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Review: Mamasan gives Asian street food a fine-dining twist
Of all the high-end restaurants in Bali, Chef Will Meyrick’s Mamasan stands out with its Southeast Asian street-food-inspired dishes and signature cocktails.
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Taming the spice: Mamasan's take on the traditionally hot and spicy dendeng balado might be too sweet and juicy for traditionalists. It tastes great nonetheless. (Mamasan/Courtesy of Mamasan) (Mamasan/Courtesy of Mamasan)
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fixture of Bali’s fine-dining scene, Mamasan serves Southeast Asian and Chinese-inspired dishes with its own, signature twist.
Take the dendeng balado (spiced beef jerky), for example. Hailing from Padang, West Sumatra, the dish is typically made from thinly sliced beef that is dried and fried before being stir-fried with balado (Padang’s signature spice mixture) and is a staple of the nation’s Padang restaurants.
The Mamasan take includes caramelized Wagyu beef cheek with green mango salad, lemongrass, kaffir lime, chili and lemon basil.
People who are familiar with the traditional version of the dish might find Mamasan’s take a bit too sweet and juicy for their taste. The changes were – perhaps – deliberate in order to accommodate the tastes of those who cannot handle the heat and spice of the original recipe. Despite the modifications, Mamasan’s dendeng balado is still one of the highlights of the menu.
The two-story restaurant, nestled in the heart of Bali’s Seminyak area, was founded by noted Scottish chef Will Meyrick in 2011. The word “mama-san” refers to a woman in charge of a bar or nightclub, mainly in Japan and other parts of East Asia.
Upon entering the retro-inspired establishment, guests are greeted by a mural by Justine Missen featuring a beautiful, East Asian-looking woman wearing a traditional dress. The painting is well-known among regulars and people who are familiar with the establishment.
