FLavorscribe

Michelin pedigree, Mediterranean menu, and a night that didn’t quite hit the heights I was hoping for — except for one dish, and the cocktails.

A restaurant with serious accolades and a Michelin-starred chef behind it. My expectations going in were sky-high, which may have set me up for a slightly mixed experience. I was hoping to have my mind blown.

The cuisine is Mediterranean, and I do appreciate that the food here is meant to be simple — that’s the philosophy. Still, given the price point, I was quietly hoping for a touch more wow factor. A more elevated service. A more creative approach to the plate. Interestingly, on the night I went, I felt the cocktails were a clear step ahead of both the cuisine and the service.

The Crown of the Night

That said, I have to give real credit where it’s due — to the corn dish. Soft and sweet, with a base like a delicate cake and grilled corn perched on top. As an Indonesian who grew up eating jasuke (sweet corn, butter, condensed milk, cheese — the snack of every childhood), it felt like both adventure and comfort in the same bite. If you know, you know.

That single dish was the crown of the night.

The paella and the risotto were also genuinely delicious. But for the price, I was hoping for something a little more distinctive, something I couldn’t get at any number of other very good restaurants. Whether being voted Asia’s Best by Tatler is a blessing or a curse for a kitchen, I honestly can’t tell. Pedigree is heavy to carry.

The Cocktails Are Stealing the Show

Now this part — this part I have no notes on. The cocktails are excellent, and on the night I went, they were doing the most interesting work in the room.

A few standouts:

• Sciroccino — bright, breezy, the one I’d go back for.
• Meltemi — clean and herbaceous, like a Mediterranean breeze in a glass.
• Levant — deeper, spiced, the one for sipping slowly toward the end of the evening.

These three are a real step above the rest of the experience. Whoever is running that bar program knows exactly what they’re doing.

The Verdict

Sazon is a restaurant I respect more than I love. The talent is there, the room is beautiful, the bar is genuinely world-class — but the kitchen, on the night I went, didn’t quite live up to the weight of its accolades. If I come back, I know exactly what I’m doing: I’d order a Sciroccino with the corn side dish, sit at the bar, and call it a perfect evening.

Sometimes the best meal at a fancy restaurant is the one where you stop trying to make it a fancy meal.

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The basics

• Best for: A great cocktail night, design lovers, anyone curious about a Michelin-starred chef in Bali
• Don’t miss: The corn side dish, the Sciroccino, the Meltemi, the Levant
• Skip if: You want a mind-blowing fine-dining tasting menu for the price
• Vibe: Mediterranean, polished, decorated — bar leading the kitchen on the night