tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62147305018768406412024-03-18T12:57:17.820+08:00CUCA BaliThis blog is the journey behind a dream: Cuca restaurant. Opened in Bali on July 2013 by Kevin and Virginia, we are globally inspired, locally sourced. And all about taste.Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-38749420484691413352023-12-06T09:29:00.008+08:002024-03-16T14:36:47.557+08:00We made the list!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/bali" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bali best restaurants" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOKTHYNgDZ2e8aSxcTaJBpt3DGeAU8LcwOp2EufsF0E-Fc3qvOK6xUr8gQsQNlX2DotnhqUwz8WRgWY8nJrwtMcw_lBTPyYNyiZ43xxqLJutJZCpxMVhgA7OSSBUGm1NLwC7ZUfDtmVBOy_4rusc-O2rfqsBoyQFa1CzmM99uC_DgITWC1-vZXfxpRqB3/w735-h552/T+L%20Google%20Updates%20(1).jpg" title="Cuca Bali" width="735" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For those seeking a magical destination
that seamlessly blends awe-inspiring temples, pristine beaches, and verdant
rice paddies, Bali stands as an unparalleled choice. Its energy, a captivating
mix of tradition and modernity, has a universal allure, attracting everyone
from wellness enthusiasts to beach lovers and design buffs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">While Bali's charm is undeniable, finding
the hidden gems amid the plethora of options can be daunting. The internet is
flooded with information, making it nearly impossible to discern true
greatness. In this sea of choices, a friend's recommendation has traditionally
been the beacon of trust, but it's limited in scope. Fortunately, there's a
solution, at least for those planning a trip to Bali. <b>Travel+Leisure</b>
wraps all of it up and delivers one heck of an article for anyone making the
journey to the beautiful Island of Bali. And yes, you guessed it, <span style="color: #e07325;"><b>C</b></span>uca made the list!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the realm of travel guides, <b>Travel+Leisure</b>
emerges as a reliable source for unearthing the best places to eat, stay, and
explore around the world. Their discerning eye separates the exceptional from
the merely good, offering a curated selection that ensures an unforgettable
experience.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Being featured in <b>Travel+Leisure</b>'s esteemed
list is not just an accolade but a testament to our commitment to quality and
innovation. As we reflect on a decade of culinary innovation, we can't help but
feel a surge of pride. From a hidden gem along a quiet road to becoming one of
South-East Asia’s most celebrated foodie destinations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To our beloved <span style="color: #e07325;"><b>C</b></span>uca
fans, we extend our deepest gratitude. Your support has made us a culinary
destination. As we continue our journey, rest assured that <span style="color: #e07325;"><b>C</b></span>uca remains committed to delivering the very
best, ensuring each visit is a magical and unforgettable experience.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>To wrap things up, we encourage you to be a
hero by spreading the word about the </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/bali" target="_blank">Travel+Leisure's Bali guide</a></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Share it with friends and
fellow travelers looking for an unforgettable Bali experience. </span><span style="color: #e07325; font-family: georgia;"><b>C</b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">uca, proud to be part of the island's best, hopes
to bring joy and inspiration to those embarking on their Bali adventures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Cheers to Bali, to <span style="color: #e07325;"><b>C</b></span>uca,
and to the extraordinary experiences that await! </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">🍾</span></span></p></div>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-14752065897211820272023-07-23T18:10:00.002+08:002023-07-23T21:46:45.611+08:0010 YEARS OF CUCA<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMahw4fGGbVuCT5YGLIAuF0bBTycM5elTfhEDR-w3nwhn3ml1xB8QMxuTrIDHpEtiVuWUDGC8ZGIKQPWM3BpJIZBbEB5my5oAg0LdXHkbqlZ_FaMM0erS_g8It0clDR9P0LrRNHYoeaFegfTDnXotsRp26XalZhBhR-39oovZKYWiGBLF5KDRjk3Vee8rv/s6000/Cuca%20Team%20Landscape%20Kosongan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMahw4fGGbVuCT5YGLIAuF0bBTycM5elTfhEDR-w3nwhn3ml1xB8QMxuTrIDHpEtiVuWUDGC8ZGIKQPWM3BpJIZBbEB5my5oAg0LdXHkbqlZ_FaMM0erS_g8It0clDR9P0LrRNHYoeaFegfTDnXotsRp26XalZhBhR-39oovZKYWiGBLF5KDRjk3Vee8rv/s16000/Cuca%20Team%20Landscape%20Kosongan.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our anniversary celebration every year is a bit like remembering a war you are winning but where many are wounded and lost along the way. Some survived and led others toward victory while some wilted under the pressure and struggled to continue the fight. We look back and thank God we lacked the full understanding of what we were about to do by opening a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, down a road with no lights, in the sleepy quiet fishing village of Jimbaran, Bali.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">After these 10 years, we have lots of stories to tell (fortunately mostly good ones), we have made plenty of mistakes (learning something from each of them), we have made lots of new friends (from all over the world!), we have put a smile on thousands of customers (and in return you all have put one on us!), we have shed tears of both happiness and sadness and in the end we have created a style, an attitude, a bond… a “Cuca” way of doing things.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Looking ahead and with new restaurants popping up every single day and the level of food always on the rise, we are now more determined than ever to make Cuca the very best. It’s what our guests expect and what we strive to deliver. But to celebrate where we are at today, we would like to thank each and every staff and each and every guest for this magical, stimulating, scary, thrilling, testing, sleepless, most marvelous and rewarding ten years of our life!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-74310950586434923582023-04-26T17:00:00.011+08:002023-04-29T15:42:41.869+08:00Creating One of Bali’s Best Restaurants Turned into The Adventure of a Lifetime<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>A post by Alison Bone featuring business tips by Virginia and Kevin. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For entrepreneurs Virginia Entizne and Kevin Cherkas, no obstacle was too great in their journey to create <a href="https://www.cucabali.com/">Cuca</a>, which regularly tops the lists of Bali’s best restaurants.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WhoJipw4DqRJ9Jb2BVIlqh3J-G8X21mR0k_BsppofBjHThVMBZGzhqcxWqUW4q_J-bA4UIviVqdTTHCmpu1WdCP2VFWmvY-AXzFLfRx38FL8yV1EVYaPBNfCRAzWzDLi5F5fsNtrDufYAxZxw73b_Yrrs9dXoYa78Jc6UYf7-VZxxwGrkrjjcxqfbg/s3903/ChefKevin_Virginia%20(1)_2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2602" data-original-width="3903" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WhoJipw4DqRJ9Jb2BVIlqh3J-G8X21mR0k_BsppofBjHThVMBZGzhqcxWqUW4q_J-bA4UIviVqdTTHCmpu1WdCP2VFWmvY-AXzFLfRx38FL8yV1EVYaPBNfCRAzWzDLi5F5fsNtrDufYAxZxw73b_Yrrs9dXoYa78Jc6UYf7-VZxxwGrkrjjcxqfbg/w640-h426/ChefKevin_Virginia%20(1)_2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of Bali’s most successful and best-loved restaurants, <a href="https://www.cucabali.com/">Cuca</a> draws foodies and gourmet travellers from around the world. Here, amidst the coconut palms, just meters from the glistening white sand of Jimbaran Bay, guests are treated to a casual yet extraordinarily unique dining experience. Cuca cuisine is described by chef and co-founder, Kevin Cherkas, as “<i>Inventive comfort food inspired by the best things you have ever eaten,</i>” but while the inspiration is global, all ingredients are locally sourced. “<i>There is nothing that didn’t grow, walk or swim in Indonesia,</i>” he says.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">More than a restaurant, Cuca is the inspiring journey of Business Director, Virginia Entizne from Spain, and her husband, Canadian-born Kevin, who faced complex challenges in their quest to turn vision into reality, and against the odds, achieved enduring success. The story starts in Singapore in 2011, where Virginia, who has a master’s degree in Business Administration, was excelling in her role as the Director of a premiere international language school. Kevin, a renowned chef who had worked in Michelin starred restaurants around the world was Executive Sous Chef at Shangri-La. It was a prestigious position, but he yearned to open his own restaurant, and to spend more time with Virginia. They decided it was time to combine forces, using her extraordinary business acumen and his vast culinary talent to create their own venture.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>We chose Bali because it has magic, and then we just went for it,</i>” says Kevin. “<i>We were also drawn to the huge bounty of amazing produce, the warmth and friendliness of the Balinese people, the intriguing Hindu culture, and the international clientele,</i>” adds Virginia. Arriving on the island in 2012, the couple were armed with two bulging suitcases, a big dream, and an unwavering determination to succeed. “<i>At the time Bali only had simple, inexpensive local warung food and huge luxury restaurants with extravagant clifftop settings that offered fine dining, using imported ingredients,</i>” says Virginia. “<i>Our vision was to build a restaurant where amazing food was affordable and served in a casual environment. We were determined to add food to the list of reasons people come to visit this beautiful island paradise.</i>”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They were yet to decide on a location or a concept and set out to explore the island in search of inspiration. Late one afternoon they came across a picturesque coconut grove. “<i>We knew in our hearts that this was the perfect spot,</i>” says Virginia. Better still, it was in the fishing village of Jimbaran Bay, so they could source the freshest daily catch direct from local fishermen. Venturing up the coast and into the lush volcanic hinterland, they discovered incredible ingredients packed with flavour; from organic sea salt to fragrant herbs and spices, exotic tropical fruit, and rich coffee and cacao. From this, their ‘local only’ concept was born. “<i>We knew our customers would come from all over the world, so we really wanted to showcase the freshest local ingredients, which could be harvested in the morning and served in Cuca in the evening,</i>” says Virginia. “<i>We are also obsessed with green practices, supporting the local community and minimising the transportation of food, so going absolutely local was a no brainer</i>.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gleeful about his new discoveries, Kevin got busy in the kitchen creating dishes that blended novelty with nostalgia. Born of heartfelt influences, each dish had a story and was, “<i>Unlike anything you have ever tried before or would find anywhere else.</i>” That meant dishes like the Fish Tartare, inspired by their love of a traditional French-style steak tartare. “<i>We decided to reimagine it – asking what if it was the Balinese who created this dish, what would that be like?</i>” explains Virginia. Meanwhile, the Lobster Roll is a take on the classic American dish. In the Cuca version, it’s made with the freshest local lobster combined with Roti Boy – a local style Portuguese coffee bun, popular throughout Indonesia.