-away two hours. Each package highlights
a key natural ingredient reflecting individual moods and requirements, from lotus flower for peace and serenity to the sensuous touch of rose. The spa signature, Deluxe Kaiana Indulgence is a heavenly 150-minute-long combo of treatments highlighting Bali’s iconic Frangipani flower and unusually, two therapists working ensemble, which includes an intensely focused four-hand massage and Biokos facial administered simultaneously with a spot of reflexology. Decisions, Decisions. I opt for the ultimate tropical encounter, Vanilla Coconut Passion, which follows the same format as the other packages, albeit featuring divine coconut and vanilla beans in the oils, lotions and scrub used throughout and is especially focused on nourishing and softening the skin. So its de-robe and switch-off time (and yes, folks, that includes any Smartphones) for twohours of zone-out bliss. This all kicks-off with a vanilla foot bath infused with fresh petals, followed by an hour-long, soothing massage worked with lashings of coconut oil and strong hand movements on my hideously knotted shoulder muscles. Next, a coconut body wash combined with a mitt sloughs-off surface dead skin cells, nicely preparing the entire body for a thorough skin exfoliation, before showering off; the fresh coconut milk and grated coconut flesh blended with a vanilla-based powder makes for a sloppy wet scrub down – almost Hammam-style. Vanilla Coconut Passion seems to have worked its magic, as I end-up with beautifully buffed glowing and softened skin, as well as smelling like a deliciously freshlybaked cake and feeling “three-gears down” chilled out. What however makes me even more serene is Kaiana’s incredible good value: spa packages are priced at a mere IDR550,000, while massages like perennial favourite, Balinese Massage, go for just IDR300,00 – at the very least, pop-in for an Indian Head Massage (IDR180,000) for an instant hangover from hell remedy. And if you dine at the adjoining Made’s Warung, (owned by the same Indonesian family), you’ll be entitled to further spa discounts. Enough to calm even the most stressed-out souls. www.kaianaspa.com
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venting in a villa palatial luxury.
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presidentelect stephanie mee heads to the biggest room in the house at sofitel bali nusa dua beach resort.
When your weekend plans involve a stay in a presidential villa, you pretty much already know your digs are going to be decadent, especially if that villa happens to be at the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua. For those not familiar with the Sofitel brand, this luxury branch of the French ACCOR group combines French elegance with local culture to create unique resorts that are both timeless and refreshingly modern. Their lavish beachfront resort in Nusa Dua is one of their most stunning, and the Presidential Villa is the shining star of the property. We’re booked in for a Sunday night stay, and while we’re dying to check out the space where former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono once shacked up, we decide to set aside some time first to indulge in the Weekend Chic Brunch at Cut Catch Cucina. Listed as one of the Best Hotel Brunches in the World by Condé Nast Traveler, this decadent weekend affair is just too good to pass up. Once seated in a plush leather booth, our waiter greets us with a cheerful bonjour and offers us champagne and French wine. Then we’re given free reign of the stations stacked high with fresh seafood, succulent roasts, house made breads, cheeses, sushi and pizza, plus an entire dessert room with chocolate fondue, a DIY donut station and a cotton candy machine. As we feast, we are treated to a live fashion show, a live jazz band, and roaming waiters offering special dishes like tuna tartare and truffle risotto. It’s pretty hard to roll out of the restaurant after putting back plate after plate of exquisite eats, but we manage to make our way to Club Millésime for post-prandial lattes and a peruse of the bookshelves while the staff check us in. All guests staying in the Luxury Pool Rooms, Suites and Villas have access to this stylish library and lounge with cosy nooks and corners indoors and out, a private pool, daily afternoon tea, and