Blanco Par Mandif is the gastronomic restaurant of Chef Patron Mandif Warokka and owner Mario Blanco (the latter also is the owner of the Antonio Blanco museum). The restaurant is located in the centre of Ubud in Bali, just next to the famous Campuhan bridge and inside the property of the Antonio Blanco museum. A small staircase leads the guest to the dining room, which currently only features eight to ten seats. However, an extra dining room above the current restaurant will open soon. The restaurant today is one small vertical area, divided in a big bar and an open kitchen. All seats give a view on the kitchen just in front of the dining space, creating a pleasant and dynamic atmosphere and interaction with the restaurant staff. Blanco Par Mandif opened in March 2015 but is already causing a hype on the Balinese culinary scene. It is open for lunch and during two services at dinner (18pm and 21 pm).
Blanco Par Mandif is the third restaurant of Chef Patron Mandif Warokka. His first restaurant, called Teatro Gastroteque, opened in 2012 and is located in Seminyak. It focuses on international food with a French base, using many luxurious ingredients such as oysters, foie and lamb. The Chef Patron is currently working on the opening of two other restaurants, one in Ubud and one in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. At Blanco Par Mandif, Mandif brings a unique and innovative type of Indonesian cuisine. His dishes are essentially about Indonesian cuisine and flavours, traditional recipes and techniques, but prepared in a modern, refined way. Mandif uses recipes and dishes that he remembers from his childhood and prepares these in a new and innovative way, reflecting his passion for his traditional roots. Everything is made from scratch, and quality, seasonal fresh produce comes from local producers. With the bread no butter is served, but instead a sambal from green chili and green tomato, and a sambal from red tomato: a good example of the Chef’s love for his country’s cuisine. His cucumber and apple dish, which combines a cucumber chili sorbet with a delicious seaweed broth and fresh cucumber and apple, is fresh yet very delicate in flavours. Another excellent dish is the prawn, combined with sambal balado, bitter bean and crispy potato net. Guests at Blanco Par Mandif can choose a degustation menu served in five, seven, nine or twelve courses.
Restaurant Manager Resva Conita is in charge of the service and does a terrific job serving the guests in a professional, friendly manner. Sommelier Eko Putro and his assistant sommeliers take care of the beverages. The young sommelier Putro has an extensive knowledge of flavours and translates this into a creative, daring pairing of cocktails and wines with chef’s dishes. He wants to bring Mandif’s dishes to an even higher level, offering drinks that complete the chef’s flavours. Guests can choose to follow the sommelier, or indicate whether they have a preference for wines or cocktails. Twelve staff members in total serve the eight to ten guests and create a unique, intimate but luxurious experience in the restaurant. They serve an audience of mainly foodie tourists, curious expats and wealthy Indonesians.
Blanco Par Mandif is an excellent choice to get a taste of Bali’s rapidly evolving gastronomical scene. While the food and flavours are distinctly Indonesian, the presentation and the preparation techniques are modern, inventive and creative. Chef Patron Mandif Warokka and his team manage to create a new kind of Indonesian dining experience, progressive in terms of taste and presentation.
Written by Sven & Adriaan
