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A Wondrous Waterworld
Boneka This airy bistro of gold and crimson mosaic tiles and child-sized traditional Indonesian dolls (Boneka is the Bahasa word for which the place is named) serves up burgeoning buffet breakfasts–yes, it starts with a single order or two and then the waiters start coming up to you with more items you may wish to try. They elevate a simple egg breakfast into something wicked–Egg Nouvelle, for example, is asparagus and shrimp custard served inside an eggshell, while the orgasmic Lobster Omelette swims in an heady bisque of its own juices with two unbelievably tender and tiny lobster claws. European cheese platters, jellied Danishes, tropical fruits both familiar and unrecognizable in exotic yogurt and cream cocktails, and chilled champagne will be more than enough to satisfy the most gluttonous of appetites 'till dinner, or at least until lunch for the more heroic. While I dined, I'd sit watching the view from Boneka's picture windows overlooking St. Regis' vast network of pools and waterfalls. Old King Cole Bar For all the merry old souls who wish to indulge in a stiff shot, aperitif, or magnum of bubbly, the Old King Cole is definitely a place for them to drink their fill. However, one other thing they do with great aplomb here is High Tea, the whole shebang complete with irresistible checkerboard sandwiches, tri-tiered scones, regal pralines, stout English teas, and sprightly servers smartly clad in white tails and waistcoats. As night would descend, I'd lean out of the balcony while watching Old King Cole's patrons. It offered me a great view of St. Regis' six o' clock nightly ritual–a troupe of tribal percussionists and the best firedancers in Bali would skillfully spin flaming pots of poi and immolated staves, culminating in a ceremonial lighting of torches strategically located around areas near Old King Cole, Kayuputi Restaurant, and the long stretch of elevated black sand that leads to the Lagoon Pool, the poolside villas and the beach. The Lagoon Pool At more than 3600 square meters in overall area, this was easily the most "ginormous" swimming pool I had ever seen in my life, so far. You could fit Godzilla and all of Tokyo in that pool, with room to spare for the screaming masses. The vast lagoon had access points to the posh poolside villas and an easy-to-explore obstacle course of stone furniture, waterfalls, thatched huts, art nouveau statuary, canopy couches, tropical foliage, bridges, a motion sensing Jacuzzi, and even a floating poolside bar next to Kayuputi Restaurant. Rolling, roaring waves of grayish emerald smacked the beach beyond the lagoon pool with a sizzling stretch of clean, grey sand dotted by snazzy beach chairs and umbrellas, all painstakingly maintained by St. Regis' staff. A paved walkway links the pool to the beach and the beachside villas, each one a tiny palace of opulence, complete with lavish rooms, tasteful Balinese décor, a personal pool, wet bar, and butler quarters. Gourmand Café The Gourmand Café is actually composed of two parts: the outdoor dining area decorated with what I can only describe as brass saxophones spewing water on chained dice into an expansive koi pond, and the indoor patisserie and deli where you can order snacks, pastries, and chocolate on the go. As we took our seats on the woven plastic dining chairs, my server bade us try some homemade chocolate chip cookies in a jar on the table. I was careful not to inhale the scrumptious lot (which took LOTS of self-control), as they would have ruined my appetite for lunch. Fortunately, the French Onion Soup arrived before I could pop another cookie. It was a simple caramelized onion soup with chicken broth, herb croutons, and gratinated rich gruyere cheese that sat as a cake almost too big to fit the lip of the soup bowl. Cantaloupe Melon and Parma Ham Salad came next, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar and virgin olive oil, the sheets of parma ham and green and orange melon balls garnished with arugula. Before we knew it, we were brought a St. Regis Burger, a beefy Vin Diesel-esque patty of Black Angus prepared well-done and served on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, onions, crunchy gherkins, hand-cut crispy potatoes, homemade tomato chutney, bacon, and cheddar cheese. However, I wanted more traditional Balinese fare so I went with Nasi Goreng Inspired By The Village, a spicy fried rice dish with chicken, squid, and prawns served with sambal ulek (salted red chilis), pickled vegetables, fried bumbu bali (special Balinese sauce) flavored chicken thigh, crispy shrimp crackers, and shredded omelet. Resembles a rice plate dish with cucumber and tomato slivers and served with kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce). As we could barely stagger out of our chairs after that gluttonous meal, dessert was kept to a minimum. We settled for having samplings of Gourmand