Chef Dallas Cuddy

THE W WOWS AGAIN WITH WORLD-CLASS GUEST CHEF

The W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak are forever living up to their W standards, wowing their guests at every turn with extraordinary luxuries and surprise events. This time, the five-star resort introduced a very special kitchen prodigy to their February calendar, hosting world-class chef Dallas Cuddy for five days of culinary brilliance at W’s beachfront restaurant, Starfish Bloo. From February 5 – 9, the Melbourne-born chef took a break from his Head Chef role at Singapore’s happening steakhouse, The Prime Society, to treat Bali’s eager gourmands to a range of lunches, brunches and five-course Champagne dinners. And to mark the beginning of the five day foodie marathon, the chef and The W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak’s Food & Beverage Manager, Yudi Hendarsyah joined forces to serve up a unique four-course cocktail paired lunch.

The chef kicked off the meal with what he calls his “Salmon Custard.”  The dish saw house-smoked salmon whipped into a mousse-like texture until impossibly light and fluffy, served atop a thick strip of black bread that packed a hearty crunch. The salmon was sprinkled with lemon zest and delicate orange pellets of salmon roe, encouraging guests to ditch their knives and forks to enjoy the delicious treat as if it were gourmet finger food. To accompany the dish, Yudi served up a citrusy Sherbet Mojito that elevated the dish’s delicate tang, perfect beside the tropical vibes of the seaside.

Next up was a delicious mishmash of ocean delicacies, with butter-like scallops cooked sous vide then lightly marinated in olive oil, salt and lemon juice. The dish looked like a tropical aquatic garden with scatterings of soft sea urchin, a watercress and spinach dressing and chunks of grilled cucumber with just the right amount of charring on the outside. A CO2 Bubble Margarita not only paired well on the palate thanks to its delicate bubbles, but visually, the cocktail and dish were simply made for each other.

Onto the main course and Chef Cuddy dished up a succulent hunk of duck served with carrots cooked three ways. Each variation of the root vegetable demonstrated the different flavours it can deliver: dehydrated it tasted almost caramelised, roasted was rich and rustic, while puréeing the carrot made it smooth and added to the sublime presentation. For the cocktail pairing, Yudi offered up an impressive concoction, one that he calls the W Cuba Libre. Served on a long charcoal slab, a corked glass bottle held a homemade cherry cola with a warm dark rum to its side letting you add as much sweetness to it as you please.

Ending the meal on a particularly high note, the Singapore-based superstar chef took chocolate lovers to the next level. Bali’s own Pod Chocolate was served like a soup in a giant bowl, melted and luxuriously gooey. Chunks of crunchy honeycomb and aerated white chocolate were dipped and dunked into the sweet deliciousness, lightly flavoured with hibiscus salt. The cocktail pairing was equally as indulgent, where a Brandy Alexander saw a molecular twist. Named the Alexander Nitro, a Bailey’s infused ice-cream was accompanied by a vodka lychee purée, perfumed by sticks of cinnamon and ginger. As always, dining at The W is a moment to remember and this culinary experience will be particularly hard to forget.
www.wretreatbali.com