Cuca Restaurant Bali

Second time I go to CUCA restaurant. The last time I go there they give me good memory about my culinary experience and I hope this time will better. Because I heard and read in some website and others media that they become top 10 of the best restaurant in Bali, I am not that surprised. Cuca really know how to explore the taste of food and make them absolutely new experience for each people who eat it.

Cuca is declare that they are Spanish restaurant who bring Tapas to Bali which made with local ingredients and farmers product 100%.
Is easy to find Cuca Restaurant. Just 16 minutes drive car from Bali Airport (Ngurah Rai Airport) to Jimbaran, the sign quite high to see from the street in few miles distances. And come inside to Yoga  Penganti lane, you will find Cuca logo in the wooden door. Do not be fooled by the size of the door maybe that just looks like normal door in your mind. But maybe they have something that will surprise you, isn't it ?
Cuca have something that I really miss from this island, that is coconut garden. When you go inside that wooden door the first time that you will see is huge garden with many coconut tree on the green grass waving to you when the wind blow them.
Just follow the natural stone footpath it will bring you to the entrance of the restaurant.



" welcome to Cuca " The staff from the reception table say to me when I open the glass door.
I throw nice smile also to them more than about they give me because it is more than of the nice greeting it's also for the smell of delicious meals cooking from their kitchen.
" Kitchen ?"

Yes, the first thing that you will see before you enter to dining area is kitchen, dream kitchen, huge size, clean and modern you can see it from the glass window.
Ups!!! don't try to get in event you can free to see it. It is not the meaning you get free access to it. They don't allow you to disturb their concentrate for create your food.
Just think about what the area that we will take for enjoy the food. Cuca have three variant area to us for enjoy our food. The first is bar area which located in front of reception and the side of the kitchen. It is furnish with solid wooden bar stools and suar wooden table. Second is dining area, which is located in the right side behind of reception table and in front of kitchen area. It is furnish with modern solid wooden furniture and set up as couple and family dining. Some curtain hanging between each table, more than about accessories the curtain also can close the area if we need more privacy. That will lovely if we have romantic dinner. But not this time, I come with five friends. The third area is in the garden. It is set up with lounge outdoor sofa on the green grass and under the sexy coconut trees. That will be so nice to every one who want to enjoy the beautiful sunny days.

After all the traffic from airport to Jimbaran already make us got some dehydration, so we decide to take the table in dining area which near the window, and it will give us view of the garden and exiting kitchen activity in the same times.
Gotcha!!!
Let start with the menu.
The waitress give us the menu which framed in rustic wooden frame.
And there is our order :
For Tapas we choose Croquettes, Cuba Corn, Clay pot Mushroom Rice from harvested section, Baked Scallop from hooked section, and Crispy fried chicken from the farmed section.
For Dessert we choose Pamelo meringue.
For drink, mineral water is the best for us to recover from the hot weather.
The waitress leave us after she repeat what we are ordered.
Oh ya... I forgot to mention that the cutlery already setting up in every table. They put them inside the wooden box and cover it green cotton napkin. Each table have much as the capacity of the table. another sweet design from Cuca is the green glass which set beside the cutlery it seem like recycle from the wine bottle and they look gorgeous.
Just few minutes the waitress come with our first menu, croquettes. And another menu come in every five minutes. One special thing that I cannot find from the other restaurant so far.Just in Cuca each food serve with the warm or cold plate/bowl depend about kind of food, like now all of our tapas food is serve with warm plate/bowl and for the desert they give us cold bowl. So what do you think about this?
For me it make me tempted to finish all my food before the temperature disappear .
Let's start !!!

Croquettes, It is pickle mushroom lie on top the fry golden ball made from mixed roast garlic and tempe cream. one portion is contain of four and setting up on the fake green grass in square plate. Smooth, tasty and fresh.
Cuba Corn, This is interesting menu, they grill whole baby corn including skin and few centimeters of the branch in their special seasoning, lime, young Parmesan and parsley. This is delicious combination, if you like you can eat the branches as well just pour little but salt and peeper and you find taste from another apart of baby corn, I think the taste is not bad.

Baked scallop. it serve with tree scallop which baked with butter crust  and local green seaweed on top hot small stone in warm bowl. That is special because you still have hot baked scallop in your table without lost the temperature during their way from kitchen to our table.
Clay pot Mushroom Rice. this is mix of grated pumpkin, mushroom broth and crispy organic rice. Delicious. It serve in black warm clay pot.
This is the only one menu from farmed section Crispy fried chicken. It is chicken in crispy fry and dusted with sesame seeds serve with country red coleslaw and local basil. I love this combination.
And the dessert. The first sign is they fresh, I really tempted to eat it first but my friend said
" The perfect taste of dessert is when you eat it as the rule"

Pamelo meringue is citrus custard with shredded frozen pamelo, crispy marshmallow and tarragon on top. It serve in cold bowl. Trust me you must try this when you visit Cuca. It would be such a pity if yo came to Cuca and did not order this, the taste is absolutely fresh and delicious.

For price Cuca is start from IDR. 30.000  - IDR 160.000 and IDR. 260.000 for special lunch.
They open 12 hours start from 12 PM until 12 AM in 7 days each week.
With all experience we got, I think this is more than worth it.
Thank you Cuca for keep using local product farmed which always make sure that we will eat fresh food and also help for the local farmers happy with work in the farm. Hopefully it help Bali keep green, because they don't tempted anymore for sale their land to villa project, hotel project and another similar project.
see you next time ^_^