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>People always think that a restaurant is about the chef, but actually the chef’s role is just about 10%. More than anything, a restaurant is a business,</i>” says Kevin. So, while he experimented in the kitchen, Virginia set up the business side of things, from developing the Cuca concept, through to design, branding, human resources, and arranging permits. She also blogged enthusiastically to share their journey. “<i>We wanted Cuca to be a place to share a great dining experience, and in keeping with that decided on serving tapas, cocktails and desserts,</i>” explains Virginia. “<i>Tapas – because its perfect for sharing with friends, cocktails because they offer endless scope for creativity and are great in this tropical weather, and desserts because we were determined to celebrate life, food and good company – and what kind of celebration is one without dessert? Plus, people tend to forget about diets while on holidays.</i>”</span></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Challenges</span></h4><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> “<i>We faced more challenges than we could ever have imagined,</i>” admits Virginia. “<i>From building, to sourcing ingredients, to learning a new language and understanding a new culture. We had employees from all over Indonesia, each with different backgrounds, beliefs and expectations. But each night we went to bed having ticked off one more task from our ever growing ‘to-do’ list, and slowly things came together.</i>”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One year after their arrival, Cuca opened its doors. “<i>Nobody came,</i>” says Kevin. “<i>Our food was super opinionated, quirky and different and people didn’t understand. They asked me, why don’t you do pizza or pasta or steak? But I would prefer to fail miserably doing something we believe in, then succeed in doing something that everyone else is already doing.</i>” With no money for advertising, they decided to embrace old school hospitality. As Virginia tells it, “<i>Kevin would head down to the beach in his chef whites and invite tourists to the restaurant.</i>” And when they came, they were welcomed with open arms and dazzled by the food. Many would return the following night and bring their friends, and slowly but surely Cuca’s reputation grew via word of mouth. Over the next few years, the restaurant became a favoured destination for those in the know. Accolades flowed, awards were won, and tables were filled every night with happy diners enchanted by the experience and the setting.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Having faced the challenges of opening a restaurant on a foreign island, and succeeded where so many others have failed, Cuca’s future was looking brighter than ever at the start of 2020. “<i>Then COVID came and destroyed us,</i>” says Kevin. As the world descended into lockdowns and Bali closed to visitors, Kevin and Virginia switched to survival mode. “<i>We thought about closing and sending everybody home, but the team is so important to us and has been with us so long, that we decided to keep paying everyone’s salaries and hum along until the tourists came back,</i>” says Kevin. As hard as it was to keep going, they faced the pandemic with the same determination and stamina that had driven them to create Cuca in the first place. “<i>Our attitude was, let’s just keep doing this with integrity and giving 100%, and if the money runs out at least we can say we tried,</i>” he adds.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Cooking brought Kevin immense comfort in the chaos that surrounded him, and he developed some fantastic new dishes, mindful that he might never get to serve them. There were many dark days filled with fear, “<i>but I thought COVID has to fade out eventually, so until then I will find the energy to keep going, and take this time to look at everything we do, and simply become better,</i>” he says. Eight long months later they managed to reopen, and as visitors trickled back to the island, first from Indonesia and then from the world, Cuca came back to life. “<i>We are busier than ever now,” says Virginia. “The risk we took and the endless effort we put into the business during the COVID years has totally paid off.</i>”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, what’s next for Virginia and Kevin? “<i>Unlike 99% of restaurateurs, we do not want to open any other Cucas,</i>” says Virginia. “<i>The magic of our business is the love and dedication we put into it, and this would not be possible if we had to split our attention. We also understand that in the hospitality business you need to stay relevant if you want to stay successful, so with only one Cuca to focus on, we, the venue, the team, the menu are always able to evolve, improve and stay with the times.</i>”</span></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Advice for people starting a new business</span></h4><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>Commit to what you are doing and do it with integrity,</i>” says Kevin. “<i>Our early days at Cuca were fuelled by adrenalin and coffee, we really put in the time and energy needed to give guests the best possible dining experience they could imagine. Ten years on we are still giving 100%. Things can get tough, there were days during COVID that we could barely face getting out of bed, but it’s important to never give up. Remind yourself that there’s always something worth fighting for whether it’s your integrity or your beliefs.</i>”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>Concept clarity is imperative,</i>” adds Virginia. “<i>Decide on your concept and roll with it. Our concept for Cuca was inspired by our travels around the world and the incredible ingredients we discovered in Bali. This fresh nutritional produce is the foundation of everything we do, and gives us a strong point of difference, as well as truly unique cuisine that you could never find anywhere else.</i>” And when it comes to working with your partner, she adds “<i>It’s important to support each other, but also to clearly define your roles. In our case, Kevin does the food, I run the businesses. He is competitive while I am organised. He will jump first and I will make sure that if we fall, we get up together.</i>”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>Be ethical and sustainable in whatever you do. At Cuca we hire local unskilled youngsters and train them so they have a strong future in hospitality. We buy direct from local farmers and do everything we can to support the local community. We cook from scratch, say no to plastic, and have installed a waste water management system that irrigates our herb garden,</i>” says Virginia.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lessons learned</span></h4><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“<i>While taking shortcuts might be tempting, it’s not worth it,</i>” says Virginia. “<i>Focus on creating fans for your brand rather than simply getting customers. You need to believe deeply in what you do, do it from your heart and win customers one by one, the numbers will come later. It is the scenic long road, but it’s the one that will get you there, and let you enjoy the journey as well.</i>” And finally, “<i>Don’t get distracted by the competition, use that time and energy to become better at what you are doing. It is so much more rewarding and fun to find your own way of doing things!</i>”</span></p>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-39926480381433174172022-03-08T11:43:00.002+08:002022-03-08T11:52:44.770+08:00The Wizard<p>Chefs get way too much credit!</p><p>I mean 20 years ago nobody cared about the people making their food. But today with the success of Master Chef and kitchen television, the title of "chef" is glamorous and important. When I told my parents 25 years ago that I wanted to be a chef it was cause for deep concern. The irony is that that same title of “chef” today is added before a cook’s name giving them the recognition of professions like a doctor. A doctor… someone who saves people’s lives whereas everything I work with is already dead. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLUix7aaI95cDlN9V8GNTsCuqVoV-bJ1k77XhO37wdDIcNq4DpyFnKN161A8wSbxgGzGaI1s7zETOO2Yy0QOMqNqVKp5UI6OfgOCeqakIqQEx1tLkYpeBYsqbCfaumDmlDfQlfOI1znAz4aM8HWC-RRG4EQBRDY6X2yscUWw8rBWkHajmxd6DsBhdyfw=s1739" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virginia" border="0" data-original-height="1739" data-original-width="1216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLUix7aaI95cDlN9V8GNTsCuqVoV-bJ1k77XhO37wdDIcNq4DpyFnKN161A8wSbxgGzGaI1s7zETOO2Yy0QOMqNqVKp5UI6OfgOCeqakIqQEx1tLkYpeBYsqbCfaumDmlDfQlfOI1znAz4aM8HWC-RRG4EQBRDY6X2yscUWw8rBWkHajmxd6DsBhdyfw=w280-h400" title="Virginia, The Wizard" width="280" /></a></div>Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the newfound prestige the job holds, but I can promise you a restaurant is not about the chef. A chef is actually a very small percentage of what makes a restaurant great. The customer does come primarily for food, but the food takes a journey and an army of talented and well-trained people to get it to them. Products need to be hooked, harvested or farmed by professionals, found by purchasing, received, stored and served and all of this needs to be managed, paid for, marketed and organized by someone and it ain’t the chef. <p></p><p>Making sure people can find the restaurant, update websites, organize events, reply emails, pay staff, sort out crises, repair all that is broken and make decisions that keep the lights on is not done by the chef. There is one secret every restaurant has, and it is the difference between open and closed. A person who makes decisions based on logic, education and understanding as opposed to chefs whose decisions are based on passion and emotion. It is the person everyone including the chef goes to when there is a problem, and no one credits for the solution. This person is rarely seen much, like the wizard of Oz making decisions from behind a curtain, and without them, no one would care about Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow or the Lion. </p><p>So, the next time you go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal, look around at the cast of characters and try to spot The Wizard. In our restaurant, her official title is Director, we call her "boss", her name is Virginia and her mother calls her "Cuca", thus the name on the door.</p><p><i>By Chef Kevin</i></p>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7727459 115.169743-37.082979736178842 80.013493 19.537487936178845 150.32599299999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-88188853431388203142021-02-28T13:45:00.003+08:002021-02-28T18:46:46.026+08:00The Covid Perspective<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">When covid whacked
the world last year, everyone was affected and everyone saw things curiously different.
It is difficult to judge those who locked themselves in a bunker or criticize those
wandering around mask-free desperately clinging to life as normal. Everybody
had a perspective, and it is only when you understand someone’s beliefs,
lifestyle and culture that you begin to see a new point of view. While hysteria and misery
ooze from TV and social media, the world’s cities have lost their buzz and those
picture-perfect holiday towns are left deserted and no longer scooping ice
creams on cones. As far as how to react in this new fanatical, germ-free, hand
washing obsessed ultra-sanitized world, well…perspective is everything.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Covid hits
everyone dramatically and very differently. With lockdowns, school closures and physical distancing, kids are growing up missing the opportunity to develop social skills. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Students in their final
years lose the gatherings and celebrations that cement the year’s academic successes.
