EAT: TEATRO GASTROTEQUE, SEMINYAK, BALI

As with most food bloggers, research prior to an upcoming trip will also include sussing out the local food scene, must-eats and Michelin starred eateries. It turns out the Bali food scene is absolutely buzzing and there were plenty of eateries that caught our eye including the Michelin starred Teatro Gastroteque. Here, we tried the discovery menu comprising 10 courses in addition to the amuse bouches, palate cleanser and petit fours. Degustation menus are often super filling to get through thanks to the pacing of the courses which allows the food to settle, but it felt particularly so at Teatro given a) the number of extra dishes served as amuse bouche/appetisers and b) the heat that had diminished our appetites in the days leading up to our dinner. But despite this, we did enjoy our experience, landing on my top 10 list of food adventures in 2018. Points for innovation. More for presentation. There was a sort of theatre that accompanied the art on the plate, with most dishes completed in front of us by the pouring of a sauce or dried ice concoctions. Ooohs and aaahs guaranteed.

Some stand outs of our dinner included the yoghurt bomb with a sensationally balanced creamy to zestiness profile that would have also worked a treat as a palate cleanser, generous serving of foie gras with buttery brioche, silky fresh Yellow fin tuna teamed with avocado, caviar and miso, and the ravioli bursting with an oozy egg yolk that blended seamlessly with the creamy truffled mushroom and white sauce.