Back at the Burj

In the time my husband and I have been together, we have moved to eight countries in four continents and now, after almost four years in Singapore, we are moving once again.  This time, it's back to a place we lived for two years and a half in the early 2000s when our son was a few months old.

Dubai was already a bustling desert city then with the Burj Al Arab as its' iconic super structure.  Today, numerous skyscrapers dot the skyline with the world's tallest building (the Burj Khalifa at 828 m), the world's tallest hotel (the JW Marriott Marquis at 355m) and the world's tallest residential building (the Princess Tower at 413m) all located in Dubai.  After several despedidas (farewell parties) and tearful goodbyes, we left Singapore yesterday and are now in our new home in Dubai.

What better way to spend our first day back than to go back to the year-old Burj Al Arab Terrace - a 10,000 square meter structure painstakingly built in Finland and shipped to Dubai in its' entirety to create a stunning restaurant, pool, beach and cabaña space abutting the hotel with uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf.

We began with lunch at Scape with it's seafood-centric California fusion menu - a perfect on this sunny 39C day.  From the Crudo bar, we ordered two raw dishes: the Hamachi crudo with Ponzu, pistachio, olives and capers and the Corvina carpaccio with scallion, nori, ginger and truffle yuzu which we had with some salads; arugula, quinoa, pumpkin seed, Feta salad and the endive, grape, Gorgonzola, pecan as our starters.  We then shared the wild mushroom pizza with goat's cheese and the Baja style tacos.  After our light and mostly cold lunch, we headed out to some sun loungers on the beach and enjoyed the cool saltwater infinity pool where I finally took the chance to take it easy and just relax after the hectic months of packing and moving.  It was warm but not unbearable and armed with 50 SPF Sun Bum,  my new Armani sunnies (which I got online from Smart Buy Glasses), and a stack of magazines, I happily spent the afternoon sitting in the shade catching up on my reading and just taking in the view. And what a view it was!  Happy to be home at last.

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The Terrace at the Burj Al Arab

Scape at the Burj Al Arab

BREAKFAST AT MI CASA

It's been ages I know and although we moved to Singapore and left Dorado in mid-September, I still need to post about the wonderful breakfast at Mi Casa by Jose Andres at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.  Breakfast is one of my favorite ways to enjoy what a restaurant has to offer.  I figure that if they can't get breakfast right, then why would I even go for dinner.  One of the best ways to enjoy the mooring in Dorado is to sit outside on the terrace of Mi Casa, watch the waves crash to shore and have the first meal of the day al fresco.

 

As the restaurant specializes in Spanish influenced Caribbean cuisine, there are modern touches on Caribbean classics like homemade guava jelly, a banana and rum muffin, passion fruit or pineapple flavored yoghurt and even Jose Andres' arroz a la Cubana - fried rice served with crispy pork belly, plantains and a crispy battered poached egg.  You can also have classic croissants and pains au chocolat, the Spanish breakfast classic pan con tomato y jam on Iberico, waffles, pancakes and a frothy concoction that is the specialty Eggs Benedict.  Whatever you do, don't expect something new and done with a twist because that's what breakfast a la Jose Andres is going to be like and as you sip that Puerto Rican coffee and listen to the waves, remember that you are in Puerto Rico.

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Mi Casa by Jose Andres
at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
100 Dorado Beach Drive
Dorado PR 00646
Telephone: +1 787 278 7217
*Open daily for breakfast and dinner. Reservations recommended.

ENCANTO BEACH CLUB, BAR AND GRILL

Encanto is the beach club and restaurant of the Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.  Located away from the arrival pavilion and main pool and Positivo Sandbar, the open-air beach complex has a large pool, sun loungers, cabanas and a main restaurant serving both lunch and dinner.

At midday, there is menu of lunch classics - sandwiches, wraps, tacos, salads and pizzas and for dinner, the menu changes to Asian-inspired hot and cold appetizers along with several grilled items and sides.

For lunch, I've eaten almost everything on the menu - the blackened fish tacos are my favorite along with their freshly made tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa.  There's a good ceasar salad which can be ordered with churrasco (skirt steak), shrimp or chicken or the large kobe beef burger with Parmesan fries.

For dinner, we often order several appetizers to share and make a meal of that.  From the cold selection, don't miss the green papaya salad and the snapper ceviche while from the hot selection, my favorites are crispy yellow tail snapper with ginger sauce and the soy honey glazed Berkshire pork belly.  I've also had a simply grilled Atlantic salmon with green asparagus and the irresistible garlic fries.  Since the menus at lunch and dinner are so different, it's like eating in a different restaurant every time.  I prefer the dinner menu which is more creative and modern but that's just me.

