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| During the daytime we stopped to see the two cabanas where the “romantic dinners” would occur. Many other decorations were still forthcoming as shown in today’s pictures below. |
During our first meal of the four night stay in Puri Bagus Lovina in Lovina, Bali, we felt confident the chef had easily determined how my meals should be prepared to maintain the integrity of my restrictive way of eating.
The elimination of all sugars, starches, grains, potatoes, rice and starchy vegetables from my menu choices is not an easy feat when many Balinese dishes include some, if not all, of these items.
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| Even though the sun had vanished behind the clouds, we revelled in the beauty of the evening scene. |
When I was introduced to my first dinner, I felt confident that we were in luck. The effort that the chef has made in recent days has been emphasized in the diligent and thoughtful preparation of each meal.
I never had to remove delicious food from my dishes. Although Balinese meals may include rutabagas, 33 grams carbs per cup; turnips, 8 grams carbs per cup; and/or parsnips at 24 grams carbs per cup, none of these were in my meals. These types of vegetables have insulin spiking carbs comparable to a potato at 37 grams carb per one cup serving.
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| Before dark, the cabanas were adorned with flowers and candles for the after dark event. |
Generally small amounts of starch and sugar don’t have an immediate negative effect as would gluten touching other foods, unless a person has an allergy to specific items in these categories. But, the chef at Puri Bagus Lovina was extra careful.
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| Sitting on the cabana mat while dining may not have been ideal for some. But, it certainly looked appealing. |
The previous night I was concerned about some delicious chunks of what appeared to be butternut squash, which contains 16 grams carbs per cup. I took a bite, realizing it was carrot, which I can eat, and immediately felt as if I’d taken a bite of a delicious dessert with the exquisite seasonings and preparation.
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| Traditional Hindu decoration was used in creating the ambiance. |
In most cases in fine dining, once a chef is aware of my restrictions they make every effort to accommodate. But, that rarely is the case in a casual restaurant/bar by the beach. As a result, we’ve never tried any other restaurants while in Lovina. In Sumbersari, there are only a few tiny on-the-beach type dining establishments at which we’d never considered partaking.
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| The flowers are easily picked from trees on the property. |
In any case, we’ve had some of the best food we’ve had in our travels here in Bali both by the fabulous meals made by the two Ketuts at our villa, two hours down the road and then…here at Puri Bagus Resort & Spa in Lovina.
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| Carefully crafted fringe adds a final touch. |
Not only has the food been delicious, but the presentation has been comparable to that which one would find in the most upscale dining establishments throughout the world.
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| The first course, a soup. |
Last night was special when we had the opportunity to take photos of the meals served for the special menu option of a “Romantic Dinner” served under one of the oceanfront cabanas, exquisitely decorated with flowers and candles, presented course after course, while the romantic couple dines in luxury.
Surely, we’d have opted for such a special evening for ourselves but many of the food items didn’t fit into my diet and there was no way we’d expect the chef to modify each plate, bowl and platter of food to be befitting for my diet.
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| Second course, crab and vegetable bruschetta. |
Instead, Gede, the kindly resort general manager, arranged with the kitchen staff to ensure we’d be able to take photos of the extraordinary plates as they passed by us at our dining table on their way to the two sets of guests dining under two separate cabanas.
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| A starter, scallops with rice and (under the leafy cone). |
Aptly named a “food voyeur,” a title Tom bestowed upon me long ago, I was totally enthralled with the smells and visuals as I took photos in the dark dining area as the foods were carried out by the enthusiastic servers, smiling all the while over the excitement of the photo taking and their part in the beautiful service.
Soon, our own platters of carefully crafted and displayed foods arrived while we found ourselves once again, pleased with our choices and the abilities of the chefs in this establishment of making each meal special in both design and taste.
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| The main entrée, one of these giant platters per person, included fresh seafood, a variety of meats and various vegetable and fruit dishes. |
Earlier in the day and then again in the evening, we took photos of the decorations used to create the ambiance of the “Romantic Dinner” under each of the cabanas as shown in our photos.
The cost for the meal for two is a surprisingly reasonable IDR 1,350,000, US $104.33 (plus a 21% service fee for tax and gratuity) which includes a bottle of wine.
The average cost of our meals and drinks combined, including the 21%service fee hasn’t exceeded IDR 776,400, US $60, each evening. Breakfasts have been included in the room rate.
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| The servers were obviously proud of their unique presentation. |
Tomorrow, we’ll return to our final food and scenery photos of the lovely Puri Bagus Lovina and the total expenses for our four-night, five-day stay at this special property.
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| These servers squealed with delight when we shot this photo. |
As for the immigration office visits so far, we’ve completed Monday’s and Wednesday’s requirements and tomorrow, Friday at 2:00 pm (the resort is providing us with a late checkout), we’ll return for the third and final visit to collect our passports and visa extensions and then to begin the harrowing two hour drive back to our villa.
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| The dessert plate served to each party in the Romantic Dinner setting. |
We’re both thrilled to have chosen this means of conducting this otherwise cumbersome process over the required five day period. We’ve had a fabulous experience, but we’re hardly disappointed to return to our breathtaking villa and attentive staff.
In no time at all, we’ll be back outdoors situated on the chaise lounges overlooking the infinity pool and the sea under the shade of an umbrella and enjoying our last full day in this paradise at Puri Bagus Lovina.
Have a beautiful day filled with wonders!
Photos from one year ago today, September 29, 2015:
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| In Fiji one year ago, Badal, our neighbor Sewak’s dog, visited us almost every evening at dinner time. We always made him a plate of food, whatever we happen to be having. Badal especially enjoyed chicken night. For more details, please click here. |