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Tuesday 8 July 2014

Dinner at Blue Bali on Cluny



The Beau and I decided to head to Blue Bali on Cluny (formerly known as "The Villa Bali") for dinner this evening, so we could indulge in Balinese food with a modern twist. I just had to keep snapping photos of the place because it was so pretty, like a charming little world of its own nestled at the edge of Botanical Gardens.



Located at 1D Cluny Road, Singapore 259600, the number to dial for Blue Bali is 6733 0185. It is a quaint little bungalow, one of those "black-and-white houses" that the Beau liked, very colonial and historical. The restaurant is furnished in a grand, elegant Balinese style complete with authentic ornaments / art deco furniture that adorns its every surface.



Upon entering Blue Bali, we were greeted by an elegant main foyer, looking exactly like an up-class Balinese home, and leading out into the bar counter with comfortable seats and affable greeting by the boss, Robin himself.  The overall service of the crew was fabulous - attentive and polite in every way.





There were various dining halls in this great courtyard gardens- setting, one could choose the air-conditioned indoors, or dine close to nature alfresco-style, enjoying being surrounding by the trees and plants, listening to insects and soothing music all night long. There were traditional Javanese Joglos, Lesehans and daybeds etc - we wanted to dine in one of the tents / huts but were told that the total bill had to exceed SGD100+.

We should've chosen it since our bill exceeded that amount in the end too!



The entire place exuded a very dreamy and even enchanting ambience - scented candles, soothing music, dim lightings and intricate art decorations all round - it was not hard to be charmed, not hard to feel totally relaxed as though one were overseas currently. We placed our order shortly after being seated.


I had to order the Papadam basket (SGD$3.00), and would've ordered the Keropok basket as well, if the Beau hadn't stopped me. After all, the keropok was a mandatory must-have for all Indonesian dining. Anyway, the Papadam chips were crispy and tasty, the way I like it, acting as a fabulous (and cheap) starter.


Next, we were being served the Pumpkin Prawns (SGD$20.00) - succulent prawns stir-fried in a creamy Blue Bali signature sauce delicately infused with curry leaf and chilli. I loved the fresh, bouncy prawns enhanced by the sweet, sandy (like salted-egg texture) sweet flavor of the creamy pumpkin-concocted gravy. It was deliciously-tinged with curry's aroma, and I kept drinking the gravy like soup, simply because it was lovely, and non-greasy.


Then there was the Sumatra Beef Rendang (SGD25.00) - beef loin braised with rendang paste flavored with Salem leaf, lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon and served with Nasi Kuning and Lawar Kacang (Balinese long beans). The beef rendang was sapid and heavy in flavor - sweet, savoury and spicy blend all in one, infusing the naturally rich flavor of the beef. The rice was fragrant like nasi lemak or saffron rice's taste, going very well with the beef, and the spicy long beans added a hint of refreshing crunch to the dish. The chilli served with this dish was superb too!


Our final main course for sharing was the Blue Bali Dirty Duck Confit (SGD$28.00) - a tradition in Bali married with an age-old French recipe of preserved duck leg prepared with Indonesian spices and served with Mesclun salad and spicy Hoisin sauce. It was duck confit in French restaurants literally - crispy on the inside and tender on the inside - except that this was uniquely flavored with spices unfound in French restaurants - and we loved this dish, needless to say!


Despite being really full - and I mean really full (because we also ordered a bowl of heaping white rice on the side, not knowing that the beef rendang came with rice as well) - we still saved space for desserts. The Lemongrass Panna Cotta served with mixed fruit compote (SGD$13.00) - a creamy, smooth, soft and cooling dessert that was not too sweet, but bursting beautifully with the aroma of lemongrass. It was lovely, made even more so by the sweet and sour berries sitting atop.

We spent a total of SGD106.00 on this meal, and enjoyed the dining experience here immensely.


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