Desserts are also different at lunch and dinner.  Don't miss the giant ice cream sundae for lunch and for dinner, try one of the Asian-inspired desserts like the banana spring rolls with a caramel dip or the coconut-flavored rice pudding.
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Encanto Beach Club Bar and Grill
at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
100 Dorado Beach Drive
Dorado PR 00646
Telephone: +1 787278 7232
*Open daily for lunch and dinner.

POSITIVO SANDBAR

The Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve has been open almost half a year now so it's time for me to finally write about the restaurants on the property.  In the first of a series of four posts, I'll be featuring the food and beverage options at the hotel.

First up is Positivo Sandbar which is a beautiful open-air deck located right on the beach with lounge chairs and tables set in the sand and a large bar serving creative cocktails. They serve a small menu at lunch of salads and appetizers and a slightly different dinner menu with the same appetizers without the salads and the addition of pork belly sliders and kobe beef sliders.

Lunch is open only to hotel guests who can enjoy their meal either at the bar or poolside then at sunset, the bar is open to everyone.  On several occasions, I've had both lunch and dinner.  For lunch, the alcohol-free Cucumber mint drink is refreshing accompanied by either a Carribbean Cobb salad with lobster or my favorite tomato avocado tostada salad.  The empanadillas (mini empanadas or fried turnovers), spinach and corn or beef, are delicious and so is the crispy calamari.  In the evening, try one of their signature cocktails then continue with the shrimp ceviche or the shredded pork belly sliders while enjoying the spectacular sunset.
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Positivo Sandbar
at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
100 Dorado Beach Drive
Dorado PR 00646
Telephone: +1 787 278 7223
*Open all-day for lunch (hotel guests only), drinks and dinner (for everyone).
*DJ on Fridays at sunset.  Sushi on Tuesday nights.

MIAMI MINI BREAK

A & I spent five days in Miami on our own a few weeks ago.  It's great for a mini-break since it's only two and a half hours away from San Juan and perfect for a little dose of "city" and to cure island fever.

We slept the first two nights at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach and borrowed S's luxurious convertible so we could drive around and explore the city.  On the first day, we walked to Lincoln and had a quick lunch at Paul and headed back to our beautiful beach-front suite.  The following day was spent walking the hip and happening Design District which keeps getting better since we first visited it in 2010.  A few more boutiques and restaurants have opened and I'm sure that soon, this area will be filled with interesting stores and fun places to eat.  As usual, we had lunch at our favorite Michael's Genuine Food and Drink which we never miss when we're in Miami, then did some retail therapy at the swanky boutiques nearby.  We also had dinner at nearby Khong River House and further out at Zuma, in Brickell's bustling area.

Our last two nights were at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne where all we did was relax and enjoy the sun, sand, beach and pool.  We literally spent two days lying on a sun lounger doing nothing much except eat and read.  We had lunch right on the beach at Dune (grilled shrimp salad and a fish sandwich with crispy sweet potato fries) on the first day then another al fresco lunch on our last day (hummus, baba ghanoush and taboule with warm pita bread, a Spanish-influenced plate of pan con tomate, marinated anchovies, roasted peppers and mussels and octopus then a slider trio: tuna, Angus beef and turkey) right by the pool.  The food was simple yet delicious plus there were perfect poolside treats like frozen grapes, sunscreen, buckets of Fiji and lots of magazines.

Four days were a bit short but it was enough for both of us to enjoy some quiet time and breathe after the busy holiday season.  Next trip will probably be Florida again with the kids then hopefully, further on the west coast to sunny California.

THE BEST OF 2012

It's taken a few weeks to get this blog post together but it's finally here - my annual best of 2012.  The first two were unique and fantastic in every way.  The next three are the best of Puerto Rico followed by the three best in Las Vegas and finally, the two best casual eats, one from a food truck here in Dorado and another from a beach shack in Anguilla.  All in all, 10 of my most memorable meals of the year.  Enjoy and I look forward to more new restaurant discoveries in 2013!

BEST OF THE BEST

Pubbelly (Miami)

A mid-year find on a long weekend mini-break to Miami.  Pubbelly is a gastronomic casual restaurant created by three partners - two Puerto Ricans and one Spanish, which has taken Miami by storm.  After this first foray, they have created four other successful casual eateries - Pubbelly Sushi for modern sushi, Barceloneta for Spanish tapas, Macchialina, an Italian salumeria and trattoria and about a week ago, PB Steak.  These boys have got their concepts down and manage to create a casual atmosphere loved by locals and still serve amazing food.  The menu at Pubbelly is mostly Asian-inspired but there were a few Spanish-influenced tapas as well.  Here's what we had in July.

