FOUR SEASONS RESORT BALI AT SAYAN OFFERS INDONESIAN SATTVIC MENU

Ubud has it all for wellness travellers: yoga, Balinese healers, meditation, breathwork practices, ceremonies, vegan restaurants, and countless spas. The enlightened offerings at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan have long tapped into the world of wellbeing while also focusing deeply on authentic Balinese cultural experiences. And now the Resort unites these two priorities by releasing an Indonesian Sattvic menu at its treetop restaurant, Ayung Terrace.

Though rooted in Indian Ayurveda, the Sattvic diet has gained followers around the world who seek to increase sattva, which refers to consciousness or goodness. Light, seasonal and healthy, plus high in fibre, fresh vegetables, grains, and nuts, this ethos translates to balanced dishes that can promote mental clarity, increase longevity and boost immunity.

The Resort’s wellness programming first inspired Chef Suta’s curiosity with the Sattvic dietary ethos that is thought to increase energy and happiness. It excludes meat, seafood, eggs, and pungent ingredients that stimulate the appetite or central nervous system. Since launching a Western-focused Sattvic soul food menu at Riverside restaurant in 2021, Chef Suta became inspired to create an Indonesian version for Ayung Terrace, to cater for health-conscious guests craving local flavours while in Bali. Appropriately, his dishes take advantage of Bali’s deep devotion to root spices: turmeric, ginger, galangal, wild ginger – freshly ground in a mortar and pestle on a daily basis. Many of these same ingredients are age-old herbal remedies, further adding to the menu’s healthfulness. Medicinal turmeric features in the jamu granite dessert, while ginger and lime leaf add a delicious zing to the sambal-inspired tomato sauce that tops tender grilled king mushrooms, accompanied by crunchy rice crumble, in jamur panggang. Sweet and sour rujak is a cross between ceviche and Thai papaya salad, with cashews, tamarind and local herbs.

Chef Suta’s tahu tek is a spin on the fried tofu street sold from street carts married with the beloved peanut sauce found on gado gado. There’s a tandoor-inspired spiced cauliflower and sesame paste–marinated tempe as well. The nasi campur is unmissable, a healthy and incredibly fresh Sattvic celebration of iconic flavours that originated in Java. Served with red rice, the colourful mix (campur) of dishes includes fern shoots prepared with coconut shreds and jackfruit rendang so nuanced and tender it’s arguably better than meat. Chef Suta admits it took finessing to achieve balance and not lose the complexity expected of Indonesian dishes. While the flavour profile of each is unique, the new dishes are all comforting, calming and undeniably satisfying. Naturally, the plating and presentation are photo worthy. The original Western Sattvic menu is available at Riverside alongside the selection of international fare, and the Indonesian Sattvic menu is on offer at Ayung Terrace during lunch and dinner as an addition to the restaurant’s modern Indonesian fare.