Bali cooking class with an Indonesian chef! Jimbaran fishing boats, market tour.
Wherever I go, I try to take part in activities that let me get immersed in the local life. Several of my friends insisted that I take a Balinese cooking class — and they were right, it ended up being one of my favorite memories from this trip.
At The Ritz-Carlton Bali, I learned how to cook Indonesian cuisine with two of their chefs! Read on for my Bali cooking class adventure — including a visit to a seafood market, and a new favorite drink called “bajigur.”
But first, a quick announcement… German readers, watch me on TV on August 13! I’m the Hong Kong guide of a new Pro7 travel show, “Offline,” starring Palina Rojinski. I hope you’ll tune in to Pro Sieben for this episode (and for everyone else, I’ll post photos and clips soon).
If you recall from my first post, Ritz-Carlton Nusa Dua was the perfect home base for travellers like me. I got to experience these picture-perfect beaches, which you wouldn’t find in tourist districts like Kuta and Seminyak.
The hotel is wonderful at suggesting activities, based on the guests’ interests. I wanted to experience Balinese daily life, and the island’s distinctive cooking — so they arranged for a private food tour and cooking class at their Bejana restaurant.
My friends Cohica Travel took these photos of me in the lobby, while we waited for Executive Sous Chef Wayan Wacaya.
I wore a grey romper from Chaser, and a floral kimono by Japanese Goth designer h.NAOTO.
The hotel arranged a van and driver, which took us to the morning market. I enjoyed looking out the window, and seeing families balanced on motorcycles.
Your eyes are not deceiving you… above, that is indeed a dog riding on a scooter!
Chef Wicaya led us around the bustling Jimbaran market. We saw all sorts of fresh ingredients for sale, as well as homewares and other goods.
Chef Wicaya introduced us to two women preparing “banten,” or ritual offerings for the gods. Three times a day, Hindus honor deities by placing a “banten” at entrances, statues or temples.
This lady is wrapping up the offerings into bamboo packets. Inside, you might find flowers, fruit, rice and leaves. If they’re too busy to make their own, locals purchase these “pre-wrapped” offerings for the thrice-daily ritual.
You’ll see these colorful, fragrant offerings everywhere in Bali. They’re an important part of daily life.
It’s best to see the Jimbaran market early in the morning. Even at 6-9am, the marketplace will be lined with rows of motorcycles.
I don’t know how these women balance full buckets on their heads.
The catch comes in every morning, on the shores of Jimbaran. This child looks eager to meet his fisherman father.
What a lively place — the beach was photography heaven! These colorful boats are “jukung” or traditional Indonesian fishing boats.
Families waited on the beach, chatting and playing while the boats pulled in. Balinese fishermen can be out in these small wooden boats for two weeks at a time, without ever coming to shore.
Colors everywhere, and no foreigners in sight (other than ourselves).
Now that’s a clever way to rig up lighting for a boat.
It’s true that the Balinese are warm and welcoming. I saw smiles everywhere I turned my camera. (I shoot with a Sony alpha 7 mirrorless.)
Fresh off the boat! It takes a team to bring in the catch. Love how even the baskets are brightly colored.
I learned that the government makes efforts to encourage sustainable fishing. These boats are prohibited from catching rare shark species, turtles and dolphins.
It’s hard work, being out in the ocean. For some, these water jugs are the only source of fresh water for a fortnight.
These women in triangle-hats were selling fish right on the sand.
Big fish, small fish. Surprisingly fun to photograph.
Chef Wicaya led us inside to the covered area, or “pasar ikan” (fish market).
Locals squeezed through this small space, and bought fish to prepare at home.
I saw Southeast Asian species that I didn’t recognize. This looks like a zombie fish. “The Swimming Dead,” perhaps?
My friends Cohica Travel, who write about sustainable tourism and local experiences, also blogged about our Jimbaran market visit. Here’s how they describe the scene:
“We watched Chef Wicaya walk the narrow corridors with confidence, waving hello to friends and neighbors who are picking up fish for their families (without refrigeration, many local woman visit the market each morning to pick up everything needed for the day’s meals). The sense of community and daily ritual is evident, and amidst the chaos, we’re grateful to be silent observers.”
