Karma Resorts Raising Bali’s Fine Dining Benchmark at Award-Winning Karma Kandara & Karma Jimbaran - Bali (Indonesia)
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Karma Resorts Raising Bali’s Fine Dining Benchmark at Award-Winning Karma Kandara & Karma Jimbaran - Bali (Indonesia)
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Category: Asia Pacific - Indonesia - Gourmet restaurants
- Gourmet restaurants
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-02-24
Chefs Steven Grande & Miles Belfield focus on local organic produce and sustainable seafood to produce world-class cuisine
Multi-award winning Karma Resorts is raising the fine dining benchmark in Bali with the appointment of two internationally renowned chefs focusing on world-class eco-friendly cuisine from organic and sustainable produce.
At Karma Kandara Resort and Spa, acclaimed chef Steven Grande has been appointed to the helm of signature restaurant di Mare, ranked by Tatler magazine among the best restaurants in Indonesia.
He is also overseeing beachfront restaurant Nammos, wine, cheese and tapas lounge Veritas in the wine cellar, as well as Temple Lounge. A chic North African Casbah, that is actually the roof of di Mare, and serves Moroccan mezze delights.
His experience extends from his family’s home-style cooking in South Carolina to some of the most celebrated fine dining venues in the United States, including San Francisco’s Lark Creek Inn and celebrity retreat The Setai in Miami.
Among major influences on his style, he cites legendary chef and cookbook author Thomas Keller and his primary mentor, Jonathan Wright, now at iconic Sandy Lane in Barbados.
“Nearly everything outside of the basics, I learned during my four years working under Jonathan,” he says. “He taught me how to nurture pristine ingredients and showcase them on the plate. He trained under Raymond Blanc, so in many ways I relate to his cuisine as well. I own nearly all of his cookery books and understand what’s going on in the recipes because of my time with Jonathan.”
He is building on a legacy of fine dining at Karma Kandara, with refreshing new menus from organic and sustainable locally-sourced produce and seafood.
At di Mare, perched high on an oceanfront cliff-top with “possibly the best view in Bali…or the world”, he is focusing on the bounty of fresh seafood on the island. “The aim is to present super-fresh seafood prepared and presented in a world-class, avant garde style” he says. “We are pushing cuisine to the maximum on a daily basis, so guests can expect new and exciting offerings on each visit.”
Nammos is continuing to serve Mediterranean-inspired cuisine by day and Asian in the evenings, with a contemporary “reflection” and blending of Indonesian and Southeast Asian classics.
Chef Grande is excited to embrace “a wonderful agricultural movement happening in Indonesia that results in spectacular fruits and vegetables available from local sources – completely organic with wonderful flavours.”
“It is always exciting for a chef when such great produce is available locally. You can look for Karma to set the standard on environmentally-friendly, green solutions and putting a sustainable and healthy meal on the plate – presenting cuisine of the highest level in a sense-inspiring experience that serves well for the future.
“We are also moving to sustainable seafood suppliers, rejecting those who use fishing methods that destroy the ocean habitats – namely trawling and long line fishing.”
Sister resort Karma Jimbaran has meanwhile appointed one of the UK’s most exciting young chefs Miles Belfield – his mission to establish the Karma Lounge signature restaurant as a Mecca for fine dining in South Bali.
Originally hailing from the Bahamas, Miles brings more than 15 years’ experience in some of the world’s most prestigious and forward thinking eateries.
He joins from one of the UK’s top restaurants, Bordeaux Quay in Bristol, which is renowned for its eco approach, sourcing organic ingredients from local farms and sustainable seafood.
Now importing that eco-concept to Bali, he says: “The ethos I am bringing to Karma Lounge is to make the restaurant as sustainable as possible. For example, I’m using a plot of land next to the restaurant to build our herb garden, which in the longer term will supply some of the kitchens fruit and vegetables.”
Sustainability translates into great food as Karma Lounge also focuses on communal-style dining, inspired by the Japanese izakaya tradition.
Diners are encouraged to select a medley of smaller dishes that can be shared, rather than confining themselves to the traditional starter-entrée-dessert format, though this is still an option.
The menu is meanwhile as dynamic and versatile as the chef who created it too. “My cooking is really ingredients driven,” says Miles. “I don’t start with a fixed recipe in mind, I prefer to develop dishes based on what’s available – and in Bali there’s an abundance of delicious ingredients.”
That means everything from seafood, which Miles picks up, often personally, at the famous Kedonganan fish market in Jimbaran at dawn, to organic vegetables and herbs – along with prime imports such as Wagyu beef and Atlantic oysters.
With dishes inspired by cuisines from across the Asia Pacific, he is promising constantly evolving menus that change with the seasons, the ocean’s bounty and his own imaginative whims.
“It’s a more casual take on the chef’s degustation menu – and it’s not fixed either,” says Miles. “Right now we’re revising the menu on a monthly basis and I’m aiming very soon to make weekly changes.”
Inspired by both Marco Pierre White and Elizabeth David, he is promising exquisite, world-class cuisine in an informal atmosphere for gourmet breakfasts, tasty lunches and al fresco dining under the stars.
Musical performances also take place throughout the week, from classical acoustic guitar, baby grand piano to jazz and blues bands. Each Tuesday, Miles and his highly experienced team of Balinese chefs conjure a classical Megibung Balinese feast accompanied by traditional music and dance.
ABOUT KARMA RESORTS
As one of Asia’s leading developers of boutique resorts, Karma has been creating luxury lifestyle experiences since 1993. Destinations are carefully selected to combine tranquil environments with some of the world’s hottest holiday destinations. Its portfolio of owned and managed hideaways throughout the region extends from Bali and Lombok in Indonesia to Chiang Mai in Thailand, Goa in Southern India, Palawan in the Philippines, and Margaret River, in Australia.
A number of the Karma properties are members of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World group.
John Spence, Chairman of the Karma Royal Group, has over twenty years experience at the forefront of the hospitality industry. He experienced great success in the early-90s as one of the first foreign capital investors into Indian resorts, with particular prominence in the Goan market. Since then, Karma has expanded across Asia. In 2004, John was awarded ‘Philanthropist of the Year’ by the American Resort Developers’ Association (ARDA). In 2010, he has been voted Ernst & Young (E&Y) Australian Entrepreneur of The Year. He is also a Commissioner for West Australian Tourism.
Reflecting the founder’s great passion for rugby, Karma Group is currently the official resort sponsor of Western Force rugby union team in Australia and Official Resort Partner for the England Rugby Sevens Team.
Debt-free with an extremely strong balance sheet, the company is financially solid and a leading player in the Asian tourism industry.
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