Athletes no longer have competition and must train from home with no medals to be
gained. Those in hospitality like us are simply left scratching their heads waiting
for guests to return and meanwhile pivot to home delivery, which barely covers
costs but somehow gives comfort within its mindless repetition. Those in the
later years of life are retired and avoid the drama of frozen income with
pensions flush, but sit dishearteningly within the category of high risk as
their homes become confinement. Everyone has their story to tell and everyone
is affected, although it is when we noticed the unusual way the Balinese dealt
with Covid that we understood exactly what makes them so remarkably special.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">As the material
world shows its cracks and people everywhere look to find strength in timeless core
values like family, friendship and compassion, we all see now how we have
prioritized financial gain over happiness, success over health and career over
family, but not the Balinese. This pandemic has taken away, as it has for many, their income, their jobs, their careers and their fancy mobile phone
plans, and left them with nothing but themselves. Now…there lies the big
difference: the Balinese are intrinsically joyful people, they only need
themselves, their family and friends for happiness and it has always been like
this. Covid has only had a material impact in their lives, but their core values
and support system have not been affected. They look at us with pity and a
sympathetic smile as we stress out trying to find meaning in our now empty days. The basic pleasures of life are easily found and
somehow globally so easily misplaced for the rest of us mere mortals...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">So as the world
is still figuring out what to do, the Balinese have long ago started to heal! Hopefully the rest of us will eventually also learn to appreciate those special little magical moments
every single day has to offer but we miss while being too busy looking the other way.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDivXxFffOnq7rMUuS1gTBDPK1IAxURjmk7_rSH6rsCjha4pvvFcjQlbaHwLic3IFJWfK_WxvF_H8jjgnyN94EJx5Wwh_s-jBn5KTqjuPt02U5ZwY-kFTcTaRsuqVo0hKLKJFWCgmOHn7/s800/BalineseFamily.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDivXxFffOnq7rMUuS1gTBDPK1IAxURjmk7_rSH6rsCjha4pvvFcjQlbaHwLic3IFJWfK_WxvF_H8jjgnyN94EJx5Wwh_s-jBn5KTqjuPt02U5ZwY-kFTcTaRsuqVo0hKLKJFWCgmOHn7/w640-h426/BalineseFamily.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span><p></p>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-37.082914136178843 80.013446 19.537553536178848 150.325946tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-41997176255864734522020-07-22T11:57:00.003+08:002020-07-22T18:45:00.608+08:00Cooking without recipes (by Chef Kevin Cherkas)<div>Cooking is tough. Not because transforming ingredients into food is difficult but getting them to taste delicious… is. Any idiot can put a piece of meat on a BBQ and burn it on both sides, but what the hell to serve it with? There lies the challenge. That’s where the skill of cooking begins, in the delicate balancing of flavours and contrasting of textures. That’s where delicious hides, and it's always tough to find. </div><div><br /></div><div>The solution to many has either been to stick to what you have always made or be guided by the classic cookbooks that always deliver. The results unfortunately always end with eating the same old thing until, eventually, you end up in a restaurant where flavours explode….but why? What do restaurants know that you don’t? How do they take the exact same ingredients and make wonderful what at home you make worrying?</div><div><br /></div><div>The solution is more simple than you may think. It’s like, as a child, the training wheels you use to learn to ride a bike or the lines you stay between in a colouring book to end up with a picture. No one is giving a child a blank piece of paper and expecting good results, but that’s what we are doing with cooking, giving you ingredients without the lines and, as you can see, we are not ending up with a picture but a fricken mess.</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news is I can teach you those tools. I can show you how to create rather than copy, how to craft the tastiest dishes without being dependent on recipes, a valuable skill and one you can use for every meal, for the rest of your life. One hour to begin to understand the mistakes you are making and the solution to delicious. It is free and just a click away!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eocZPl1XMBo" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-37.082914136178843 80.013446 19.537553536178848 150.325946tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-60887196731184132262020-06-29T12:30:00.005+08:002020-07-04T10:23:34.584+08:00Turn up the heat<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">Arguably, there is one ingredient that separates the flavours of South East Asia from those of the western world: chilli. Being located in tropical Bali and well known for our passion of local produce, chili is indeed very close to Cuca’s heart, and to our kitchen! The challenge of working with chilli is getting the spice level just right, when, as anyone who has ever eaten a really hot chilli will testify, it can cause a lot of pain.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">Chillies come in many shapes, colours, sizes and strengths, but one thing they all have in common is the burning sensation they cause in your mouth, eyes and any other part of your body they happen to get a hold of. Although most people think that the hottest part of a chilli is its seeds, in fact it is the white spongy layer you find inside, called the “placenta”. Bite into this and you will really feel the burn! That sensation is mainly caused by a chemical called “capsaicin”. When you eat a chilli, the capsaicin in its placenta is released into your saliva and reaches the heat receptors in your mouth and tongue, which in turn send a signal to your brain, fooling it into thinking that your mouth is literally burning.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">Producing capsaicin was originally the ideal way for wild chilli plants to deter mammals (who have heat receptors in their mouths) from eating them while encouraging birds to do so (as they lack those receptors that detect capsaicin). But then along came the first chilli aficionado… someone who realized that beyond the pain, eating chillis triggered the release of endorphins, otherwise known as “happy” chemicals, that give you an instant head-to-toe feeling of pleasure.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">And as you know, your happiness is our main concern so we in Cuca felt that it was our duty to satisfy the many spicy food enthusiasts that come our way, and with that mission in mind and after many months of failure, pain, disaster and uncertainty, this is what we came up with. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">We proudly present to you Cuca’s latest and most delicious adventure: <b>Cuca Hot Sauce</b>. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">Handcrafted in small batches, it combines a masterful blend of fresh home-grown chillies and carefully selected spices that definitely pack a punch while still delivering on vibrant and intense taste. Distinctively, Cuca’s Hot Sauce is slowly fermented for weeks, just like in the good old days, rich in probiotic bacteria and ideal to improve the health of the digestive and immune systems. The final step of blending it smooth and charcoal-smoking it results in a mouth-watering BBQ perfume and a bold, flavourful and opinionated recipe not for the weak. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">Cuca Hot Sauce pairs well with just about everything. It can be used to add depth during cooking or to splash a little, or a lot, on any dish. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="">IDR 75,000/bottle. WhatsApp orders: <a href="https://wa.me/6281236870486" target="_blank">bit.ly/WA_Cuca</a>. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" wfd-id="1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YjaP5PEqjXkj0JG_S4ZlkuLauqmTiEq_5ob1fTX2gdhWdH952xIFApJd7e8MjyQXJ5rn3oR0uYhPYFD8cigRovXtb-QV3G7j-oIl69JR-GK_0rsjR2sp7YXRNZq98iJ3NTN-s42AoBM/s1088/Chef+Kevin_Cuca_Hot+Sauce+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1088" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YjaP5PEqjXkj0JG_S4ZlkuLauqmTiEq_5ob1fTX2gdhWdH952xIFApJd7e8MjyQXJ5rn3oR0uYhPYFD8cigRovXtb-QV3G7j-oIl69JR-GK_0rsjR2sp7YXRNZq98iJ3NTN-s42AoBM/w625-h443/Chef+Kevin_Cuca_Hot+Sauce+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><font face=""><br /></font><p></p><div wfd-id="0"><br /></div>Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-37.082914136178843 80.013446 19.537553536178848 150.325946tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-67128376457340265222020-04-27T16:52:00.001+08:002020-05-21T15:08:05.142+08:00Dancing in the rain<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">You may be wondering with the restaurant closed how we are spending this challenging time on an island isolated from the world…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Well, we are #WeatheringTheStorm as best as we can. There are those who have returned to their villages to be with their families and those who are still hanging around working a few hours on new ideas, new dishes and a new menu. One thing is for sure, we are all taking this time to learn how to be better and dance in the rain!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Stay safe and keep dancing, dear friends. We miss you lots and look forward to when we meet again!</span><br />
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-34.2947148 73.861102 16.7493542 156.47829000000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-77449115680690102182020-03-30T15:34:00.000+08:002020-03-30T15:34:24.262+08:00Weathering the stormAfter spending the last few days taking care of those stranded in Bali on their way back home and carefully deciding with our beloved team the best next steps to take for all, we are temporarily closing Cuca's doors.<br />
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Reflecting on these past wonderful 7 years, we are more grateful than ever to those who sat at our tables and kept us doing what we love the most. We are thinking of each of you, wherever you are in this fragile world, and we send to you and your loved ones our warmest and most positive best wishes.<br />
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Cuca may be pressing pause today, but our minds will continue working on evaluating who we are and redefining who we want to be. And, rest assured, we are determined to see you all on the other side, in a wiser, healthier and more caring world where, when you get hungry, you will still know exactly where to find us.<br />
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Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om 🙏<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu38xPcKHAWhzHAOLSXLax_-8ipMimiO9TBS08DaSH1QY41MKlffihK8eq5PvnPGAR2RpuxA5GAiJqV-rgnT7bxyZpyKSO9gbCGrldlhGzi3v9zu4xQG7xg3cQbVd1Qp1JB7WdeBoc6o3/s1600/Chef+%2526+Virginia+Mlaspas+Photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu38xPcKHAWhzHAOLSXLax_-8ipMimiO9TBS08DaSH1QY41MKlffihK8eq5PvnPGAR2RpuxA5GAiJqV-rgnT7bxyZpyKSO9gbCGrldlhGzi3v9zu4xQG7xg3cQbVd1Qp1JB7WdeBoc6o3/s640/Chef+%2526+Virginia+Mlaspas+Photo.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken during Cuca's opening ceremony back in 2013</td></tr>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-34.2947148 73.861102 16.7493542 156.47829000000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-82859799057930935252020-02-27T02:50:00.000+08:002020-02-27T03:05:16.251+08:00The Kalimantan JourneyAs you may remember, months ago, heavyweight Chefs <b>Will Meyrick</b> from Sarong Group and <b>Kevin Cherkas</b> from Cuca landed in southern Kalimantan, Indonesia, to discover the stories behind all its delicious traditional dishes.<br />
