During my recent trip to Bali, in November, I was staying at The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Hotel, and due to serendipitous timing, I happened to be at the hotel coincidentally for when they were hosting a special charity dinner, of which the proceeds went towards the UNICEF Check Out For Children program.
The event, The Island’s Five Celebrated Chefs UNICEF Charity Dinner, was a fabulous one, where you got to enjoy five fine dining dishes each paired with a medley of five Duval-Leroy champagnes chosen by Chief Sommelier of The St. Regis Bali Resort, Harald Wiesmann. A win win combination!
The Chefs for the evening were Chef Made Putra from The Laguna Resort & Spa, Chef Chris Salans from Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique, Chef Bayu Retno Timur, Executive Sous Chef from Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Chef Mandif Warokka from Blanco par Mandif and Chef Vincent Stopin from The St. Regis Bali Resort, all with a very impressive track record.
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I was super excited about the dinner and especially as it was for such a fantastic cause. We arrived to find it was a super glamorous affair, complete with a professional photographer taking snaps of the diners, and so of course we struck a pose!
Photo Credit: The Laguna, Bali
Photo Credit: The Laguna, Bali
We mingled whilst enjoying a variety of flavoursome canapés and then sat down at a lovely long table in a gorgeous dining room, eagerly anticipating the dishes that were to come.
Our first course was by Chef Chris Salans from Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique, who treated us to a delightful Chilled Duck with Black Kluwak Nut and Organic Beetroot. What a dish! The ingredients all complimenting each other and tasting so fresh, and the duck just perfectly cooked and I loved the textures.
Next was a very comforting dish of Cauliflower, Ricotta, Egg and Caviar, but not as we know it – the Caviar was very cleverly made using Aubergine, which was very novel and absolutely delicious. Chef Mandif Warokka from Blanco par Mandif really tantalised our taste buds with this vegetarian dish.
My favourite dish from the evening was by Chef Bayu Retno Timur, Executive Sous Chef from Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and was a Cod fish ravioli, beautifully presented with edible flowers and so full of flavour. It seemed to have a positively pleasing reaction across the table too!
The fourth dish was a Lemongrass Oil Poached Salmon and a Bali Rock Lobster Tail, cooked two ways, by Chef Made Putra from The Laguna Resort & Spa, which was a dish to satisfy any seafood lover. The seafood in Bali was just so fresh and I really tried to make the most of it at every opportunity.
Dessert was a dreamy Valrhona Opalys coconut mousse by Pastry Chef Vincent Stipon from St Regis Bali, and was delectable, scrumptious and the perfect dish to end the astounding meal on. The various textures and flavours were a real treat and it was really refreshing too.
That wasn’t the end of the sweet treats though, and soon arrived a platter of colourful petit fours, each incredible, and absolutely scrumptious.
We tried various Champagnes from the Duval-Leroy range, but my absolute favourite was the Blanc de Blancs, and it seemed to be a popular one on our table too, so much so that some of asked for a top up!
As part of the evening there was also a raffle and a silent auction, in order to raise additional funds for the UNICEF Check Out For Children program and so we bought some raffle tickets and made some bids.
Whilst we were unlucky on the raffle front, we are incredible ecstatic to have won a 2 night stay at Caresse a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Turkey, and so it will definitely form a travel plan for 2018. I think I could get used to the Luxury Collections and their superb service, as well as gorgeous properties.
Photo Credit: The Laguna, Bali
It was such a wonderful evening, and an amazing way to raise money for a brilliant cause. Each of the dishes were truly remarkable but if I had to pick a favourite it would definitely be the Cod Fish Ravioli, because it was just spectacular.
It was also lovely to meet Rosalyn, who is just such a sweetheart, and who I absolutely love following on Instagram since that day.
If you are in Bali, dining at The Laguna, Bali, is an absolute must!
For more information about The Laguna, Bali, where I had the most wonderful stay, you can visit their website here.
Hi, I’m Binny – a writer, dreamer, serial wanderluster and travel addict. I am originally from Kenya but now live in London. I set up this blog to share my experiences eating out as well as travelling.
I love packing my bags and going off on adventures as one of the best things about travelling is the ability to just get lost in it. To set aside the maps and itineraries and just see where the road takes you, learning and evolving and living in the moment along the way.
It’s my goal to get swept off my feet as often as possible.
What a fantastic meal, I can see why the Cod fish ravioli was your favourite! xx
Wow. All the food looks wonderful. Love your dress too. You looked really lovely.