Chef Eelke Plasmeijer has spent more than half his life in the kitchen and is determined to ensure he surrounds himself with the finest ingredients, while supporting local farmers and communities.

The 29-year-old executive chef of Bali’s Alila Ubud resort said it was important to him to use produce that was available locally – even if that meant sourcing them himself.

Dishes served at the resort’s Plantation Restaurant are prepared using only 100 per cent local products – from coffee and tea to beef cheek and eels, it’s all Indonesian.

The Dutch chef has lived in Indonesia for the past five years and been based at Alila Ubud since April 2010.

Before making the decision to cook with local ingredients, Plasmeijer and his executive sous chef and friend Ray Adriansyah discussed it in detail.

“We were getting ingredients from Europe and Australia and we just thought, ‘Why are we importing all this stuff? What are we doing – it’s crazy’,” Plasmeijer said.

“We just didn’t know that we could get so many ingredients locally.

“It takes time to find it, which requires a lot of effort, but it’s there if you look – and it’s better, fresher and doesn’t need to be frozen.”

Adriansyah and Plasmeijer – who leads a kitchen team of 27 – put their plan into action in March.

“All these beautiful ingredients like local oysters, vongole, crayfish, yabbies, edible flowers – you name it, it’s there,” Plasmeijer said.

“It’s a struggle for farmers to keep their produce organic in Indonesia, but we try as much as possible to source organic; it’s about 80 per cent.”

If they can’t find it locally, then it is either left off the menu or the chefs will make it themselves; for example butter is churned at Alila using local cream.

“If we can’t get really good local beef, then we just don’t do it,” Plasmeijer said.

“Beef is available, especially from Java, but it’s off the menu because it needs a lot of tenderiser.”

Plantation Restaurant has two tasting menus for dinner – authentic cuisine and seasonal cuisine – and both feature pork.

Each pig weighs about 100kg and is butchered by the Alila team every fortnight.

“We use the whole animal and we make everything ourselves – including salami, chorizo, prosciutto and blood sausage,” he said.

Rabbits and vegetables are sourced from mountainous regions. Cacao beans usually sold to Europe are being used to make chocolate in Indonesia.

“One guy started making really good quality chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 to 85 per cent,” Plasmeijer said.

Plasmeijer praised his kitchen team’s enthusiasm to contribute to the authenticity of dishes prepared at Alila.

“It’s good to be a chef in Bali,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful team that I have. They all live 10 minutes from the hotel and contribute to the creation of the authentic menu.”

2:10pm:  checked in directly at 7th floor executive lounge; had a quick mocktail; sent reply email to Paul at HQ as he was panicking about the attendance list, then had a quick peek at the executive floor meeting facility.

3pm: had fleeting meeting with Jakarta representative, Ronny, if you remember him and his senior colleague Sri (I think she’s new to the company) at 7th floor executive lounge over tea and cakes; trust me you’ll appreciate the fast Wifi connections and comfortable lounge and interesting views of Chinatown.

4.10pm: the Alila PR manager walked me through the executive meeting facilities for the following day sales conference. The meeting facilities are slick (new I think she said), located on the same floor as the executive lounge, an ideal location for us and your event too.

5.05pm: had quick swim at third-floor pool followed by steam bath in the fitness club; thought the equipment and club looked great and complete as I know you’re fussy about the latest running machines Rob; planning a workout tomorrow.

6.10pm: met Jin our long-established Jakarta client and his wife for a drink at the executive lounge during cocktail hour, which I can guarantee you’ll like! (be sure to ask for the Alexis Lichine chardonnay); much discussed about their expansion; there was no need for us to head downstairs for dinner as plenty to eat including fresh salads, sushi; I am like you that way, that’s plenty enough for dinner (there are hot dishes too; look for the Chinese dumplings).

Next day…

6am: ran four k’s and hit the machines in the fitness center followed by another steam bath (they actually keep the steam room as hot as it should be — rare!). You’ll also notice an interesting view of a spectacular mosque from the fitness center.

7.10am: showered and got presentation materials ready in my room (stayed in an 8th floor executive premiere room with a good desk to work from and which I highly recommend; they have several other executive class rooms you should ask about even their Alila suites on the highest floors although I doubt you’ll get that approved by you know who in accounting!

