Breeze, at The Samaya Seminyak, Bali

Prior to leaving for Bali, we had friends give a list of restaurants where we absolutely must dine while in Bali.  It turned out to be a case of too many restaurants and not enough time.  And towards the end of the five days we spent in Seminyak, we were worn out from racing around and trying to get to everything and so we sat down and thought about what we really wanted to do.

Twilight

Twilight

Drew really wanted to sit at a restaurant where he could enjoy the sunset and I wanted to go somewhere close by so we decided to take a walk along the beach and pray we’d stumble upon a really good restaurant.  That sort of pot-luck method can be risky business.

Entrance to The Samaya

Entrance to The Samaya

There are a lot of 5-star hotels and resorts that are right on the beach at Seminyak.  One of them is The Samaya Seminyak and the bar and restaurant couldn’t be closer to the sand.  There is an uninterrupted view of the ocean and of course, if you time it well (which we didn’t), you will be sipping your cocktail as the sun is sitting; (missed it by five minutes!)

Very tropical

Very tropical

The Samaya Seminyak is a resort with around 30 beachfront villas where each comes with its own lap pool, and another 20 or so villas are across the road in a village setting.

The resort’s restaurant is Breeze and it couldn’t be more perfectly located.  Each table is well distanced from other diners and all have a front row position in front of the sand.

Lots of water features

Lots of water features

The lighting is gorgeous with the trunks of the palm trees twirling in lights and overhead, there are suspended balls of light that sway in the breeze and look like moons.  The setting is really magical as you sit and enjoy the range of colours that appear in the sky as the day turns to night.

We were shown to a table that was perched on timber decking that led to the sand.  The table was covered in white linen and there was a soft glow coming from the candle.  It was so much like paradise we started the evening with a glass of champagne and just sat, listening to the ambient music and watched the ocean and people walking along the beach.

The water features are very therapeutic

The water features are very therapeutic

We were handed the menu and this is where I started to get a wee bit nervous because the menu was several pages long and it has been my experience that the more dishes a restaurant has on its list, the more average the food.

The menu has a bit of everything on the menu including Asian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Indian and Mexican and that is another thing that makes me nervous as it’s often better to get one thing right rather than try to be a dab hand at everything.

So relaxing

So relaxing

For an entree I ordered the duck, tofu, mushroom and vegetable spring rolls that came with a sweet and sour sauce.  Unfortunately these were disappointing as the spring roll wrapper was very thick and chewy and the filling inside rather tasteless.

Duck and Tofu Spring Rolls

Duck and Tofu Spring Rolls

Drew ordered the tempura zucchini flowers with a herbed goat cheese filling and romesco sauce.  It was a generous serve of zucchini flowers however the tempura batter was soft rather than crispy and overall, Drew said the dish was just okay.

Tempura zucchini flowers

Tempura zucchini flowers

For the main course we both ordered from the Asian menu.  Drew ordered the baked tropical snapper fillet in banana leaves with Balinese spices, seaweed salad, steamed rice and a seafood vegetable soup.  The dish had very pretty presentation and Drew loved unwrapping his banana leaf parcels and said the dish was ‘bloody marvellous’.

Snapper

Baked Tropical Snapper

I ordered a meat dish however when it arrived the waitress told me it had been cooked in a sauce and I’m allergic to that sauce.  The dish had to go back to the kitchen and I was given the menu to order something else.  By this time Drew had just about finished his ‘bloody marvellous’ dish so I decided to choose something that could emerge from the kitchen quickly.  I chose the charcuterie plate of bresaola, gammon ham, chicken liver pate, olives, gherkin, onions & pickles, marinated feta and sourdough bread.

Charcuterie Platter

Charcuterie Platter

Call me fussy but I didn’t like the presentation and with everything divided into compartments it reminded me a plate of appetisers from a 1970’s dinner party.  The bresaola was lovely, the ham and the pate were ordinary and the olives etc all tasted like they’d come from a jar you’d find on a supermarket shelf.  I didn’t think the bread was actually sourdough so this platter was disappointing.

