Ubud, Baliwakenews.com — Chef Syrco Bakker is taking a more refined approach to his culinary philosophy in Bali, allowing the quality and character of local ingredients to speak for themselves.
Syrco BASÈ, the pioneering culinary hub in Ubud founded by Chef Syrco Bakker, has unveiled evolved tasting menus for KU culinary atelier, Syrco BASÈ Restaurant, and Syrco BASÈ Bar.
The new menus mark the latest chapter in the culinary journey of Syrco BASÈ, which opened in January 2024 and has since established itself as one of Indonesia’s leading dining destinations.
Chef Syrco, who previously served as Executive Chef at Pure C in the Netherlands from 2010 to 2023, led the restaurant to two Michelin stars.
The latest menu evolution continues to build on the principles that have shaped Syrco BASÈ since its opening, mainly Traceability, Nature, and Transparency.
After two and a half years of operating in Bali, the culinary team has developed a deeper understanding of the island’s ingredients, independent producers and local communities. That experience has encouraged the restaurant to place an even stronger emphasis on locally sourced products and the stories behind the people who produce them.
“These menus reflect our ongoing journey of discovering how we want to express ourselves through our food, our flavors, and the overall dining experience,” Chef Syrco says.
“When we opened, we were still discovering how we wanted to express Indonesia through our food,” he adds.
“Today, we understand our ingredients and the people behind them much better. That changes the way you cook.”
KU Culinary Atelier: A Deeper Journey into Bali’s Soul
At the heart of Syrco BASÈ is KU culinary atelier, the venue’s flagship and most intimate dining experience.
With only 12 seats, KU offers guests a close-up culinary journey in which the kitchen becomes part of the experience. The evolved menu consists of 11 dishes, each referred to as a “moment,” prepared and plated just steps away from guests in a slightly sunken kitchen.
The arrangement reduces the distance between chefs and diners while giving every guest an unobstructed view of the culinary process.
Chef Syrco leads KU together with Chef Dawid Koszykowsi, who originally comes from Poland and has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants before making his way to Bali.
Together, the chefs collaborate with the wider KU team, local producers and the Syrco BASÈ gardeners to develop a menu that reflects the best ingredients available during each season.
One of the dishes, Catch of Oka, highlights locally caught fish combined with algues and oyster. The fish comes from Oka, a fisherman from Jimbaran who maintains a direct relationship with the restaurant.
Rather than asking Oka for a particular type of fish, the kitchen works with whatever he catches.
Every morning, Oka sends photographs of his catch to the restaurant, allowing the kitchen team to decide how the day’s fish will be incorporated into the menu.
“Oka is a perfect example of what traceability means to us,” Chef Syrco says.
“We know him, we understand how he works, and we adapt to what he catches. That relationship is more interesting to us than demanding the same fish every day.”
Other moments on the KU journey include shrimp paired with marigold, tarragon and chicken.
Hamachi, the Japanese amberjack known for its rich and buttery texture, is combined with jambu air, a crisp and mildly sweet Southeast Asian rose apple, along with celery.
The Land & Garden course brings together tomatoes, Kintamani coffee and herbs from the garden.
Dessert then draws inspiration from two Indonesian classics, klepon and rujak, transformed through contemporary techniques and paired with a surprising sambal matah praline.
Each course is designed to connect Balinese and Indonesian culinary heritage with modern techniques while maintaining the identity of the ingredients.
A More Refined Expression at Syrco BASÈ Restaurant
At Syrco BASÈ Restaurant, the overall structure and foundation of the tasting menu remain familiar to returning guests.
The most significant changes can be found in the refinement of preparation, execution and expression.
Some dishes embrace simplicity and minimal intervention, while others require more extensive culinary techniques. Regardless of the approach, the intention remains the same: to allow the main ingredient to take center stage.
The experience begins with three opening bites.
Guests are introduced to a delicate tartelette, followed by shrimp tartare with shiso leaf and aromatic sambal merah. The dish is layered with the fragrances of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and torch ginger.
