Bali brunches

Perth has fallen hard for the bottomless brunch, with restaurants and bars across the city and suburbs jumping on the trend.

However, if you read the fine print, most brunches offer bottomless drinks, not unlimited food.

For a non-drinking foodie like me, a trip to Bali is the best place to brunch.

The St Regis Bali Resort – nestled on a pristine stretch of beach in Nusa Dua – launched brunching in Bali in 2009 with the Boneka Sunday Brunch.

The international restaurant set the benchmark for offering both buffet and unlimited a la carte signature dishes. Its brunch lives on, as does its signature dish, the river lobster omelette.

Should your holiday not include a Sunday, elegant indulgence is available on Saturdays at the St Regis Bali Brunch in the bright and airy beachfront restaurant, Kayuputi.

The menu is entirely “a la minute” menu, with food cooked to order to ensure freshness and minimise waste. No queues, no missing out. Fresh juice, smoothies and iced teas are included.

My husband arrives in Bali to assist in my weekend of brunching, because there’s only so much one person can try. I do know my limits.

After we are seated, out comes a basket of freshly baked bread and pastries, glasses of overnight muesli topped with acai sorbet, then a beautifully plated selection of house-made charcuterie. Gochujang beef tartare with dried egg yolk, pickles and salad for brunch? Yes please.

Next, we’re onto the a la carte entrée choices including soup, sashimi, the popular pan-seared duck foie gras, and collagen-rich floating fish bone marrow.

I go for a more traditional poached free-range egg with braised Savoy cabbage, country ham and truffle hollandaise.

Just like an infomercial, but wait, there’s more, a full complement of main and dessert options.

In the name of research, I order the house-made potato gnocchi with dry-aged wagyu and creamy blue cheese, and my husband has surf and turf of wagyu rump and lobster vol au vent.

It’s not a Bali brunch without a carvery and this one has succulent beef wheeled right to our table. How can we say no?

We have barely made a dent in the menu but move on to desserts, a delicate apple mille-feuille with apple sorbet, and a rich but airy coffee souffle. Sorry, cheese trolley, not today.

On Sunday it is a case of déjà vu as we settle in for brunch at The Mulia, known for the towering female statues that surround its magnificent pools.

The Mulia has offered the Soleil Sunday Brunch since opening in 2012. I first tried it in 2016, ate way too much, and felt nauseous all the way to the airport.

More than 80 per cent of the menu has become a la carte to reduce food waste but there is still a mind-boggling range of appetisers, desserts and carvery dishes.

A la carte appetisers include fried local calamari and Spanish chorizo croquettes. I go for a taste of France with Burgundy-style Javanese escargot baked in pastry.

I avoid carb-loading on sandwiches, crostini and pizza. A serve of carbonara with Roman-style hand cut tonnarelli, pancetta and an oozy egg on top will do just fine.

There are additional pages of grilled meats, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese favourites, plus waffles and breakfast options. Let’s dwell on that over an included mocktail.

Back in the serve yourself zone, there’s a seafood tower of prawns and oysters on ice, a make your own Caesar salad option, and a carving station loaded with roast beef, chicken, duck, tortilla, quiche and more.

Dishes also randomly appear at the table, such as the popular tender chargrilled octopus.

The dessert selection requires restraint, but I am not about to say no to cute individual tiramisu and crème caramel … and maybe a skewer of local kueh to dip in the chocolate fountain.

It is easy to see why this Mediterranean and pan-Asian brunch is popular for celebrations, with staff bursting into renditions of happy birthday at regular intervals. Near us, a big group of Aussies are celebrating a 60th.

Up to 90 per cent of Soleil’s diners during peak season are not resort guests but it certainly helps to have a room to waddle back to for a nap. Non-staying guests can hitch a golf buggy ride back to The Mulia’s entrance.

+ Sue Yeap visited as a guest of the St Regis and The Mulia. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.

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kayuputi.com

marriott.com

themulia.com

The St Regis Bali Brunch is $103. Add an alcohol package for $154, or premium alcohol with champagne for $257.

The Boneka Sunday Brunch is $80. Add the alcohol package for $117.

The Soliel Sunday Brunch is $88 without alcohol, $149 with alcohol. Prices are subject to change.