ABC Kitchen (New York)

Another memorable summer meal was at ABC Kitchen located in the fantastic ABC Carpet & Home. Just over a year old and promoting local and organic ingredients, this was pared down comfort food that was all about the ingredients - assorted lukewarm roasted beets tossed in yoghurt, slices of heirloom tomato with just a sprinkling of salt on crusty bread, just-picked tiny radishes with cold sweet butter and bread - everything was delicious!  The service was friendly, the place casual and the menu so enticing that I can't wait to go back. 

BEST IN PUERTO RICO

Santaella

This was our first dinner out in San Juan, right after we moved to Puerto Rico in March and has remained a favorite since.  Santaella manages to serve a modern take on Puerto Rican cuisine in an unfussy location near the Plaza del Mercado.  Food is good, service is friendly and the place is always packed with locals - what more can one ask for?

Blonda

A recent addition to the Condado scene, Blonda is another casual restaurant that knows what it's doing - simple food in great location with probably, the best brunch in San Juan.  There's valet parking, bookings taken on Open Table and good food in a light-filled space.

Compostela

For classic Spanish fare, there is no place better than Compostela - the interiors are modern but nothing special, come here for the food and the excellent selection of wines.  Every meal we've had here has been exceptional - the menu authentic, the ingredients fresh, the presentation simple, the service efficient and the experience always delicious.   

BEST IN LAS VEGAS

Sambalatte

The best coffee in Las Vegas.  Ever since they opened in 2011, they have been the only place in Las Vegas for proper coffee in all forms and shapes, from espresso to flat white, from cappuccino to mocha, from pour over brewed coffee to Aero Pres,  from granita to affogato - they have proper coffee making and presentation figured out.  I never skip my Sambalatte morning cappuccino when I'm in Vegas and always stop by to say hello to the friendly owner, Luis.

Kabuto

Located in the same nondescript mall as other cult Japanese restaurants, Raku and Monta, Kabuto is a tiny restaurant with just three tables and an adequate sushi counter where the edomae sushi (Tokyo style super fresh sushi) is presented nightly using only the freshest fish and seafood and served slowly, one by one to be enjoyed.  This is the way sushi and sashimi should always be - no tricks, no mayonnaise, no fancy rolls - just fresh fish, perfectly seasoned vinegar rice, crisp seaweed, a tiny dot of wasabi and a dash of premium soy sauce.

Honey Salt

In the same area as Sambalatte, Honey Salt is so new that I haven't even blogged about my lunch there yet (post coming soon) but, believe me, this is the restaurant future for Las Vegas - trained chefs and experienced food and beverage operators band together to create their own restaurant concept.  Honey Salt is homey and the farm to table food is very good, but best of all, the minute one walks in, one can sense that the people behind the scenes know what they're doing from the logos, table settings, decor, menus and seamless service that there really is no longer a need to dine well just in a fancy Vegas hotel. Here's to a burgeoning trendy off-strip restaurant scene in Las Vegas!

BEST STREET/BEACH FOOD

Blanchards Beach Shack
If ever I open another restaurant, this is what I want it to be - simple food, a great outdoor setting and casual atmosphere.  Blanchards on the beautiful Mead's Bay beach in Anguilla is probably the best beach shack restaurant concept I've ever eaten in and for someone who's lived on several islands, that's the highest compliment ever.  Food is simple, containers are recycled, service is quick, prices and reasonable.  Blanchards Beach Shack gives fast food a great reputation.

NanoBox
Last but not least, is this Dorado food truck run by two brothers passionate about food and serving their modern version of Puerto Rican street food.  It's a great way to taste what the island has to offer and although their menu is limited, what they serve is pretty good so it's worth it to stop by for a snack on the weekend when this shiny white brand new food truck is parked just behind the Walgreen's in Dorado.
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Listed by location, in alphabetical order:

Anguilla - Blanchards Beach Shack

Las Vegas -
Honey Salt
Kabuto
Sambalatte

Miami - Pubbelly

New York - ABC Kitchen

Puerto Rico -
Blonda
Compostela
NanoBox
Santaella

BARLOVENTO

Dorado Beach Club has closed West Beach and opened their new beach restaurant - Barlovento.  Housed in the Ambassadors of the Environment building (which is run by the the Ritz-Carlton Reserve), Barlovento also has a non-motorized water sports facility offering lessons in kayaking, paddle boarding, wind surfing, kite surfing and sailing.  The restaurant is bright and airy just like West Beach but with more modern tables and chairs and a short menu of starters, salads and sandwiches with a full bar list. 

