Taste of Mama San: Balinese cuisine with a twist

Karen GEORGE

22 Apr 2015

updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:08

1/6
Tuna betel leaf
Our starter began with seared tuna marinated in lemongrass, green tomato, sambal matah and bumbu pasih, perched atop a heart-shaped betal leaf. The lemongrass gave the dish a tangy flavour and the sambal sauces were spicy without sending anyone at the table into tears.
2/6
Burratta
Balinese pesto, young coconut, palm heart, banana blossom,
mint and roasted candle nut merged beautifully to make this dish. The buratta would've been overwhelming and too cheesy on its own but the listed ingredients tucked in this cheesy puff of perfection helped balance the dish. The roasted candle nuts provided texture to an otherwise soft, creamy dish.
3/6
Scallop ceviche
The beautifully presented scallop cerviche with green chilli, ginger flower, grated horse radish, mint and salmon roe was salty yet refreshing at the same time. Despite the profusion of garnishes, nothing felt out of place as each ingredient complemented the fresh scallops.
4/6
Ikan pepes snapper wrapped in banana leaf
This dish, long a staple of Indonesian cuisine has been given a little twist by Chef Meyrick. Ikan pepes is basically snapper fish steamed in banana leaves before being grilled. The usual recipe simply calls for salt, shrimp paste, pepper and lime juice but Chef Meryick has done his using green tomato, oyster mushrooms, lime leaf and lemon. Let's just say traditionalists and food purists won't be protesting this new recipe anytime soon.
5/6
Babi guling
But of course, no real Balinese meal would be complete without babi guling or suckling pig, one of Bali's most famed dishes. Traditionally spit-roasted, the pig is then stuffed with coriander, tumeric and other such typically Asian spices. Chef Meyrick has stuffed his babi guling with with young coconut, young jackfruit, long beans, sambal matah,
and crispy krupuk. This dish was clearly a crowd pleasure as only the bare bones were left.
6/6
Crispy duck Ubud style
The most famous dish to come out of Ubud has to be its crispy duck. Deep fried on the outside and juicy on the inside, the texture of the meat was soft and tender. The yellow curry ikan teri made a great dipping sauce although the duck was succulent and flavourful enough to be enjoyed on its own.

From babi guling to durian panacotta, top chef Will Meryick presented his interpretation of traditional Balinese food at Longtail, as part of Singaopore’s World Gourmet Summit.

Mama San is one of those iconic eating establishments you simply have to visit when in Bali. The Pan-Asian cuisine served up by Chef Will Meyrick has won him many accolades and seen him open an outlet in culinary crazy Hong Kong.

Meyrick, the chef behind the much-lauded Sarong Restaurant in Seminyak gets his inspiration from street food spanning South East Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. Meyrick, affectionately known as the Street Food Chef was recently in Singapore for the World Gourmet Summit and one of his contributions to the event was a tasting for Mama San at Longtail.

Joined by his Thai business partner, Chef Palm Amatawet, the duo cooked up a storm of delectable Balinese favourites with a contemporary twist. As members of the media, we had a chance to savour the culinary creations of the Masterchef himself.

Our 7-course luncheon proved to be an exciting guessing game for our taste buds as most of us had no inkling as to what we were being served. Each dish was a mystery masked in the vivid colours of fresh produce. Cheese, fresh coconut, limegrass, and sambal mingled beautifully, transcending the barriers of sweet, salty and sour in one bite. Murmurs of satisfaction could be heard throughout the meal and no one left their plates unfinished, the best testimonial any chef could hope for.

What can we say, it was a feast to remember.

Text and photos: Karen George

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Taste of Mama San: Balinese cuisine with a twist

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