7.45am: the “big” breakfast at the 7th floor executive lounge looked tempting but went for a light bite today: cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, with guava juice (the variety of juice in Indonesia is incredible), and a cappuccino. I hung out and read the NYT (good magazine and newspaper selection you’ll appreciate). Fyi, the club lounge is well equipped with wall TVs and lots of spacious tables and seating and like I mentioned stable and fast Wifi. I was tempted to just work from there all day but couldn’t as had meetings out with local partner.

8.30am: got the inside track on Chinatown from the staff at the executive lounge as might want to look around if I have time before departing. If you have questions about Jakarta during your stay (and I am sure you will because it can be a crazy city with the traffic and all) enquire with the executive floor concierge. But not to worry anyway, the drivers from the local office are good fellows and speak pretty decent enough English (and the taxis are also very good here).

9am: still 30 minutes to kill so went downstairs and onto the busy street that fronts the hotel (read somewhere it’s famous for its night food stalls; check it out). Btw, the hotel is very close to the Presidential Palace and other sites, which I might try to squeeze, though could be tough given the conference and traffic.

9.45am: checked email back in room and then was picked up by office driver. The remainder of the day spent mostly in a car I might add from one office to the other (Ronny was saying Jakarta is good for about two meetings a day and we somehow managed four). A long day though still had to get back and prepare for the conference.

5:45pm: back to the hotel with a big sigh (my BB came in handy as was stuck in traffic for the entire day; remember to bring your car cell charger when you visit). Note: it will take you two hours to get from our Jakarta rep office to the Alila. A few support staff came by to know what to expect of the executive meeting facility for tomorrow. Skipped my workout. Need a drink.

6.30pm: went back to the executive lounge for a cocktail with Lindsay (she swears by the lychee martinis) and once again the fromage tray, fresh salads, canapés and hor d’ourves easily sufficed. And just as well as I wanted a fairly early night.

Next day…

6.30am: I had a decent run and workout followed by a half dozen laps then showered and felt great. (btw, mention to Barb there is a spa in the hotel next to the fitness center).

7.30am: opted for the eggs benedict this morning along with a café latte and met with the affable general manager of the hotel, Eric Faivre, who runs the place with a fastidious glove. I commented how the executive facility is perfect for functions and business people, yet funny enough there were a number of tourists in the lounge at the time. And that got me thinking I may stay a few extra days next time around.

9am: we set up the room with the hotel’s support facilities while I went to take advantage of the executive floor complimentary pressing service. We were missing a disc of images and called the office to send soft copies (managed OK enough but that shouldn’t have happened).

10am: colleagues and guests began to arrive from Medan and Bali and the regional rep offices (ran into Shamayne in the lobby, she looks great).

10.30am: presentations began from all divisions with a break at lunch. Things went pretty smoothly, all pleased with results; yes, in answer to your earlier question, the executive floors, meeting rooms etc. will work well for what you need to get accomplished next month.

12.30pm: everybody split into Alila’s two restaurants while some chose a Chinese food restaurant not far from the hotel. Note that for your function next month you could all easily eat upstairs which we considered too but then again having a break and heading out was also good.

2pm: with all the breakaway spaces in the Alila meetings took place throughout the hotel for the remainder of the day. I think the event was a success from my point of view. Perhaps we could have started a bit earlier is my only comment as we rushed the through the last section of the handouts.

4pm: I snuck in a workout then a short meeting in the executive lounge before heading downstairs to Shanghai Storm (highly recommended Rob) with about 30 others, most of them you know from the old days. Will be interesting to hear how things go for your event here. Speak soon.

In a jungle of concrete, you still see vast stretches of farming land, a distant glint of Varthur Lake, glimpses of residential communities that live in sprawling bungalows sheltered by coconut trees and somewhere in the middle, embracing all these dichotomies is Alila. I know instantly that this is a differently intentioned space when I first clap my eyes on it. It does not conform for one to the boxed in luxury template of most star hotels. It breathes. And that is because, instead of wall to wall carpetting, gleaming chandeliers and an overkill of glint and gold in the lobby, it offers the ultimate luxury to the weary guest. Fresh breeze that courses through the long-lined open hearted design. There is no air conditioning in the public spaces of the hotel, I learn and I wonder at the logic of boxy buildings in a city like Bangalore that has always been loved for its gentle, accommodating weather.

