Herbivore by Locavore Group — Restaurant in Pulau Bali

edit: note restaurant unhelpful response, not worth any more words.

firstly, SO MANY FAKE REVIEWS FOR THIS PLACE!!

it could've been a sign of things to come. i'll try to maintain brevity with specific points.

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE: (highly paraphrased) (1st course, shared) "we are blessing you to our restaurant with this canang, don't touch it" ... moments later "PSYYYYYYYYYYCH, it's your first course! eat the leaves." we asked her about the tiny portion size... she clarified that each person is supposed to take 1 flower, 1 leaf, etc. from this salad ("what is this? a school for ants??!") oh, cool, thanks, so we pick out our own portions from this mixed salad. THE DOWNHILL SLOPE BEGINS.

UNTHOUGHTFUL EATING EXPERIENCE: (2nd course, also shared) we're supposed to dip lemongrass into honey, then dip that into bamboo tube with a sort of crumble, "mimicking monkeys". we are getting absolutely TROLLED here. this is when i really galvanise myself for this ENDURANCE TEST. our 2nd course (out of 18) is a sprinkling of literal crumbs; and let me remind you, i am supposed to SHARE this unhygenic and strangely organised nibble with someone across the table from me.

LAZY: (6th course, Betel Leaf Wrap; 16th course, Selat Solo) we also season/dress our own food? just give it to me the way it's supposed to be eaten! 🫣🫣🫣

PORTION SIZE: (4th course, Black Rice Blini) the thing is small. "make sure you eat it in 1 bite". thank you dear, but i don't have many other options here, a strawberry is bigger than this. actually, most of the courses are small. this is also what i mean by ENDURANCE TEST. it takes +3 hrs for this meal to happen, and it's drip-fed. perhaps they subscribe to the notion that anything tastes good when you're famished.

TASTE: (07, Charred Mango; 13 Sukun 17) The mango sliver is the portion size of my 2 fingers. We are paying ~100USD for a "dish" that is a mango sliver. There is also no discernable flavour of "char", "passion fruit", or even "grated long pepper".

Sukun 17 is apparently 17 condiments on a thin paste. I count 8-9, at most. If they consider the powder SURROUNDING the thing to be a condiment, well, that just doesn't make any sense as I was instructed to eat the different condiments separately. If I'm generous, counting the powders would be another 3? Anyhow, I came for food, not for math. Also, not tasty. I couldn't finish it.

Whatever effort or ingredients that they may justify towards the costs, it doesn't make any sense here. Because it's either not discernable, not present, or simply not good.

QUALITY: (03, Frangipani Fritter) The batter came off, leaving the the petal intact. 1 example of poor execution. Also the A/C unit was dripping water on me and my cutlery. They should've shifted the entire table, but I suppose in addition to seasoning my own dishes, I should problem-solve the interior layout as well.

BALANCE: (01, Canang Sari; 18, Kluwak & Chocolate) "things that overpower other things". The Hibiscus vinegar sprayed all over... everything, has same note, with no other flavour coming through. there surely wasn't any torch ginger.

the banana ice cream, is nice. the chocolate, is also nice. thick, very strong, like it should be. but it means there should be an appropriate amount of banana (or whatever) to balance it out, and not the loneliest quenelle, small and pushed aside like a rejected playmate.

CONSIDERATION: (16, Sehat solo; vs 16, Flap Steak) is this supposed be equivalent? =(

WASTE OF TIME: (10, Roasted Watermelon) it's all a bit of a waste; but i suppose this moment was exemplary. the chef (?) brings a platter with a bunch of bits, to explain how this watermelon (points) was slow-roasted for many hours (this meal x 5) to be a sort of "meat". then we awkwardly sit in silence as we watch him plate the dish........ scoop... plop... squirt... sprinkle...

well, the watermelon we're eating has nothing to do with the watermelons it's presented with; but i suppose maybe i could've forgotten what a watermelon would look like, given my memory loss due to apparent low...

A 2-3 hour tasting experience of local Bali ingredients in a creative presentation, unique textures and tailored pairings.

Above is my one liner to try and sum everything up if you’re just scrolling for a quick idea. The following is a longer review.

So you understand my perspective, I am born and raised in California, currently residing in Orange County. Came on this Bali trip with a moderate budget, where Lacavore was the most expensive meal of the trip. About $250 total for two people, one order of the Locavore menu 9 course with drink pairings and the Herbivore menu 6 course no pairing.

You will have to make reservations beforehand. Limited seating.

