The legacy of one of the oldest institutions in Bali has created a new French Mediterranean landscape in the great charm of the tropical island.
The closing of French fine-dining restaurant Kafe Warisan led to a new venture of chef entrepreneurs Nicolas ‘Doudou’ Tourneville and Said Alem. Opened since October 16, 2009, Métis Restaurant and Gallery offers a variety of French and Mediterranean cuisine served in the savory ambience of friendly Bali.
Sharing a culinary passion, the old time friends Doudou and Said decided to open Kafe Warisan in 1997. Winning the heart of high society guests from all over the world, Kafe Warisan was an institution on the island of gods serving exquisite French-Mediterranean dishes in a romantic atmosphere.
With Chef Doudou as the executive chef and Said as the managing editor, the new Métis Restaurant is set to maintain the legacy of Kafe Warisan in terms of high-quality menu and friendly hospitality with of course a better venue.
“The concept of Métis stretches back to the time before we closed Kafe Warisan. Said and I decided to create a concept by establishing a new French Mediterranean landscape that would offer a variety of classic menu with a bit of flair,” Chef Doudou recalls.
Nestled in the alluring site, the 350-seat new Métis is now made up of three dining spaces, a lounge, a boutique and a deck facing paddy fields. Guests wanting privacy should try Cocoon Room. This spacious private dining area has the capacity of 25 pax up to 130 pax.
Métis offers a nuance of a mixture of culture, as the restaurant is elegantly designed with contemporary colonial architectural style which is inspired by Indonesian batik patterns.
With a much bigger kitchen than that of Kafe Warisan, Doudou brings his legendary talent and culinary artistry to the table with the help of experienced Chef Arief Wicaksono and Executive Sous Chef, Putu Sudarsana.
“In a restaurant business, the engine is in the kitchen. So, it is important to recruit only experienced staff. Both Arief and Putu are truly the talented ones. The two have gained much of their skills working in prestigious restaurants in overseas,” Doudou adds.
“I had a great career as a chef in Dubai, but I decided to join Métis after all. Not only does Chef Doudou trust me to manage his kitchen, but more importantly, working hand-in-hand with him to create a new concept and menu truly enriches my cooking journey,” Arief remarks.
The restaurant serves various menus of lunch, high tea, dinner, foie gras and lounge. Among the recommended main courses are the restaurant’s legendary PanSeared Hot Foie Gras, Grilled Black Angus Tenderloin, Lamb Rack, Scallops & Prawn Provencal, to name a few.
But don’t leave the table without having one of the desserts from the menu such as Métis Red Forest and Running Chocolate Cake.
Wine aficionados will surely find Métis luscious. Various red, rose and white wines in the wine list will take them to discover another way of appreciating the art of living.
Among the wines in the menu are 2008 Burgundy Château St. Florin, Gironde; South Australia St. Hallet, Riestling; California Rotschild; Auckland Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir; just to name a few.
“And if you are keen on something sweet harvested in Bali, we have Hatten, Pino de Bali,” Arief adds.
Opened from Monday to Saturday, the restaurant serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The lounge menu is available from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Aside from the authentic French Mediterranean menu, Métis offers an exotic venue for its guests. A great place to hang out, indeed, especially at weekends where there is DJ playing from Thursday to Saturday.
Furthermore, the presence of gallery at Métis provides the venue the sheer pleasure of living. The gallery showcases the collection of Asian art objects such as photographs and paintings, as well as antiques. There is also a boutique displaying glittering hand-crafted jewelry and Bali’s contemporary fashion designers.
Truly, the delight of Métis is the fruit of the past history of Kafe Warisan as an internationally renowned French restaurant. Taking a closer look, nevertheless, Métis is a unique venue where culinary artistry is delivered in Bali’s elegantly sophisticated setting that takes guests into the depths of the five senses.
Published in 7th Edition of PMR Magazine S’pore, April 2010.