happy hours with wine tastings and free-flow cocktails. When we finally enter our abode for the evening, we’re immediately taken aback by just how palatial the Presidential Villa is. White stone walkways wind around water features and multiple buildings that house three separate bedrooms, a stand-alone living room, an opulent dining room and a kitchen. At the back facing the beach there is a long lap pool surrounded by outdoor lounge areas with cushioned sofas, a barbecue and an al fresco dining table. On the other side of the lounges there is a huge lagoon pond, a grassy lawn perfect for garden parties, and a gate leading directly onto the beach. In typical Sofitel style, you can see elements of both local flair and classic French aesthetics here. Sitting outdoors you feel firmly rooted in Bali with the sounds of the ocean lapping the shore, the sweet scent of frangipani blossoms wafting over the sun deck, and the thatched roofs juxtaposed against clean
white walls. Inside there are thick velvety carpets, modern amenities like espresso machines and flat screen TVs, and gorgeous bathrooms with white marble counters and Hermès bath products. As tempting as it is to spend the entire afternoon and evening chatting over cocktails on the breezy decks, slipping into the still waters of the pool and nibbling on complimentary chocolate truffles and macarons while watching movies in the cool air-conditioned living room, there are plenty of reasons to get out and about at the resort. For pampering, guests can head to the open-air cabanas along the beach and let the massage therapists from So Spa work their magic with signature Balinese treatments using various bodywork techniques and aromatherapy oils. Sofitel is also the home of Vietura Bali, a medical spa offering non-invasive beauty and body treatments and wellness ‘staycation’ retreats. For dining you’ve got Kwee Zeen, a boutique Pan Asian affair offering sophisticated dishes from around the region, L’Oh Pool Bar for creative cocktails and light bites next to the resort’s sprawling lagoon style pool, and Cut Catch Cucina, which when it’s not serving brunch is serving up steaks, seafood and rustic Italian fare. Room service is also available around the clock. If socialising is more your scene, then Nikki Beach Club is your spot. This world-famous brand opened their first ever Bali beach club here at the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, and they couldn’t have picked a better spot. Spilling onto the golden sand and overlooking the Indian Ocean, the open-plan venue features beachfront cabanas, oversized opium beds, a pool with underwater speakers, and multiple bars including a swim-up cocktail bar. After touring the grounds and the fab facilities, we’re all about making the most of our personal palace. With just two of us in the Presidential Villa, we certainly had enough space to spread out and luxuriate in the pure opulence of it all. However, if we were to do it all over again we’d definitely do like SBY did and bring a crew. Sure, SBY may have kept a low profile with the First Lady and his security team when he stayed here, but this villa deserves to be shared and shown-off with family members, friends or a wedding party, corporate gathering or retreat group. Not only do you have the scenery, the space and the stunning design, but you’ve also got the gracious staff to provide you with Sofitel’s signature five-star service worthy of any world leader. www.sofitel.com
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advertiser's directory
EVENT ORGANISER Pro Motion Events Tel: +62 361 4725190 www.pro-motion-events.com Page 132 HEALTH, SPAS & SALONS Cocoon Medical Spa Tel: +62 8113882240/41 www.cocoonmedicalspa.com Page 67 Yak Map E.7 Chill Reflexology Tel: +62 361 734 701 www.chillreflexology.com Page 131 Yak Map.W.10 Kaiana Spa Tel: +62 361 730562/737067 www.kaianaspa.com Page 69 Yak Map V.11 Kayu Manis Tel: +62 361 705 777 www.kayumanis.com Page 127 Spoiled Tel: +62 361 8475141/+62 81999288555 www.spoiledhairdressers.com Page 8 Yak Directory Yak Map G.1 HOTELS & VILLAS Alila Manggis www.alilahotels.com/manggis Page 4-5 Alila Seminyak www.alilahotels.com/seminyak Page 4-5 Yak Map. N.5 Alila Ubud http://www.alilahotels.com/ubud Page 4-5 Alila Villas Uluwatu www.alilahotels.com/uluwatu Page 4-5 Bali Handara Golf Tel: +62 361 288944 www.handaragolfresort.com Page 151 Bali National Golf Resort Tel: +62 361 771791 www.balinational.com Page 94-95 Conrad Bali Tel: +62 361 778788 www.conradbali.com Page 108 Fairmont Tel: +62 361 3011888 www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali Page 71 Four Seasons Jimbaran Tel: +62 361 701010 www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay Page 51 Goya Boutique Resort Tel: +62 361 3705265
