OK, I'll admit it; I went on a bit of Will Meyrick-athon of late. He's a busy guy, so we have been actively brings you news of his latest projects. But his Seminyak Mama San basis five years now. In an effort to keep the wandering child prodigy on his toes, we paid a visit Mama, to see if she still lives with his Dean-room-dining reputation.
If you have been to Bali, chances are you've been to Seminyak. If you have been to Seminyak, chances are you've been to Mama San, even just for drinks.
The concept here draws from the 1920 Asian gentlemen's clubs, full of smoke and sin. Appropriately, then, in dark shades, converted warehouse, Mama presides Jl. Kerobokan, beckoning you just come and taste their wares.
sample we did. The emphasis is on fun, so we started with cocktails - not that I ever need an excuse. A Passion Fruit Mint Bellini was served beautifully, with intelligent foam and a mint leaf on top of delicate glass of champagne. Aged a Negroni was wonderful (and not just because, as I have more to convince me, everything is better with age). He was well built and based on decent ingredients. Straight departure, we found that the bar is still a hot mom for those who need great mixology.
Barrel Aged Negroni
I often found competing institutions in this fight space for two things right at the same time: some excel behind the bar, and some in the kitchen. Mama San is about both, and it's a good job too, since the whole of ethics is to get customers to spend a few hours in comfort. We needed no convincing.
All-Day Menu for guests with cutting Meyrick tent smart: Asian Bites, Salads, Crispy Things, Stir Fries. First, we visited Siam - perhaps the first love foodie Meyrick - with some Thai Fishcakes. I had every expectation that they would be flawless, and they were: just the right amount of spices, the patties were appropriately dense, not too fat and packed with robust flavors that are famous for
.Vietnam was our next stop, with what was to be my favorite dish of the night: The Lot; chopped toasted famous street of belly pork in betel leaves, dipped in nuoc cham . If you were to ask a trader of the South Vietnamese market if a cheeky chappy could do a Scottish fish sauce dip to compete with the best efforts of the nation, they laugh in your face. But it does, and it was a delight -., Plus, very hard to find elsewhere in Indonesia
To complete our entry "bites" stayed we in India kachoori , a chickpea flour puff filled with yellow dal, served with tangy chutneys (tamarind and mint). I liked it, but I'm a sucker for anything spicy sub-continentally. This type of delectation Nibbly is perfect as street food and in this context somewhat high, as an accompaniment to these inventive cocktails.
Crispy Lamb Ribs
For something heartier - I'm reluctant to call a main course, the menu does not dictate what you should eat when - you can go with various oriental stir-fries, crispy lamb chops or pork belly. The extension of this theme, the restaurant has developed a following for its dim sum, which is (rather unusual) served at night in the bar upstairs. But we chose the curries and Embers section: a beautiful red duck curry, another dish Thai-inspired (though the duck, of course, is also a well-known Balinese delicacy). This version has been watered down by the somewhat unusual but delicious, most of litchi. The duck was perfectly sweet, and taste gamy well contrasted with shrimp paste in the sauce.
With this we also tried a Massaman curry chicken, which originated in southern Thailand. With its creamy sauce of shallots, pumpkin and potatoes, it was perfect to mop with roti canai, or poured over jasmine rice cooked in plain steam.
The desserts are provided with equal attention to detail savouries at Mama San, and it is refreshing to see these unique concoctions on offer - a theme that persists in all Meyrick companies, including Hujan Local Ubud and E & O Jakarta. Thai Pumpkin Caramel Candy was a .ly new to me - and it's not often I get to say that! Small sweet pieces were fantastic paired with ice cream at home cashew nuts (cashews, of course, is another important product Balinese). From the far stickier, dessert was naughtiest Banana Pudding, which in itself was divine, but the cinnamon, cardamom and coconut ice cream house was a revelation. Finally, I am pleased to see Meyrick give his spin on Pavlova loved Australia, which he covered with mango mousse, passion fruit coulis, berries and ice cream to coconut. It was both light and bold, with large tropical flavors.
The restaurant rightly has loyal fans. A weekday night nothing-there it was packed to the rafters, apparently with a nice section of tourists, locals and expats: clearly the charms of Mama are still in their first flower of youth. My advice for a night on the town? Start here for generous cocktails, eat something fabulous to mop up with, drink a little more, for dessert, consider going elsewhere, but with a gentle sense of fatality, bend, drop, and settle in 'til closing .
mamasan
Jl. Raya Kerobokan 135, Br. Taman, Bali
.62 361 730 436
www.mamasanbali.com