Thirteen years ago, Cuca started with a dream that was simple in feeling, but wildly ambitious in practice: to create a restaurant in Bali that did not feel copied, imported, or dressed up just to impress people. We wanted to build something personal. Something rooted here. Something full of flavour, heart, humour, and the kind of hospitality that makes people feel genuinely looked after.

Looking back now, thirteen years later, we realise Cuca was never just about opening a restaurant. It was about creating a place where people could come together, slow down, share food, celebrate life, and hopefully leave with a memory that stayed longer than the meal itself.

And somehow, after all these years, here we are. Still cooking. Still learning. Still polishing glasses. Still chasing that tiny, magical moment when a guest takes the first bite and suddenly stops talking for a second. That pause is addictive.

This anniversary feels especially meaningful because it arrives in a year that has reminded us why we do what we do. Being named one of Tatler’s Best 20 Restaurants in Indonesia 2026 for the second year in a row was an incredible honour, the kind of news that makes a team smile a little wider, stand a little taller, and then immediately go back to work because, well, service is starting. But although awards are wonderful, and we are deeply grateful for them, at Cuca they are never the final destination. They are a reminder. A quiet nudge to keep showing up with intention, to keep taking care of every detail, and to never forget that hospitality is not built on trophies. It is built on people.

It is built on our guests, who have trusted us with birthdays, honeymoons, anniversaries, family dinners, last nights in Bali, first visits, return trips, and the occasional “we just came for one cocktail” that somehow turns into a full dinner.

And it is built on our Cuca fans, the wonderful people who keep coming back, keep cheering us on, keep bringing their friends, keep recommending us in conversations we are lucky enough to hear about later, and keep reminding us that a restaurant becomes truly special only when people choose to make it part of their own story. Some have been with us since the early days. Some discovered us on holiday and now return every time they are in Bali. Some send their friends, their families, their guests, their clients, or that one foodie cousin who is impossible to impress. To all of them, we can only say: you are the reason this journey still feels so alive.

Cuca is also built on our team, many of whom started with no experience and grew into confident hospitality professionals through patience, training, mistakes, laughter, long nights, and a lot of heart.

A little taste of Indonesia, served in Sarawak

Some journeys begin in the kitchen, but grow far beyond it.

For Cuca, joining the World National & Asia Tapas Competition 2026 in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia was more than a chance to compete. It was an opportunity to represent Indonesia on an international stage through the language we know best: food.

Representing us was Chef Heri, one of our Chefs de Cuisine, who has been part of Cuca for 11 years. Beyond leading the kitchen, he also plays an important role in hygiene training and mentoring our interns. This competition was a well-deserved opportunity for him, one that Cuca was proud to give as part of his growth and journey with us.

For the competition, Chef Heri presented Indonesia Taco, a dish created to introduce Indonesia in a way that feels familiar to the world’s palate, while still staying true to Indonesian taste and identity. The taco form was chosen because it is simple, practical, and globally recognized. But inside, the soul of the dish is deeply Indonesian.

At the heart of it is beef rendang, one of Indonesia’s most iconic dishes, known for its rich spices, long cooking process, and deep cultural meaning. Instead of a regular tortilla, Chef Heri used a brown rice tortilla, because rice is an essential part of Indonesian food culture. It is not only our staple food, but also part of our memory, our home, and our everyday life.

For us, Indonesia Taco is not just fusion food. It is a meeting point between a global form and the soul of Indonesia. Rendang represents the richness and patience of Indonesian cooking, brown rice represents our connection to rice, and the taco represents Indonesia’s openness to connect with the modern world.

This competition brought together chefs from different countries, each carrying their own culture, ideas, and stories. Being part of it reminded us that food can be a bridge between people, a way to celebrate where we come from, and a chance to share our identity with pride.

From Bali to Sarawak, this journey was about more than competition. It was about creativity, connection, growth, and the people behind the food. We are grateful for the experience, the warm welcome, and the opportunity to bring a little taste of Indonesia to the international tapas stage.