We have already been twice for lunch and enjoyed some of the new menu items - calamari and the beer-battered fish fillet sandwich.  It's the perfect place for a quick al fresco lunch or  sunset cocktail.  Open to members of Dorado Beach Club and to guests of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Barlovento will serve an all-day menu from noon till early evening.

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Barlovento

Ambassador's House

Dorado Beach

Phone: +1 787 626 1054

*Open Wednesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m.

DORADO BEACH, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE

In three days, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Americas - Dorado Beach will open.  Here's a preview of what the main pool, Positivo bar and Mi Casa by Jose Andres looks like from the beach.  It's finally happening!

SOUTH BEACH

The first part of our summer holiday was a weekend in Miami at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach for some more sun, sand and sea.  The location is super with direct access to the beach and to Miami's pedestrian-only Lincoln road with it's strip of shops, some cheesy and some really cool, and restaurants, some tourist-traps and some interesting ones.

We walked on Lincoln road and stopped at several stores Books & Books, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Gap then ended up at the far-end of Lincoln road for a quick lunch at the Shake Shack.  It's the perfect place to take the kids, especially on a hot summer's day in Miami.  Simple burgers and hot dogs, rich milkshakes and creamy frozen custards - modern fast food in a casual setting.

We also returned for dinner to Michael's Genuine Food and Drink, a restaurant we had been to on our last visit to Miami in  2010 where we had a delicious lunch with visiting family.  This time there was just three of us for an early dinner.  Michael's is ideally located in Miami's design district where a shopping day at the area's designer boutiques can be combined with a meal at one of the area's restaurants.

We were seated at one of the outdoor tables on a beautiful breezy summer's evening.  The food was as we remembered - simple dishes made up of the freshest and in-season ingredients.  We  had a couple of glasses of wine while we looked through their well-designed menu of bites in several sizes - snacks, small, medium, large and extra-large (a shared plate for the table).  We started off with a bowl of crispy pig ear from the snacks section.  Although not as appetizing as it sounds, it was delicious - crispy, gooey, salty bites of pork drizzled with some lime - perfect to munch on while we waited for our starters be served.  A and J chose two items from the small section of the menu - the ceviche for A and the chili chicken wings with a cucumber yogurt dip for J.  I chose a signature dish from the medium section, crispy pork belly, which lived up to it's reputation.  It was crunchy, sweet and spicy pork belly served with peanuts and kimchi.

For our main courses, J had the linguine with shrimp from the medium portioned menu items while A and I chose from the large section of the menu - slow-roasted pork shoulder with a side of mashed potato for him and the seared swordfish with arugula for me and a bowl of fries to share.  Both the pork and swordfish were cooked perfectly and were not marinated to mar the freshness of the meat or fish.

We finished off with some summer desserts from their gifted pastry chef - the house-made "pie in a jar" for J - a white chocolate concoction, the tangerine creamsicle pot de creme with warm doughnuts and blackberry jam and for me the plum crostata with a scoop of buttermilk sherbet.  At the end of our delicious dinner, we stopped by at the Sebastien James boutique alongside the restaurant, like we did the last time we were here, and ended the evening with a bit of retail therapy.  I can't wait to go back there.  After two visits, it's become our favorite Miami restaurant.

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Ritz-Carlton South Beach

1 Lincoln Road

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 786 276 4000 

Shake Shack

1111 Lincoln Road (at Lenox Avenue)

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 305 434 7787

*Open daily from 11:30 a.m. till late

Books & Books

927 Lincoln Road

Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Tel: +1 305 532 3222

*Also with an outdoor cafe

Michael's Genuine

130 Northeast 40th Street

Miami, Florida 33137

Tel: + 1 305 573 5550

*Open for lunch Mondays to Fridays from 11:00, Dinner daily from 5:30

*Brunch on Sundays from 11 ro 2:30 p.m., Happy Hour daily from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

BLANCHARDS BEACH SHACK

It's seldom that I stumble on a place that is just perfect in every way and instead of keeping it a secret, I just want to tell everyone about it.  I didn't expect to find a favorite in Anguilla but I was pleasantly surprised with Blanchards Beach Shack - the concept was quaint but well-thought of, the food was delicious and the setting, right on the beautiful beach of Meads Bay was idyllic.  I had read about Blanchards, which was opened in 1994 by Vermont couple Bob (sommelier) and Melissa (self-taught chef), and its' fine dining reputation on the island.  When I had a look at their website, I accidentally saw a link to another place, Blanchards Beach Shack, which seemed more like my type of beach holiday restaurant.  

