Merah Putih (Bali, INDONESIA) ★★★☆☆

Merah Putih is one of the newest additions to Bali's dining scene. If you are staying at the W Hotel Retreat and Spa, this might just be the place for you. Located just a stone's throw from the hotel's main gate, Merah Putih represents a new wave of trendy restaurants that serve traditional Indonesian cuisine with a slightly modern twist. 



The menu has been divided into two sections, "traditional" and "modern" where you would find both traditional Indonesian recipes as well as Indonesian food with a modern interpretation.

Our first impression of Merah Putih was a very good one - an oasis within the heart of Seminyak.



The restaurant offers a very extensive wine list but the selection of cocktails and mocktails was even more enticing. 

What a great way to start our dinner off with this cocktail called "lychee and grapes".



A little amuse bouche before dinner starts - chicken soup with herbs.



Bebek Bengil (Dirty duck) has always been my favorite Indonesian dish so this pick was really a no-brainer for me - Bebek Garo Rica which had a nice mix of Manadonese duck leg and roasted duck breast served with tomato, leek and kemangi.

It was however a little disappointing. They could have used a bit more spices (4/10).



After a traditional dish, here's something more contemporary - grilled Papuan slipper lobster (baby lobster) prepared with garlic, cassava butter and tumeric potatoes (5/10).

Not bad.



We decided to get some veggies to "neutralize" all these spicy food and this Gado Gado with green beans, quail eggs, cucumber, tempe and cashews was exactly what the doctor ordered (5/10).



If there's one dish that managed to surprise us, it was the Nasi Kuning - a steamed rice with cocunut, pardan, lemongrass and tumeric wrapped around with a bamboo leaf (7/10). 



We couldn't pass up dessert for the world. Out of the six bite-size desserts, we had the following two.

Es Puter, 4/10
Mangosteen sorbet, watermelon, young coconut and basil - perfect palate cleanser but nothing more.

Kelapa tart, 6.5/10
young coconut panna cotta, mango and palm sugar crumble - I like this one. Refreshing and super creamy.



While the ambience and service were superb, the price tag was slightly off the chart for the kind of food that was offered. Nevertheless not a bad choice especially for group dining.





Food Rating: 5.2/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Jalan Petitenget No.100x, Kerobokan, Denpasar, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 8465950
Website: http://merahputihbali.com