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Food lovers can now take a gourmet journey to Bali at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain’s newest pop-up restaurant Nikmati, the first of many such concepts to come in the five-star hotel’s new al fresco beach-side dining outlet.
Nikmati, which means enjoy in Balinese, takes inspiration from the Indonesian province known for its rich cultural and culinary heritage.
Chef I Made Suriana will be running the kitchen for Nikmati for the next six weeks, offering diners an a la carte menu. Chef I Made unveiled the menu at an exclusive media event attended by Ritz-Carlton Bahrain general manager Bernard de Villèle, director of sales and marketing Jeremy Canivet, key executive team members and media.
Chef I Made said: “We have an a la carte menu, featuring primarily Balinese cuisine. With fresh seafood and meat, along with a combination of traditional spices and lots of citrusy ingredients, there’s something for everyone’s palate.”
The menu featured signature starters such as ‘sate ayam’ - chicken breast skewer marinated with coconut sugar, chilli and kaffir lime leaf; and ‘be tongkol sambal matah’ – a yellow fin tuna salad with shallot and lemongrass sambal and kaffir lime leaf.
The main course’s highlights included ‘rendang be sampi’ – braised short ribs, cooked in galangal, lemongrass and Balinese curry sauce; ‘ayam taliwang’ - a typical Lombok grilled chicken dish enriched with homemade Sambal sauce; as well as the Chef’s special - ‘Aroma Pantai Jimbaran,’ a seafood medley featuring Jimbaran-style grilled lobster, crab, scallop, shrimp and mussel.
Desserts included ‘bubuh sumsum’ – a spiced Pandanus panna cotta with coconut; and ‘bubuh injin’ – black rice porridge with smoked coconut milk sauce
For an after-dinner tipple, creative cocktails include Segara with pineapple and coconut cream while Tedung combines zingy pineapple, orange, apple and lemon juice.
Chef I Made has worked previously at five star hotels including Ritz-Carlton Bali, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius and Amanyara Villas. He met Yann Bernard Lejard, executive chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, at the pre-opening training of Ritz-Carlton Bali, where Yann was impressed by his culinary talent and knew he had to bring his cooking to the kingdom.
Chef Yann added: “I Made’s first dish that I tried was his fish satay – a combination of shrimp and tuna. And his flavours and mastery of his field instantly stood out. He has amazing experience, a talent for hand-crafted food and he stood out from his peers. And I knew he should come represent his island of Bali in the island of Bahrain! And this new concept of a beach-side outlet seemed like the perfect spot.”
Located next to the marina with the sparkling Arabian Gulf as a backdrop, Nikmati’s design celebrates Balinese and Indonesian culture. The entrance is embellished with traditional Penjor Bali structures, consisting of tall bamboo decorated with banana and coconut leaves, and Balinese masks. Each table’s centrepiece is inspired by the Canang Sari – a colourful floral handmade basket representing a daily spiritual offering.
The dining outlet, which includes a professional kitchen and seating for up to 60, will offer a number of culinary concepts a short-term opportunity to showcase their offering. Nikmati will run until April 23, after which a new pop-up may be unveiled at the spot.
According to Jeremy, parties will also be able to buy out the entire restaurant or rent the space for events.
The Nikmati pop-up will run until April 23. For further information, call the hotel at 17580000 or visit: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/middle-east/bahrain. Follow the hotel on Facebook and Instagram @ritzcarltonbahrain and join the conversation using #RCMemories.
