Ubud’s Best: Rustic Riverfront Dining at Riverside Cafe in Bali

I loved Riverside Cafe from the moment I walked into the lobby of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. I loved the quiet look of the place – all wood and stone – and the casual nature of the nature itself. But what I loved most was that the entire restaurant smelled like fresh rain. It even “sounded” beautiful, with water flowing just metres away from me. And in the course of such a beautiful location with meal that lasted three hours, the scent of nature never stopped.

Walking inside the cafe, Chef Jocelyn Argaud himself warmly welcomed me. It did look like he expected me. I reached the resort on time, but it turned out I took a good 10 to 15 minutes to walk to Riverside Cafe. So anyone who has an appointment there, do arrive ahead of time.

I was instantly happy to be in this calm oasis with lush scenery in and out. I was on my way to the restaurant when I saw a beautiful Balinese dance being performed to entertain guests. What a treat.

I have met a number of chefs but Lyon-born Chef Jocelyn is perhaps one of the few chefs who can describe his concept and his cooking really well. By listening to his prelude, I could fully understand what the new dinner concept was all about, compared to some other dining experiences which could be understood only by reading its media brief. Our chat ended while I was highly convinced about this rustic French bistro concept.

“We are proud to say that we use 100% local products,” remarked Chef Jocelyn. The fact that only this restaurant, and another nearby one in Ubud, can proudly boast of this farm-to-table approach appeals to me. That was before the Chef told me how he sources for his lamb.

Previously, the chef found his lamb tough and hard to cook. Fate brought him and his wife to a lamb satay hawker food near their house at Singapadu, of which they became loyal fans. Subsequently, Chef Jocelyn was introduced to the satay seller’s supplier in Kintamani, 1.5 hours away from home and, voila, his lamb is never the same again. He then explained how he uses local ingredients – many sourced from the Resort’s own vegetable and herb gardens – often within hours of being hand-picked. Combine these with relaxing riverfront dining and the world-class touch of Four Seasons service, you are up for a extravagant evening.

What I particularly liked about this dinner is that the Chef pours his heart out to the menu. Traditional cooking techniques such as cast-iron pots and wood-fire ovens are Chef Jocelyn’s forte to present his favorite dishes passed down by his mother and grandmother.

The Seafood Platter (IDR 490k) was such a grand opening. A plate that easily explains Chef’s farm-to-table approach as the mangrove oyster is from Lombok, an island east of Bali. Scallops and the oh-so-exquisite lobsters are from Sulawesi, clams from Sumatra, mud crab from Papua New Guinea and prawns from Borneo. Sheer luxury. On the side, this platter went really well with the tartar sauce and the mango salsa.

Chef was indeed serious when he talked about bringing the flavours from home as this dish came with a name close to his heart, Tomato Tart “Maman Claudette’s” (IDR 170k), wood-fired tomato tart with Caciotta cheese, Dijon mustard, fresh oregano and arugula. One bite and I can sort of understand what home would be like for Chef’s family. You can’t miss this appetiser for sure.

Then came the Mushroom Ravioli (IDR 250k). I’m not a fan of goat cheese but the ravioli, served rather hot, went really well with it and also the Riche sauce, made of reduced wine explained the sweet sensation. I bit a ravioli open and the mushroom filling overflowed in my mouth – just the way I like it.

The Wood-fired Chicken “Basquaise” (IDR 310k) was probably my favorite course at Riverside Cafe. It may not look like much, but wait until you put a mouthful of everything from the cast-iron pot.  It tastes like what it looks – fiery, mix of everything good with chicken – until you encounter intense little bursts of flavours that are the best version of umami you’ve ever eaten. And if you admire umami as much as I do, that’s saying something. Pak Suardika, the host was kind enough to let me stare at this dish and smell at the pot as he opened the lid and served a plate for me. It tasted heavenly.

Dinner was concluded with the Wood-fired Crispy Pear Frangipane Tart (IDR 120k). I left it to Chef to decide for me the whole dinner as I did not make any single choice from the menu; I can tell you he sure knows my taste. The pear tart was such a fine closure to a beautiful dinner. I tried a mouthful of everything and I could taste how fresh everything was. I did not quite appreciate the burnt part on the other part of the tart at first, but the flavour sensation got to me at the end of my palate which was invigorating.

The restaurant is located at the banks of Ayung River and it’s an easy choice for romantic dinners, thanks to the ambiance, but Riverside is also frequented by group of friends, families occupying long tables. Looks like the home-feel rustic dinner Chef Jocelyn wants is working out at Ubud. I can’t see why anyone who is up for good food don’t dine here. To me it was like going to a day spa — the aftermath of my visit has buoyed me up all week.

Riverside Cafe at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Jl. Raya Sayan,
Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 977 577
www.fourseasons.com/sayan/