The third opening bite is a BBQ corn creation inspired by grilled corn traditionally found along Bali’s beaches. The dish balances the corn’s natural sweetness with tamarind acidity and a gentle touch of chili.
Guests then move into a series of shared starters.
Oka’s Catch, reflecting the same daily connection to Jimbaran’s waters found at KU, is served with algues and cucumber.
The oyster course brings fresh mollusks from Lombok together with fennel, calamansi and kemangi.
A tomato dish from the restaurant’s own PURE menu is followed by hamachi accompanied by root vegetables, vinaigrette, local rose apple and aloe vera.
The sharing table continues with crayfish from Nusa Dua served with vinegar and jus, as well as farm chicken paired with bumbu hitam, mushroom and salak.
The menu then moves to spiny lobster from Jimbaran, served with Japanese pumpkin in a chawanmushi preparation.
Every ingredient is chosen not only for its quality but also for its origin and traceability.
“Every ingredient is carefully selected for its quality, but also for its traceability, allowing us to celebrate the producers and artisans who make each dish possible,” Chef Syrco says.
Deeper in the Garden
The Syrco BASÈ garden is playing an increasingly important role in the restaurant’s culinary identity.
Coconuts, flowers, herbs and a wide variety of fruits are harvested directly from the property and incorporated into the kitchen’s preparations.
As the garden continues to mature, it is enabling the team to source more ingredients directly from the land surrounding the restaurant.
This strengthens the connection between the ingredients on the plate and the place from which they originate.
For Syrco BASÈ, the garden represents an extension of its philosophy of Nature and Traceability, while also creating opportunities for the kitchen to work more closely with seasonal ingredients.
The development of the garden is expected to further deepen the relationship between the restaurant, its land and the ingredients used in its menus.
Syrco BASÈ Bar Introduces a Refreshed Menu
The culinary evolution extends beyond the tasting menus. Syrco BASÈ Bar has also introduced its own refreshed menu, drawing inspiration from Indonesia’s diverse ingredients, local flavors and the spirit of shared dining and drinking that defines the space.
Among the highlights is a beef steak tartare served with focaccia and rendang sauce. Another featured dish is taro rosti, paired with ayam betutu and torch ginger.
The new offerings are designed to complement the relaxed and communal character of the bar while continuing the broader culinary philosophy of Syrco BASÈ.
Across KU culinary atelier, Syrco BASÈ Restaurant and Syrco BASÈ Bar, the goal remains consistent: to create dishes that reflect the quality of the ingredients while allowing their origins and stories to remain visible.
“The goal is for every dish to speak for itself, expressing both the quality of the product and the philosophy behind it,” Chef Syrco says.
Celebrating Indonesia Through Food
Syrco BASÈ was launched in January 2024 in Ubud, Bali, by two Michelin-starred chef Syrco Bakker together with a culturally diverse team of culinary professionals, sommeliers, mixologists, architects, artists and designers.
The establishment marked the first time a two Michelin-starred chef had established a restaurant in Indonesia.
At Syrco BASÈ, the culinary concept is deeply connected to the extraordinary produce, culinary traditions, artisans, farmers and fishers of the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chef Syrco’s own Indonesian roots.
The experience is guided by the principles of Traceability, Nature and Transparency, with an emphasis on understanding where ingredients come from and the people responsible for producing them.
Through continuous dialogue with producers and suppliers, Syrco BASÈ seeks to ensure that every stage of its supply chain is rooted in fairness, integrity and respect.
Since opening, the restaurant has received recognition both nationally and internationally.
Syrco BASÈ has been named among Bali’s 20 best restaurants by Traveller, received Gold distinction at the PRESTIGE Gourmet Awards Indonesia for two consecutive years, and was included in Tatler Dining Indonesia’s “20 Best Restaurants 2026.”
With its latest menu evolution, Syrco BASÈ is continuing to develop its expression of Indonesian cuisine, not simply by adding more techniques or ingredients, but by building deeper relationships with the land, producers and communities behind them.
In the hands of Chef Syrco Bakker and his team, Bali’s ingredients are given room to tell their own stories, one dish at a time. BWN-07
