Bali's Pasar Malam Dining Experience

(3/12/2006)

Heinz Von Holzen and his wife, Puji, founders and operators of the award-winning Bumbu Bali Restaurant and Cooking School, have just launched a new dining experience on the southernmost tip of Bali. "Pasar Bali" - Indonesian for "Night Market" - offers a wonderful interactive dining sojourn through nine separate Balinese style pavilions, each featuring a particular aspect of the Island's cuisine. Intended to open a whole range of Balinese food and drink to Bali's visitors in the course of a single evening's dining, Pasar Malam provides live demonstrations in the following pavilions:

• Bale Panjang. - Upon entering the Pasar Malam guest encounter a stand containing an entire range of Indonesian cooking spices including – nutmeg, cloves, peppers, cinnamon and other ingredients for visitors to view, smell and hold in their hands.

• Wantilan – Arakery. A traditional cock-fighting pavilion has been transformed into a "micro distillery" demonstrating the production of Bali's traditional alcoholic beverages - Arak and Brem. The pavilion also allows visitors to taste freshly distilled palm brandy.

• Bale Banjar – Vegetables. A live preparation on how Balinese prepare the vegetable dishes that complete every meal, including the very tasty mixture of long beans, spices and shredded coconut - Jukut.

• Bale Gede – Coffee. A traditional Balinese coffee shop where visitors can witness coffee being roasted and brewed. As you might expect, the aroma is captivating.

• Puri – Fruits and Vegetable. The more than 50 different kinds of fruits grown in Bali make rotational visits to this pavilion, depending on season. Be sure to sample the traditional spicy rujak fruit salad or sample some hot ginger soup.

• Kambang – Rice. The secrets of the planting and production of Bali's main food staple of rice are demonstrated here on a daily basis against a backdrop of a traditionally equipped working Balinese kitchen. Sample the taste differences between the varieties of rice: white, black, red, and glutinous rice.

• Paon – Main Kitchen. The Main Kitchen is where meat and fish dishes are prepared. Succulent sea foods fresh from the daily market are carefully spiced and cooked along side meets braised in sweet soy and coconut milk. Don't forget to try the Balinese specialty of duck and chicken roasted in banana leaf.

To make the Balinese dining experience complete, there are daily cultural entertainments presented every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night.