5 Stars for Bridges and An Evening with Jacqueline Fuentes

I arrived at Bridges shortly after 7pm and was immediately offered a glass of sparkling wine. The room was full, the music was at a perfect level and the light and ambience of the room was neither too dark nor too light. Staff were very attentive and absolutely charming. We were seated downstairs at a quiet table in the corner, and although we had no view of the concert which was to take place, the 3 course meal and dinner service made up for it.

Bridges is regarded as the #1 restaurant in Ubud and after my experience last night, there's no secret why this beautiful restaurant has every right to withhold this prestigeoius title. The menu last night consisted of an appetizer, a main and a dessert. There were 3 choices for each. For my appetizer I chose the Scallop and Barramundi with consisted of sauteed barramundi and sea scallops seasoned with mustard and white wine served in a open scallop shell with a thyme and lime crumble finish. On the side was a spicy paprika aioli and fresh lime. It was fresh, extremely flavorful and simply glorious. 

For my main course, I chose the Atlantic Salmon which was seared and placed on a bed of dill infused baked salmon mousse and surrounded by a lime beurre blanc sauce. On the side was a broccoli puree with a layer of sauteed mixed vegetables. The salmon was seared to perfection, with almost a sashimi like texture in the middle, and a flavorful crisp char on the outside. For dessert, I chose the chocolate fondant, which was served warm with a slice of candied orange in the middle. On the side, a vanilla gelato and a light Cointreau cream mousse which complimented the rich warm chocolate and soft chocolate sponge cake surrounding it perfectly.

The concert started shortly after 10pm with a warm introduction to Jacqueline Fuentes. As she started to play, my dinner date described her sound as what he was tasting with the flavors of his own chocolate fondant. Absolutely beautiful. The music was so calm, yet so gentle and powerful. A truly unique and uplifting sound. Jacqueline has a simply beautiful voice, and with her singing in her native tongue, Spanish, it was the ultimate accompaniment to such an extraordinary dining experience. All in all, a luxurious and decadent evening at Bridges. 

Photos by: Alfie