Opened in December 2011 right beside Blanchards restaurant, the beach shack is just that, a colorful shack with a blackboard menu of simple food that everyone wants to eat.  There are soups (gazpacho and black bean over rice), salads (from a Caesar and curried chicken), sandwiches, seafood rolls, tacos, burgers, hot dogs and big bowls.  They also have a kid's menu requisite sides: fresh-cut fries, coleslaw, garlic bread or Caribbean cornbread.  Colorful picnic tables line the front under umbrellas or under a shady tree and the system is really simple - one window to order, another to pay where you're given a beeper and a last window to pick-up your order when your beeper lights up.

We took our time choosing from the extensive menu and finally shared three items: a flat-top 100% Black Angus hotdog, split on a griddle until crisp, a large portion of hand-cut fresh french fries, a curried chicken sandwich on a toasted homemade ciabatta and a taco trio sampler: blackened Mahi-Mahi, roasted pork and shredded beef which came with warm homemade corn tortillas.  Fresh lemonades accompanied our al fresco lunch which were served on wax-paper lined trays and earth-friendly paper goods and cups made from corn, not plastic.

We were too full to enjoy one of their frozen yogurt twirlers with interesting combinations like Reese's peanut butter cups and peanut butter sauce or toasted coconut, banana, mango and pineapple.  We'll save that for our next visit.  Yes, we're definitely going back to Anguilla and especially to Blanchards Beach Shack.  After our super lunch, we went on the boardwalk towards clear-blue Meads bay and walked slowly back to the Viceroy.  Island life, I could get used to this.
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Blanchard's Beach Shack
(right beside Blanchards restaurant)
Meads Bay
Anguilla
Telephone: +1 264 498 6100
*Open Mondays to Saturdays from 11:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Closed on Sundays
*Eat-in or takeaway
*Beach umbrellas and loungers for rent at $3.00 each

VICEROY ANGUILLA

Getting to Anguilla isn't that simple. There are direct flights from San Juan to Anguilla but it's on small propeller planes so we opted to go on JetBlue via St. Maarten making the journey in a plane, a boat and two immigration checks (in St. Maarten at the airport and in Anguilla at the dock) then finally, a short taxi ride to the Viceroy Anguilla.  We arrived on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon and went straight to our home for the weekend - a Sea Cliff House right on the water with a clear view of the Mead's Bay's turquoise waters.

The accommodations at Sea Cliff House were luxurious - three bedrooms (two on the upper floor and one on the ground floor), a study, large living and dining area, fully-equipped kitchen and a large terrace with a barbeque grill, plunge pool and table.  Interiors are by designer Kelly Wearstler and are in muted shades of beige, white, grey and "greige" punctuated by funky accessories, gold garden stools, driftwood lamps and cowhide rugs.

After freshening up and unpacking our mini suitcase, we headed to the Sunset Lounge for a quick dinner at the bar.  We settled into a corner of the big square bar and started off with some edamame and crispy spicy plantain chips with mango chutney dip then had some sushi, soft-shell crab rolls and tempura rolls as an appetizer followed by a cheeseburger slider each (three in a plate) with some delicious sweet potato fries.  Perfect bar food for a Friday evening.  By the time we finished our dinner, the Friday night movie was about to start - Vicky Christina Barcelona - which we skipped to head back for an early night in at our fabulous residence.

Bright and early the next morning, we had a quick breakfast at Aleta then walked over to Meads Bay beach which is at the other end of the hotel.  The waters were clear (like a swimming pool) and calm and the sand was powdery white.  I had only ever seen another beach like this in Boracay (the south of the Philippines) and finally realized why Anguilla was so special.  We sat in the shade till lunch time then walked on the beach following the coastline towards the other end where we had lunch al fresco at Blanchards Beach Shack (more on that on my next post).  We walked back to the hotel afterwards and cooled off in the swimming pool before checking out the hotel's kid's club, NBA court and rock-climbing wall.  I had a quick reflexology at the spa then went back to the room for a rest before sunset drinks and dinner.

