Nusa Dua Hotel and Spa Resort [PART 2]

Here comes the second part of the review for Nusa Dua Hotel and Spa resort!

I am reviewing the two restaurants I get to enjoy at the resort; Maguro Asian Bistro and Tamarind Beachfront Kitchen and lounge.

Maguro Asian Bistro

Do not be deceived by the name, it does sound Japanese yet The Bistro serves an array of Asian food from Japanese, Korean, Chinese and many other Asian countries and it accommodates roughly up to 50 pax if it would be a full house.

The Bistro is an open aired restaurant, with red themed color as a dominant, that allows cool breeze rolled in to set the temperature down from the scorching sun outside. I ordered Japanese to test the freshness of the bistro’s ingredients and I was not disappointed.

Selection of Sashimi – IDR 240k

As its name on the menu, the dish consisted of selections of fresh sashimi; tiger prawns, octopus, yellow fin tuna, salmon and scallop. I never had scallop so fresh it melted as I bite. It might be a little bit on a pricy side, but with ingredients so fresh, I closed one eye and pay whatever amount they requested.

selection of sushi (4 types) – IDR 195k

The selections of sushi are as authentic as it could be, with fresh ingredients and perfect sushi rice makes it simply delicious.

King prawn spring roll or Soft Shell Crab Tempura– IDR 95k

Tuna Tar Tar

The spring roll was not too oily and a big chunk of fresh king prawn indulges every senses of my being. The dipping sauce that comes with it complements the roll very well. On the other hand the soft shell crab tempura comes in a unique plating that is enticing at first glance and it tasted as it looks, crunchy and delightful.

At the end of the meal and after a glass of chilled beer, I felt full but not quite there yet (it felt like light bites to me) so I decided to move on to the next best thing, Tamarind Beachfront Kitchen and Lounge.

It was quite crowded when I walked in into the two-storey iconic bamboo-made restaurant and lucky enough a space opened up right under a lush tree by the beach overlooking the jeweled sea, quite a perfect setting I found myself there.

Tamarind Beachfront Kitchen and lounge serves more to western food and these are what I had:

 
Roasted Tuna Linguini – IDR 130k

The restaurant is definitely not stingy on portion; the linguini comes in massive portion. The tuna was fresh and generously given and cooked in perfection. The dish is quite similar to Aglio Olio with spices such as chilly, rockets, capers, lime and citronette dressing. As appetizing as it looked, it was an ok dish for me, it need a little bit more kick of the spice and salt though the tuna tried to make up for what it was lacking.

Lamb Souvlaky Brochette – IDR 140k

The star dish of the day! The meat and the dipping sauce is to perfection; it has the best cold Tzatziki dipping ever! For those who are not familiar to Tzatziki dip it is usually made of salted strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice and some herbs like dill, mint, parsley and thyme.

The lamb was amply cut yet tender and has no smell you would typically found in lamb. The meal comes with two side dishes of fries and mixed salad with light dressing. Definitely would be a perfect meal during a breezy yet humid weather by the beach.

Chefs Burger Celebration

I think it is a custom for any western restaurant that they have a signature burger menu that you simply must try. Tamarind has the Chef’s Burger Celebration, a medium well-cooked thick beef patty that comes with crispy bacon, sunny side up egg, cheddar cheese and union rings (my mouth waters are I reminiscence back to the burger). The Potato wedges for the side dish were slightly fried and it was delicious. I would recommend sticking with the medium-well patty to get the juicy and tender texture that would be perfect in a burger!

Seafood salad 

The salad was almost too pretty to eat, it has the nice colors from the fresh seafood and the additional Sate Lilit makes the salad ‘prettier’ (I don’t know why I would describe it pretty, but it is). It has the combinations of fresh salmon, tuna, prawn, octopus with bean sprouts and traditional Balinese satay. Additional uniqueness to the dish is instead of using salad leaves in typical salad dish, Tamarind uses couscous and it certainly caught my attention.

the view from the tamarind

My short two-day stay at the resort was definitely not enough to enjoy all facilities and I almost felt a wee bit sad about it. Which makes it an easy decision to come back and stay longer days at the resort.

I would like to personally thank all the friendly staffs that have been warm and welcoming. I had the best of time spending time at the resort and could not wait for my next visit.

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa

Kawasan BTDC Pariwisata Nusa Dua Lot. North 4

Nusa Dua, Kuta Selatan Bali

Ph : + 62 361 771 210

IG  : @nusaduabeachhotelandspa

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa [ PART 1]

the view that you have been dying for

Nusa dua area in Bali has been well known for many years to be the home of the 5 star resorts, in better terms for me personally, the place to stay and never to go anywhere else but the resort itself until you check yourself out. The best area to stay and wind down away from the hustle and bustle.

private beach

nice and large swimming pool

It has been years since I stayed at the Nusa Dua area, I had been more adventurous the past years looking for hole in the wall boutique hotels, villas, bed and breakfast and thought my latest visit would be going back to old school luxury that established resorts know best.