Outside, I learned that yellowfin tuna… is called “yellow finned” for a reason!
I was happy I got to see Jimbaran market, and take part in this slice of local life. It made me better appreciate the food that we were about to make…
But first, we had to open this gargantuan door! Bejana, the Ritz-Carlton’s Indonesian restaurant, has an entrance worthy of Game of Thrones.
Located on the hotel’s upper cliff, Bejana’s interiors pay tribute to Indonesian art and performance.
Everything is grand here, especially the dramatic patio views of the resort and Indian Ocean.
Bejana is also home to the Culinary Cave, a fully equipped cooking station that lets you learn Indonesian cooking through hands-on instruction. We suited up in aprons and hats, and shook hands with our cheerful teacher, Chef Made Siriana.
(A fun aside: In Bali, all firstborn sons are named Wayan, while the secondborns are called Made. There is a succession of four names, and you start again at Wayan for the fifth boy. This Wikipedia article desribes Balinese naming traditions in more depth.)
Chef Made could have been the star of a cooking TV show. He was marvelous at explaining ingredients and preparations, while weaving in stories of childhood, and even a joke or two!
My fellow students Cohica Travel describe the scene: “Pre-prepped ingredients sit perfectly chopped and julienned in small bowls. We recognize some of the Asian flavors we’ve grown accustomed to: ginger, lemongrass, coconut, turmeric, garlic, shallots, and red chilies. As we get started, we also learn about new herbs and spices: pandan, a green plant that is a key ingredient in many local dishes, salam leaves, similar to a large bay leaf, and kaffir lime leaves.”
The chefs were happy to modify the ingredients for us — no nuts, please, or we’ll die! (Here’s the best peanut allergy poster ever made, by my pirate Naomi.)
First, we learned how to make bumbu, a curry-like spice paste that forms the base of many Indonesian dishes. We stir-fried aromatic ingredients together, then blended them into a hot and mouthwatering base. We all took turns stirring and chopping behind the stove.
From two versions of the bumbu paste, Chef Made showed us how to prepare a variety of homestyle dishes, including curries and tofu wrapped in banana leaves. Above, I’m learning how to pinch together a mahi-mahi fish satay (grilled on lemongrass sticks).
Next, we moved over to the dessert station and learned how to make dadar gulung: bite-size pancakes turned green by pandan leaves, and filled with coconut and palm sugar. So, so good.
The staff gave us all copies of the recipes, so that we could re-create these meals back at home.
The photo above says it all… What a meal, and one that we cooked together! After this trip, I gained a new appreciation for Indonesian food, which is flavorful, spicy and more complex than you might imagine.
My friends and I also have a new favorite drink, called bajigur. It’s a traditional Javanese hot beverage, rich with the healing flavors of ginger, coconut milk, lemongrass and pandan leaf. We’re convinced that if someone made this available in North America, it would become more popular than the Starbucks chai latte.
I was so obsessed with this drink that the Ritz-Carlton arranged a special bajigur lesson for me!
This is what I love about travel: no matter how much you read up about a place, you’ll never know what will inspire you until you’re actually there.
Food is such a fantastic window into local culture, do you agree?
Terima Kasih (thank you) to The Ritz-Carlton Bali for this unforgettable day! I enjoyed their Balinese cooking school so much that I’m going to do more experiences like this, wherever I go.
I leave you with another photo of the dog riding the scooter. Bali, you’re the best.
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Shopping in Shanghai’s French Quarter! Chinese cute art shops, Toilet themed restaurant.
I’m currently in Spain (as you can see on my @lacarmina Snapchat and Instagram) — but have so many posts still to share with you from Asia. In this one, let’s explore Shanghai’s French Concession and go shopping in two of China’s coolest districts, Tianzifang and Xintiandi.
(I am wearing a Shakuhachi Future Minimal dress – this season, they have a similar white kimono dress. The skull and pearl necklace is from Hong Kong jewelry designer, LLazy Bonez.)