On our second evening, we had dinner at Coba which has a fantastic location right on the bay.  The menu is classic Italian.  We had the roasted endive and goat cheese salad and the squid ink and polenta to start then had pastas: fettuccine bolognese, gnocchi and spaghetti vongole for our main course.  We finished off with the dark chocolate tart with banana ice cream and an amaretti tiramisu with illy espressos.

Sunday morning was spent enjoying our last hours in Anguilla and lunch on the beach at Bamboo Bar & Grill  where we had superb sandwiches - crispy soft-shell crab with caper mayonnaise and the grilled prawn and slaw - both served on crunchy buns with a side of those addicting sweet potato fries.  A quick ride to the dock, another fast boat to St. Maarten and a short flight back to San Juan and just like that, our weekend in paradise was over.
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Viceroy Anguilla
Barnes Bay 
P.O. Box 8028 
West End, AI-2640 Anguilla 
Phone: +1 264 497 7000 
Fax: +1 264 497 7100

DORADO BEACH

My last post was in mid-February and the last four weeks have zoomed by.  Since then, we have packed up our house into a 40-foot container, said goodbye to our friends in Bali, taken four flights and flown over 24 hours to finally arrive in Puerto Rico on the first of March.   It's been a bit over a week since we arrived in Puerto Rico and the first days have been surprisingly easy.  The kids are in school, we found a house nearby and we've started exploring the area.  Dorado Beach (at least what we've seen so far) is beautiful - the beach is nearby, there are several golf courses spread out through the property and there's lots to do for everyone. I think we're going to love living here.

The history of Dorado Beach started out in 1905 as La Sardinera - a grapefruit and coconut plantation owned by Dr. Alfred Livingston.  At that time, transport was on horseback or on foot and people lived in thatched roof dwellings.  When Dr. Livingston died in 1925, his daughter Clara, an aviator and friend of Amelia Earhart, inherited the plantation and built herself a new beachfront "hacienda" called Su Casa.

In 1955, the plantation changed hands when it was auctioned off and bought by Lawrence Rockefeller who wanted to create a resort in the Caribbean on the golden sands of Dorado Beach.  Rock Resorts constructed a 125-room hotel right on the beach and for twenty years, Dorado Beach was where the rich and famous friends of Rockefeller came to spend their holidays. In December of this year, the Dorado Beach, Ritz-Carlton Reserve will open on the same place where the original Rock resort used to be.  Su Casa is still there on the beach with some of the original furniture and an atmosphere of the plantation life and days gone by while the new hotel will be modern with all rooms facing out to the sea.  I can't wait to see what it'll be like.

MINAMI

When a new restaurant opens in quiet Sanur, there's always a buzz as this sleepy part of Bali is filled with restaurants yet very few are worth going to.  Minami in Ubud is where people go for refined Japanese cuisine.  I had never had a chance to visit the Ubud outpost so when I heard that a tiny branch had opened at the newly-renovated Segara village hotel in Sanur, I knew I had to try it.

Minami is an all-white open-air restaurant right on Sanur beach just by the souvenir market.  The menu is limited and not traditionally Japanese but the options are quite creative.  We started off with a few sushi rolls - ebi (prawn) sushi, salmon roll and California roll.  I chose the set lunch which gave me a choice of three items from the selection of Japanese tapas.  I had the fried tofu, tori karaage (fried chicken) and stewed pork belly which came with fried rice and miso soup.  My son had the prawn tempura which was hot and crispy and came with the more Japanese-style salt dip instead of the usual tempura sauce.  The food was good and well-presented but the service was dismal.  We were the only ones there when we arrived around 12:30 and later, two more groups arrived but for some reason, the food came out from the kitchen in spurts and in a haphazard order.  We got the set lunch first, then one sushi roll followed by another and finally the tempura which was almost an hour later then our first course.  Minami has quite a way to go to improve their service before I'll go back there for another meal.

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Minami

Segara Village Hotel

Jalan Segara Ayu

Sanur

*Open daily for lunch and dinner

*Main Minami at Jalan Sangginan, Ubud (Telephone: +62361 970013)

LA SPIAGGIA

Hidden away at the southernmost tip of the island in the Bukit is one of the Bali's most beautiful beaches I have seen in the year since we moved here.  It's rocky and not ideal for either swimming or surfing but it's the best for that deserted-island-feeling which is becoming more and more difficult to find on the overcrowded island.  It's a place for sitting quietly, watching the waves rush to shore and listening to nature.