I recognise Dimpy Menon’s uplifting metal sculptures that define the lobby, the driveway and each of the five floors and pay a tribute to the human spirit and its hunger for freedom and connection. Hand picked art, Balinese furniture as well as pieces designed and sourced locally animate the interiors. I loved the antique tiffins in the Tiffin Bar, the little herbs that grow on individual tables in Tiffin Room, where delicately nuanced global and Indian cuisine is served along with the pumpkin soup I began this piece with. There is also High 5, the tapas bar on the fifth floor that is lit up like a fire fly at night.

There are more surprises. The design aesthetics of the hotel are not about excess but minimalism and the layering of textures and elements of nature. Stripped wood, undressed granite and landscaped lung spaces that you have a visual access to no matter where you are.The interiors remain almost as oxygenated as the outdoors and I can’t remember the last time I walked into a hotel room with an attached balcony. My first morning at Alila, takes me to the wood slatted balcony with my cup of morning tea and the sunlight falls at my feet in textured strips. Beneath my floor, the hotel lawn stretches with its occasional sprinkling of seating zones meant for al-fresco diners.

The balance between organic wholesomeness and the enveloping luxury that star hotels must offer to their guests is tough to strike. At Alila, forgive the repetition, it is a breeze. My room has a mini bar, an electric kettle, a bed swathed in feather soft linen, a wall mounted LCD television and a DVD player, a large shower space, a writing zone, a reading chair, a locker, a vanity zone and ambient and convenient lighting. In keeping with the natural palette of the hotel, the colours in the room are neutral and calming.

Yes, I remind myself, this is Bangalore. Because from my balcony, I can see the remaining green farming land that I hope won’t be gobbled up by progress. From the fifth floor, beyond the infinity pool framed by vertical slashes of  metal pillars, I see a view few can afford any more in Bangalore. The view of uncluttered skies, a lake,  green fields and yes infinity that nature intended us to see before we messed it up. As a conscientious gesture towards the environment, Alila recycles its grey water and uses it to irrigate its greens, The fact that the public zones are open and airy, drastically reduces the air-conditioning bill. LED lights in the lobby make a difference too.

That said, many guest unlike me come here to do business and to them, the hotel offers three fully equipped meeting rooms with views to die for. There is a cozy, warm library and also those looking for just a weekend respite, can book themselves into one of the 101 rooms, leisure and SOHO suites, each one offering enough mindspace for work and leisure, solitude and celebration.

The Spa Alila is at the moment functioning  from a few suites as the structure that will capaciously accommodate it is still coming up. For me, the visit to the Spa was an exercise in untangling mental and spiritual knots and letting a therapist take me on a healing, restorative journey to my restful self. For other weary souls, the spa is treasure trove of scrubs, wraps and masks, warm stone, Balinese and therapeutic massages and all products used have been developed especially for Alila.

What I loved most however was the feeling that the hotel exudes. Of a quiet, serene self-possession. You arrive here and you want to stop talking, want your mind to stop chattering and become centered and just observe and experience the here and the now. Because at Alila, tomorrow always appears far away.

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Beautiful moments captured from Adam and Kelly’s wedding ceremony at Alila Villas Uluwatu.

Photographer : http://www.why-imaging.com/

www.alilahotels.com/uluwatu

Alila Soori is no ordinary beach resort. For starters, it fronts a pretty extra-ordinary beach. Part of the island’s southwest-facing gulf of the Indian Ocean, the long, foamy breakers in this area of Bali crash onto pitch black sand.

There’s something delightfully Harry Potter-esque, I discovered, about a volcanic beach. Bury your toes in the charcoal-hued grains and watch the ebony specks brush cleanly off your skin like magic. The beach seems to dance, as particles of gemstone thrown up by the nearby volcano glitter in the sunlight. And all the while the contrast of thrashing white surf and inky sand is completely hypnotising.

The resort takes its design cues from the monochromatic beachfront. Low rise and linear, the architecture uses local grey and black volcanic stone for its box-like buildings and quadrangles, interspersed with polished teak and dark reflection ponds. Turquoise swimming pools and lush green lawns add splashes of colour against a clear blue backdrop of ocean and sky, washing into each other across the horizon.