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They immersed themselves in the history, recipes, culture and nature of the region and put together their lifetime knowledge and passion for food to proudly bring a few lucky guests their very own Kalimantan inspired creations at a dinner held in Som Chai, one of Will's famed restaurants.<br />
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A true collaboration built on hours and hours of day long discoveries, late-night discussions and early morning trials, where guests experienced a jungle-inspired soiree full of sensorial surprises including, among many more, the premiere of a short documentary depicting the chefs’ exciting journey and their behind-the-scenes kitchen sessions to jointly create the dishes for the event.<br />
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But the highlight of the evening, of course, was the food: a story-like menu divided into chapters that conveyed the soul, flavors, and identity of south Kalimantan through the trained taste buds and fearless creativity of the two chefs.<br />
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Follow their journey and this delicious story in this video series!<br />
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.169696-34.2947148 73.861102 16.7493542 156.47829000000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-28560244826498150582020-01-27T18:13:00.001+08:002023-07-21T09:31:52.497+08:00Our Picks: Kuala LumpurAs we mentioned a few months ago, we are always sharing our favorite restaurants from every city we know with the hundreds of customers we meet in Cuca every week in search of the tastiest food around the world. People seem to trust chefs’ favorites when choosing food and since everyone asks our humble opinion, we decided some time ago to start a proper “Our Picks” section where we give you our recommendations on where and what to eat.<br />
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We have covered Bali, Madrid, Singapore and Vancouver already and today’s blog entry is about Kuala Lumpur.<br />
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Kuala Lumpur has some of the best street food on the planet, period. The food is so good that we go at least once a year just to eat. No one is very friendly or cares about your feelings, but they do care about the dishes they put in your mouth and that is fine by me. So, go hungry and get ready to eat some of the best food you have ever tasted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMVv8nL6OU_7I5k0weAjLmDok3rpnPICasmDQ535ou2sJLDe56orE31eQlhoeb266xwZuFD0iFrnOP26GNqfwE21Ddvra_7XDKsMKj2_g7cw3v92rxDcBcaQXhAW8YwwiexvO4QGViGxZ/s1600/Kuala+Lumpur+for+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMVv8nL6OU_7I5k0weAjLmDok3rpnPICasmDQ535ou2sJLDe56orE31eQlhoeb266xwZuFD0iFrnOP26GNqfwE21Ddvra_7XDKsMKj2_g7cw3v92rxDcBcaQXhAW8YwwiexvO4QGViGxZ/s640/Kuala+Lumpur+for+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/iGmWQQgDGz5RNjt69" target="_blank">Wong Ah Wah</a></div>
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We go back to KL every year for this iconic institution. Open forever and packing in the tourist crowd this place serves brilliant Chinese style street food that is seafood-heavy. The menu is all with pictures and dishes are as shown. Dishes are available in 3 sizes, order everything small and try more. A must in KL!</div>
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<u>Price</u>: **</div>
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<u>What to order</u>: BBQ chicken wings</div>
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<a href="https://www.shanghairestaurant.com.my/" target="_blank">Shanghai </a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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This place serves the best dim sum we have ever had, seriously! Go for lunch and get ready to be impressed. Stick to the dim sum menu as everything else gets very pricey and unusual.</div>
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<u>Price</u>: ****</div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Xiao long bao</div>
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<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/qo3isX23zWES8t8x5" target="_blank">Yut Kee</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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This place has been around forever serving classic hearty dishes. The menu is a mix of Chinese and western comfort food and the taste is like eating at Grandma’s house. Portions are big so go easy. Go for lunch.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>: *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Crispy roast pork</div>
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<a href="http://www.pizzeriadihyang.com/">Pizzeria Dihyang<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></a></div>
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This place serves traditional wood-fired classic Italian pizza and it is very good. Great ingredients, perfect cooking and astonishing quality for Pizza in Asia. A simple menu does the trick with great German draft beer on tap.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>: ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Mortadella e pomodoracio pizza.</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinchoskl.com/" target="_blank">Pinchos </a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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This place serves perfect classic Spanish comfort food in Tapas form. Wine selection is solid and drinks come quick so you won’t get thirsty. A busy bustling restaurant so do book ahead.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>: ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Coca (a classic Catalan style pizza) </div>
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<a href="https://woo-pin-noodle-house.business.site/" target="_blank">Woo Pin 45 Kamunting</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://woo-pin-noodle-house.business.site/" target="_blank"> </a> </span></div>
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This place is famous for its fish head noodle soup. It does sound a little daunting but believe you me, it is not. The soup is a light fragrant broth full of clean flavors and a deep delicious roasted smoky taste. Think Chinese style fish Ramen. We think this place is a must eat!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>:*<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Get help from a neighboring table by asking what is best. The menu can be a bit challenging. Rest assured it works out very well.</div>
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<a href="https://japas.com.my/#/" target="_blank">Babe</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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This place serves well-crafted cheeky Japanese influenced upmarket tasting menus. The chef Jeff Ramsey gained a Michelin star in Tokyo with his previous restaurant and the view of KL from the dining room of Babe is the best in town.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>: *****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Tasting menu</div>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-12885339970437694362019-12-23T18:18:00.000+08:002019-12-23T18:18:26.259+08:00Help us help for Cuca’s 12 days of Christmas! <br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This
year in Cuca, Christmas is not only about feasting, celebrating and
spending time with loved ones in beautiful Bali. We want to make these 12 days,
in the true spirit of Christmas, about giving, helping and caring, so we have handpicked
2 non-profit programs that are doing exactly that to combat some of the biggest
challenges our community faces. How exactly? - you might ask. By donating 10%
of our sales from Cuca’s best-selling signature Chef Tasting Menus!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">From
21 to 26 December, profits will go to the “Bali Wise” program, a project aiming
at empowering marginalized women through skill-based education. It has been
Cuca’s philosophy from day one to train from zero young underprivileged Indonesians
to become competent, qualified and self-confident hospitality professionals. Therefore,
this program is definitely something that hits close to home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">From
December 27 to January 1, earnings will be given to the “Zero Waste to Oceans”
program, which is stopping land-based waste from getting into our oceans by teaching
Bali’s youth green practices to create a sustainable environment. In Cuca, we educate
our team in how crucial is to reduce, reuse and recycle and as a company strive
to become zero waste, but since time is ticking, extending our efforts beyond
our boundaries must be a top priority. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For
all this we chose ROLE, a non-governmental foundation based in Bali, as
encouraging and supporting their values and determination to make a difference
is one of the best things we could all do this Christmas, don’t you think? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We
all, residents and tourists alike, owe a lot to Bali, this paradise island that
keeps on giving, so gather your loved ones, come to Cuca and help us help to
create a better future and a happier, tastier today!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-49494965797956245902019-11-24T10:54:00.000+08:002019-11-24T10:54:57.012+08:00The boy named Budi<span style="text-align: justify;">Let me tell
you a great little recipe on how to make success using hard work.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">I got a job
in Spain. I spoke no Spanish. I knew I was screwed. With absolutely no idea of
what anyone was saying and no idea of what I should do, I knew one thing for
sure, it was only a matter of time before they would fire me. So, the plan was
simple: survival, and this is how I did it. I needed to be the hardest worker
in the kitchen, the first one in, the last one out and the one who said yes to
everything, every job, and every task. My logic was that any human being with a
basic conscience could not fire that guy, the guy who is giving it all, the guy
who you feel sorry for, the same guy who is getting you zucchini when you asked
for carrots because he has no clue what the hell anyone is actually saying. I
did make many mistakes and I did get yelled at a lot, but the end result was
victory. They didn’t fire me and I eventually learned enough Spanish to
participate and gain their respect in place of their pity. So, this formula I
know well, but I am always so proud of others who choose to apply it. One such
example was Budi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">Our philosophy
in Cuca from the very beginning was to train from zero and give young, happy,
eager Indonesians a chance to become professionals. We are talking about 20-year-old
kids with no English, and no previous experience. For most of them, the
interview was their first time stepping into a restaurant. They would learn
slowly, but they would learn our way, the precise way we wanted everything to
be done. We were building professionals from scratch with no bad habits. The
system was designed like high school, where each grade led to the next, and
each one is necessary for the success of the one to follow. Graduation for each
level came quickly, giving each student the feeling of success and motivating
them to continue to the next grade, and by separating very well each level, the
person above you was already a master of all the tasks you were doing, so the
training could be done by them, providing a “big brother” system of caring
unlike the standard military discipline of “life or death”. Now you can imagine
the challenges, but the hope was we and the customers would benefit from the
team’s fresh excitement and sincerity, and they from the opportunity of a
future in hospitality. The idea came from years of doing the exact opposite and
hiring the best bartender, the best cooks and the best waiters, where everyone
wanted to score the goal and nobody wanted to pass the ball. So, Cuca would be
a team where everyone would work together, with no superstars but a super team.