Please keep in mind this is more about a flavor/eating adventure, this isn’t just another sit down restaurant. Our meal was about 2.5-3 hours, but a little rushed since our ride home was booked and we were not aware of the length beforehand.

The flavors are unique, I believe to the locality of ingredients. The inspiration is global, while it is clear there is strong influence to Balinese cuisine and culture.

One dish that stood out to me on the Lacavore menu was called Into the Sawah. It’s inspiration was everything from the rice field. Clever. And the texture was “eggcellent” with a porridge that almost felt like a risotto, topped with a creamy duck egg. The flavors came together very rich, but still light. And again the texture played very nicely, smooth creamy, with the rice porridge providing some soft but semi firmness and sprinkles of some crispy from other ingredients.

Another experience that I appreciated was a dish that had a sorbet ice cream mixed with a warm savory tomato soup broth. The sensation was unique, but enjoyable.

The drink pairings were nice, some better than others. Just note, they are fairly small drinks. I’m generally buzzed off two beers, and I would say throughout the entirety of the meal, it was more of a tasting than getting the buzz.

My critique for the food was that it felt like some of the components seemed to get repetitive. For example there was a mousse that went along with many of the dishes.. I’m not entirely sure if they were different, though I think they were supposed to be. I felt the Herbivore menu did not have as much strong flavors as the Locavore menu did. But I did like that each menu was able to maintain their own linear pace.

Lastly, if you’ve read this far, thanks! And you are either really considering going (or you are a part of the business)! Just know what you are going in for. My wife and I did not know it was going to be this kind of adventure, so our mindset wasn’t synchronized. We weren’t expecting the length, so it took us some time to be ready for the adventure. Also, this place isn’t super kid friendly in regards to menu selection, but I think that’s pretty self explanatory if you’ve read so far, just based on the experience. But I did see a table that had an infant and it looked like they had some food separate from these menus! Major props for the kid sitting patiently as their parents enjoyed!

All in all, it’s an experience. I think for the price, it meets expectations. I believe Locavore does meet the expectations of the reviews and acknowledgements as well. I am not giving Locavore a 5 because I do think the flavors could have had more range, especially the Herbivore menu. It would have been nice to have some option to explore the spicy Sambal flavors that Bali/Indonesia inspire. But other than critiquing the food, the rest of the experience...

Where should we begin? The restaurant is minimalistic but comfortable. Easy to find and staff are very friendly.

We decided on the 7 courses (of coz!) Which was RP. 875k per person +10%Tax +11% Service Charge. (RP.875k = $484 HKD - $62 USD - €53)

We started with Amuse Bouche as usual but this was not the usual. There were 8 courses of Amuse Bouche! I can't remember all the description but I definitely remember my favs. 2nd A.B. was a mushroom fritter. Crispy tho lightly fried. Earthy taste and seasoned well. 7th A.B. was a Hot & Cold Tomato. Tomato Sorbet drizzled with hot Tomato Consume. So so so delicious. Full flavors with a tinge of spiciness. Amazing.

Hamachi - great flavors. So fresh and so bright. Beef Heart - such an interesting dish. Complex flavors, lots going on but a little too salty. Not sure if it's from the shaved cured Duck heart or the beef heart. Bone Marrow - Holy cow this was amazing. I was a bit worried it would feel fatty without bread but it Didn't feel greasy at all. The pandan bone broth was delicious and complimented the dish superbly! Warm Crab Salad - Wow. This dish felt more Thai inspired because we recognized all the flavors we normally eat in Thai food. It was delicious! It was a little too salty but we almost licked the bowl. So so good. Galuh Rice - The Duck Egg yolk was definitely the star. The rice, snail and frog were all mixed like risotto. Very tasty, a little salty but the yolk helped tone it down. Great dish! Pork - It was so tender and juicy. Perfectly cooked. The Bacon relish tho, that was da bomb. Palate Cleanser - water chestnut ice cream. OMG, this was so unexpectedly good!! Dessert - Was a lot more complex than I thought in flavors. Very yummy. Petit Fours - An amazing array of traditional sweets. Delicious bite size goodies!!

With 2 virgin of their speciality cocktails at RP. 42k each. Our bill came to almost RP. 2,300,000. ($1271 HKD - $162 USD - €139) If you come to Ubud. Definitely come here for dinner. It is a good experience. Only thing that disappointed me was that I told them way in advanced thru booking that we had a special celebration of our Anniversary (exact date). Would have been nice if they acknowledged that. I do not mean looking for a freebie kinda thing. I meant like writing on a plate kinda acknowledgement. It would have made the night a little more...