Room4Dessert — Restaurant in Pulau Bali

4 year anniversary dinner at Room4Dessert in Ubud Bali. This restaurant, which focuses on dessserts, is run and owned by Chef Will Goldbfarb (whom needs no introduction). Season 17 of his menu which is one week in, consisted of a remarkable array of dishes which coincidently suited our palate (see photos). Dinner consisted of 15 courses, 5 savouries, 5 premier desserts, and 5 petit fours.

The standout savouries for us were the pork ribs, and squid noodles, oh and how can we forget the dumpling, or should we say ‘not a dumpling’.

For desserts, now this is our thing, as we both have sweet tooth’s, the standout for Charlene was the Pandanbert, and for Ronny, it was all of them but the one that took the cake was the The Sugar Refinery. Nonetheless, all were aweinspiring, breathtaking and damn delicious.

The petit fours and cold brew tea were a great finishing touch, and we really enjoyed the Poky as it reminded us of our childhood downing a whole box from the local lolly shops.

Overall magnificent food, there’s too much to say to describe the flavours and the feeling our tastes buds received but if there was one word it would be ‘dayaaaaam’. Table slapping good!

And for the $$$ we believe it’s too much value for what we received. Easily the price could have been doubled, but Chef Will explains he wants many people, those local and from abroad, to experience his creations, and if it were priced higher it would marginalise many locals, and we appreciate that approach. Everyone should make room for dessert, no pun intended.

We paired our degustation with a bottle of Champagne for a remarkable evening. Every dish was superb, and we could not fault anything, from food, to service, ambiance and vibe. We really appreciated the different seating settings we experienced across the 3 chapters (savouries, desserts, petit fours) as we got to experience the restaurant from different angles.

If there was one thing we could pick on was it was too much food in terms of savouries, and that the bottle of champagne took a couple minutes too long to chill. It’s been a couple weeks since we’ve had a bottle of French and we were thirsty 😀.

Most importantly, the best part of the evening was we enjoyed it together, indulging in tremendous food and wine. We live for great food and wine, it’s brings us closer together, and tonight’s experience added to that.

We also really enjoyed the time Chef Will spent with us talking about food and wine, and the journey the restaurant has taken over the last decade. And for the restaurant recommendations back home in Australia. We have eaten at some of the best back home and abroad and it’s good to hear that some of the ones that are on the list for us to dine at were recommended by him.

Thanks for having us…. And the next time we are in Ubud we will definitely come back for...

My visit to Room 4 Dessert in Ubud, Bali, was not just disappointing; it was a descent into profound disillusionment, particularly egregious given the exorbitant price of 100 USD per person. Our group, drawn by the allure of their acclaimed menu tastings, including the so-called GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) selection, faced a series of culinary and service failures that left us bewildered and regretful.

The purported harmony of flavors was non-existent. Instead of a symphonic blend, we encountered discordant tastes that clashed, leaving our palates in a state of confusion. This lack of flavor cohesion, coupled with a surprising absence of depth, made us question the expertise behind the menu’s creation.

Service compounded our culinary disappointment. The decision to have different waiters for each dish resulted in a fragmented and impersonal dining experience. The uninspired menu descriptions did nothing to enhance our anticipation for the courses, mirroring the overall lack of passion and precision we felt was characteristic of our visit.

The desserts, which we hoped would redeem the evening, instead epitomized our discontent. The final selection, including a greasy donut with strawberry jam, dry guylian Belgian chocolate, and a gummy bear dessert, was a testament to tastelessness and culinary mismatch. This, along with an inexplicable mix-up of orders, underscored a night fraught with disappointments.

Charged at a staggering 100 USD per person, the experience was not merely underwhelming; it was a glaring indication of the restaurant’s decline from its once-celebrated status. The profound disappointment we felt is a testament to the incongruence between the restaurant’s current offerings and the lofty expectations set by its reputation and price point.

I am left utterly perplexed by the five-star reviews this establishment has received. Based on our experience, such high praise seems disconnected from the reality of the food quality and dining experience provided. It’s bewildering to reconcile our encounter with those glowing endorsements, leading me to question the basis upon which they were given. Clearly, they were not reflective of the culinary standards we encountered, which were neither palatable nor satisfying.

This venture into what promised to be a pinnacle of dessert dining turned out to be a cautionary tale of overpricing and underdelivering. The gap between the celebrated image of Room 4 Dessert and the stark reality we faced is a disheartening revelation, marking not just a personal disappointment but a stark warning to those tempted by the restaurant’s...

Highly recommended if you want to try food like you've never tasted before.

Taste was certainly unique, and nothing like Asian food I've had before. Being a purebred Asian who lived his life in Asia (specifically Singapore), I never knew that my entire life was a lie. Let me elaborate more.

The first dish was Pea Shoots, or 豆苗, and it was honestly not too bad. And this was gonna be the best savoury dish of the night. Our neighbours were claiming this dish to be amazing, but I would have happily settled for Zichar 豆苗炒蒜蓉 any day.

Next up was the Squid Noodle, where squid were shredded into long slices to form noodles. If you love the taste of sea, and the smell of fish, this will satisfy your cravings. The only question I had in my mind throughout the dish was the restaurant in Fairmont or Din Tai Fung that the dished was inspired from. Because I would stay far away from these places when I'm back in Singapore.

Chicken with Rice gets any Singaporean excited, and I'm no exception. It was only at Room4Dessert that I found out that chicken rice is not about the chicken, nor the rice. It was all about the shredded star anise, which was generously included in the one-bite dish. Biting into a piece of star anish was one of the highlights of the night, making me reconsider my love for Maxwell chicken rice.

Not Another Dumpling takes inspiration from xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung. But take this with a pinch of salt because the authentic one isn't as sour and acidic as this.

One Rib is Room4Dessert's take on bak kut teh. I have a suspicion that westerners assume that all ribs = bak kut teh. Because this is nothing like any of the styles of bkt that I've had (Klang AND Singapore), and it's not even a rib. It's pork belly. To be fair, the menu also says it's also a take of char siew. Again. This is not char siew. Char siew is caramelized. One rib is lor bak. And just your normal 菜饭 lor bak.

Other than the first dessert, Red, everything else was just... Weird? None of them were memorable except for the chestnut macarons which was sour, and the Pocky, which was even more sour. Like my face when the bill arrived after a harrowing 3.5 hour dinner experience.

Almost forgot about the cocktails. Very complex (sarcasm), with rich alcohol flavours. Just put cordial, and dump in huge quantities of alcohol (vodka, gin, or whatever), give the drinks a pretentious name, and voila! Unique cocktail.

Room4Dessert's namesake is indeed fitting. You'll leave the dinner experience with not just room for dessert, but an entire meal. Just like us where we headed next door to Nuri's for ribs...