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orwegians holidaying in Bali no longer have to worry about missing their favorite food, as the first Norwegian restaurant in Indonesia - and possibly in Southeast Asia - recently opened on the Island of the Gods.

Behind the project is Mari Anne Feet, who settled down in Bali after living and traveling throughout the world for two decades.

For Mari Anne, Mormors Hus - or "Grandmother's House" - as the restaurant is called, is more than a business idea. "This has always been my dream," she said. "I love cooking!"

She chose the name, Mormors Hus, in recognition of the happy days of her childhood, spent at her grandmother's house, savoring salmon, meatballs and waffles.

"No one cooked like granny! However, it wasn't just about the food - it was so pleasant to spend time there too. I hope to recreate a similar oasis here, a sweet escape, somewhere people feel at home and want to stay a while, relax and share experiences."

Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Eivind S. Homme, who flew in with several other diplomats from Jakarta to attend the opening, said he hoped Mormors Hus would be more than a restaurant.

"I hope this can become a gathering place for all Scandinavians in Bali, as well as a sort of *Norway House', where people from Indonesia and other countries can experience Norwegian food and culture," he said.

"Because, this is after all what life is really about - such moments of togetherness over eating and drinking."

Previously posted in the Philippines, Italy, the US and China, the ambassador said he had once come across a Norwegian bar in Beijing but had never before had the pleasure of dining in a proper Norwegian restaurant abroad. As he does not want to miss this opportunity, he has already reserved a table for the next time he visits the island, he said.

The dishes will be simple, based on quality ingredients and natural flavors.

"I grew up in the countryside and have always felt that food and nature go together," Mari Anne explained.

On the menu is typical Norwegian food such as poached salmon, smoked salmon and meatballs - the way her grandmother made them, with just the right mix of pork and beef - as well as waffles, potato cakes, cinnamon rolls and pancakes with blueberry jam, plus some Italian and Indian dishes.

"Since Norwegian food is not as spicy as Indonesian food, you can taste the ingredients better - the naturalness of the food," Mari Anne said, promising to invite everyone who wants for a traditional Christmas dinner.

Mormors Hus is located on the outskirts of Legian, south Bali, in a traditional, Javanese building. The brown wooden house is tall and long with a pointy roof.

"It actually looks very similar to a traditional Norwegian Stave Church," Marie Anne said. "I fell madly in love with this place the first time I saw it, and I managed to convince the owner to rent it to me, even though other people were offering him more money."

The roughly 70 people present at the opening - including Italians, Germans, Indonesians, Danish and English, as well as Norwegians - were impressed by the ambience Mari Anne managed to create.

The restaurant's main feature is the open-air, inner courtyard consisting of a small area of rice terraces, lit up by a sea of candles flickering inside rolled up banana leaves. The terraces are surrounded by a ring of Balinese bale, with tables and chairs in light, pine-looking wood.

"The furniture is from a Scandinavian furniture producer based in Bali," said Mari Anne proudly. In this peaceful sanctuary, far from the tourist resort's busy streets, guests are invited to take refuge, mingle and relax over Norwegian home cooking, along with newspapers, WiFi Internet and of course, lots of coffee.

Bali does not have a large Norwegian expat community, but those that reside here are joined by the thousands more who every year make the trip to Southeast Asia on holiday, as well as the hundreds of students who choose one of the four Norwegian schools in Bali for their compulsory pre-university course.

Agnes Christiansen, head of GOstudy, one such school, said she thinks Mormors Hus will become a popular gathering spot for the students.

"This is a place they can come when they miss the familiar," she said, adding that she is likely to become a frequent customer herself. "I will definitely bring my five year old daughter, Tess, here to enjoy proper Norwegian food."

Other Norwegian expats, including Hanne Refsnes, Espen Lode Tonnesen and Daniel Pladsg*rd Warren, were also keen, while several non-Norwegians said they were curious to get to know the Norwegian culinary tradition.

In addition to running Mormors Hus, Mari Anne also works as a hotel director.

"I don't really have time to start a restaurant but I just had to do it anyway," she laughed. "It's my dream!"

Mormors Hus