Cuca Flavour

Since it open its doors in late July last year, Cuca has created a buzz in Bali’s culinary scene with its Spanish tapas.

The restaurant is led by Chef Kevin Cherkas who had a respectable track record in some of the world’s outstanding restaurants, such as Michelin three-star Daniel. His wife, Virginia Entizne, is also successful in her line of expertise; hospitality business. So, prepare to be spoilt by their warm welcome and attention when dining at Cuca.

With nature as its theme, the restaurant’s interior perfectly reflects Bali’s cultural richness. Fitted with semi-dark wooden furniture contrasted with green painted wall, giving the restaurant a very earthly feel.

You may also request the waiters/waitresses to drawn down the curtains for a little more privacy.

Items on Cuca’s menu are mostly western inspired, but as Virgina has kindly explained, all ingredients used are produced locally. Indonesian pride! A key distinguishing factor from other Western establishments in Bali.

We ordered a few dishes to share, including;

Honey baked pumpkin salad –Pumpkin was sweet and soft. The raisins, however, resulted in a sweetness overload. But, I do love the crunchy roasted granola with coconut yogurt.

Roasted tiger prawns – Despite the Western looking plating, the dish has a very Chinese flavor. Brooth was quite garlicky and thick and the prawns were cooked perfectly. The fried zucchini were a tad too sweet for me. I suspect it’s the dough. Other than that, this dish is great.

Marinated pulled pork –Individually, each of the items, shredded pork, long beans and soft boiled eggs, were nicely cooked. Both the sauce and marinate, on the other hand, were sweet and tangy. It was a weird combination, or perhaps, as the waitress had warned us beforehand, the dish may not suit Indonesian palate.

Farmed chicken chicas – An elegant version of chicken patties; juicy and tender. Finally something salty in my mouth but the remaining condiments, such as the grape infused rice and corns, were too sweet.

Warm melting cheese – Our very own Indonesian cheese! Eludes the peculiar smell of blue cheese but not as full bodied or creamy as the real one. I think it will taste absolutely heavenly if paired with wine. Sadly it was lunch and I prefer not looking like an alcoholic.

We ended the meal with the recommended Bali breakfast dessert. Absolutely stunning in both taste and presentation. The whipped coconut cream were light, a delightful contrast to the sweet mango ganache and sour passionfruit. I would come back just for this.

Overall, I’m slightly disappointed with the restaurant. Food presentations were top notch but some of the dishes were just so-so. Maybe we should have listened to the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the popular fried chicken dish.

But for now, the verdict is: Come for the experience, don’t get your hopes too high on the food.

Unless, unlike me, you have a very adventurous palate.

Food: |***  |          Ambience: |**** |         Price: |$$$     |

Opening hours: Everyday 12 pm-12 am

Location: Jalan Yoga Perkanthi,Jimbaran 80364, Bali, Indonesia

Telephone: +62 361 708 066

Posted by AliceInWonderland