With a similar elegance and sleekness to its hosting property, Quila at Alila Villas Uluwatu is an intimate square room composed of five tables (each is for two), a petite lounge area and a magnificent collage of 3,060 batik stamps collected from all over Java displayed on all four upper walls of the restaurant. Every night from Tuesday to Saturday each week, Quila welcomes 10 diners tops, but the reason for this is actually more to create a personal, friendly ambience rather than to boast of an unnecessary sense of exclusivity.
Helming Quila is Chef Marc Lorés Panadés, who wants to change the common notion that fine-dining restaurants are stiff and uptight. On the contrary, Marc visualises Quila as an intimate venue with warm service where patrons can relax and enjoy the experience. Speaking of which, the experience offered here is unlike any degustation dinner you have ever tasted.
The basic idea is to use 99 percent locally sourced ingredients to maintain freshness and of course cut the carbon footprint. As a Catalan, Marc also prioritises fresh ingredients above everything else. Add to those the Indonesian and Balinese influences that have grown on him and the innovative sensory concept that he applies at Quila promises a culinary evening to remember.
Quila serves a set menu of 10 dishes, each is presented in a unique way that is meant to rouse – if not play with – the diner’s senses. The journey starts with a rose made out of beetroot and cucumber shaved ice, paired with a beetroot-based mocktail. The set is cleverly named St. George & The Dragon, and it comes with an opening fairytale about how St. George defeats a dragon to save a girl and gives her a rose from the dragon’s blood. Intrigued yet?
Words cannot do this gastronomic journey justice as one really needs to experience it personally – complete with the element of whimsical surprise – to fully grasp the uniqueness. Without giving away too much, diners will come across a dish with a name and appearance that imply it has meat as its main ingredient, only to find after the first bite that the dish is actually a whole different thing. Another dish will transport you to a tropical beach without having to open your eyes – quite literally – with the help of the sound of the waves and the scent of the ocean. One pretty plate includes little rose buds made out of ice cream… with the taste of curry! It’s tricky but that’s the point. Nothing is quite what it seems, and you cannot only rely on one or two of your senses to really understand Chef Marc’s creations.
The set dinner is paired with a fine selection of wines, but to further enrich the palate, you can opt for a mocktail pairing instead – where the mocktails are created with the same creativity and unique ingredients. Dining at Quila is more than just a feast, it’s a witty culinary experience.
Quila
Alila Villas Uluwatu – Bali
Jalan Belimbing Sari, Desa Pecatu
Bali 80364, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361 848 2166
E: uluwatu@alilahotels.com
