The COMO Culinary Odyssey is a year-long culinary journey taking place at COMO Uma Canggu, celebrating traditional food from six Balinese regions. We speak to Chef Kadek Sugiantara, who was inspired by his childhood in Bangli.
I want to give guests a taste of a region that’s off the beaten track, anchored by sacred mountains, and home to my childhood deep in the highlands
Chef Kadek Sugiantara is Executive Chef at COMO Uma Canggu. He was born and raised in Bangli and has a deep-rooted passion for authentic Balinese cuisine. He has over twenty years’ experience in the culinary industry, including ten years at COMO Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos and two years at COMO Cocoa Island in the Maldives.
Bangli is one of Bali’s quieter regions, landlocked, and centred by Mount Batur — among the island’s most sacred mountains. I spent most of my childhood in Bangli, in a traditional highland village surrounded by rivers, lakes and hot springs. It was idyllic growing up snacking on wild gung gung berries — a little like raspberries — and drinking clear, fresh water straight from the spring. Each day, I’d gather firewood and rice and coconut husks with my uncle, bringing them back to my mother’s kitchen where she’d cook over an open fire. The husks and firewood gave every dish a soft, smoky flavour which I loved. My mother’s meals were all about family sharing. Her specialty was Sambal Nyuh — crispy fried coconut meat, mixed with shallots, garlic and chilli. I started learning to cook alongside her when I was around 14 years old, and quickly became obsessed. I started to add my own twist to her Sambal Nyuh, mixing in dried anchovies, fried black-eyed beans, and a bit of shrimp paste fried in coconut oil. The combination made a nutty, umami mix, which along with the chilli, made for a perfect pairing with Nasi Sela — steamed sweet potato mixed with rice.
I’ve learned a lot since I started cooking at 14, including travelling widely to expand my craft. But I’ve never lost my taste for Bangli’s traditional dishes
These days, Bangli’s traditional methods and dishes are less common. Although my parents still live there, everything looks and feels more modern. I’ve changed too: I’ve learned a lot since I started cooking at 14, including travelling widely to expand my craft. But I’ve never lost my taste for Bangli’s traditional dishes, made with mild spices and fresh ingredients straight from our garden. It was that inspiration that led to the Bangli Edition of the COMO Culinary Odyssey — a nostalgic nod to my childhood self.
The meal begins with a revitalising shot of Loloh Cemcem. The leaves of cemcem shrubs — wild plums originally planted across Bangli to mark the border between one property and the next — are picked when they’re neither too young nor overly green. The leaves are mixed with hot chilli peppers, then pounded in a pestle and mortar to create a paste. I press the paste into a bowl using a muslin cloth before adding a little water and coconut water. This helps extract all the flavours from the leaves and chilli, turning the liquid a rich, dark green. Next, I check the seasoning, adding salt, palm sugar, and tamarind water to create a shot that balances spiciness, sweetness, sourness and tanginess.
The next stage of the meal is an assortment of sharing plates. Among my favourites is Mujair Nyat Nyat, made using Kintamani Tilapia fish, which is found in many of Bangli’s rivers and lakes. I marinate the fish for two hours in turmeric and other spices, then deep-fry it, before turning the Tilapia into a stew using turmeric paste and a dash of water. I also serve Urab Daun Jempen — made with the vegetable-type leaves of the sintrong plant —, a potato-rich Nasi Sela, Sambals, and Betutu Keren. For the latter, I wrap free-range chicken in palm skins and cook it for 12 hours in the ash of burnt rice husks. It’s a really special dish that’s still made in the most traditional Bangli villages, such as Penglipuran. The sharing plate I love making most of all is Klepus — I think it may be my favourite thing on the whole menu! It’s grated coconut, hand-chopped prawns and spices, all wrapped in cassava leaves. I serve it in a rich coconut sauce and with rice. The combination is sweet and spicy and umami all at once — the kind of combination I strive for in all my cooking.
For dessert, I serve Jaje Sengait, using sweet potatoes, which are one of the staple crops of Bangli. My aunt taught me how to make it. First, I cut the sweet potato into julienne strips, making sure all the pieces are the same size to ensure an even colour during the frying process. Next, I soak the strips in a mix of water and kapur sirih — a kind of edible limestone powder — before transferring them to the frying pan. While the sweet potato cooks, I make a palm sugar syrup, before coating the potatoes in it. They come out sweet and crispy, and mold beautifully into rings, which are often served in Bangli alongside coffee and tea.
The experience is complete with Bili Wirawan’s complementary cocktails. He’s a talented local mixologist and his creations for the Bangli Edition evoke the region’s classic ingredients such as cemcem leaf, torch ginger stem and sweet potato. With every sip of a drink, and every mouthful of a classic Bangli dish, I wanted to give guests a taste of a region that’s off the beaten track, anchored by sacred mountains, and home to my childhood deep in the highlands.
The Gianyar edition of the COMO Culinary Odyssey will run at COMO Uma Canggu from April 4th until May 31st 2025. Please contact our concierge for more information or to make a reservation.