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www.goyaboutiqueresort.com Page 47 Karma Beach Gili Meno Tel: +62 370 630982 www.karmarclub.com Page 118 Lv8 Resort Hotel Bali Tel: +62 361 8948888 www.lv8bali.com Page 133 Yak Map.J.0 Sandat Glamping Tel: +62 361 8946388 www.glampingsandat.com Page 21 Sofitel Hotel & Resort Tel: +62 361 8492888 www.sofitel.com Page 123 The Gangsa www.thegangsa.com Page 127 The Samaya Seminyak Bali Tel: +62 361 731149 www.thesamayabali.com Page 19 Yak Map N.7 Tugu Tel: +62 361 4731701 www.tuguhotels.com/hotels/bali Page 76 W Hotel Tel: +62 361 4738106 www.wretreatbali.com Page 57 Yak Map K.4 MISCELLANEOUS Bali Landscape Tel: +62 81805661227 www.balilandscapecompany.com Page 6 Yak Directory Yak Map P.1 Gruppo Campari www.camparigroup.com Page 62 Hatten Wines Tel: +62 361 4721377 www.hattenwines.com Page 46 Nusa Cana Tropical Island Rum www.nusacana.com Page 25 Seminyak Village Shopping Mall www.seminyakvillage.com Tel +62 361 738097 Page 2, Front Inside Cover Yak Map. N.7 The Boogaloo Bali Tel: +62 819-3305-0857 www.theboogaloobali.com Page 7 Yak Directory Third Millennia Health Tel +62 361 737317 www.thirdmillenniahealth.com Page 132 Yak Map Z.1
The Lawn Canggu Page 61 Yak Map P.8 SHOPS Bamboo Blonde www.bambooblonde.com RESTAURANTS & BARS Page 77 Yak Map S.8, U.11 Akua Bali Barely There Tel: +62 361 709071 Tel: +62 361 8497836 www.akuabali.com www.barelytherebali.com Page 56 Page 127 Al Diwan Bali Biasa Tel: +62 81999932655 www.biasagroup.com www.aldiwanbali.com Page Yak Map V.12 Page 50 Yak Map.N.5 By The Sea Azul Beach Club Bali www.bythesea.co.id Tel: +62 361 765759 Page 8-9 Yak Map T.8, V.9, V.12 www.azulbali.com Charlotte Chen Page 23 Yak Map.C.9 Tel: +62 8113800178 Chicken Brother www.charlottechenstore.com Tel: +62 361 9345056 / +62 82144462426 Page 76 www.chickenbro.com Dare2Wear Page 113 Yak Map. S.11 Tel: +62 361 8720303 Da Maria Bali www.dare2wear.com Tel: 6282237733099 Page 75 Yak Map. R.2 www.damariabali.com Page 29 Yak Map. T.3 Deus Ex Machina www.deuscustoms.com GoFresh.Life Page 6-7 Yak Map O.8 Tel: +62 361 4735580 Dhatri Jewellery www.facebook.com/gofresh.life Page 4 Yak Directory Yak Map. Q.4 www.dhatrijewellery.com Page 25 Yak Map.G.11 Jenja Kapal Laut Tel: +62 8113988088/+62 81808770088 www.kapal-laut.com www.clubjenja.com Page 69 Yak Map T.14 Page 63 Yak Map W.14 Malamadre Ku De Ta www.malamadremotorcyles.com Tel: +62 361 736969 Page 3 Yak Directory Yak Map O.1 www.kudeta.com Paul Ropp Page 3 Yak Map N.8 Tel: +62 361 701202/735613/730212/730023 Motel Mexicola /974369 Tel: +62 361 736688 www.paulropp.com www.motelmexicola.com Page Back Cover Yak Map T.8 Page 27 Yak Map N.6 Pesamuan Keramik MyWarung Tel: +62 82 339 120 880/ +62 82 266 029 978 Tel: +62 361 281440 www.pesamuanceramic.com www.mywarung.com Page 151 Page 107 Yak Map. N.1 Periplus Naughty Nuri’s www.periplus.com Tel: +62 361 8476783 Page 132 Yak Map F.13/P.7 www.naughtynurisseminyak.com Religion Page 109 Yak Map.W.5 www.religionclothing.com Kaum Page Back Inside Cover Yak Map S.8/T.7 Tel: +62 361 4737979 Sensatia Botanicals www.kaum.com Tel: +62 363 23260 Page 31 Yak Map.L.4 www.sensatia.com Spice Page 33 Tel: +62 361 4490411 Sunbrella www.spicebali.com www.sunbrella.com/yak Page 17 Page 119 The Bistrot The Bali Pearl Tel: +62 361 738308/7162325 Tel: +62 361 4738106 ext.8024 www.bistrot-bali.com www.thebalipearl.com Page 15 Yak Map S.8 Page 11 Yak Map. K.4 PROPERTY Elite Havens www.elitehavens.com Page 1
astroyak
moodofthemoment By Dr Deepak | astro-deepak@usa.net | www.astronlp.com | Skype: drdeepakvidmar
Abundance and good fortune for Bali during this time. Prime opportunity for the beautiful and creative products Bali has to offer. The more creative and one-of-a-kind, the better. There is a market now at the high end for what has not been seen before. Not a good time for cooperation or team spirit. Everybody doing their own thing.
