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Bamboo Chic at Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran boasts an impressive menu of creative Asian, Western and Balinise cuisine, with a beautiful view of the resort pool. The interior displays a mix of traditional culture with contemporary touches, and the food caters to people of all ages.

I dined there for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all three experiences were unique in their own way. Some of the dishes I tried for lunch were Gado Gado Rojak (IDR80,000), Char Siew Rice (IDR120,000) and Wagyu Beef Burger (IDR250,000). I liked the rojak best as the gravy was thick, aromatic and tasty. If you like lean pork, this char siew rice will hit the spot.

Wagyu Beef Burger was huge and the patty was adequately juicy. Unfortunately, this isn’t available on the menu anymore. I tried the Chicken Sate Pizza (IDR160,000); large enough to feed 2 adults and thought this Asian-Western combo worked pretty well.

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Dinner was an insane food affair, starting with the complimentary XO Popcorn and flavours are rotated on a daily basis. Other nibbles we tried were the Barramundi Pakora (IDR80,000), Cha Dum (IDR90,000) and Viet Rice Paper Roll (IDR90,000). Of the lot, I liked the Cha Dum, a Vietnamese beef patty with coconut caramel and peanuts, best. The bits of liver added flavour and a rustic touch to the patty. Good stuff!

Land and Sea Raw (IDR 220,000) was a pretty composition of green tea smoked Kimberly red tenderloin, scallops sashimi, soft shell crab, tempura egg yolk, and chips. But it was the My Bahn Mi (IDR140,000) that rocked my socks. The caramelized pork on chicken liver pate and toasted brioche was further complemented by the (runny) fried duck egg and cognac jelly.

Paul learnt how to prepare the Gianyar Duck Betutu from a local (IDR180,000) and he learnt it well. The duck was crisp and moist at the centre, and well infused with spices and seasoning.

I thought the Foie Gras (IDR380,000) had too much going on, in one plate. The goose liver was smoked with drunken hay, XO and truffle, and served with candied citrus sauce, lemon curd and meringue bits. It was also slightly overdone.

Bamboo Chic is known for the Pork Hock (IDR320,000 – normal portion, IDR410,000 – sharing), which features a hefty slab of pork, cooked in master stock, wok-fried and served with chilli and plum sauce. While the flavours were good, I found the meat too lean for my liking. I’m considering making my own, using pork belly. See recipe below:

On the other hand, I rather enjoyed the Steamed Black Chicken with Crab Herb Tortellini (IDR280,000). This came with poached baby lobster tail, tempura chicken liver, tofu and egg in drunken chicken stock. Also a lot going on in one dish, but somehow the flavours blended well.

I struggled with dessert because I was very greedy with the dishes above. The Sweet Burger (IDR90,000) – a large chocolate macaron with raspberry basil sorbet, dark chocolate, chiboust (pastry cream), chocolate cake, sweet fries and raspberry ketchup – looked impressive but was a tad difficult to cut through. I enjoyed the simpler Fried Ice Cream with Crystallized Rose Petals and Mango Caramel (IDR90,000) better.

Those with sweet tooth will like the Batu Bedil (IDR90,000), a sweet potato dumpling dessert with palm sugar reduction and coconut ice cream, named after a prehistoric site in Pulau Panggung, Indonesia.

My meals at Bamboo Chic were an experience of discovery. While not all the dishes appealed to me, they were creative and daring, just like the chef himself. For more information about Bamboo Chic, visit Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran’s official site and like Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran on Facebook.

To get to know Chef Paul Lewis better, watch the video below, courtesy of Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran.

• Like my Facebook page here.

Ambiance: 7.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 6/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Pan Asian cuisine with a Balinese touch.

Bamboo Chic
Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran
Jalan Bukit Permai
Jimbaran, IDB 80361
Indonesia
Tel: (62)(361) 8466888