One such example of this system is Budi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">Budi started working
in Cuca from the day we opened our doors and was hired as stewarding. With no
English, no restaurant experience and absolutely no clue, his task was to clean
absolutely everything. He did, and after a few years, he wanted to learn
kitchen. We granted his wish and transferred him, and he started from scratch,
but with effort came skills and, before long, he was keeping up and getting it
done. The more he learned, the more he grew, and last week we sat with him for
yet again another promotion. Budi, the kid who started 7 years ago from zero,
is now officially our Head Chef in Cuca. My right-hand man, the guy totally
responsible for delicious. Now ain’t that a recipe of success through good old
fashion hard work!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">By Kevin Cherkas</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budi</td></tr>
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-84447869732752763882019-10-29T15:16:00.001+08:002019-10-29T15:20:52.111+08:00A culinary fairytale<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">I arrived in Spain in June of 2003, I was 25 years old.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">The plan was very simple, I was to “stage” (or better known as “work
for free”) an entire year at what promised to be one of the best food temples
on the planet. <i>Restaurant Arzak,</i> which sits on top of San Sebastian’s gastronomic
hill of restaurants, bars, markets, and international food events, was to be my
pilgrimage. With San Sebastian boasting more Michelin-starred restaurants per
square kilometer than anywhere else on earth, the food served in any one of them
is brilliant. Local meats, cheeses, seafood, and vegetables come from a majestic
landscape of turbulent aggressive coastal waters and vertical green mountain
forests dripping with nutrition. The result is strong powerful ingredients that
have personality and demand respect, and my job was to learn how to cook them
with both one hand focused on tradition, and the other on evolution. It was to
be an education in deliciousness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">During that year I spent at Arzak, the culinary circus came to town as
it does every year in October. They call it “Gastronomika” and it is considered
the most prestigious and important food event on the planet, with more than 1,5oo
foodies, journalists, culinary groupies and students all showing up to see the
ideas that set the trends for the year and direction for the future. The big
attraction for Gastronomika is the individual acts performed by 20 chosen chefs
spanning the globe that demonstrate what makes them and their restaurants stand
out in today’s culinary landscape. Each of their 30-minute presentations must
capture the soul of the massive audience who sit eagerly listening to the
ideas, techniques, ingredients, and dishes they create. At 25 years old, I never
had the time away from work, the financial means to afford the ticket or the skills
to be able to grasp any of what was being taught, but later on I have wished,
wanted and prayed for the chance to go back to this coastal town of culinary
magic to see the circus of Gastronomika… one day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">That day came this month, when after 16 years I finally made it back to
San Sebastian where it all began but this time not as a student, not as a
spectator, but ironical as one of the 20 chefs chosen to tell their story. The
rules are simple: 30 minutes, up to you, make a minimum of 2 dishes and during the
presentation, you must serve 350 tasting portions of one of those dishes… Simple,
right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Day 1: October
6<sup>th</sup></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Pack everything you can possibly think of for the event from equipment,
spices, fruits, vegetable, garnishes, stuff, lots of stuff! and fly Bali –
Singapore – Amsterdam – Bilbao. First step: customs. Not good, everything searched
and almost lost all the veg and fruit. That would have been a catastrophe but
with bad Spanish, my answer of 150 sounded like 5 and my mistake was my
salvation. From airport to Kursaal Trade and Convention Center to check the
space, put everything in the fridges, eat and sleep. Day 1 done!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh3pKTtfttPigB7WmDrTXb68pJEUuMvKIp1jJQb0XQ97XLXRW6EQDC2oZdy5gP-eCpddbQUcFwBTSWSKGUNkY3O6FwpBEOVFOXm5n7aqxfbNZZi1-jJoAA5wW3pfoodDP34ghBO8xsnA2/s1600/TeamCucaSanSebastianGastronomika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh3pKTtfttPigB7WmDrTXb68pJEUuMvKIp1jJQb0XQ97XLXRW6EQDC2oZdy5gP-eCpddbQUcFwBTSWSKGUNkY3O6FwpBEOVFOXm5n7aqxfbNZZi1-jJoAA5wW3pfoodDP34ghBO8xsnA2/s640/TeamCucaSanSebastianGastronomika.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Cuca at the entrance of San Sebastian Gastronomika </td></tr>
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<b style="font-size: 12pt;">Day 2: October 7<sup>th</sup></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_VpFcWIqXoV67L4kAiuKQPBf5H3aY26MxX8_1ktIC9oHeqraoDPa4yI2pu5o2iwDK61C4unwDKcUMxW9woClJXpzualrTA9iWblmhSPsDT-RXVho2YHqlbjtzDBh8RbTHhR3QlUJcwN7/s1600/WithChefPedroSubijana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_VpFcWIqXoV67L4kAiuKQPBf5H3aY26MxX8_1ktIC9oHeqraoDPa4yI2pu5o2iwDK61C4unwDKcUMxW9woClJXpzualrTA9iWblmhSPsDT-RXVho2YHqlbjtzDBh8RbTHhR3QlUJcwN7/s320/WithChefPedroSubijana.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Chef Pedro Subijana</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">9am – 8pm of preparation. Big hill to climb with 11 hours of cooking
and putting things in place. Today was a big day with big chefs and big
presentations. All the giants came out: Eneko Atxa, Arzak, the boys from <i>Disfrutar
restaurant</i> in Barcelona, Dani Garcia with his last presentation for any conference
and his retirement from “fine dining” with the closure of his 3 Michelin star
restaurant and Martin Berasategui. I mean serious, serious, heavy-duty, proper
chefs. An unbelievable day with all prep, for now, finished. Dinner started at 9pm
but fished at 2am, an unavoidable late night as it was a collaboration of 6
chefs with each holding 3 Michelin stars. It was, in the world of food, a very
rare meal that went very late. Bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Day 3: October 8<sup>th</sup></b>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Our day. A very good day! Very little sleep but ready. Morning prep and
finish everything, not much appetite (with our presentation looming at 4:35pm)
to do much more than stay close to all our food prep like a chicken would protect
her eggs. Unnecessary, but very much critical to not making bad excuses for
mistakes later on. With huge legendary chefs presenting again like Pedro
Subijana, Joan Roca and Angel Leon, big, big names and huge stories to tell. Hours
ripped by like minutes and before we had barely finished and organized ourselves,
we were next, next in line. The kitchen lit up with action as our things all
got moved into place like cars parking in a lot. It went from 30… to 20… to a quick
pep talk with the boys we brought from Bali to crank out the four dishes we
decided… 10… mike on… 2... go! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">“<i>Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, distinguished guests</i>”
my talk started “<i>I know what you are thinking… Who the –u-k is this guy? My
name is Kevin</i>…” and it continued for 30 minutes. Telling of Indonesia’s
most humble market ingredients, their fascinating properties, why we love them
and what we create from them. Simple, powerful, clear. It went well. Celebrate.
Late to bed as expected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On stage</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Day 4: October 9</b><b><sup>th</sup></b><b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">No prep. Very happy. Our first day to see and watch and be students
without the pressure of the presentation looming ahead. With many chefs still
to go, the day was spent in the auditorium really listening and understanding
the different ways great cooks make things taste better. Wonderful flavorful
content that makes passionate professionals become great chefs, ideas that one
person can only share one or two as each of them involves years of knowledge
and deep understanding. Great day. The boys flew home and Virginia and I walked
with friends, both exhausted from the rush of the week. “<i>Nice to meet you
again</i>” I always tell her at the end of each pressure-cooking life
experience, and we carry on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">As the San Sebastian Gastronomika 2019 comes to its end, it’s hard not
to think about how 16 years ago I arrived here with the dream of a cook and how
now today I leave with the reality of getting the most I could out of this remarkable
foodie town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Not back to Bali just yet! With 2 weeks needed to decompress and allow
life to catch up, we are off to eat dishes we may have missed throughout the north
of Spain. Wait and see how Cuca’s next menu gets influenced by what just might get
eaten tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Kevin <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-57997252095825282112019-09-26T21:28:00.000+08:002019-09-27T11:19:07.720+08:00Chef Kevin for "Hello Bali" magazineIn our post today we would like to share with all you a recent interview by the magazine <b>Hello Bali</b> to Chef Kevin Cherkas. Check it out if you are curious to know more about Cuca and our co-founder.<br />
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<b><i>Hi Chef, what could you tell us about yourself?</i></b> I was born in Canada and at a young age became obsessed with food, eating, and discovering all and any delicious dishes I could find. This has taken me all over the world to work and continue pursuing my passion for both cooking and consuming.<br />
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<b><i>As an owner and a head-chef at Cuca, how would you perfectly describe Cuca for anybody who hasn’t been there? </i></b>Cuca is a family business run by my wife Virginia as the Business Director and myself who takes care of the kitchen. We get inspired by the world’s classic comfort food dishes and re-create those memories for our guests. We serve Tapas, Cocktails and Desserts crafted exclusively from Indonesian ingredients. So, to summarize, expect a casual experience that is totally focused on food.<br />
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<b><i>As someone who is not from Indonesia, why did you choose Bali to open Cuca? </i></b>Oh wow, where should I start? A huge bounty of amazing produce, beautiful warm friendly people, intriguing culture, and international clientele are just to name a few reasons why.<br />
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<b><i>Cuca is one of the best restaurants in Asia according to TripAdvisor. In your own opinion, what is the secret to run such a successful restaurant? </i></b>Hard work. Nothing can substitute for always giving 100% to do something special. Customers see the difference immediately when a restaurant has a heart.<br />
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<b><i>Was there anything that you thought you wanted to do before you started cooking? </i></b>I don’t think so. The only job I ever wanted was to cook and staying close to food just seemed to make sense as I love to eat.<br />
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<b><i>How would your team describe you as a chef and as their boss? </i></b>Hard but fair, pushing everyone to give their very best to become better. In Cuca, we lead by example, not with a pointed finger.<br />
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<b><i>Do you have a signature dish?</i></b> <b><i>Or a favorite dish that you enjoy cooking?</i></b> All of our dishes are signature. We create each of them; we don’t have any tapas, cocktails, or desserts taken from anywhere else. Among our customers’ favorites are our BBQ octopus or our Bali Breakfast dessert. People come just to eat these dishes. They will always be a part of our menu and a part of our success.<br />
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<b><i>Which talent you would most like to have that you don’t possess? </i></b>Patience. I am very passionate about everything I do, so patience is not a quality I possess, it is one that admires a lot in others.<br />
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<b><i>Is there a childhood comfort food that you think about? </i></b>Shepherd’s Pie. The kind of old school cooking that really fills your stomach and makes you sleepy. In winter, when you are cold and tired, eating an entire meal with a big spoon is always a comfort.<br />
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<b><i>Do you think there are advantages of having a restaurant in Bali or Indonesia?</i></b> Every place will have its advantages and disadvantages. In Bali, for example, is a place where everyone is on a holiday, so the customers tend to be in a great mood as opposed to a busy city like Jakarta where everyone is in a hurry and want a quick business lunch.<br />
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<b><i>What kinds of ethnic food do you think are underrated right now?</i></b> I would say Indonesian food is the world’s most underrated food. Every city in the world has a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a Korean BBQ place, etc. Very rarely you see Indonesian restaurant. The people of Indonesia see their food as normal and nothing special but imported foods like caviar, truffles and foie gras are seen as exotic and amazing. What is very important to understand is the papaya or coconut in the local market in Canada is exotic.<br />
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<b><i>Has there ever been an ingredient that you weren’t able to master and have given up on? </i></b>Until we opened Cuca, it was Octopus. Octopus had defeated me for my entire culinary career. We decided to go to war with the 8-legged terrible tough Mollusk and can gladly proclaim we finally won.<br />
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<b><i>What is the most interesting or fun experience from your time working in restaurants?</i></b> The people. Normal people do not work in restaurants. It is like the place where the weird and wonderful end up. The staff of a restaurant makes up a unique demographic of the human population. Thank God for restaurants we now have a home where we belong.<br />
<br />
