Mori — Restaurant in Bali

Visited in May 2025. Bali. Ubud.

This restaurant, belonging to the Bisma Eight hotel where we were staying, immediately piqued our interest when we saw their Japanese teppanyaki concept and the inclusion of Miyazaki A5 Wagyu from Japan on the menu – a cherished delicacy of ours. Without hesitation, we made a reservation. The interior is attractive, featuring a bar area and several teppanyaki grills where the chef will prepare your meal right in front of you.

FOOD:

The restaurant operates on a set menu concept, with all courses being identical across the board, except for the main dish, which is grilled for you on the teppan. The main course options include steaks from various breeds: Angus, Australian Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyu with an A5 marbling score, as well as seafood and chicken. As avid enthusiasts of Japanese A5 Wagyu, we naturally selected that option.

The set menu began with an amuse-bouche, a chef's selection of three bite-sized treats – a crispy asparagus roll, a cucumber appetizer, and grilled tofu – a promising start to awaken the palate. Next, we had a choice of appetizers; we selected a tuna, avocado, and caviar roll – a fresh roll with abundant filling and perfectly cooked rice. This was followed by a salad with crispy vegetables and crab, miso soup, and grilled vegetables, before finally moving on to the main attraction.

The chef presented us with the raw A5 Wagyu steak – and, frankly, it looked rather peculiar. It exhibited very little marbling and the meat appeared dull (Keep in mind, Wagyu graded A5 should possess the highest degree of marbling – it is unmistakable compared to Angus), but this cut resembled ordinary Angus. I regret not taking a picture. We queried the chef, and he assured us that it was genuine Wagyu from Japan. Okay – we'd see how the cooked steak tasted.

Sadly, it was a complete disappointment. The flavor was bland, lacking the characteristic sweet fat taste of Japanese Wagyu. The steak wasn't juicy and didn't melt in the mouth. Moreover, Wagyu steaks typically develop a crispy crust as the fat renders and "caramelizes" the meat; instead, we achieved only a barely discernible crust.

In essence, we came for the Wagyu steak, but we received a profoundly disappointing experience. Perhaps it was due to improper thawing, or a questionable meat supplier, but it was certainly not what we had anticipated.

SERVICE:

The service was excellent. The waitress was very attentive and helpful, truly top-notch. The chef was also pleasant, skillfully preparing our meal and engaging in lighthearted conversation. Furthermore, after we expressed our dissatisfaction with the steak, they attempted to rectify the situation by offering us another cut of meat to choose from.

VERDICT:

Overall, given the price we paid for the set menu, we left feeling disappointed, having hoped to indulge in our favorite meat, only to receive something entirely different. The price did not match the quality. The other courses on the menu were palatable, but nothing particularly special; simply average food. The entire set menu concept revolves around the main course – and for us, that experience was unpleasant. I would not recommend ordering the Japanese Wagyu, especially if you are familiar with it. If you're not, then you'll simply be left with an inaccurate impression of this type of meat. For the price we paid for the set menu, there are many more high-quality and intriguing...

For the first time in my life I wanted my money back.

(If you want to impress your partner and book a high end costly experience - this choice is NOT for you)

There are meals that linger in memory for their brilliance, and then there are those that haunt you for their squandered promise. This falls decidedly into the latter category.

At $310 in Indonesia – a sum that commands respect and raises expectations – one anticipates culinary sophistication. Instead, we encountered a frustrating exercise in simplicity masquerading as refinement.

The evening opened with tofu wrapped in cucumber alongside a cherry tomato slice. Wrapped asparagus didn’t do any better. Minimalism can be profound when executed with purpose; this felt merely sparse. The salad that followed. Mixed greens with sweet potato chips, lotus crisps, and an uncertain sauce – suggested confusion rather than creativity.

The wagyu, purportedly the highest grade, arrived drowning in garlic butter. Such treatment of premium beef is simply cruel. Worse still, the meat itself proved disappointingly fatty, with tough sinews that betrayed either poor selection or mishandling. The accompanying vegetables shared an identical sauce, creating a monotonous flavor profile that spoke of kitchen shortcuts rather than thoughtful composition.

I am a beginner pastry chef. Let’s talk desserts. High end restaurant. And flambéed banana pancake. Pancake with matcha ice cream of an unfortunate swamp-like colour that never heard a word ceremonial or even premium grade. Yes. That matcha. The Japanese gem. One of the staples of Japanese tea industry. The theatricality of flames couldn't distract from the fundamental mediocrity beneath. I won’t even mention the so called pumpkin cake as the second dessert as it is not worth a word.

At this price point, diners rightfully expect at least one element of genuine excellence. Instead, every course felt like a rough draft, each dish crying out for development and refinement that never came. The only thing that was decent was tuna and caviar roll. With the right consistency rice and some quality in preparation.

For the first time in my life full of memories and good restaurants, the urge to request a refund was overwhelming. When the bill exceeds what one might pay at celebrated establishments WORLDWIDE, such thoughts should never cross one's mind.

Believe me. I am a very understanding and thoughtful person. I don’t write bad reviews often and certainly don’t underestimate other’s work and passion. But this was as ridiculous and frustrating as I wrote.

This experience is a costly reminder that price alone cannot purchase quality, nor location guarantee excellence.

Total bill of 5.000.000+ RP and numbing feeling or dissatisfaction and...

My husband & I had the pleasure of eating at Mori last night to celebrate our Honeymoon! Our experience from the moment we walked in was impeccable! We came late to our reservation (we had the 8:30 dinner slot), but it turned out to be a private dinner with just me and my husband! It was so great because we were able to get to know our chef and it was a much more intimate experience!

Mori is located inside a hotel and only offers 6 seats during their 6:00pm and 8:30pm dinner slots - so reservations are definitely required. I got the premium all seafood (came with prawns, Hokkaido scallops, half lobster, salmon AND calamari!! With seasonal vegetables as well) set meal (pictured) and my husband got the wagyu A5 all beef meal. We came hungry and left very full and satisfied! The portions don’t look very large, but with the set course meal, it all is enough to make you full and enjoy every dish of the meal. The welcome drink and options of tea were also included with our meal. The desserts were also sooo great! Our favorite was the banana crepe!

We recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious Japanese food with a curated intimate experience! 10/10!! Our chef, his sous chef and our server were very attentive and kind to us. This has been our most favorite meal so far in Ubud! Thank you again Mori for a great...