I checked myself in at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and spa; gorgeous private sandy beach miles long, nine hectare big with three swimming pools, outdoor cultural theatre that held traditional dances and plays and five themed restaurants that will satisfy any cravings. All that perks with infinite blue sky above, promising sunshine and gentle breeze to soothe any busy minds.

The resort is architecturally designed based on a traditional Balinese Palace that has Hindu influences throughout the design. I am quite sure it has many philosophies in designing the resort which I will not dwell into it much further, but what I had experienced staying at this resort is that it resonates serenity, calmness and invitation to step back and enjoy the moment.  

If you find yourself wandering the resort itching for some activities, fret not, the resort provides top notch fun activities; beauty class, fruit carving class, coconut leaf weaving class, Balinese dance class, Scuba diving, culinary classes and there are even tours that explore the vast garden.

I came at the right time staying at the resort as they had recently undergone major renovations especially the rooms which becomes several types of room to book:

Deluxe Guest Room – 34sqm room of wooden floor with sliding doors to the balcony that overlooks the pool or garden. It also comes with rain forest shower, which always makes me feel like having a shower, in the forest (if I ever do so).

Premium Room – Similar room to the Deluxe guest room with its interior but it comes in a bigger space of 40sqm and additional bathtub and extra sitting area at the balcony.

Family Room – A premium space with luxurious features such as fancy dining table, adjoining room that allows connecting room for big families. It is about 48sqm that has a king size bed for two adults and two-storey bunk bed for two children. Lastly, the room comes in a complimentary use of the Gecko’s kids club (allows down time for the parents!)

Palace Club Room – a 46sqm room with wooden slide door and flooring with the view of a manicured garden that enables you to see the ducks in the evening, marble en-suite bathroom and private privileges that comes with it (which I will elaborate further down the paragraph)

Suites Room – A 139sqm total of two-level floor of two bedrooms that overlooks the garden, the room is elegantly designed with a spiral staircase, spacious living area and pantry.

I booked the Palace Club Room (yes, I am indulging myself) and checked in separately from the ‘typical-room’ guests. I was escorted to a private lobby within the main lobby and greeted warmly.

They briefed me of the facilities the resort provides that comes in staying at the Palace Club room as follow; breakfast that are separate from the general guests, private check in and out, late check out which is until 3pm, welcome fruits and flowers presented at the room upon arrival, complimentary pressing service of four garments on day arrival, evening cocktails with assorted cheese and canopies at designated venue (from 5.30pm – 7pm) and a butler catering your every need (from 6.30am to 11am) and then I was escorted to my room feeling spectacularly pampered already.

The Palace Club Room itself has three more categories; Palace Club Room, Palace Club Suites and Palace Club Lagoon access where you have private access straight into the swimming pool. Due to the high demand of the Palace Club Lagoon access I was unable to book it, so do keep in mind to book in advance (way in advance).

my cozy palace club bed

Not feeling too bummed of not getting the Palace Club Lagoon access, I had no complain with the room I was given. The king size bed with huge sliding doors that overlooks the pretty garden and ample size room with nice bathroom and bath tub.

For breakfast, I was invited to a private breakfast area that serves in the same building as the private lobby where I checked in. The difference was minor with the general breakfast but it sure does pack a lot of pampering. There is a list of menu that allows you to order your heart contents and it will be cooked and serves catering only to you. The view is quite spectacular while I waited for the food and ducks started to show up and looking for food from guests (you can feed the ducks during lunch)

I ordered the grilled salmon with delicious hollandaise sauce and fillet mignon which I found fancy and exclusive being part of the Palace Club breakfast. And with the menu list so inviting I ordered more!

There are other five themed restaurants consists of: Raja’s Balinese Restaurant, The Beachfront Tamarind Kitchen and Lounge (the restaurant made entirely of bamboo), Maguro Asian Bistro, Sandro’s Pizzeria and Wedang Jahe Restaurant where the general breakfast usually served. I managed to try two of the five restaurants and it was amazing (second part of the review is coming up so stay tune!)

NUSA DUA BEACH HOTEL AND SPA

Kawasan BTDC Pariwisata Nusa Dua Lot North 4
Nusa Dua, Kuta Selatan, Benoa, Kuta SEL
Kabupaten Badung
Bali, 80363

Ph :+0361 771210

IG  : @nusaduabeachhotelandspa