Syrco BASÈ, the pioneering culinary hub in Ubud founded by Chef Syrco Bakker, unveils evolved menus for KU culinary atelier, Syrco BASÈ Restaurant, and Syrco BASÈ Bar. Chef Syrco led Pure C in the Netherlands as Executive Chef from 2010 to 2023, earning the restaurant two Michelin stars. This launch marks the next step in the daring, diverse, and proudly Indonesian offerings that have anchored Syrco BASÈ since it opened in January 2024.
The new menus are an evolution of the philosophy that has guided Chef Syrco from the start: Traceability, Nature, and Transparency. After two and a half years, during which the venue has quickly become one of Indonesia’s leading dining destinations, the team has edged even closer to these values, placing a stronger emphasis on independent producers and locally sourced ingredients, and creating more space for the stories behind them to be told.
“These menus reflect our ongoing journey of discovering how we want to express ourselves through our food, our flavors, and the overall dining experience,” says Chef Syrco. “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
KU culinary atelier, led by Chef Syrco together with Chef Dawid Koszykowsi, is Syrco BASÈ’s flagship venue and most intimate setting with just 12 seats. There, the evolved menu’s 11 dishes, each known as a ‘moment,’ is prepared and plated just steps from the guest in a slightly sunken kitchen, closing the distance between chefs and diners, and giving every guest an optimum view of the culinary magic happening below.
Originally from Poland, Chef Dawid worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants before coming to Bali. Together, he and Chef Syrco work closely with the wider KU team, local producers, and the Syrco BASÈ gardeners to create a menu whose components reflect peak seasonality.
The journey layers ingredients rarely seen together, with four dishes capturing its range. Catch of Oka pairs locally caught fish with algues and oyster, sourced from Oka, a fisherman from Jimbaran. Each morning, he sends photos of his catch, and the kitchen chooses which fish to use, rather than requesting something specific. “Oka is a perfect example of what traceability means to us,” says Chef Syrco. “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.”The Shrimp moment arrives with marigold, tarragon, and chicken; Hamachi, Japanese amberjack prized for its rich, buttery texture, is paired with jambu air, Southeast Asia’s crisp, mildly sweet rose apple, and celery; and a Land & Garden course brings together tomatoes, Kintamani coffee, and garden herbs, before dessert brings together the Indonesian classics klepon and rujak with a surprising sambal matah praline, each moment tying Balinese heritage to contemporary technique.
A Refined Expression
At Syrco BASÈ Restaurant, the overall structure and foundation of the tasting menu remains familiar to returning guests, with the most significant evolution found in the refinement of preparation, execution, and expression. Some dishes embrace simplicity and minimal intervention; others call for extensive technique, but each is designed to let its main ingredient speak for itself.
The experience begins with three opening bites: a delicate tartelette; a shrimp tartare with shiso leaf and aromatic sambal merah, layered with the fragrance of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, and torch ginger; and a BBQ corn dish inspired by the grilled corn found along Bali’s beaches, balancing natural sweetness with tamarind acidity and a gentle touch of chili.
Guests then move into a series of shared starters. Oka’s Catch, the same daily connection to Jimbaran’s waters found at KU, arrives here with algues and cucumber. Oyster brings the freshest mollusks from Lombok together with fennel, calamansi, and kemangi. A tomato dish from the restaurant’s own PURE menu sits alongside hamachi with root vegetables, vinaigrette, local rose apple, and aloe vera. Crayfish from Nusa Dua with vinegar and jus and Farm Chicken with bumbu hitam, mushroom, and salak round out the sharing table, before the menu continues with spiny lobster from Jimbaran paired with Japanese pumpkin in a chawanmushi.
“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.”
Deeper in the Garden
The Syrco BASÈ garden continues to play an increasingly central role in the kitchen. Coconuts and a wide variety of flowers, herbs, and fruits are harvested directly on-site. As the garden matures, it enables the team to source more of the menu from the property itself, strengthening the connection between what’s on the plate and the land it comes from.
Alongside the new tasting menus, Syrco BASÈ Bar also introduces its own refreshed menu, drawing on Indonesia’s diverse ingredients, local flavors, and the spirit of shared dining and drinking that defines the space. Highlights include a beef steak tartare paired with focaccia and rendang sauce, and a taro rosti served with ayam betutu and torch ginger.
“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.