<b><i>What is your most memorable meal so far? </i></b>There is a Japanese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur with a master Japanese chef that if you sit at his bar counter will make and serve you sushi that you eat from the palm of his hand. The experience is unforgettable, and the sushi is the best I have ever had. What restaurant do you ask? I worry the more popular it gets the less handheld sushi I get so you will have to take a guess.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Where is your go-to restaurant, aside from Cuca, for a perfect date night with the wife?</i></b> To be totally honest, we really don’t go out often and it is never the same place. Date night is always at home with peace and quiet and the food is always good.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Lastly, what would be your “last request” dish? </i></b>Easy, "chipirones en su tinta". It means ‘Squid in Its Ink’, or slow-cooked tender squids in a tomato-based white wine and onion gravy. The dish is from Northern Spain and is absolutely brilliant.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
See the original interview <a href="https://www.cucabali.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hellobali-Cuca.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-78400238498107298672019-08-28T11:11:00.000+08:002019-08-28T11:26:00.391+08:00Our picks: VancouverAs we mentioned a few months ago, we are always sharing our favorite restaurants from every city we know with the hundreds of customers we meet in Cuca every week in search of the tastiest food around the world. People seem to trust chefs’ favorites when choosing food and since everyone asks our humble opinion, we decided some time ago to start a proper “Our Picks” section where we give you our recommendations on where and what to eat.<br />
<br />
We have covered Bali, Madrid and Singapore already and today’s blog entry is about Vancouver.<br />
Vancouver is
a very pretty city and those lucky enough to spend a few days always leave with
the desire to go back. Western food is good but being Canada a multicultural country, the
star options are the ethnic choices on offer. Take time to walk around the sea
wall and Stanley Park area to understand why Vancouver is often voted as the best place to
live on earth.<br />
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<a href="https://www.bao-bei.ca/" target="_blank">Bao Bei</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves very good Chinese fusion food. Think clever little dumplings and twists on the classics everyone loves. It gets busy so either book ahead or go off-peak hours.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Dumplings<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fannybayoysters.com/location/oyster-bar--shellfish-market" target="_blank">Fanny Bay Oyster Bar</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves perfect seafood. With their own oyster farm on Vancouver Island, the freshness is unbeatable. Go from 3pm-6pm for happy hour and eat unbelievable freshly shucked oysters for $1.50 each. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price: </u>***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Oysters<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.stlawrencerestaurant.com/" target="_blank">St Lawrence</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The current star of the Vancouver food scene, this place is basically a brilliant French bistro. A small menu showcases seasonal products at their best. The best meal we had in the city, hands down. Book well ahead.<br />
<u>Price: </u>*****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: The appetizer section is very good. Do order an appetizer followed by a main.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://vijs.ca/" target="_blank">Vijs</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://vijs.ca/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
Serving in the minds of many the best Indian food in Canada, Vijs is a pilgrimage for deeply delicious comfort food. Only women cook in the kitchen and their love is evident in the result.<br />
<u>Price:</u> ****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Any curry. Don’t order naan bread as it comes on its own.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://maenam.ca/" target="_blank">Maenam</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://maenam.ca/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
Every year this place wins best Thai restaurant and it is well deserved. You would be pressed to find better Thai food anywhere on the planet as the cooking is authentic and the ingredients are premium and local, making for one hell of a meal.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Anything in Penang curry.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.meatandbread.com/" target="_blank">Meat & Bread</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.meatandbread.com/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
It’s simple they make sandwiches. Very good ingredients in very good bread is what to expect in an informal way. Go early or late for lunch to avoid the cue and long wait.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: The Porchetta is the star.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.japadog.com/" target="_blank">Japadog</a> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Think all the flavors you love about Japanese food splashed on a hot dog and shoved in a bun. Carts are scattered around town but seem hard to come by so we recommend the small café on Robson street to make sure you succeed or their latest branch at the airport.<br />
<u>Price:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Korubuta Terimayo Dog is our top pick.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.beaucoupbakery.com/" target="_blank">Beaucoup Bakery</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
For a perfect idea of what breakfast should be of fresh juice, croissants, and great coffee. The vibe is busy and caféesque with everything on offer hard to fault. Perfect place to people-watch and to grab an early feed before going to Granville Island market.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Classic Croissant<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.grababetterwaffle.com/" target="_blank">Lebeau</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This is where we eat breakfast every single day. Really! The Liege waffles are the best you will ever have. It is a cross between a waffle, a cookie and a cake. It is worth traveling from anywhere to eat. A must!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Apple cinnamon Liege waffle.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://granvilleisland.com/" target="_blank">Granville Island Market</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The city’s most touristic location for all the right reasons. It is a market, a food court and a shopping Mecca where artisans make beautiful things. Wandering around the entire area will take up most of your afternoon and will be a highlight of your trip. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price:</u> **<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Our tip is to take the water taxi’s over to the market and back making it a really nice way to begin and end the journey.<br />
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-80300299818588161982019-07-25T13:39:00.000+08:002019-07-25T13:40:10.074+08:00San Sebastian Gastronomika 2019<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">A small seaside town in Northern Spain just might be
the most delicious place on earth. Bosting more Michelin-starred restaurants
per square kilometer than any other place on the planet, it is easy to see why
connoisseurs from all over the world make the pilgrimage at one point in life
to see for themselves the magic that is San Sebastian. Every October for the last 20 years, those chefs that sculpt
gastronomy and push the evolution of everything food, meet for their
version of the Olympics. They call it “Gastronomika” and it is considered the
most prestigious and important hospitality conference, period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">With more than 13,000 foodies, journalists, culinary
groupies and students coming to see what all the hype is about, the festival
offers a Disneyland of activities all centered around food, although the real
draw to the conference is the chef speakers who present themselves and their
cooking over the 4-day event. Dominated by the culinary rock stars and legends of
Spain, each year there are a handful of international Chefs that are lucky
enough to stand alongside them. Each of their 30-minute presentations must
capture the soul of the 1,500 people who sit eagerly listening like a Jedi for life-changing ideas, techniques, ingredients, and the dishes that will set the trends for the
year and spark the direction for the future. With a fixed panel of 3 Michelin-starred
Spanish chefs/superheroes such as Juan Mari Arzak, Dani García, Joan Roca, Martín
Beresategui and Eneko Atxa, other speakers are selected by invitation only with
the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory golden ticket system. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">We in Cuca are shocked, honored and pee-yourself excited
to have received the invitation for this year’s 2019 edition of San Sebastian
Gastronomika. The only question left to answer is “If you had 30 min to speak
to the best chefs in the world, what would you say?”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="405" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmRrEf19mGQRjgx4HH8EJcpSLZZXoVrNxvTYrj2avbu7CBv756HFJcIVJp_KTbez6mpGUC7YKgUSFhsBoQvDSw0QGd2RkgUznI9cK-cc8aSYBDsDBx5-wOXFNmxAGN4-j11i5qtHK5zB0/s320/logo-sansebastiangastronomika.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sansebastiangastronomika.com/en/ponentesalta/kevin-cherkas-cuca-bali/" target="_blank">www.sansebastiangastronomika.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-44419641201749318002019-06-29T09:49:00.001+08:002023-07-21T09:44:37.839+08:00Our picks: Singapore<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">As we mentioned a few months ago, we are always
sharing our favorite restaurants from every city we know with the hundreds of
customers we meet in Cuca every week in search of the tastiest food around the
world. People seem to trust chefs’ favorites when choosing food and since
everyone asks our humble opinion, we decided some time ago to start a proper
“Our Picks” section where we give you our recommendations on where and what to
eat.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">We have covered <a href="https://blog.cucabali.com/2019/03/our-picks-bali.html" target="_blank">Bali</a></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and <a href="https://blog.cucabali.com/2019/05/our-picks-madrid.html" target="_blank">Madrid </a>already
and today’s blog entry is about Singapore. Singapore was our home for 4 years and
a place we keep close to our hearts and our tummies! The city is full of great
restaurants. Some of the best simple tasty dining is done in the “Singapore
Hawker Centers”. If you pass by one, just look for the stalls with a queue and
get in line. Anybody in line will be happy to tell you what you should order and why. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;">The list of
restaurants below are our favorites for price and value. Singapore is very expensive,
but these ones became our must-eat regular spots. Get hungry and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://focrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">F.O.C.</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves great modern Spanish style small plate dining. Hip, funky and delicious. One of our absolute Singapore favorites. It sits beside 28 Hong Kong Street Bar (see below) which makes a great combo of drink and dinner. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: something cooked in their specialty Josper oven.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.tiongbahrubakery.com/" target="_blank">Tiong Bahru Bakery</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
With a few locations, this place has outstanding French pastry, bread and café-style food.<br />
<u>Price:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Kouign Amann which means “cake butter” and it is ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dintaifung.com.sg/" target="_blank">Din Tai Fung</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A Taiwanese chain restaurant that always seems to get a Michelin star for their well-made classic dumplings. We find the Din Tai Fung branches in Singapore even better than the original one in Taipei! Lunch is easier than dinner to grab a table and experience what they are famous for.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> **<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Xiao Long Bao and seaweed salad. This salad sells out fast so be early!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.garibaldi.com.sg/?lang=en" target="_blank">Garibaldi</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This is a top tier “fine dining” Italian restaurant with a very casual and relaxed, unpretentious vibe. With 1 Michelin star, the food is very good. A very well kept secret is they do a weekend brunch that is very good value and very, very delicious. A must!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> ****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Brunch. Despite all the tempting dishes offered at the beginning, save room for the pastas!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mustardsingapore.com/" target="_blank">Mustard</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves lesser known Indian Bengali and Punjabi dishes. It’s less coconut and more flavorful. The restaurant is very simple but the food is made fresh and tastes delicious. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> **<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Choose everything you don’t know and have never had. Meat dishes are better than seafood.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.fullertonhotels.com/the-fullerton-hotel/jade.html" target="_blank">Jade at Fullerton</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The place serves a secret unassumingly great weekend dim sum brunch called Jade's Dim Sum Treasures. The venue is an icon and the food is fantastic. Make sure to book ahead. Some of the best classic style Chinese Yum Cha.<br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Weekend brunch.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.itachosushi.com.sg/" target="_blank">Itacho Sushi</a><br />
This place is a chain of Japanese sushi style restaurants throughout Asia. It is very cheap but very good. The menu is all photos and what you see is what you get. Great sushi at a ridiculous price for Singapore. Other hot dishes are average so stick to the fish!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> The rolled sushi.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ottoristorante.com.sg/" target="_blank">Otto</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="http://www.ottoristorante.com.sg/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
This place is real Italian food with slick service. No frills or gimmicks, they do very little very well. Do reserve as the place is small and order the set lunch for a hard-to-come-by great deal in Singapore.<br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Risotto is a specialty<br />
<br />