You can't fault the position

You can’t fault the position

There is no denying the setting at Breeze is outstanding; it would be a challenge to find a position more like paradise.  The staff at Breeze are extremely dedicated and go above and beyond to ensure your dining experience is as good as it can be.  However, the food needs to match the standard set by the environment and the staff, and I believe on this occasion, the setting and the staff far outdid the cuisine.

15.07.23.1Breeze:  The Samaya Seminyak, Bali
Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak Beach, Bali, Indonesia
T  62 361 731 149

 

Comments

  1. Ohhhh what a shame to have a letdown meal in such a fantastic place – oh well you can’t win em all. Have a fantastic weekend 🙂

  2. Faaaaaaaaaar out. Looking at your pictures …. Like taking a bullet!
    What a gorgeous part of the world. When I get to Bali, heading here for sure.
    PS: I adore that top/dress you are wearing. 🙂

    Happy weekend. x

    • Thanks Anna, the dress belongs to my daughter who offered it to me when she heard I was going to Bali. It’s a Camilla dress and so good with the heat of the tropics.

  3. What a beautiful setting … shame about the food. I agree with the earlier comment on the dress. It looked lovely.

    • Thanks Marie. The dress belongs to my daughter and when she heard I was going to Bali she said, ‘Mum, you must take my Camilla dress’. It really did suit the tropics.

  4. Well, at least you got ambiance and good service. The setting looks magical. You are quite an expert at knowing the signs of not-so-great food.

  5. That view is exquisite. Isn’t it strange how a good view is nearly always matched by substandard food?

  6. Gorgeous views too bad the food did not match the magical setting. I agree that a lengthy menu that covers too many cuisines frequently means mediocre food. Admire how you always emphasize the positive no matter what the situation. Lovely photo of you and Drew.

  7. Bummer that the meal was disappointing, but at least you got to eat it while gazing at that view!

  8. Oh, my, is this place beyond stunning. Just gorgeous.

  9. Well, we will just have to skip the food and have cocktails only while watching the sun set if we ever get to visit. 😀 I wish!
    Gorgeous photo of you and Drew.
    Have a beautiful weekend. It’s FREEZING here with gale force winds and flooding rains predicted for tomorrow.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  10. You have reinforced what I, too, have always felt about menus that are just too long–mediocre everything, stellar nothing. But at least you had all that beauty surrounding you. Lovely.

  11. It looks like a lovely place but I would rather have great food in a mediocre setting:). Yes I was going to say I loved your top too. So pretty. What a shame about your meal. it looks like an entree and not a dish to eat for dinner.

  12. There’s no doubt that the setting trumped the food. Looks like a great spot for cocktails, though 🙂 And you look terrific it that dress!

  13. Gorgeous setting. Charlie, I’m always so jealous of all the lovely vacations you go on!!

  14. So sorry Charlie……..when on vacation you always want everything special, sometimes that is alot of work, the view is beautiful!!!

  15. You have certainly had your run of bad meals Charlie, but am sure the idyllic background, peace and tranquility more than made up for it!

  16. That view is absolutely sublime! I can’t imagine how relaxed you must have been! 🙂

  17. Gorgeous views and love the photo of you guys you look so relaxed. Eating local food is always the way to go as when they try to make a cuisine outside of their usual it is never very good. In HK, it is the same way. Local food great and western cuisine not so great. However, it is all to do with your company and the setting and that was grand.

  18. What a great review Charlie, I would have been disappointed too; you didn’t mention the pricing so I assume it was equally insulting. Such a gorgeous location and it’s nice to hear that the service outdid expectations. I have the same fears from a menu that is too extensive, the executive chef should know better, such a bloody shame! One thing they did wrong was to leave Drew’s plate, they should have removed it and brought out some complimentary nibbles while they finished your replacement meal and brought both out at the same time.

  19. I forgot to say how gorgeous that pic is of you with the background! You sexy thing!

  20. You may have experienced some inconsistencies in cuisine and presentation, but it’s impossible to downgrade such a beautiful setting. I’d have enjoyed a cup of coffee, if nothing else with that view. Great photo of you and Drew. I’m sure you had a wonderful time everywhere you went!

  21. Oh isn’t that disappointing – I hate that. Quite true though when the menu is too large the food is rarely good. Although Drew had good luck on his side!

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