Savory Festivity

Of all holidays in a year, the golden week from Christmas Eve to New Year is the most anticipated event to celebrate. Of all hard work throughout the year pay off within this week. It is full of rollicking jollity where food plays a vital role in the making. In Ubud, there is no better way than having the most special dining with loved ones. Having a great conversation discussing life in private ambience with a gastronomic menu. It is as if recharging all efforts, thoughts, energy, and practically everything by one (or more) night experiencing something you don’t do everyday. And to realize one’s desire of quality time over excellent dining experience, the chef team at BLANCO par Mandif prepares a 7-course menu to complete the year-end mission.

As usual, the course starts with Pickles. At this Indonesian fine dining restaurant, Chef Mandif Warokka would like to introduce the culture of eating pickles in Asia before appetizer is served. Marinated kolang kaling (sugar palm fruit), rujak (Indonesian fruit salad) and long bean salad are listed on this phase. Following is Aperitif where Mushroom semur (Indonesian sweet-savory stew) and Karedok (traditional vegetable salad) are put side by side on the table before Amuse Bouche is served consisting of kuah pindang and tofu custard.

Entering the main course, for those who have visited the restaurant must have recognized some of the regular items as the signatures of BLANCO par Mandif do taste like a parade in one’s palate. Truly representing the feeling of holiday vibe. First plate is Blue Swimmer Crab offering creamy, fresh and sweet flavor all at the same time. The savory flavor of cultured coconut and tomato caviar are combined perfectly with the sweetness from granny smith apple and muscat grapes bathing the crab perfectly. The interesting part next is the presence of Cuttlefish Sayur Asem (Sundanese traditional sour soup). This menu has nothing to appear during the regular dining schedule. Only within the golden week of the festive season from 24 December 2019 to 1 January 2020. Beyond words, the best thing to understand the taste is by giving it a try.

Surprising bit also departs from the Roasted Red Snapper. The freshly caught fish is roasted with leaving the skin crispy while inside remains smooth without a fishy smell. It is sided with sauteed remis (clams), buntil sauce and teri medan (Sumatran special anchovies). Another seafood creation additionally placed in a plate of Rock Lobster dressed in lobster curry and sided with sea urchin with extra aroma from kemangi (Indonesian basil). Authenticity at this stage has seemed to take into account although it does not stop there. The later two main courses represent much of BLANCO par Mandif’s authenticity. The famous 14-Day Aged Smoked Duck unexceptionally is included in the celebratory menu. Served with three types of beetroot and sided with roasted pineapple and maize, the duck delivers a very robust taste with no intense aftertaste. It is best to be paired with a cocktail specially made by Ruang Tamu Bar to begin the last course, Wagyu Beef Glaze Maranggi. 

The kitchen marvels of BpM attempt to assemble a glimpse of extensive spices across the Archipelago. In a plate of Wagyu Beef Glaze Maranggi the rich ingredients used resembles much the image of diverse culture in the country. The super tender beef is marinated in Maranggi Sauce that is originally flown from West Java. The dish delivers sweet and savory flavor and dressed in rica-rica giving a spicy note. Together with the potato puree with smoked aubergine, every part of one’s palatal is touched completely. It is likely to make a pact of east-meets-west sensation. Then, the ideal venture is ended with Getuk 5.0. A signature dessert inspired by the same name departed from Java. Cassava is the base ingredient with palm sugar, peanut butter ice cream and topped with grated coconut for a more tropical flavor. The entire meal items paired with spectacular drinks to complete the dining experience make an endless festive season and brace oneself to embark to a new, fresh page.