The night that swallowed me before I could even take a picture — Bali NXT Experience Diary ①

Whenever I walk into a restaurant, I take a photo first, no matter what. When the food arrives, instead of eating right away, I search for the right angle of light and hold up my smartphone. That kind of habit has, before I knew it, become ingrained in my very body. But that night was different. Before I realized it, I hardly took any photos at all. Was it because it was dark? No, that wasn't it... It was because I was overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the space and the arrangement of the lighting, and I found myself immersed in the explanation and flavor of each and every dish. Before even taking a picture, I had been completely swallowed up by the restaurant experience itself. The name of the place is NXT. A slightly special restaurant located on the island of Bali. To be honest, the price is not cheap. But I had a feeling there might be an experience here that you can only have in this place, so my husband and I decided on it right away. A bit of a splurge. But it was a night we had been looking forward to. Even though the place is located a little bit inside, off a local street, it's designed so that the atmosphere keeps changing more and more as you go.

From the lively, bustling Bali of just moments ago, everything shifted to silence. Along a little path that felt as if it led into another world — in Japanese terms, it was like… Kamakura? Kyoto? It was a little reminiscent of that feeling of walking deep into a bamboo grove. The moss-covered black stone walls towered high, but when I lifted my gaze upward, the trees swayed and the sky opened out wide.

Before long, a calm, deep-green cabin came into view. Cats, which we hadn't seen much of on the roads of Bali, were relaxing and taking their ease.

As we went further inside, a massive concrete building resembling an art museum came into view. A space that felt like contemporary art.

Once inside, the space felt less like a restaurant and more like a hotel lounge, and beyond the glass, the rice paddies stretched far into the distance.

The evening light slowly blends into night. This is truly Bali

And with the very first appetizer, we were already won over. Eight kinds of nibbles arranged like a puzzle. The vessels—or rather the stands—lined up like the pieces of a tile game. What might this taste like? we wondered as we brought each one to our lips. And then we checked our answers against the little bean-sized book we were handed.

The dish my husband was most surprised by was one that looked like white-mold cheese. It's cheese, but this — it's cheese made from cashew nuts. "Wait, this is?" we said, looking at each other in surprise. I took a bite, thought it over, and turned the page.

You might think, "Isn't it exhausting, like a quiz?" But it's fun. That moment when your expectations are overturned is simply irresistible. And once you've finished the appetizer, you move. This restaurant doesn't keep you at your table. When you finish eating, you're guided to the next place. Beyond a large revolving door, big art objects are lined up, set up for appreciating art.

I was wondering where we'd go next, and — of all places — underground. Wait, there are stairs here? And no handrail either? A little scary. But the excitement wins out. The basement was like a factory of fungi.

Cultivated mushrooms. An ingredient encyclopedia on the digital signage. Where they come from, how they are made, and how they are processed—it's all made visible. For a library lover like me, it was an irresistible space. I could stay here forever. Downstairs, I had two dishes while standing. One was mushrooms in a thick starchy sauce.

The explanation was something like… it had a rich, bold seasoning, and it also contained koji (malted rice), I believe. I was so excited that my memory is a little hazy. And I don't understand English perfectly either… But the one thing I clearly remember is the second dish. Teriyaki-style skewers.

I thought what was skewered on the twig was meat…… clad in the savory aroma of charcoal grilling, with a sweet glaze, the texture was surely meat… but its true identity was okara (soy pulp). Wait a minute. Okara — that okara, right? Down in the basement, I want to scream. Okara can turn out like this~~? This restaurant might be less "a place that pursues the ultimate taste through advanced technique" and more a device that lets you experience the very philosophy of food itself. Still buzzing with excitement, I headed up to the floor above. We were served two dishes: a soup made with beautiful Asian fruits and the like, and a dish of coconut prepared like sashimi, topped with seaweed and a coconut-flower sauce. I'm simply enchanted.

Just when you think a leisurely, full-fledged course is about to begin here, you're led outside, into the garden. In the end, once again, you return to the main dining room. Four spaces in three hours. But that story is for next time. Guided to the herb garden, that time I experienced before the meal even began — I'll set it down in writing once more. ▶ The Garden Is the Prelude to the Meal — Bali NXT Journal ② The Garden Is the Prelude to the Meal — Bali NXT Journal ② ＊This time I visited "NXT" in Ubud, Bali. 　By the way, the official site is https://locavorenxt.com Relocation Living Ranking