The best vantage is from the Ocean Pool Villas. That’s right – you don’t just get a room at Alila Villas Soori, but a 275sqm villa residence. The uber luxe villas delight on all levels – from the large landscaped private courtyard and sexy outdoor rainforest shower, to a generous array of ‘His and Her’ bath products (the lip gloss is divine) and on-demand Apple TV. Open the glass sliding door in your living room and you can splash right into your own seafront infinity pool.

My favourite spot though was the poolside pavilion, where you can drape on a massive cushioned daybed looking out to the ocean. A tray offering tanning oil, sun block, iced water, candles and cool towels is kindly placed in easy rolling distance.

Noticing our penchant for the pavilion, our Villa Host asked us if we’d like to have breakfast there the following morning. We awoke to French toast, fresh OJ and pots of brewed coffee laid out on the alfresco dining table. Later, she brought around ice, fresh limes and tonic and we made sunset G&Ts as the sun sank in a glorious display that felt like it was orchestrated especially for us.

While it’s tempting to spend your day sunbathing like a model in a Wallpaper* shoot, it’s well worth rallying to explore the surrounding villages. The Kerambitan area was once the seat of Balinese royalty and its fertile countryside is still home to some of the country’s finest royal blacksmiths, potters and Wayang painters. You can join a Segway tour or guided visit to their workshops – or simply go for a wander outside Alila’s gates into the picture-perfect Balinese village of Kelating.

A world away from the sleek resort, this one-street village explodes with colour and culture. Each peak-roofed home has a large family altar and bright bougainvillea, frangipani and palm trees in the front garden. Chickens peck by the grassy curbside. If you’re lucky enough to visit during one of the many traditional festivals, towering palm fronds adorned with woven decorations arch over the street and families sets up colourful offerings and handmade effigies outside their homes.

Another nice stroll is up to the rocky outcrop overlooking Alila Villas Soori. Topped by a tiny temple, it offers magnificent views along the coastline. If you go at sundown, you’ll not only get some spectacular photo ops but might catch the evening exodus of fruit bats from the bat cave at the base of the hill. As soon as the sun sets, hundreds of bats sweep out en masse in a thrilling display of flapping and shrieking over the black sands.

For something truly romantic, have the folks at Alila Villas Soori arrange a private sunset cocktail on the peak, complete with big beanbags and fire torches. Then, filled with the majesty of this place, proceed down to dinner at alfresco seafront restaurant, Coast. The perfect finale to another day in paradise.

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www.alilavillassoori.com

We first met in Bombay in a rickshaw (we were faint acquaintances from before) and ended up tying the knot after 5 years of dating. Both of us complement each other in that we are both very like-minded individuals, yoga fans, animal lovers, appreciate the simple pleasures in life, love exploring different cities and are both strictly work-oriented. Work and family are priorities for us. But saying that, we look forward to our life together as husband and wife and hope to nurture this relationship to the extent it deserves.

 
Hiten and I were looking for a venue that would be warm, intimate and hospitable for our entire family and this is why we held our wedding at Alila Diwa Goa. The rooms were in perfect proximity, beautifully designed and the team is very amicable and respectful, making the entire experience special. We wanted the wedding to be a very close, personal affair with family and few close friends attending from around the world.

 
Our wedding was very much a traditional Sindhi one, with all the necessary “Poojas” that were required as per both our families’ traditions. About the wedding celebrations, we had “Ganesh Sthapana” (religious pre-wedding ceremony) and a Welcome Dinner on the first day, “Mehendi” (bride’s henna decoration party) and “Sangeet” (pre-wedding joyous celebration) on second day, and “Ghadi Pooja Pheras” (wedding ceremony) and Reception on the third day. I still remember on first day, when we had so many arrivals at one time and we were personally welcoming most of the guests ourselves, Hiten and I ended up being late for one of our very own functions. So it was these small little things that make us laugh now because without these little “hiccups”, it wouldn’t have felt like a complete wedding!

 
Having engaged our own event management agency in Dubai, most of the preparations were organized by us and the wedding planner, Achint Nag (Krayonz Entertainment) from Mumbai. But we were particular about the photography and video, which is why we hired Doodle Studio from Malaysia and Photo Tantra from Bangalore. Since we were working with them for the first time, we were a bit nervous about the outcome, but we couldn’t have had a better team. Everyone understood us and our traditions and captured beautiful moments, that get us teary every time we see the photos or watch the videos.

