It is not everyday that a restaurant gets inducted into the Le Grand Table du Monde family, so when mozaic, a restaurant in Bali became a member - the culinary scene sat up. The questions were bewildered, repetitive, suspicious: Can a restaurant in a resort-island like Bali fulfill the stringent standards that the French have painstakingly set up? The answer is Yes, but only because chef-owner Chris Salans is in charge. It is this energy-charged personality who had the vision to put a restaurant in a garden (instead of doing otherwise), and in the process, creating a magical Alice in Wonderland-esque atmosphere. Tables are laid out in the open, and those who prefer to not risk the rain can dine at tables under sheltered spaces. But ambience is only part of the story. Where restaurants in Bali may effortlessly offer excellent ambience (thanks to cheap labour and raw materials), not many can boast of serving up a high level of cuisine. Salans stands apart in this case, for his stint as chef de cuisine at the French Laundry with Thomas Keller in Napa Valley tells much in his dishes. He is immaculate in presentation, precise with his techniques and always takes care to innovate. "What is my cuisine? It is a cuisine based on local ingredients and flavors prepared with modern techniques of preparation and presentation. Most people say it is modern French cuisine using local flavors and ingredients," he mused, when he finally emerged from his kitchen after a night of intense cooking during our visit.

He further explained, "I chose the name 'mozaic' as it can be said in every language without being butchered and the name suggests a compilation of different colors and textures put together to make a beautiful picture. The restaurant is a compilation of a Balinese garden, a French American Chef, Asian flavours, Indonesian ingredients, French and American techniques of cooking and presentation, international service done by Balinese waiters." He closes the restaurant when he does not cook. "This is the same rationale that every other top chef in the world (or at least in France) has. If the chef (the man preparing the sauces and vegetables for all plates and supervises every aspect of the kitchen) is not present, then the restaurant cannot guarantee the quality of the food. Hence, I would rather close the restaurant than risk losing my reputation," he added. There's more to captivate at mozaic, such as the six-course degustation menu, or the occasional Balinese ingredients he injects into his dishes. He shared, "I like genjer leaves. These leaves look like baby spinach, are grown in rice fields and are similar to water hyacinth. They have an aroma of iodine and algae. This is why my recommended dishes will be fresh sea bass fillet steamed with genjer leaves, gingered carrots and brussel sprout leaves in a fresh oyster brussel sprout emulsion, as it has my favourite ingredient!"

For a Western chef based in Bali, Salans is strangely patriotic. It is a country hat he has fond memories of - after all, he did fall in love in this place and ended up marrying his wife, a Javanese lady. After a series of acclaim by the international media and now, the Le Grand Table du Monde, he may just be willing to tear himself away from his kitchen for a few days to do promotions. But as he was quick to add, "Only if it promotes cuisine in Indonesia."

by Jenny Tan