<a href="https://longbeachseafood.com.sg/" target="_blank">Long Beach@Dempsey</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://longbeachseafood.com.sg/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
This place serves live seafood, cooked Chinese style. Quality is brilliant and dishes come fast and hot. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> ****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Don’t miss the Chili or Black Pepper crab, they are worth the flight to Singapore alone! Ask what is the largest they have. 1kg size is oceanic caveman comfort food. For a gluttonous seafood feast, add on the razor clams.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.28hks.com/" target="_blank">28 Hong Kong Street</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Don’t judge a book by its cover. This unassuming entrance becomes one of the world’s best classic bars. Go for a pre-dinner drink as later on it gets busy and tables are hard to come by.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u><u>:</u> **<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Stick to the classics. They are perfect!<br />
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-88668214970214725162019-05-28T17:40:00.001+08:002023-07-21T09:47:46.439+08:00Our picks: Madrid As we mentioned a few months ago, we are always sharing our favorite restaurants from every city we know with the hundreds of customers we meet in Cuca every week in search of the tastiest food around the world. People seem to trust chefs’ favorites when choosing food and since everyone asks our humble opinion, we have decided to start a proper “Our Picks” section where we give you our recommendations on where and what to eat.<br />
<br />
We covered <a href="https://blog.cucabali.com/2019/03/our-picks-bali.html" target="_blank">Bali</a> already and today’s blog entry is about Madrid, the capital of Spain and by far the capital of deliciousness within the country. You will find great restaurants everywhere in Spain, but Madrid has a huge concentration of brilliant places to eat and a unique opportunity to experience traditional food from all over the country. For its variety and consistently delicious food, there is nowhere else like Madrid!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://chocolateriasangines.com/" target="_blank">San Gines</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A must for breakfast, this place serves the best hot chocolate and churros in the world since 1894. Just across from the main entrance and the big queue of people waiting, there is a second store. Same product, same taste without the wait.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: of course Hot Chocolate and Churros. Do try the Porra: it is bigger and thicker than a churro with a slight yeasty taste, our favorite.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://pastelerialamallorquina.es/" target="_blank">La Mallorquina</a><br />
This place serves basically cakes, pastry and coffee. The main difference is many of the items they serve they have created and the rest of Spain now calls them "a tradition". Hustle in through the small doors into the cramped space filled with sugar-crazed zombies. Watch how others order and follow the organized chaos to sweet deliciousness. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: the one and only Napolitana de Chocolate.<br />
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<a href="https://www.pasteleria-mallorca.com/" target="_blank">Mallorca</a><span style="white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.pasteleria-mallorca.com/" target="_blank"> </a> </span><br />
Brilliant breakfast venue or if you are just looking for a snack between meals. Service is brilliantly professional and the whole experience is superb. It is truly a high-class coffee shop that serves well-crafted food.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Tortel. Visually a badly made bagel and really nothing special but ironically one of the best pastries we have ever eaten. Don’t judge a book by its cover here. The Tortel is a wonderful fine soft almond paste wrapped in flaky soft bread pastry.<br />
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<a href="https://lastortillasdegabino.com/" target="_blank">Las tortillas de Gabino</a><br />
The Spanish tortilla in Spain is a big deal. Everyone has their favorite and the dish has become its own religion with people all worshipping a different standard. Some like it runny, some overcooked, some more potato, some less. We have tried them all but the ones served here are different, delicious and worth worshipping. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: The classic Valazqueña. The portions are big so don’t get excited.<br />
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<a href="https://latasqueria.com/en/la-tasqueria-and-javi-estevez/" target="_blank">La Tasquería</a><br />
Listen, we don’t love eating liver, kidney, hearts and weird bits but…there are exceptions. This place crafts absolutely delicious luxurious dishes from the less glamorous parts. Unexpected, unrivaled. It hooked a Michelin star for how well things are done.<br />
<u>Price</u>:***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Try the #heart #duck # raspberry dish. Best version of duck you will ever try.<br />
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<a href="https://www.labarraca.es/en/" target="_blank">La Barraca</a><br />
This place specializes in rice dishes like Paella. They are absolutely brilliant at it and have been serving perfect rice for more than 80 years. Nothing modern or trendy here and that’s what we love about it.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Queen shellfish Paella. Get them to put it right on the table and not serve it up for you in the back. The experience of eating right out of the hot pan is magic.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/puntomxrestbar/?hl=en" target="_blank">Punto MX</a><br />
Holding one Michelin star. this place serves small bites of deep, earthy, smoky, unctuous modern Mexican food. Taste takes center stage and the time usually wasted on fancy decoration is spent on proper cooking. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: go for the Long Tasting menu.<br />
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<a href="http://restaurantelabienaparecida.com/" target="_blank">La Bien Aparecida</a><br />
Traditional grandma style comfort food with brilliant seasonal products, this restaurant showcases some of Spain's classic dishes done very very well. Slick simple modern dining room provides the space to enjoy the best of what’s in season.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:*****<br />
<u>What to order</u>: our favorites are the Flores de alcachofas con migas de rabo de toro (artichokes with oxtail), the egg croquettes (their specialty and a must to try!) and their steak tartar with mustard ice cream.<br />
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<a href="http://www.restaurantepazocoruna.es/" target="_blank">Pazo a Coruña</a><br />
This is a Galician restaurant and Galicia is world famous for seafood and that’s what this place does very well. A grown-up establishment that serves extraordinary fresh seafood cooked perfectly. What you order is what you get, no surprises, no messing about. Old school proper cooking that everyone would love. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: A star of the menu is the Merluza a la Gallega. Order some appetizers like clams, mussels or grilled squid to start and then the merluza for main. Order only one portion to share between two unless you’re a Viking!<br />
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<a href="https://www.lahuertadetudela.com/" target="_blank">La huerta de Tudela</a><br />
Where age-old tradition and timeless cooking is devoured in clean and modern comfort. Out of dozens and dozens of proper meals eaten in Madrid this was the most delicious, period. What else can be said.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:****<br />
<u>What to order</u>: with their own vegetable garden, ironically the star of the menu are the veggie dishes. The Potato Duquesa may be the best dish we have ever eaten. Seriously!<br />
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<a href="https://www.latasquitadeenfrente.com/en" target="_blank">La Tasquita de Enfrente </a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Spain’s timeless classics are here honored and lifted using the absolute best seasonal products. The food is very simple but reflects purely on the quality of each ingredient. Service is incredible and the entire experience with only a few tables for the restaurant is like dining in the chefs home.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>:****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: take the tasting menu and be careful with ordering the “specials” that are not listed, the price may surprise you…<br />
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<a href="http://www.castelados.com/" target="_blank">Castelados</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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A cold renovated sterile white dining room and bar may not look like the best place to eat well but in this case, they are. Michelin has awarded them a Bib Gourmand distinction for delicious food and their rustic perfectly cooked seafood is some of the best. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>Price</u>:****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<u>What to order</u>: Milhojas de Ventresca is a must and try the prawns from Huelva. Unbelievably good!</div>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7726803 115.16969599999993-34.2947148 73.861101999999931 16.7493542 156.47828999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-18352524565207233342019-04-29T22:23:00.000+08:002019-04-29T23:01:54.356+08:00A story to be told<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A late-night dinner between chefs never ends well and as proof, this is what we got ourselves into last time I met my chef friend the great Will Meyrick.</div>
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High from feasting on his delicious curries and over excited to have found someone equally mad about food, we somehow agreed and committed to something damn near impossible. We would travel to a place we had never been before, eat through the streets, coffee shops and simple restaurants to discover as much traditional food as possible. We would meet the people who cook the food and understand their story and the dishes they serve. All this information would be taken back to our kitchens and together like best friends we would craft new dishes completely inspired by those we ate and by the methods used to prepare them. The idea at the time sounded genius: to tell the story of our journey through food. But, having never worked together before and coming from completely different culinary backgrounds, telling a story in two different languages was going to need some translation.<br />
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So, with fingers crossed and the location selected, we were off to one of Indonesia’s thousand islands: Southern Kalimantan.<br />
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To really learn you must be seen as a curious student, not an arrogant teacher, a big challenge with a TV crew and their daunting cameras following every step we took. To sum up the 6 day trip, we devoured everything we came across: smoky char-grilled wild duck, boiling rich herbal chicken soup, crunchy fried river fish dusted in roasted rice dust, Arabic-influenced slow cooking, fermented exotic fruit jams, rustic fish and rice cooked on the jungle floor in young bamboo over open fire and so much more. Indeed we ate Kalimantan and discovered powerful full-flavored hearty comfort food squeezed directly from bustling local markets and cooked by proud locals. A week full of those magical moments when someone gives you their food and curiously watches for a reaction as you try something for the very first time. All that was left was to now try and figure out how to put that into a dinner that gives every guest that experience not just as it was, but the way we would like to translate it.<br />
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With a 12 course menu of new dishes modeled from those old traditional molds, ceramics hand-crafted precisely for each dish, a dining room set like a jungle with the echoing sound of the forest, weeks of cooking, tuning and testing, the stage is set and our story of Southern Kalimantan ready to be told.<br />
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<b>Tickets still available for May 11, 7pm at Som Chai restaurant in Seminyak. Book yours <a href="https://somchaibali.com/kalimantan-dinner-with-kevin-cherkas-from-cuca/" target="_blank">here</a>. </b><br />
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7725981 115.17045239999993-34.2946326 73.861858399999932 16.7494364 156.47904639999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-27429567275803609662019-03-26T11:13:00.002+08:002023-07-21T09:57:13.923+08:00Our picks: BaliPersonally meeting hundreds of customers every week, all of them in search of the tastiest food around the world, over the years we have shared countless times our favorite restaurants from every city we know. People seem to trust chefs’ favorites when choosing food and since everyone asks our humble opinion, we have decided to start a proper Our Picks section where we give you our recommendations on where and what to eat. But just because we may help you find a new favorite don’t forget about your first love, Cuca!<br />
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Bali<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Bali food scene has changed a lot over the last 10 years with numerous great restaurants popping up using the bounty of amazing local produce. As crazy as it sounds, traditional delicious Balinese food is still very difficult to find in Bali. So, with that said, these are Cuca’s picks for the Island.<br />
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Jimbaran</h3>
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/P3CTg" target="_blank">Karya Rebo</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves the best version of Bali’s most iconic dish of fire roasted suckling pig. Brilliant!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *<br />
<u>What to order</u>: Suckling pig (babi guling)<br />
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<a href="http://sundarabali.com/" target="_blank">Sundara</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place has the best sunset lounge. Great prices on cocktails between 5-7pm Happy Hour. Cocktails are designed by one of the world’s best bartenders Javier Delas Muelas. It is at the Four Seasons Hotel so it is delux.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Cocktails<br />
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<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/SJiDV" target="_blank">Lia Cafe</a><br />