On a recent afternoon, M, N and I had lunch at La Spiaggia (the beach in Italian), the Bulgari's Robinson Crusoe-inspired beach hut grill.  It's a short but steep ride down on the inclinator until we reached a halfway point on the cliff.  There a simple bamboo and thatch roof hut sits perched on the cliff overlooking the crashing waves below.  We shared a salad and N & I each had a plate of grilled reef fish, squid, lobster and prawns while M had the grilled tuna steak.  It was a simple but delicious lunch and the best part was there we were alone except for a few monkeys swinging on trees nearby, watching our lunch and hoping for some leftovers.

After lunch, we trekked all the way down until we reached the beach where a few lounge chairs are set up.  There is no music except for the sea, no fancy amenities except for a towel and a water-filled earthenware pot for washing the sand off, just pristine white sand.  We waked to the edge where an outcropping of rock marked the end of the Bulgari's beach and on our way back, we disturbed a large monitor lizard looking for some lunch and watched it scurry off and up the cliff.  We reluctantly headed back up the cliff to sit by the pool but later on in the afternoon, N went down another time and saw several monkeys come down to shore searching for clams on the beach which they cracked on the rocks for their dinner, a moving end to a relaxing afternoon.

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La Spiaggia

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Bali

Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin 

Uluwatu, Bali 80364 – Indonesia

Tel + 62 361 8471000

Fax + 62 361 8471111

*Open daily for lunch from 10:00 to 5:00

As the place is quite small it is only for hotel guests.   Call to find out if a reservation is possible.

AMANKILA

When we have house guests, I take advantage of them being here and I go along with them to explore parts of Bali that I've never been to.  Two high school friend are here on holiday and we decided to do a day trip to Bali's eastern coast.  Although I had been once before to Manggis and Tenganan (ancient Balinese village), we decided to go a bit further up the coast to Amlapura where the Tirtagangga water palace is.  We set off right after breakfast and drove the hour and a half to Amlapura past Candi Dasa.  We reached Tirtagangga and were excited to arrive until we saw the water palace but were disappointed by how unexciting it was.  The structure was actually built in the 40's and although the mountain spring pool was quite nice, the whole thing just seemed like a kitschy water park. 

We did a quick visit and walk around then went back down to Karangasem to have lunch at Amankila.  The view of the sea from the terraced infinity pools is stunning.  It would have been perfect, if not for the cargo ships and oil tankers in the distance.  After a simple lunch: beet and orange salad then salt crusted prawns with tamarind for M, a traditional Nasi Goreng for N and a stir-fried rice noodles and pork for me, we took the winding steps down to the beach club and the black-sand beach.  We settled into one of the beach bales and had some Kopi Bali while watching the waves crash to shore.  Long leisurely ladies lunch over, we backtracked to Tenganan where we meandered through the village till dusk and headed back home.

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Amankila

Manggis, Bali

Telephone: +62 363 41333

EL KABRON

Sometimes, I find a really good restaurant that's out-of-the-way and I'm reluctant to blog it because I'm worried it'll be ruined and become a reservations-only kind of place.  But then again, if I don't share it, it might shut down eventually and I would loathe for that to happen, so here's my summer restaurant discovery.

On a mid-week evening after drinks at the Bulgari bar, we decided to have dinner at this new Spanish restaurant, El Kabron, in Padang Padang that friends had been to recently.  They had raved about the paella and after over a year of living in Bali, we missed our Marbella Sunday paella on the beach.  It took us a while to get there as the road to Padang Padang at night is dark and we missed the turn-off.  We finally found the unlit sign for El Kabron and followed the one-lane winding road for about three kilometers until we saw a light through the trees.

El Kabron is down a rocky path then a brightly-lit entrance lined with railroad ties.  It's a simple, white roofed structure opening out towards the sea where some bean bags are scattered around a small all-white rock pool.  The vibe is definitely Spanish chiringuito (a simple beach side restaurant) mixed in with a touch of hippy chic with piped-in lounge music for the "sunset-drinks crowd".

