Author: Sassy Eater.
I had high expectations before visiting Locavore and yet it still exceeded my expectations.
Locavore is a small but usually fully-booked restaurant which serves fine, haute cuisine in a relaxed dining setting. It is a modest looking white walled restaurant, with only a few tables, set well apart so guests have full privacy and it is not too loud as in some restaurants in Bali.
The menu changes every month. We got May 2015 menu. There were only 2 menu, Locavore and Herbivore each consisted of 5 course or 7 course. (I wonder if we lived in Bali, we may be making a monthly trip to Locavore to check out what new tricks the chefs had up their sleeves)
We were delighted that before we even ordered we were presented with a series of individual mouthfuls of delectable treats, such as a tempura spinach leaf, a delicious cold tomato sorbet with hot-spicy consommé and freshly baked bread with 3 delicious spreads.
We chose the 7-course Herbivore (vegetarian) and 7-course Locavore degustation menus.
Every course was exquisitely presented in lovely glassware and crockery. The layers of unexpected flavors of each dish was unfathomably delicious. Obviously fresh ingredients, the burst of a herb or seasoned vegetable puree or cream with every plate was mind-blowing.
For the Locavore Menu, we had :
1) Tuna, brined tuna loin, crispy iceberg lettuce, jelly made from tuna bones, lemon balm creme, sour dough crumbs, fennel a la Grecque, and lemon balm leaves.
2) Beef, short ribs (from Malang, Java) served raw, wasabi leaf mayonaisse, fried and pickled shallots, shaved radishes, herbed brioche crouton, melting beef lard.
3) Langouste, spiny lobster (from Tabanan, Bali) poached in cacao butter, infused with vanilla and seaweed, cauliflower mousse line, clam juice with langoustine roe, seaweeds, shaved cauliflower, slightly bitter tangerine and vanilla reduction.
4) Pork, two preparations of pork, green pepper corn sauce, pommes dauphine (crisp potato puffs) , shaved broccoli stems in shallot vinaigrette, broccoli creme, roasted Malang apple, and nasturtium.
5) Sea Bass, sea bass a la meuniere, blue swimmer crab, thinly sliced abalone, chervil leaves, fresh and dried bean ‘cassoulet’ (rich, slow-cooked casserole), raw cucamelon, chicken jus infused with thyme leaves.
6) Bitter Chocolate, bitter chocolate foam, seasonal mangosteen fruit sorbet, slightly salty chocolate sable, chocolate tulle, and chocolate mint leaves.
7) Cucumber, cucumber sorbet, white chocolate panna cotta infused with dehydrated jasmine flowers, passion fruit and yoghurt foam, pickled cucumber, crispy passion fruit meringue, and cucumber juice.
For the Herbivore menu, we had :
1) Radishes, thinly shaved radishes, young local goat cheese, curry maison and shallot vinaigrette, chervil leaves, sour dough crumbs, and tamarind honey.
2) Beets, salt roasted beets, warm grilled beef consommé (a type of clear soup made from richly flavored stock that the fat and sediment have been removed using egg whites), tamarillo, and mulberry vinegar sorbet, pickled beets, burned bread crumbs, nasturtiums, and dehydrated beetroot oil.
3) Earth, salt-baked sweet potatoes, toasted nuts and seeds in leek ash vinaigrette, thick black pepper yoghurt, caramelised onion consommé, crispy shallots, and curly mustard leaves.
4) Potato and Caviar, potato mousse line (creamy mashed potato) infused with cumin seeds, green caviar, chives, caramelised butter, potato croutons and crème fraîche (thicker, has a richer flavor, and less tangy than sour cream).
5) Asparagus, slightly bitter green asparagus juice, served warm, Kampong egg, herbed brioche croutons, Italian style goat cheese (from Sumatra), and wilted leaves.
6) Chocolate and Berries, bitter chocolate ganache, seasonal mulberry sorbet, strawberry consommé, mulberry gel, chocolate mousse, mulberry meringue, and chocolate mint leaves.
7) Rhubarb, cold rhubarb and goat whey soup, fennel leaf sorbet, liquid white chocolate creme, fennel oil, fennel seed caramel, and grated white chocolate.
The dessert and the complimentary madeleins and canneles were to die for.
The service was impeccable, each dish was brought to the table by different chef and staff and each element of each dish was introduced in painstaking detail. As the name suggests all products are locally sourced and seasonal. Chef Eelke, Chef Ray and Chef Adi produce exceptional creative dishes using local produce.
The pace of the degustation was perfect, the 3 hours flew by quick when our taste buds were stimulated. This food here is not for rushing, best enjoyed with no time frame.
Their food has an edgy and playful quality that will surprise you in the best way possible, so picky eaters may be overwhelmed (and I wouldn’t recommend for kids). But for the fellow foodies, this meal is not one to be missed. I highly recommend this restaurant. You won’t regret it. Don’t forget to book in advance.
Lacavore
Jalan Dewi Sita, Ubud
+62 361 977 733
Email for reservation : reservations@locavore-ubud.com
Opening Hours :
Mon – Sat : 12.00 pm – 14.30, 18.00-23.00
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