This place serves Jimbaran’s best seafood BBQ. Siting with your feet in the sand and eating open fire freshly grilled seafood on the beach. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: 2 large prawns per person, a fresh red snapper and fried squid. Very good.<br />
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Nusa Dua</h3>
<a href="https://www.artcafebumbubali.com/" target="_blank">Bumbu Bali<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></a><br />
This place is Cuca’s favorite in the island for authentic delicious Balinese food in a classic setting. Great value, hearty, super tasty.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Sate Lilit<br />
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Seminyak</h3>
<a href="http://sangsakabali.com/" target="_blank">Sansaka</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves clever and tasty Indonesian fusion cooking. This is their sister restaurant to Merah Putih and is much smaller and more intimate. Say hello to chef Kieran and tell him Cuca sent you.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"><u>Price</u>: </span>***<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: try some small plates like Opor Bebek<br />
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g469404-d4508367-Reviews-Wacko_Burger_Cafe-Seminyak_Kuta_District_Bali.html" target="_blank">Wacko Burger</a><br />
This place serves perfect flame grilled burgers. Combinations range from the classics to the creative. It may seem crazy that we recommend a burger place while in Bali but it is a great burger and makes for a proper lunch.<br />
<u>Price</u>:**<br />
<u>What to order:</u> Must add the fried chili to any burger for a wicked spicy crunch<br />
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<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bambu/@-8.6803244,115.1530907,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x29893cdf056ad72c!8m2!3d-8.6803244!4d115.1530907" target="_blank">Bambu</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves great classic Indonesian fare. Very tasty and well presented the restaurant is a beautiful romantic venue in the heart of busy Seminyak. Best for dinner.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order:</u> Keep an eye open for the daily specials, they sell out fast.<br />
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Ubud</h3>
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/9PRhf" target="_blank">Pulau Kelapa</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves great classic Indonesian food. Everything is made fresh to order and is authentic and very cheap. The venue is a hundred-year-old traditional Javanese house that in the evening feels like you have stepped back in time. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: **<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Beef ribs<br />
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<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/yU8Qa" target="_blank">Sari Organik</a><br />
Bali’s original organic café. Food comes straight from their garden and the 20-minute walk through organic rice fields until you reach the open air bamboo hut is magic. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: *<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Try the unusual healthy drinks<br />
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<a href="https://www.room4dessert.com/" target="_blank">Room 4 Dessert</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Appearing on Netflix Chef Table series the rock star Chef Will Goldfarb blows people away with very clever ultra-unique desserts in his desert only restaurant. The venue is a shabby tin very understated building with a bustling sweet crowd. Say hello to Will and tell him Cuca sent you.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ****<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>What to order</u>: Dessert tasting menu<br />
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<a href="https://locavorenext.com/family/night-rooster" target="_blank">Night Rooster</a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
This place serves some of Bali’s best cocktails based on local ingredients. The venue is a classic cocktail bar with a sophisticated vibe.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<u>Price</u>: ****<br />
<u>What to order</u>: Your chance to try something new<br />
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Bedugul</h3>
<a href="http://thehotchocolatehouse.com/" target="_blank">Hot Chocolate House</a><br />
Delicious Balinese hot chocolate is just what you need in the cool weather of the highlands. Don't miss the flower garden towards the lake.<br />
<u>Price</u>: *<br />
<u>What to order:</u> the classic hot chocolate, the pastel ayam and the popcorn chicken are our favorites.<br />
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<br />Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-85214486822977879342019-02-27T19:55:00.001+08:002019-02-28T13:05:57.313+08:00Where to eatThe joy of traveling is discovering those magical places where we feel we are truly experiencing where we are or where we get to live a moment that we know we will remember forever. We know we are tourists but we don’t want to fall into uninspired tourist traps. We instead hope to get to places that are worth our precious few holiday moments.<br />
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The challenge is to find those little gems in a world where the amount of information is overwhelming, where a quick research on google takes you to dark corners of knowledge totally unrelated to your original quest. It is funny how with all of today’s technology we still end up depending on friends' recommendations or old fashion guide books that never seem to let us down.<br />
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That is why we are so proud and excited to be featured in well-respected guides that are as trusted as good friends pointing you to the goodness that awaits in those holiday destinations. And the most amazing thing is that we only find out Cuca has made it when we see you walking confidently through the door holding that little bible, wherever you are coming from,<br />
and proudly proclaiming “I was told I need to eat here” and then it’s up to us to prove how right your little friend was.<br />
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7725981 115.17045239999993-39.517082599999995 73.861858399999932 21.9718864 156.47904639999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-76649590511674078622019-01-22T20:31:00.001+08:002019-01-23T15:52:29.383+08:00A new Cuca<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After more than five years of feeding those traveling through Bali, a lot in Cuca has changed. Every single day we understand more and more what our customers are looking for and we are constantly finding new ways to get better. Little things make a big difference and caring about everything goes a long way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The food since we opened has changed dramatically (for the best, we want to think!) and with a bigger team, more work can go into every dish and every drink. Our service has gone from simply getting you what you ordered with a smile, to providing a real personal experience where we know what you want before you have to ask. But our dining room and garden lounge are still exactly the same and just like everything else and all of us, they must get better. So, after months of contemplating how to keep all of what people love about Cuca but stay one step ahead of an ever-changing culinary scene, we have started to add some spectacular new touches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather than giving everything away and ruining the movie, let’s just say that a new private room for 40 people is already completed for smaller groups to celebrate in style, a new reception now welcomes and farewells you with lots of handcrafted souvenirs to take with you, our entire garden lounge will soon become a destination with more people choosing to dine and chill outside...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There will be heaps of changes so stay tuned and we look forward to welcoming you with the same smiling faces to a new and very improved Cuca!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuca's brand new private dining room</td></tr>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.7725981 115.17045239999993-34.2946326 73.861858399999932 16.7494364 156.47904639999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-37135839872973776812018-11-27T21:40:00.000+08:002018-11-27T21:40:05.560+08:00Our version of Christmas<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US">It’s hard to believe, but yes indeed, it’s that time of the year again. With Christmas just around the corner, Bali is getting ready to explode with people flooding-in to enjoy the untraditional sunny version of the festive season. Sunshine and sand will replace, for many, a cold wet winter, and it is Cuca’s job to then replace the infamous turkey. For those who claim it just isn’t Christmas without the dry overcooked bird, lovingly burnt sweet potatoes, canned cranberry glue, mom’s latest version of how to make Brussels sprouts not suck and a vomiting uncle, well… we beg to differ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Each year we try to create our version of what Christmas is and each year we learn something new from what “went wrong” the year before. With that said, get ready boys and girls for our latest greatest edition of Cuca’s Christmas, which promises to be the best version yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Looking back at all we have done well and all we haven’t, there is one lesson we will never forget. Let me explain our very first Christmas, which to be honest, was a total delicious disaster: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Without snow, it was easy to overcompensate. We didn’t go as far as to dress our team as elves, but we did and always do have Santa who, by the way, was not the problem. The problem was our decorations were not kid-friendly but very kid-accessible and ended up very kid-broken; our festive Christmas music quickly became nauseating; our ornamental fireplace made from red bricks and filled with logs became a death trap for those who decided to sit on top for selfies, with people until today still bearing the scars. Our red fuzzy hats had our team sweating, overheating and damn near passing out during dinner service. Our special drink was not well articulated with its alcoholic content and rapidly had unassuming guests drunk and far too celebratory. Even our Christmas menu, which took months and was our version of the classics, was unwelcomed as no one wanted it. People came to eat the food of Cuca, the dishes their friends recommended, the items they waited all year to have again, and rather than happy, jolly, cheerful guests, we had angry, annoyed, and aggressive ones.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So, if we don’t do easily accessible glass balls, repetitive annoying music, a widow-making fireplace, insulating sauna hats, easily accessible booze or a set menu, what do we do? Come and see for yourself from Dec 20<sup>th</sup> until Jan 2<sup>nd</sup>. A Christmas you will not forget. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDioyZeqp2EaR_2WRKK0qNECkrdeffVR6xgq39Kd8Ja_gBZ8nVGjng6Ft1OFAnmQjQtjt2ShFrJ4JaqLux3zJXhISyC3AasBYVMUe9qeJg95KyXAO_ydf-PHuQM-OINbCX6_aedAh8WnI/s1600/Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDioyZeqp2EaR_2WRKK0qNECkrdeffVR6xgq39Kd8Ja_gBZ8nVGjng6Ft1OFAnmQjQtjt2ShFrJ4JaqLux3zJXhISyC3AasBYVMUe9qeJg95KyXAO_ydf-PHuQM-OINbCX6_aedAh8WnI/s400/Christmas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.772757 115.16931799999998-34.2947915 73.860723999999976 16.749277499999998 156.47791199999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214730501876840641.post-49442173893870741082018-10-27T11:04:00.000+08:002018-10-27T11:04:53.124+08:00I love, you hate<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US">First of all, let’s start off with saying I love food. Traveling anywhere in the world and eating everything traditional is my way of discovering cultural heritage and my biggest source of inspiration. But not everyone is willing to try anything, and most people can be pretty set in their ways with food. Everyone is different when it comes to taste and the farther you travel, the more different the food can get. What is weird and unthinkable to some, is delicious classic comfort food for others, and these individual preferences are hard to let go, being engrained since birth by every single meal.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">To generalize an entire planet of people based on each country’s preferences would be unfair but, more often than not, tends to be </span>in many ways true. Not every country grows up eating a diverse selection of ethnic foods like Australians and Canadians, who naturally have a more open-minded approach to flavor developed from being a migrant country and total lack of almost any traditional food of their own. European countries like France, Italy and Spain, with a strong proud culinary heritage, are easily crippled and physically pained with spicy foods, whereas the people of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia barely notice the heat. Most of Indonesia, for example, hates foods that are sour and the use of vinegars and citrus is minimal, while in the Philippines the opposite is true, where pure white vinegar is literally used as a dipping sauce and adored. Western countries consume large amounts of dairy items like milk, yoghurt and cheese, yet China looks at dairy as the enemy and cheese with absolute disgust. Asians, in general, find western food boring and tasteless, heavy on salt and often too creamy and rich, while westerners often find South East Asian food too sweet and overwhelmed by spices, losing the true flavor of ingredients. In Western food, chicken tastes like chicken and a lot of effort is put into making that happen like with a good roast chicken, while in Indonesia you would never even know it is chicken as the use of numerous vegetables and spices smashes the food with flavors. </div>
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So, with that being said, what do you cook when you are trying to feed people from all over the world their best meal yet? This is the unique challenge we face in Cuca. Yesterday, for example, we had people from Belgium, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom and Korea. So, how do we do it? What is good for everyone? How to make everyone happy when a dish can’t be too spicy, too salty, too sour, too sweet, too common, too unusual, too much of anything while still being totally packed with flavor yet remaining balanced and delicious? That, my friend, is the secret of Cuca.<br />
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Cuca Balihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12596782990757184973noreply@blogger.comJl. Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia-8.772757 115.16931799999998-34.2947915 73.860723999999976 16.749277499999998 156.47791199999998