Temple Tree

Eating

Breakfast is taken in your suite and more than keeps you going until lunchtime. Each suite is equipped with a toaster and tea- and coffee-making facilities. A couple of pieces of bread each, with butter and jam, some homemade cake, yoghurt, bottled juices and generous hunks of fresh fruit are left in the fridge overnight to be enjoyed at your leisure.

A kitchen is planned for the clubhouse: a set menu will be offered every night, to be enjoyed by candlelight on the veranda or by the pool. In addition, the owners occasionally host Malay meals around the large dining table in the clubhouse.

Generally though, guests go to the widely acclaimed restaurant at Bon Ton for lunch and dinner. The dining area is extremely atmospheric in the evenings, with soft lighting, colourful textiles and a warm summer breeze drifting through. The service, while charming and attentive, is relatively informal.

The menu has a lot of living up to do, in light of the gushing reviews in the hotel’s literature. It doesn’t disappoint. Dishes are varied, with excellent regional specialities and delicious Western classics, and portions are generous. The Seafood platter is highly recommended, particularly for the succulent lobster tails, which can also be ordered separately as a starter. Special mention should also be made of the antipasti selection and Balinese seafood satay on lemongrass. And among the many good mains, the Nyonya platter, a selection of perfectly spiced meats, fish and vegetables in the Chinese-Malay tradition, served on a banana leaf, was outstanding.

We recommend that you reserve a little space for dessert, however: the marquise with chocolate caramel tart is heaven for chocolate lovers, and the strawberry and Grand Marnier tiramisu a real treat. Choose from a good selection of French and New World wines from the restaurant’s large cellar to accompany your meal, and perhaps take coffee and a nightcap in the well-stocked, stylish Chin Chin bar. Frozen daiquiris and margaritas come highly recommended at any time.