Gabah restaurant quickly comes to mind when the family and I are looking for a place for an authentic Indonesian feast around Kuta. I have visited a couple of times in the past – the restaurant’s atmosphere is still as beautiful as I remember. It has a calm ambiance as it is delightfully set around water and beautiful surroundings despite being located on central Kuta’s bustling streets.
Gabah has an excellent choice of flavours in their extensive menu with a variety of Western and Asian classics. Gabah has very special presentation when it comes to Indonesian food, with a look at the photo menu being enough to make you drool. Normally our common family feast usually involves pizza and pasta, and though they are available at Gabah – this time we stepped out of usual food comfort zone and opted for one of Gabah’s signature sets: The Royal Baruna Rp. 999K ++.
In the ancient times, the ancestors of Indonesia known as sea wanderers honored Baruna, the God of the ocean they worshipped by dedicating a lavish feast consisting of a wide array of fresh catch from the sea and harvested fresh crops that are presented with prayers and dance of joy as reflection of their gratitude.
Our royal lunch started with tasty tahu telur (omelette) entree that came in pretty banana leaf platters – similar to wanci, what Balinese use for offerings. Tahu Telur with a Balinese salad was served along with a delicious soup and refreshing young coconuts – all included in the Royal Baruna set which was brought with a beautiful smile. What a perfect start.
A moment after… all aboard! Our one meter royal baruna boat was arriving and being set so magnificently on our table while the crew serenaded us with the traditional Indonesian folk music. It was so festive!
On the boat was a sumptuous selection of grilled seafood such as baby snapper, lobster, prawns, squid, and mussels with beef rendang and variety of sides such as corn fritters, sate lilit, sauteed veggies, tuna sambal matah and veggies in coconut sauce. The set also came with rice, a variety of sambal, banana fritters and fruit platters. The whole presentation was just so mind-blowing, we were almost lost for words.
The seafood was excellent and tasty, perfectly grilled and marinated – there was more than enough to share for the whole family, with the crab bing my absolute favorite. The beef rendang however, was beyond unreal and I’m not exaggerating! Real tender beef in divine rendang sauce, definitely a winner!
We tried a little bit of everything from the boat and savoured every mouthful. There were four of us and we still left with enough to take home. Such an amazing way to sample many authentic flavours on one plate, we were very impressed with the quality and authenticity of the food and of course the amazing presentation and the prompt and friendly service of the staff. We couldn’t ask for a better afternoon – we left very happy people and will definitely return for more!
Gabah Restaurant
Ramayana Kuta Resort Bali
Jl. Bakung Sari, Kuta – Bali
Ph. +62 361 751864
www.ramayanahotel.com/gabah-restaurant-lounge/