 
It ended up being the way we imagined it to be and we couldn’t thank our family and friends enough who travelled all the way from various different countries and cities – Mumbai, Dubai, Kuwait, US, Korea and London – to be with us and shower us with their blessings.

 
For more information about wedding at Alila Diwa Goa please visit http://www.alilahotels.com/diwagoa

Tanya Fishkina & Alex Vernitsky Wedding
Alila Villas Soori . Bali . Indonesia

Tanya and Alek wanted an intimate celebration on the beach. Enter Alila Villas Soori on the west coast of Bali. ‘The lawn at Alila offered a spectacular setting for the ceremony and really dramatic views of the sunset. The fact that so many of our friends and family travelled for well over 20 hours to be with us meant a great deal’, says Tanya.

It was an international affair when Tanya and Alek, together for 12 years, said ‘I do’ in a Jewish ceremony on a Balinese beach. ‘We didn’t have a theme in mind, but we had an idea of a feeling that we wanted to have – sophisticated and understated, yet light, breezy, uninhibited and fun!” says Tanya.

The couple wrote their own vows. A good friend of the couple, Konstantin Kraz, officiated the Jewish ceremony and let the guests in singing the nigunim (humming of tunes). The guest book contained childhood photos of Tanya and Alek, organised by Tanya’s sister.

“Things we do as a couple tend to complement each other – I like to cook, and Alek likes to eat my food; Alek likes to go sailing, and I love to sunbathe on the deck of the boat. Maybe all couples fall into roles but ours seem to be unmistakable and defining,” says Tanya.

“Instead of a traditional cake, we asked Ashton, the Executive Chef at Alila Villas Soori to come up with a dessert that would combine two flavours from our mums’ favourite dessert: meringue from my mum’s Kiev cake and lemon from Alex’s Mum’s anke cake,” explains Tanya. The result was the perfect offering for the couple’s event – a delicious hazelnut mousse with lemon core. They also got creative with their table settings and used fruit – apples and pears among them – as bomboniere with a place setting card that had guests names attached.

Gorgeous photos were high on the priority list for the couple, who searched the world for the perfect photographer. “We decided on Marcus Bell of Studio Impressions, and flew him over from Australia,” says Tanya. Needless to say, they were thrilled with their choice. “We loved how Marcus documented the pre-ceremony interactions of the bridal party, the emotion of the groom with his parents, and the vibe of the day. There’s a wonderful feeling of lightness and playfulness,” she adds.

For more information about weddings at Alila Villas Soori please visit http://www.alilahotels.com/soori/weddings
or email : soori@alilahotels.com

Photographer : Erin and Courtney de Jauregui of Erin Hearts Court

Amy & TQ
Alila Ubud . Bali . Indonesia

Amy Long met TQ Shang at Stanford University in the windowless basement classroom of their 9 am. Southeast Asian politics course (They say the only perk of the early-morning winter class was that they met). Many years later, they found themselves around the world — in Singapore — working as management consultants and traveling out of the country about five days a week. Taking a cue from their jet-setting lives, they dreamed up a travel-themed wedding — after all, they’d had many dates in airport lounges, and TQ proposed after Amy landed from a 16-hour flight; it just made sense. On July 3, 2010, they said “I do” in Bali, with 120 guests, a weekend of festivities, and not an airplane in sight.

Each table was named after a city of significance for the couple. Centerpieces of white and lilac snapdragons, lisianthus, spray roses, hydrangeas, green cymbidium orchids, phalaenopsis orchids, mauve ‘Cool Water’ roses, and green bamboo water added color to the reception. Guests enjoyed a family-style dinner which fused Indonesian, Balinese, and Western classics. A chocolate cake covered in white fondant was piped with black icing and decorated with fresh orchids and a base of limes. A dessert buffet provided Indonesian and Western treats, as well as a coffee bar that served espresso martinis and joe from all over Indonesia. Following the traditional Chinese “yam seng” toast, the couple enjoyed a fireworks display from a platform in the middle of the infinity pool.

For more information about weddings at Alila Ubud, please visit : http://www.alilahotels.com/ubud/weddings
or email : ubud@alilahotels.com