I’m starting a series on luxury wellness in Asia. Being from Asia, I would like to spread the word on Asian healing practices, beauty rituals, and plant-based dishes with exotic flavours.
I had the pleasure of sampling Fivelement’s scrumptious 3-course Chef Tasting Menu and Sakti Healing Ritual, and would like to share my experience below.
Nestled in the luscious jungle next to Ayung river, the longest river on the Indonesian Island of the Gods, Bali, Fivelements is truly a gem exemplifying serenity, luxury, simplicity and eco-consciousness.
This place is truly enchanting and serene. It is very quiet and surreal. Every morning, you wake up to birds and cicadas chirping, and the river flowing; spending time at this magical gem rejuvenates your soul and mind.
The plant-based food at Sakti Dining Room is a delight. I never thought I would be in raptures about the joyfulness of – yes – their gourmet mostly raw, vegan food. Their organic herbs and vegetables are freshly picked from their garden, and paired deliciously by the hands of their skilled raw vegan chef Tantra Made and his team.
I don’t even need to explain that their menu is vegan – you just need to savour the food. On top of everything else, their food is extremely healthy. I personally prefer their Indonesian style dishes such as their raw Urab-Urab served with crispy and spicy coconut bacon and exotic spices to their Western style dishes. With the above being said, their menu is a delight – I can’t complain.
First, they started me off with a light and bubbly Passion Fruit Kombucha. Here the acerbic fragrance of the passionfruit is subtle, and masked by the intense kombucha , the health elixir: this gives you flavour, sweetness and light.
They then served the Mediterranean “Caprese”, which is made of organic freshly picked tomato, cashew “mozzarela” cheese, mustard dijon dressing and asparagus. The cashew “mozzarela” is milky and smooth, slightly tangy with a clean taste of garlic . Coupled with the tender and sweet tomato, slightly crunchy and refreshing asparagus, and tangy dijon dressing, the dish is gratifying. Health-wise, cashew cheese, devoid of dairy, can alleviate your guilt of indulging.
The Fermented Cassava Bliss, made of mushrooms, carrot sauce, ginger torchbal, pickled carrots and daikon, offers unique and exotic flavor. Full of fire, the creaminess of the carrot sauce meshes very nicely with the cassava pancake, which is heated in succulent coconut oil. Topped with organic bak choy, tangy daikon, and picked carrots, this is truly a satiating and unique dish.
The meal ended with Chocolate “Semifreddo” as the gorgeous, sumptuous, decadent dessert. The smooth, soft block of chilled, almost frozen chocolate cashew icecream is accompanied with by their sultry cacao rings, offering a texture of deep, deep velvetiness. To contrast this sultry flavour, take a bite of the light and luscious vanilla icecream, right beside the semifreddo. Scattered with edible flower, this is possibly quite the dreamiest gourmet vegan pudding you could imagine. 🙂
The Ritual started with a sensual foot bath in salt water, lime, rose petals.
Then I was given a deep muscle relaxation body massage, followed by a body scrub – sea salt exfoliation infused with holy basil and lemongrass.
To top off this treatment was a revitalizing bath ritual composed of five powerful healing ingredients: lemongrass to activate blood circulation, Balinese orange and lime for essential vitamins, and pandan leaves and ginger to awaken my senses.
During and after the treatment, I felt like I was in bliss. Rarely do I feel that relaxed during and after the massage – I’d have to say Fivelements does have a special healing energy to it.