Our trip to Bali: Mozaic

C says:

Given how well you can eat in Bali for relatively low prices, Mozaic in Ubud is definitely considered fine dining. Their 6-course tasting menus range from S$90 to S$110 – still very reasonable for Singapore standards but it’s definitely on the high end in Bali.

Chef Chris Salans is known for taking local ingredients, and incorporating them into this classically French dishes (the Discovery Menu), but for those who aren’t that adventurous, there’s a classic Chef’s Tasting Menu as well. Naturally, I opted for the Discovery and A had the Classic. We won’t go through each and every one of the dishes; just those that really popped.

First off, the ambience is fabulous. When the sun finally sets, the weather is quite pleasant, so dining outdoors is quite pleasant. They string enough spotlights across the garden that you have just enough visibility, while still retaining a soft romantic atmosphere. The home-made breads served with amazingly salted butter deserve special mention – the soft roll filled with parsley pesto is insanely good, and the salted butter was one of the best I’ve had.

Out of my Discovery Menu, the dishes that really stood out were the fish and meat courses. The fish was a coral trout confit-ed in coconut oil, with a Balinese spice reduction and parsley and mushroom salad. The fish was perfectly cooked, and I liked the sauce and the flavoured desiccated coconut that was sprinkled across the plate.

I had a choice between suckling pig and wagyu beef (for a slight surcharge) for the meat course. Because we were having Ibu Oka the next day, I chose the wagyu beef, which was served with a pumpkin-lemon puree, tempe crumble and a tamarind demi-glace. Again, the beef was served perfectly medium-rare, with a decidedly Asian tempe and sauce.

For A’s Classic Menu, the starter of seared sea scallop with pineapple and cured duck breast was very impressive, with a perfectly cooked and very meaty scallop accentuated with a sliver of salty cured duck.

The slow roasted pigeon was also very well done. The pigeon was really flavourful and tender and most importantly, not overcooked.

Mozaic has recently opened Mozaic Beach Club on Batu Beling beach, slightly further down from Seminyak. They have all-day tapas, as well as a fine dining restaurant similar to Mozaic Ubud. Again, it remains to be seen whether the restaurant is as good as the Ubud one, but having this as an option is yet another tick in the “just stay in Seminyak” box.

A says:

I guess I’d recommend it if you like exotic flavours in the Discovery Menu. The Classic Menu is great, but not really worth a special trip. Service here, like in everywhere in Bali, was excellent.