My afternoon moved into evening and I had to make a quick dash home for a shower.
I was invited to have dinner at Kori Restaurant by the manager Gary Hewson. Kori Restaurant is located on Poppies Lane II about 100 meters from Jl. Legian and is a quality place. My guest was Margarita from Java who I’ve known for several months and I was trying to get ready as fast as possible so as not to be late for our 7.30pm date. I recently dropped a motorbike stand on my toe and scrapped the heck out of it, meaning I have to shower with one leg off to the side wearing a tennis shoe to keep it dry. The whole thing looked like some Jim Carey movie with me watching the time and trying to brush my teeth and keep my foot dry.
Kori stands out as a quality restaurant and I talked to Gary about the restaurant.
Nick: When was the restaurant opened?
Gary: It opened in June 98′.
Nick: What was the idea behind the restaurant?
Gary: The idea was to match the name, which means ‘gate’, going from one place to another. When you walk through our Balinese gate you find a totally different environment. You see a natural alang-alang roof and ‘bales’, with flowing water. This place is built with Balinese architectural style, no round circles, all square columns. We also have a separate lounge area and a pool table, our concept was you can find your own space.
Nick: Why this location?
Gary: The owner has held the land for years, it used to be a private residence, a factory and a shop. Kuta is the hub of Bali and it makes sense that if you put the right concept in it will work. The staff feel this land had a special power.
Nick: Who is your main competitor?
Gary: In this area no one directly. Ku De Ta, Gado Gado, Warisan, would be places that our customers from Nusa Dua might otherwise choose. Papa’s we’d also recommend.
Nick: How long have you worked here?
Gary: I started working here a year before we opened. My first 3 years were as chef and manager.
Nick: What is your background?
Gary: My background is in the hotel and restaurant industry, working in major 5 star hotels since I was 16, I’m now 47. I came to Bali for the re launch of the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel.
Nick: What makes Kori restaurant unique?
Gary: Kori has a concept and stays with the concept. The concept is the feeling of surprise you get when you walk though the door. A piece of Bali, a mix of food, simple comfort food through to fine dining seafood dishes. Maintaining a certain ambiance, the staff dress, type of music. The staff uniform is made by Uluwatu and is a black kabaya and sarong for the ladies. It is Balinese in design.
The music is made by my partner who is a music fanatic. No top 40 music, we play swing, blues, jazz, weird funky. I don’t use cover bands, we like blues, rock etc. We’re upgrading the sound system shortly so it will sound even better.
Nick: Can you describe your menu?
Gary: The menu is international, we have sections in the menu specializing in Indonesian, seafood, grills, and then we have a combination cuisine, my head chefs have been with me for 8 years. Our international cuisine is based on what that style is in Australia. We use a lot of local produce. Great vegetables, fish. We import cheese, beef and lamb. Our steaks are from WA.
Nick: What is the restaurant specialty?
Gary: That’s really a hard one to answer. We keep 80% of the menu to maintain continuity and change the other 20% periodically. People love the giant hanging seafood grill, which is the most expensive item and most popular. Steaks on the grill, fish and chips. Giant ribs are very popular with Japanese tourists after a model came in and ordered them. They sometimes come in clutching the photo and point to it.
Nick: What kind of clientele do you have?
Gary: We get the people from losmans, surfers in their tank tops, budget folks who come for a top end meal. We could also we get a table of diners right next to them from the Four Seasons. A large amount of local expats and Jakarta business people are regular customers.
We get 40% of our customers from Nusa Dua and 80% are repeat customers.
Nick: I know a lot of higher end tourists are concerned with hygiene.
Gary: We have very high standards at Kori. We do water samples once a week, We use ultra violet filtration and have the health inspectors in regularly to check hygiene. We also installed a high tech waste management system.
Nick: What would you say to someone reading this who is thinking of coming to Kori restaurant?
Gary: It’s a good place with a nice feeling. Good value for money, fun, non pretentious.
Stepping through the stone archway I definitely can see what Gary is talking about. The natural roof and relaxed atmosphere does have an immediate effect on you. I sat at the bar and sipped a beer while waiting for Margarita. She arrived and got fixed up with one of Kori’s special strawberry frozen margaritas…very fitting!
