Amerta Restaurant, Anantara Ubud Bali Resort
Words: Monica Tindall
Photos: Han Sen Hau
Amerta restaurant, named after the Sanskrit word for “immortal,” embodies the essence of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort’s culinary philosophy. It aims to leave guests with lasting memories of their dining experience.
The Mediterranean-inspired kitchen emphasises fresh and local with a menu that is very much ingredient-driven. The restaurant’s setting amidst the lush Balinese forest inspires the use of locally sourced ingredients. A remarkable 95% of products are sourced from Indonesia, including in-house dry-aged fish and meat. Furthermore, a custom-made grill fueled by coconut husk charcoal adds a distinct flavour to dishes.
The executive chef of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, James Willis, honed his skills in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and Japan. He leads the kitchen and brings a global perspective to the local food scene.
Degustation Menu
The best way to truly enjoy a holiday is to leave all decision-making behind, don’t you agree? We do this with Amerta’s five-course degustation (IDR 1 150 000++). Alongside a complete a la carte menu, there’s also a vegetarian set (IDR 950 000++) and the option for wine pairing (IDR 1 100 000++).
Amuse-bouche
According to our server, the amuse-bouche presentation is “a little bit of fun.” The presentation portrays both the wet and dry seasons. One of our plates is vibrant green with lush jungle leaves, while the other is bedded with their dried brown counterparts. They’re equally important to the natural system but dramatically different in appearance. The amuse-bouche is a fresh, palate-awakening combo of beetroot, water apple, celery, and goat’s cheese. We love it.
Bread & Butter
The forest inspires the bread-and-butter course (yes, it’s a thing these days and well justified when so much thought goes into the design). A golden, warm house roll wafts its delicious aromas before it’s even been delivered. It’s served on a leaf with a small tower of butter coated with kalamata olives and spinach powder. The butter melts into the fluffy roll. Yum.
Amerta Restaurant Wine List
Amerta’s wine list is a compact selection of old and new world wines with close to two handfuls available by the glass, including a Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne. The Patriarche Bourgogne Chardonnay from Burgundy, France (IDR 350k), is an excellent mate to our amuse-bouche and snapper. Citrus and faint minerality mirror the lovely freshness of the first two courses.
Later, the versatile Château Minuty ‘M de Minuty’ Rosé Côtes de Provence, France (IDR 550k), is a fine partner to our dry-aged mahi mahi. Its lovely summer berries nose and slightly weightier mouthfeel play well with the fleshy fish.
Lastly, the E.Guigal., Cote Du Rhone Rouge, Rhone Valley from France (IDR 330k) is a fantastic choice with our steak. The classic GSM blend from this region puts forward elegant fruit and integrated tannins, collaborating agreeably with the beef.
Citrus Cured Red Snapper
In the first official course, paper-thin corn chips top a trio of mounds of citrus-cured red snapper. The flesh is tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture. It’s supported by avocado puree, a yuzu dressing, faint heat from green chillies and organic radish. It’s another superb dish.
Dry-aged Mahi Mahi
Dry-aged mahi mahi is our host Wiwin’s favourite. The fish looks remarkably like suckling pig with a brittle skin. However, the flesh is meaty and tender; it’s a tomato powder giving the deceptive appearance of crackling on the coloured crown. A vibrant salad of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, yellow and green zucchini, and basil leaves beds the fish. Tomato confit, lemon nectar, golden tomato presse and fresh jungle herbs finish it off. Tomato essence is poured over as it’s served, and thin slices of Kalamata black olives give a touch of salinity. We agree that Wiwin has impeccable taste.
Grilled Tokusen Wagyu Sirloin
We’ve been appreciating the well-sized portions of the meal so far and our beef main, grilled Tokusen wagyu sirloin, is another Cinderella-sized serve. A black plate makes the pink middle of the sirloin even more dramatic. The thick slices lay atop a tangle of sauteed local kale, along with aka miso sauce, charred onions and peppers. The Béarnaise sauce on the side is blanketed with Andaliman pepper (from Northern Sumatra), with a tiny pink flower breaking the dark canvas. It’s a delicious, mouth-filling combo.
Red Dragon Fruit, Strawberry
Alfa, a young Balinese chef working under the guidance of industry veteran pastry Chef Dadi, confidently presents our pre-dessert. Alfa has created this recipe of red on red on red, using readily available red dragonfruit and arak. Balls of the fruit are generously infused with the arak and married with fresh Bedugul strawberries, vanilla crème and red dragon fruit meringue. Roselle granita is scooped over tableside, making a lovely palate-cleansing transition to dessert.
Chocolate & Kluak Cremieux
Dessert, chocolate and kluak cremieux is a dark, enigmatic cylinder topped with caramelised popcorn, salted caramel sauce and gold powder popping against the black. The primary ingredients of 70% dark chocolate and kluak are both from Bali. Kluak (known as buah keluak In Malaysia) is actually poisonous unless treated correctly. It undergoes a lengthy process of boiling and fermenting underground buried in ash to make it edible. However, Alfa reports not taking any chances with his guests, so just like a Roman praegustatore who tasted food for poison before royalty ate in ancient times, Alfa bravely tastes every kluak before transforming it into something sweet.
Petit Fours
The meal concludes with a duo of petite fours. The first, matcha cubes, have the texture of mochi with powdered matcha and a tiny gold leaf adding a splash of bling on top. The second sees spicy ginger biscuits sandwiching sharp tangerine jelly that peps us up, readying us to bid farewell.
Amerta Restaurant Review
Amerta restaurant is an excellent complement to the food and beverage options at Anantara Ubud Bali Resort. It’s perfect for a fine evening out with attentive service, a stylish setting and delicious food. The degustation menu is just the right portions leaving us feeling satiated but not overwhelmed. We love the ingredient-driven menu and appreciate the solid wine-by-the-glass list.
Reasons to visit Amerta restaurant: lovely ingredient-driven menu, wholesome and flavourful cuisine, we highly recommend the degustation menu and a solid wine-by-the-glass list.
Amerta Restaurant
Ananatara Ubud Bali Resort
Jl. Raya Puhu Payangan No.88, Puhu,
Kec. Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80572, Indonesia
Link to Amerta Restaurant on Google Maps
@anantaraubudbali
[email protected] +62 361 2017888
Amerta Restaurant Opening Hours
Daily: 5 pm – 11 pm
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