Our group of six sat as close to the view as we could then proceeded to order several tapas to share and a large arroz negro for everyone along with a chilled bottle of the ubiquitous Spanish wine Torres Viña Sol.  Soon after, they served the tapas: gambas al ajillo (hot, spicy, garlicky prawns in olive oil), Txistorra (small pork sausages from Northern Spain),  pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus with smoky paprika), pan con tomate (grilled bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and scrubbed with fresh tomatoes), jamon Iberico from the owner's farm (paper-thin slices of Iberian ham on pan con tomate) and patatas bravas (fried potato chunks topped with smoky Romesco sauce and aioli).  We dug in and were pleasantly surprised at the authentic flavors.  This was like being back in Spain, only in the tropics.  After the tapas, our palates were stoked and our expectations higher so we eagerly awaited the arroz negro.  Paella is a dish that looks deceptively simple - it's just rice mixed with seafood or meat right? - but quite difficult to master.  Traditionally, it's a saffron, red pepper and sofrito (tomato, onion, garlic) infused rice made with either fish and shellfish or meat (chicken, pork, sometimes rabbit).  Although El Kabron had the classic paella de mariscos (shellfish paella), we opted for the more exotic arroz negro (black rice) which was served in a large paellera (paella pan) and came with squid, Manila clams and prawns.  The rice is black from the squid ink used to cook it and it retains the dark, smoky and distinct flavor of the squid which is an acquired taste.  If it's your first time, then by all means go for the orange-tinged seafood-topped paella de mariscos, but if you're ready for an adventure, have the arroz negro.  El Kabron's arroz negro was everything we craved and took us back to those long lazy beach lunches we used to have in Marbella so we weren't surprised to find out later on that El Kabron's Catalan chef Marc Torices used to work at the 3-star Michelin restaurant Sant Pau in Barcelona.  The food at El Kabron is authentic Spanish and probably the only place in Bali to have proper tapas with a cold beer.  So now, the secret is out.  Get there before the crowds find it.

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Chiringuito El Kabron

Jl. Pantai Cemongkak

Pecatu, Bali

Telephone: +62 361 780 3416

*Open daily for lunch and dinner and unset drinks from 4-6 p.m.

How to get there: From Jl. Uluwatu, go right on Jl. Labuhan Sait towards Padang Padang beach for 1.2 kilometers then watch out for the red and black El Kabron sign on the right-hand side of the road.  If yo get lost, call David, the owner.

STARFISH BLOO at the W (Part 2)

That same weekend, we went back to the W's Starfish Bloo to experience their Sunday brunch.  We arrived earlier than our 11:30 reservation (which is when the brunch actually opens) and settled into one of the large rattan pod-like booths having a drink and watching the staff prepare the vast buffet with young American chef, Jack Yoss overlooking the set-up.  With his extensive career in the United States from Wolfgang Puck's Chinois in Las Vegas to San Francisco's Postrio and then to the W Los Angeles' Nine Thirty restaurant in 2005. He was recently executive chef at Ten 01 in Portland's hip Pearl district where he successfully presented "farm to table American cuisine". Jack is in-charge of the kitchen at Starfish Bloo and his creativity, experience and especially his travels all over Asia are evident in the Pan-Asian influenced menu.

Right by the twin aquariums were the platters of shellfish (oysters on the half-shell, scallops) and trays of sashimi and sushi.  The food was beautifully presented in ice-filled whitewashed wooden bowls which really brought out the different colors. 

By the open kitchen on the long counter, they had the hot station where on one end, all sorts of eggs and hot breakfast items were being cooked to order, towards the middle were individual lidded ceramic bowls filled with different curries - beef in red curry, prawn in yellow curry and at the far end was a large steamer basket for dim sum and other steamed goodies.

On another long table near the bar, they had all the charcuterie (jamon iberico, salami, chorizo) and cheeses, both hard and soft, along with fresh bread and chutneys plus a roast beef or roast lamb with the accompanying mustard and jus.

We tucked in as soon as the buffet opened and the kids had a quick meal then headed out to the adjacent kid's club in the sand where they had lots of activities to keep them busy while we enjoyed the rest of the brunch a deux.  During the meal, waitstaff came around with trays of other items that we hadn't even noticed on the buffet: cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella bites, Asian-style steamed bun sandwiches filled with shawarma lamb or shredded duck, fresh fruit smoothies - I tried the delicious papaya and tangerine.  There was also gazpacho, fresh bread and much more food that I can actually remember plus the large dessert table alongside the terrace where there were several cakes, chocolate-covered strawberries and individual desserts like creme brulee and chocolate mousse.

After our leisurely brunch, we snagged one of the lounge chairs by the beach and settled in with some magazines and even a short siesta while the children continued to play in the kid's club.  We would have stayed there all afternoon if not for a sudden tropical rainstorm that had us running for cover, packing up  and heading back home.  We'll be back soon though, now that the good Bali weather is back,  for more food and fun at the W.

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Starfish Bloo

W Hotel

Petitenget, Seminyak

Bali 80361

Telephone: +62 361 738 106

*Open daily for lunch and dinner

Brunch on Sundays from 11:30 to 3:30 (Reservations recommended)