Sarah Douglas rides shotgun on the back of a blogger’s bike to sample up-and-coming Batu Bolong.
Carpaccio Piovra. Photo by Luck 8
A crisp glass of white wine is the perfect compliment to a bright sunny day and a plate of perfect pink slivers of roast beef dressed with a rucola salad and polished with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic dressing. The whirlwind that is Masha rocks up and dives into a refreshing glass of the locally produced Isola wine, a crisp Italian if ever there was one. She spots an octopus carpaccio on the menu and declares it refreshing and delightful with a bite of fresh fennel and a hint of pineapple.
Our host, Luigi, is the real deal and has cooked his way out of Italy via Paris and New York City before opening Zibiru in Jl Drupadi. There he creates much of what is on the new Bottega’s menu, from the fresh bakery items to the house-made salumi and pastas, the sauces and brilliant gourmet items that bring this menu into the sunshine, like the pressed octopus for the carpaccio, the 10-hour sous-vide beef for my salad and so much more. His mates in the Italian community are creating fresh, soft cheeses and the wine we enjoyed to bring a taste of authenticity to this little street-side gourmet eatery.
Intimate and industrial, Rosmarina brings a bright culinary light to the area that is filled with la dolce vita. Open for breakfast, lunch and soon for dinner, as well as catering for special events and take home meals, this chef looks very at home in Jl Batu Bolong, which he declares, “changes my mood, I feel more free here.”
