Review: Cultural Dining and Japanese Fusion at Hotel Tugu Bali, Canggu

PUBLISHED November 10th, 2016 07:00 am | UPDATED July 28th, 2024 01:39 am

Encapsulating founder Anhar Setjadibrata’s love and passion for Indonesia’s romantic history, Tugu Hotels is an expanding group of boutique museum hotels in Indonesia. Each housing some of Setjadibrata’s privately collected fine Indonesian art and cultural antiquities, it’s no wonder that Hotel Tugu Bali is well-loved by expats and tourists alike.

The folks at Hotel Tugu Bali have made it their mission to bring the art, soul, and romance of Indonesia’s yesteryears to life. The legends of Indonesia’s ancient kingdoms are experienced through artful design, themed décor, the various cultural encounters that the hotels provide to guests, and of course, food.

Visitors and hotel guests can enjoy Indonesian cultural dining at the hotel lobby or Japanese fusion at Ji at Bale Sutra, which is located in the empirical enclave of the hotel.

Ji at Bale Sutra

Located on Jalan Batu Bolong, right across the famous sunset spot Old Man’s, Ji (meaning ‘temple’ in Japanese) comprises of three different concepts. The hip, exotic, historic Red Room houses a majestic centuries-old temple, with artefacts of old Balinese culture, beautiful carvings of mythological animals on the ceiling, and heritage pieces of Balinese royalty from past centuries while The Front Bar serves up Asian-inspired cocktails amidst an eclectic, ancient kabuki theme.

The Upstairs is great for people watching from the top of the trendy Jalan Batu Bolong with a sea-view and alfresco casual dining/lounge under the stars. They also have a wine to go and delivery service, which provides the villas in Bali with affordable fine wines & sake on the island.

We started with cocktails to welcome the sunset (practically mandatory in Bali) and the Nikkei Ceviche (Rp 110k). The combination of  scallop, snapper, prawns, dashi and lemon was refreshing and opened up our appetites for more. An excellent dish was Spicy Yellowfin Tuna (Rp 75k) maki. Rolled with shimichi togarashi, the combination of the freshness of the tuna and hint of spice was fresh, and refreshing.

The ever-popular Dragon of Ji (Rp 80k) is one of their signature maki rolls – think prawn tempura, avocado, tobiko and spicy mayo – that’s shaped like a dragon when served. For something comforting, go for the Chawanmushi (Rp 60k), a simple (but not simplistic) dish of hot steamed custard egg with prawn, shitake and shoyu. A good vegetarian option would be the Ginger & Sesame Soba & Tofu Salad (Rp 60k) tossed with toasted sesame, tamarind, carrrots and edamame.

Dessert-wise, we had Mango Chocolate Mousse (Rp 80k) and Green Tea Cheesecake (Rp 50k). While we have no complaints about either, we preferred the latter for a lighter finish to the meal, especially after so much maki.

Diners who like to wine and dine will find wines predominantly from France and Australia, as well as a good selection of sake. Those looking for something more complex can try their cocktails, The Tugu Gin and Tea (Rp 100k, naga tea infused tanqueray, aperol, honey and lemon) and Coco Sexo (Rp 100k, sagatiba cachaca, aromatic coconut, vanilla and passion fruit).

Ji Restaurant is still very new and young, and there’s lots of room to flourish, flavours and menu wise. But for now, we’re pretty satisfied.

Indonesian Cultural Dining

In line with the mission to highlight the richness of Indonesian culture, Tugu presents the Indonesia’s Cultural Dining, where dining is an immersive theatre that transport guests to the golden eras of Indonesian history. Every dish in the menu has been carefully researched, from the complexity of our spices to the uniqueness of regional cuisine of this archipelago.

On Thursday nights, they have Cultural Evenings. A special performance designed to revive and preserve the almost forgotten stories from the past and the disappearing cultures – in particular the traditional dances, music and costumes of Bali – is staged at Hotel Tugu Bali’s majestic Bale Agung. Visitors and residents have then the opportunity to witness genuine Balinese dance performances in an authentic Balinese atmosphere.

To complement the evening, we went Indonesian with the fragrant and nicely spiced Nasi Goreng (Rp 120k). The original recipe hails from the first Tugu hotel in Malang, where rice is stir-fried with East Javanese spices and served with shredded chicken, prawns and shrimp crackers. For something less heavy, opt for the Cwie Mie Babah (Rp 125k), homemade egg noodles served with Chinese cabbage, chicken, and fried shrimp wonton in a  clear broth.

An unforgettable experience of Balinese culture over delicious Indonesian cuisine – what’s not to love?

Hotel Tugu Bali is located on Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu.