Cover Sawah Terrace, a riverside restaurant of Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Sawah Terrace, a riverside restaurant of Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
1 / 1
Forget the usual Balinese classics. This season, Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is shining a spotlight on Klungkung's centuries-old recipes, bringing royal traditions, coastal flavours, and forgotten village dishes to one table.
There is no single definition of Balinese cuisine. Every regency has its own traditions, ingredients, and recipes shaped by the landscape around it, yet many of these dishes rarely travel beyond the villages where they were first made.
That is exactly what makes Untold Flavors of Bali at Sawah Terrace, Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, so compelling. Rather than serving the island's most recognisable dishes, the culinary series looks beyond the familiar, uncovering recipes that have quietly been preserved by local communities for generations.
From July to September 2026, they present dishes from Klungkung Regency, once Bali's largest and most influential ancient kingdom. Known for its royal heritage, fishing villages, traditional salt-making, and palm sugar production, the regency has developed a cuisine that reflects both its history and its coastal landscape.
Don't miss: Experience Ambar: Ubud's beloved bar at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Above Opokan
Above Daluman Gula Dawan
Opokan
1 / 2
Among the highlights is Serombotan, Klungkung's signature vegetable dish. Local spinach, long beans, bean sprouts, and bitter melon are tossed with a richly flavoured sauce made from roasted coconut, garlic, chilli, shrimp paste, and Balinese palm sugar. It is humble in appearance but layered in flavour, a reminder that some of Bali's most memorable dishes don't rely on luxury ingredients.
Equally intriguing is Opokan, a recipe rooted in the fishing traditions of Kusamba, the seaside village famous for producing Bali's mineral-rich sea salt using methods that have remained constant for centuries. Before refrigeration existed, fishermen preserved pelagic fish by salting and boiling their catch, a technique that eventually evolved into this much-loved local speciality. At Sawah Terrace, the fish is marinated with aromatic red and turmeric spice pastes, wrapped in banana leaves, and grilled over an open flame, preserving both its flavours and its story.
In case you missed it: In conversation with Petty Pandean-Elliott about her new cookbook, The Indonesian Vegetarian Table
Above Serombotan, a beloved vegetable salad from Klungkung
Serombotan, a beloved vegetable salad from Klungkung
1 / 1
Dessert offers another glimpse into Klungkung's culinary identity. Daluman Gula Dawan takes inspiration from a traditional Balinese herbal drink, transforming the leaves of the Cyclea barbata plant into a delicate jelly served with coconut milk and syrup made from Dawan palm sugar, a regional speciality harvested from coconut flower buds.
More than a seasonal menu, Untold Flavors of Bali is an invitation to see the island through its food. By celebrating recipes that have long remained within village kitchens, Mandapa continues to reveal a side of Bali that many visitors never have the chance to taste.
For travellers who believe the best way to understand a destination is through what's on the table, Klungkung's forgotten flavours make a great place to begin
NOW READ:
13 Asian dishes that survived the fall of dynasties and empires
Tatler Best Indonesia's 20 Best Restaurants 2026
Inside the new literacy sanctuary at Samsara Ubud