So far, I’ve been showing you China’s emerging trendy side. Remember my photoshoot inside my penthouse suite at Cachet Boutique Hotel? Here are a few snaps from the lobby, which is decorated in the same “ancient China meets mod art” aesthetic.
From Cachet Hotel, we walked to the French Concession. This district belonged to France from the late 19th century to 1943. Even today, the European influence is seen in the architecture and character of the streets.
Melissa and I stopped to take in the old brick buildings, and the new skyscrapers rising above them. China’s changed enormously even in the past decade. Business and development are booming.
The French Quarter remains the most peaceful and chic area of Shanghai (and arguably all of China). These trees — all imported from France — form a leafy canopy above the international boutiques and restaurants.
While China is modernizing, there remain strange remnants of the past. Communist China doesn’t officially allow sex shops, so this one put up a “health” sign.
Another example of this juxtaposition. The French Concession feels as clean and contemporary as any European boulevard. And yet…
… we came across a woman selling puppies in a box. She poked at them, to make them seem more lively for potential customers. And one was dyed with tiger stripes… Despite other modernizations, you’ll still see practices like these, in the open.
On the positive side, I enjoyed the calm vibe of the French Quarter. We passed by many artsy shops and cafes, like the one above.
I recommend spending at least a few hours walking around at random, and popping into boutiques. (The sign above says that this building’s foundation is sinking, and urges people to consider the health and safety of residents.)
Seems like cute food is popular all over Asia. We were there around Halloween, so I spotted these skull, ghost and pumpkin donuts.
Shanghai converted about 500 old red telephone booths into WiFi hubs. Funny how they transformed an obsolete technology into something functional for today.
My white neoprene dress is similar to this one also by Shakuhachi.
We stopped by Xintiandi, an upscale district that was the site of a controversial urban redevelopment project. This project transformed a slum into a business and residential space, while preserving the historical architecture. Unfortunately, it also displaced thousands of Shanghai residents.
Everywhere I went, I felt a strange mix of new and old. Tianzifang is an artsy area that has preserved its old alleyways and buildings.
At the same time, it’s become a tourist destination. Nonetheless, the little stalls — selling handicrafts, tea and other goods — are fun to browse.
Prices in China are notoriously low, but you can (and should) try to bargain them down more.
Be wary of poor quality and knock-off items. These cell phone cases are cute (love the Mario and Spirited Away ), but are constructed from glue and felt. I’m sure they’d fall apart within a day.
Other shops sell intriguing art, and traditional souvenirs — like the Chinese cats above.
Colorful characters, painted in vivid colors. (Photos by me and Borderless Media — check out our global travel videos on their site.)
In one shop, I saw a Scottish Fold coin purse, with tiny folded ears (on the right).
You can flatly assume that all “designer” items here are knock-offs here. Look close at the tag, and it reveals the truth about these “brand-name” sneakers. You can’t make this Chinglish up: “never expose to intense meat or hot vehicles!”
Tianzifang is packed with street food and little restaurants, serving all types of cuisine.
Look what we ran into… the More Than Toilet theme restaurant! As the male/female sign indicates, this is a poop-themed restaurant. (Address: Tianzifang, No. 5, Lane 274, Taikang Lu)
This restaurant concept is similar to Taiwan’s Modern Toilet. Customers sit on toilet seats and dine on such “delicious and happy” concoctions, like a swirl of chocolate ice cream, served in a urinal.
In the glass case, you can buy stuffed toys shaped like a big dump, with cute faces on them (of course).
We didn’t eat here, but saw others feasting on dishes like “Stool #1,” a mix of brown sweets served in a toilet bowl.
If you’re interested in reading more about bizarre Asia theme restaurants, check out my book about them.
Travel isn’t always always positive and easy. In fact, some of the most memorable trips are the ones that leave you feeling challenged. Some of Shanghai’s contradictions were hard to wrap my head around, but I’m glad I came here. I’m curious how the city will continue to change in the next years and decades.
Have you visited China before? What was your experience with the culture here?
LA CARMINA