Café's gelateria with flavors that I'd never tried before such as Malaga (white wine and raisin), Rose, Pistachio and Cherry, Mango Mint, and Guava Sorbet. Unable to resist, we munched on chocolates with esoteric sounding names such as Anastasia, Casia, Vanuahi and Casanova, and a novel concoction of coffee ice cream, prune crepe, and coconut foam. These were the puissant creations of Chef Vincent Stopin, who handles the desserts for both Boneka and Kayuputi. Massage at Remède I wouldn't be surprised if pedigreed princesses such as Paris Hilton got such potent pampering. Exclusive Remède-formulated products such as their chamomile oil and paraffin wax were liberally applied to my limbs and back to soothe my protesting muscles. My masseuse manipulated the remote control massage bed like a hospital bed, all the better for her deft hands to do their work. Afterwards, I took a dip in the Aqua-Vitale pools of the spa, a special Salvador Dali-like sculpture of a pool whose primary function is to massage specific areas of the body through powerful water jets. Each niche in the pool corresponded to a specific body part to be treated. Think of it as the perfect Jacuzzi, capable of tirelessly kneading any part of your body. Epic Epicureanism This edifice of stucco, très chic, the requisite pools, and gastronomic wonder is the bailiwick and laboratory of Chef de Cuisine Gede Agung, one of the recent winners of the Bocuse d'Or Indonesia Selection Competition in Jakarta. Here are some samples of what he offers in Kayuputi (which I've tried): Lobster Tail with Avocado, with mousseline (foie gras mousse), garden herbs, topped with tomatilo (Mexican green tomato) consommé, aspic and balsamic yuzu reduction. Creamy and fresh, the consommé is like gelatin. Slow Roasted Pigeon Breast served with foie gras torchon (covered in a towel and poached), cream morel (a kind of mushroom), pickles, raspberry and natural meat jus (cooked in its own juices). The pigeon is smoked and tender with a hint of thyme and mushrooms. The torchon is velvety with a salty bite whereas the raspberry adds contrast to the pigeon and foie gras. Tuna with Mango Salsa Amuse-Bouche (hors d'oeuvre style) is a petite mouthful of flavors and varying textures from the softness of fruit to the crispiness of the cracker beneath, a combo that works quite amicably.
Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras, caramelized Granny Smith Apples, grapes, and natural meat jus with a Granny Smith mousse. It's a delicate contrast of fruit and fowl with smoky undertones of delight.
Deep Sea Snapper Tempura with Chinese Herbal Broth and Enoki Mushroom felt like imbibing a rejuvenation tonic while eating the crunchy, meaty fish.
The Master of the Cellar No true dining experience in Kayuputi is complete without the proper wines to accompany the meal. Harald Wiesmann, the manager and sommelier of Kayuputi's two-floor wine cellar, assures all his patrons that every bottle coming from his cellar is of the best quality for its range and availability in Indonesia. "We show a lot of variety, region, grape, and class but I'm limited by Indonesian supplies. It's hard because taxes on wine are high," he admits. "For wines, price and quality are my benchmarks." He does his best to ensure the quality of his wares personally. "I make sure to taste the wine when I can. Unfortunately, there are no wine fairs in Bali so I do what I can." To celebrate our arrival at Kayuputi, Herr Wiesmann performed a sabrage for us, where he deftly sliced off the top of a champagne bottle with a single stroke, cork and all, no jagged edges. Having seen the man's sheer awesomeness with a blade, I was intrigued and wondered if I could pull it off. "It's really easy," he assured me. "It just takes knowing where to strike the bottle–that's the secret. The rest is all practice." One could say that lots and lots of practice was his secret in his restaurant's winning the Wine Spectator Award in Asia for two years in a row. "I've been here for six years now, and this is my first Southeast Asian country. However, I've been in the business for thirty-eight years." It also helped that Wiesmann won the Wine Spectator Award once in Switzerland and twice more before he came to Kayuputi. Eager to impart his experiences and knowledge, Wiesmann took his junior sommeliers on a two-week wine exploration trip to France. "We're the only hotel with a sommelier assistant training program," he explains. It certainly sounds like a dream come true but it has its share of hard work and unique quirks. "It's a tough job training the locals. Most have no basic background on wine and their taste buds have been damaged from eating too much chili," he laments. In spite of the challenges, he nonetheless has grown to have great affection for his new home. "I've been married for five years and have two children. I'm happy here because I found my family in Bali." |
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