Our table number was 13, which in Bali is actually lucky. I felt pretty lucky to be sampling good food in great company. We started off with me ordering a vegetable Malai kofta and Marg getting the shrimp margarita ( does she love her name or what?). The starters were generously sized and tastey with Marg’s cocktail including mango and a tangy sauce. My kofta was arranged under lettuce with a slight spicy flavour.
Main course for me was the grilled chicken which came with garlic pasta and avocado salad, while Marg went for the Kori’s Exotic Seafood Spa. Both dishes were great, I sampled hers and it contained salmon and scallops among other things in a tasty boullion.
There are 3 seating choices available, cushion seating under a ‘bale’, regular table downstairs and upstairs seating. Its really a cozy place. I’ve also seen lunch guest eating at the bar.
Wednesday and Friday nights are great because of the live music and we were treated to some quality music by a local band. I’ve seen them before and the female vocalist is amazing. She sounds like a top American singer and her backup musicians can hold their own too.
We sat in lounge chairs and enjoyed another drink while listening to the band. All in all this was a very enjoyable time and Marg said she couldn’t believe she hadn’t been here before.
Prices at Kori are going to be higher than a local warung of course, but for a quality place that offers a bar, a cozy atmosphere and high standards all round its not overly pricey. My main course was 48,000rp and Marg’s was 98,000rp.
For travelers who want a cool place to relax and enjoy good food Kori is an excellent choice. This Friday famous jazz guitarist Made J will be playing. I’ll be going back soon.
tel: +62 361 758 605
fax: +62 361 752 510
email: infor@korirestaurant.com
Kori Restaurant
address
Poppies Lane 2
Kuta
Bali ID, 80361
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Barrie, when you return mate I’m taking you and Candika to Kori Restaurant and you can hold me to that. Gary is a super bloke too.
By the way its almost 11pm here at the internet cafe and I just bought a role of gauze tape and a bottle of Betadine. Thanks for the tip.
Told you you’d need those steel capped DM’s in Bali.
I can almost feel the ambience coming thru the screen from that cosy little place Nick.Looks a real cool place to chill out after a stressful day….( i can almost hear you now Nick saying what stress )
Yes nice pics good report….
Smiling
Mark
Hey Nick, Margarita is gorgeous!! Can you ask Gary if he could put the delicious little Crab cakes back on the menu for my return in August? mmmm enak sekali!!
G’Day Nick,
Look forward to it mate and thanks. Glad you liked the Betadine idea. You’ll be doing the marathon in no time!.
Mark,
Love the ‘G’ lingo!
Hi Nick,
Juliana says thanx for the chilli photo,
it gives her a ‘warm fuzzy feeling in her tummy’. Where is the photo from? Bali?
Yes, Kori Restaurant is one of our favourites, whenever we’re in Bali we frequently dine there.
We have a favour to ask of anyone that might be in Kuta at present and will be coming thru Sydney on their way back home before 28/4/04. Juliana is doing a traditional Balinese Dance at an open day at university and needs one of her costumes. If anyone can help please contact us and we will inform you how we will get the costume to you. Many thanx.
Kori is a little gem in the rough.
Angie those carb cakes are an example of what Gary was telling mw about when we discussed his menu. He said that whenever they change it some of the faithful want the old items back. That’s a good sign, that people are return visitors.
Elle, I think that pic of thr chilis is from India.
Spent many nights at Kori’s. A great restaurant with excellent food, service & atmosphere. It was a favourite for my friends and I celebrating birthdays & engagements. I enjoyed reading the description about going through the gate. Thats exactly what its like, sort of hustle and bustle outside, then step through to this beautiful setting. Everyone should have dinner there at least once. The best part, it hasn’t got the snobby feel which unfortunatley a lot of upmarket restaurants in seminyak have.
So did you get a piece of Marg, tiger. She got dressed up for you.
Nick, Hope your foot is getting better!
I have alsdo walked past this place often & never been in, but will certainly go there when we get back…!
G’Day Nick,
Excellent interview and that panorama shot of the Kori is brilliant!. Geez, I must have walked past that restoran every day I was in Bali, and yet, never eaten there. It will definitely be a ‘must eat at’ place when Candika and I return.
Hope your foot heals quickly. Use heaps of Betadine and it will heal fast.