What: Balinese buffet 
Where: Waterside Cafe, Hyatt Regency Kolkata
When: June 9 to July 11
Timings: 12.30pm to 3pm for lunch (except on June 9), 7pm to11pm for dinner (except on July 11) and 12.30pm to 4pm for Sunday brunch
Meal for one: Rs 2,005 for lunch and dinner; Rs 2,537 for Sunday brunch (without alcohol); Rs 2,832 for Sunday brunch (with alcohol) 

If you’re longing to holiday in Bali, a quick fix would be to try some Balinese food this weekend. 

Chefs have come down from Indonesia to rustle up the best of Balinese cuisine at Hyatt Regency Kolkata over the next couple of days. The festival is an initiative by Resource Indica: Roots & Revelations, a company dedicated to the promotion of heritage and culture, in collaboration with the Indonesian embassy and Indonesia Tourism.
“Calcuttans are the biggest foodies, always on the lookout for something new,” said Hyatt Regency executive chef Clement D’Cruz. “I’m sure they’ll relish this festival.”

t2 chatted with the chefs from Indonesia — Timotius Agus Rachmat and Cien, both consultants in the hospitality and tourism industry, based out of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. 

India and Bali have a lot of culture in common. Is the food palate similar too?

Timotius: Well, both cuisines are spicy! But while Indians use mostly ground and blended spices, the Balinese use fresh spices. Also, for us, the aroma of a dish is as important as the taste. 

Cien: The aroma is part of the charm of Balinese cuisine. We use a lot of lemongrass, lemon juice, galangal and fresh chillies instead of chilli powder or flakes. So our dishes would be even spicier than those in India!

Indonesia is an archipelago and so seafood must be abundant there. Calcuttans love their fish too. Are you using fish in the meals at the festival?

Timotius: Yes we are. One of the most famous Indonesian dishes is satay and but instead of using meat for it, we have chosen a bekti-based satay. Back home people love sea bass, grouper fish and mackerel. Grilled and barbecue items are most popular, served with hot sauces called sambal. 

Cien: We also love our share of lobsters, crabs, and squid. “Squid ink” is a type of baby octopus that releases a beautiful black colour. We frequently use it to flavour and decorate dishes. 

Do you like Indian food? 

Timotius: Oh yes! I’ve been waiting to try some authentic Indian cuisine here. I’ve barely been here 24 hours but I’m already in love with biryani. 

Cien: I loved the masala dosa that I had for breakfast this morning. Hope we get some time on this trip to learn to cook these dishes!

Text: Brinda Sakar
Pictures: B. Halder