aries Extraordinary personal powers and energies available to you at this time that lead you to control and dominance in your relationships or to uplift, expand and empower your partner. Highly ambitious now but not a team player. There’s a tendency to be a polarity responder right now. Tell you to go left and you go right. Tell you to sit down and you stand up. taurus Maybe so busy busy with your work or goals in life that you sacrifice your time with partners and friendships. You are solid as a rock with others and just about as affectionate also. Good time now for self-improvement exercises that include showing your feelings towards the ones that are important in your life. Tendency to let strong beliefs get in the way of the heart. gemini Just now when you are the most romantic and idealistic, the others in your life are not so warm or giving. They may be loyal and supportive, but they are not warm. There are two best strategies at this time. One is to wait, just be there and wait for them to finish what they are doing. The other is to help them with what they are doing by providing them with the resources they need.
libra
Jupiter transit. It is a good time to show yourself and lead the way, particularly in times of crisis. There is an emphasis on using your communication skills to find a practical solution to the situation. This is one energy going on. But many times there are two things going on and you are caught in a duality. The other energy is to not show yourself and take center stage, but to move behind the scenes and work underneath the table.
scorpio
Cash flow may be tighter than usual at this time. Saturn transit on and off for a couple of years. Good time to tighten your belt and invest in solid, practical lowrisk endeavors that yield a return over the long term. Real estate is a good idea. Be busy like a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter, but don’t neglect to take time to be alone in the silence of your true being.
sagittarius
Saturn transit. Maybe more responsibilities in your life now and Peter Pan has to join the grown up world and do his duty. Not so much opportunity to travel like you used to unless you can combine it with something productive that has a result. Yes, you are born to be lucky in this life, but now is the time to be practical and do what you need to do for your foundation to be firm.
cancer
Your idealistic hopes and beliefs are dashed by harsh realities. Difficulty in partnership with others who are dominant, insensitive, and will not compromise. Children are a joy, but not support. The juice now is finding you are your own security. Love Yourself is the lesson to be learned, the holy grail to be grasped, and the intention of the intensity of these times.
leo Possible conflict or upsets with others. Usually due to impatience or irritation or too much ego getting out of hand. Also can be due to you showing too much pride and dignity in yourself. Can be upsetting to others who sacrificed their true self for security and daily bread. Your challenge now is to stand where others stoop and to open your palms to the sky when others tighten their grip on just grass. virgo Neptune transit dissolves all ego boundaries and proper nouns become replaced by a sort of speechless vastness that all-is-one. It is a spiritual time of faith and belief. It is an artistic time of dance and art and music and making pretty things. It is not a time of ambition or achievement or going anywhere. The Truth is everywhere here now in any direction you look. If you doubt yourself or let your mind get in the way, you will feel some confusion.
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capricorn
Survival is more of an issue for you now than it has ever been. Pluto transit. If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger. You believe in eternity and making things that last a long time. You are confronted now with things breaking and London Bridge falling down. It is not a personal thing only, but a worldwide pattern going on since 2006. You just see cracks in the dike before others do.
aquarius
Truth and Belief are more important to you now than material things. Old friends bring structure and support to your hopes and goals. You meet someone again in this life who was important to you in another life. There is a difference in age now so recognition will be slow. Better to share your money with those who need help than to spend it on unlikely get rich schemes.
pisces You are everything and everywhere and without form or name. All-Is-One. Neptune transit and Neptune is the ruler of Pisces. Double the energy of mysticism and melting into essence. You know the material world is not your world, but you still need to remember to zip your pants. Opening of the heart is your purpose now and Kindness does that much better than Compassion.