One of the most unique dining experiences you’ll find anywhere is at Room4Dessert in Ubud, Bali. Often described as a Willy Wonka for grown-ups, this extraordinary establishment is owned by celebrity chef and pastry legend Will Goldfarb, who gained even more fame through his feature on Chef’s Table. Goldfarb, who once worked at the renowned El Bulli and ran a dessert omakase in NYC, chose to trade the grit of New York for the serene rice terraces of Bali. Recently, he celebrated his tenth anniversary there.
Over the years, Goldfarb has evolved his format, now incorporating five savoury dishes into his 15-course menu at his charming, warm, and relaxed restaurant. Your experience begins as you walk through an open-air garden into an indoor space where you sit at a table or at the counter where food is prepared right in front of you. Goldfarb often comes over to chat, adding a personal touch to the experience. Baskets and bowls of ingredients used in your dishes are displayed before you, with the 70’s and 80’s soundtrack playing in the background.
The five savoury courses are a delightful surprise. The menu provides minimal descriptions like “pea shoots” or “squid noodles”. Each dish is crafted with locally sourced ingredients, from spices to vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish. For instance, the pea shoots are grown in their micro nursery, and the squid noodle is a soup dumpling with Thai flavors. The “one rib” dish elevates barbecue pork to new heights. Each course amazed me with its creativity and flavour.
Room4Dessert is also renowned for its cocktails, offering both spirited and spiritless versions, along with wines by the glass, natural wines, various gin and tonics, infusions, coffee, teas, beers, and digestifs. The cocktails are infused with tropical ingredients like lemongrass, passion fruit, mangosteen, and hibiscus, pairing perfectly with the desserts. These aromatic tinctures, made with flowers and herbs, can be ordered a la carte or part of a pairing with your meal.
The next five courses are served in another inner room, again at a counter where you can engage with the chefs preparing your desserts. Here, you can enjoy a series of five larger desserts. The first, called Red, features rosella and various red components of different textures and flavours. The second, a Pandabert, is made with pandan. The third, whiskey, torture, and Turgenev, includes pineapple. Up next, a sugar refinery, made with mangosteen, and finally a chocolate crème brûlée made with local cacao round out this incredible dessert journey. As Thomas Keller noted, Bali is one of the few places in the world where you can find the base ingredients for pastry.
Despite feeling full, the experience concludes in the garden with five petite desserts. Chef Goldfarb assured us that these final treats, such as the mango mini cone and the kafir lime leaf and chocolate candy, will be small but delightful. The menu, which changes twice a year, was specially curated to celebrate their tenth anniversary, bringing back some of their favourite desserts.
The staff couldn’t have been friendlier, and we were honoured to spend time with Chef Goldfarb himself. Every dessert played with our taste buds, offering sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and smoky notes. Each bite brought wonderful surprises, blending European pastry elements with tropical touches. Chef Goldfarb masterfully plays with taste, texture, and presentation to create a truly special, artistic, and unforgettable evening.
Highly recommended,
Happy dining,
Shanea
08/11/2024
