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A RECENT VISIT FROM MY BROTHER PROMPTED ME TO ADOPT MY ALTERNATIVE ROLE OF CULTURAL AND GASTRONOMIC TOUR GUIDE. We cruised up to Ubud and had such a lovely day that we decided to stay for dinner; I took my brother to teraZo and it proved to be a great choice...
Situated in Jl Suweta, a quiet street bordering Ubud’s Royal Palace, teraZo restaurant & bar is part of the ‘Bali Good Food’ group. It is owned by husband-and-wife-team Karen Waddell and Gusky Suarsana; they also own Fuel and the two Batan Waru kafés. I had been told “if you like one then you will probably like the others”. Well, I’m already a confirmed devotee of the others, so I had no doubt that the food, service and ambience of teraZo was also going to be very good.
Karen describes teraZo as an “Asian Mediterranean bistro – a friendly neighbourhood haunt where folks will be well taken care of and feel comfortable”. Open for lunch and dinner, teraZo is a little bit upmarket yet casual and informal. Karen says, “We are not here to experiment with fancy inventions, we just want to deliver a satisfying meal”.
Characterised by colourful modern décor, teraZo blends elements of urban sophistication with ethnic Balinese style. The semi open-air building is flanked by a pair of ornamental ponds, each featuring a fountain bubbling over a stone urn. The walls are adorned with a series of original vintage Indonesia and Dutch East Indies travel and product posters dating back to the 1920s, 30s and 40s. A giant poster advertising ‘Tonic Apertivo Digestivo’ hangs above a horseshoe-shaped terrazzo bar, the metal frame of the poster and the restaurant’s pendulous lanterns and wall lamps are the creation of the celebrated local sculptor Pintor Sirait.
Dining takes place at ground level or upstairs within an intimate mezzanine under a soaring roof. My brother and I sat in the non-smoking section close to the fountains; the sound of trickling water was soothing and the sweet scent of night jasmine wafted in on the cool breeze. I started my meal with a double-baked Goat Cheese Soufflé with fresh ruccola and walnut vinaigrette. Light and fluffy, this dish is made with premium French goat cheese together with caramelised onion – a wonderful combination that balances sweetness and pungency. My brother chose the grilled Tofu and Shiitake Pot Stickers with marinated fern-tips and soy-lime sauce. Each of the five little parcels boasted a smooth wrapper encapsulating a host of different flavours and a crunchy texture. For the main course I decided on the Indian Curry Plate, it was a bit like a thali with a mild vegetable curry, rice pilaf, eggplant chutney, samosa and paratha. The taste was authentic, the veggies were crunchy, and the samosa superb. My brother opted for the Red Chilli Chicken; it was cooked in a fresh chilli and coconut sauce with a delightful piquant quality. The boneless chicken was very tender and the dish was served with the wholesome red Balinese rice that always looks and tastes soooooo good. Finally, for dessert, I enjoyed a coconut sorbet and star-anise ice-cream terrine. This dish is called ‘Es Pecalang’, designed to resemble the traditional black and white checkered poleng attire worn by the officials of the Balinese village ‘Banjar’. Poleng cloth symbolises the opposing forces of life, and this theme was reflected in the contrasting colours and tangs of my checkerboard dessert. My brother always has room for a pudding and he thoroughly enjoyed the Fruit Crisp, a delicious tropical fruit crumble baked in its own ramekin dish.
I was so happy with my decision to dine at teraZo; next month my niece is coming to stay, I will once again assume the role of tour guide and teraZo will most definitely be on my list of places to revisit.
Dim Sum | Rice & Stuff | Axiomatic Happenings
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