Dining - Hotel Tugu Bali

In Tugu Bali where your heart leads you is where you dine day and night. For the extravagant and flamboyant, there is the red 300-years old Kang Xi period temple. For the authentic and traditional, there is the Majapahit era-Waroeng Djawa kitchen, which serves the best Javanese and Balinese food in the island. For the pure romantic, there is everywhere else. From a lotus pond pavilion to a private beach BBQ under the stars, in Tugu Bali, a table for two is a table for two.

Java - approximately five hundred years ago

Hayam Wuruk, the ruler of the Javanese Hindu Empire of Majapahit, inherited the throne at the age of 16, when the great Patih (prime minister) Gajah Mada was at the height of his power. Under his reign, Majapahit extended its supremacy throughout the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.

Among this assemblage of ex-Majapahit regime were high-ranked ministers, palace artists, and Brahmana priests – one of whom was Sang Hyang Dwijendra, a priest highly-respected for his potent magical power. Sang Hyang Dwijendra landed on the beach of Canggu – the current location of Hotel Tugu Bali. The story of how, with his magical curing powers, brahmana Sang Hyang Dwijendra and his three-level stone bowl of holy water (currently housed in Hotel Tugu Bali) healed villagers in his way from the Tirta Empul Batu Bolong (on Canggu Beach) up to Tirta Empul Tampak Siring, was recorded in lontar palm leaves (papyrus) and other written sources from that period.

The TUGUDOM dining tells the story of the grand dining ceremony of the royal expeditions of King Hayam Wuruk of the Majapahit Kingdom through the vast country including Bali. The Majapahit royal entourage traveled on foot, with buffalo-drawn carts, horses and elephants, from the eastern region of Java to Bali, stopping at temples, markets, villages, and ‘tugus’ (the symbolizing monuments of the God of Çiwa). The stories of these expeditions were documented by Mpu Prapanca in the literature Negara Krtagama found in the Palace of Karangasem in Cakranegara in Lombok Island in 1894, one day before it was attacked by the Dutch soldiers.

The TUGUDOM is a majestic, theatrical dining brought back to life by the Tugu Hotels, illustrating the royal parades of the King of Majapahit and his entourage, decorated in exotic leaves and frangipanis, carrying a vast, lavish selection of imperial dishes of the Majapahit Palace as well as cuisine served by the humble citizens of the coastal villages as well as the villages of the hinterlands visited during these expeditions. In line with our mission, Hotel Tugu Bali herewith humbly brings back to existence another romantic piece of Indonesia’s rich but forgotten history and culture.

Bale Sutra (the Palace of Harmony)

Extravagant dining in a red 18th century Kang Xi period temple built in Indonesia. This temple is a symbol of harmony between ancient Balinese and ancient Chinese Peranakan cultures. Bale Sutra presents Oriental-influenced cuisine based on the Babah Peranakan culture in Indonesia.

Wantilan Agung

Surrounded by the extraordinary ceilings and unique architecture of the ancient village of Bayung Gede, Tugu Bali presents the Balinese Megibung dining in the Wantilan Agung, a rare experience that only exists in the secluded village of Bayung Gede.

Bale Puputan

This 19th century meeting & dining chamber is decorated with antiques of venerable Balinese royalty, some from 19th century and some related to the Puputan Wars. This room commemorates all Balinese heroes who sacrificed their lives during the “Battle to the Last Man”, Puputan of Badung 1906 and Puputan of Klungkung 1908. The famous Grand Rijsttafel is served here by a parade of 12 waiters, true to the tradition created during the Dutch Colonial times in Indonesia.

Waroeng Tugu

A very humble traditional Javanese and Balinese street side kitchen and eatery from the end of the Majapahit period 500 years ago to early 1920s in Java and Bali, serving what’s said by many as the best Javanese and Balinese food not only in the island but in Indonesia.

Romantic Dining

Intimate seafood BBQ at the beach and under the stars, tête-à-tête lotus pond, private poolside dinner, and everywhere else where you wish, surrounded by candles and torches.

Garuda Megibung

Exotic event of ancient Balinese dining, usually made for family gatherings when they hold a meeting or a function. In Garuda Megibung, chair-less sitting arrangements are done from the north-end of the table, starting with the oldest member and ending with the youngest member at the other end of the long table. Each member should wear traditional Balinese clothing. However, currently this way of dining can only be found in few secluded villages in Bali.

Beach BBQ

The dramatic long sandy beach of Canggu , the fierce of the waves on one side and the wild rice paddies of the other, dark sand on the floor and only the lights from the moon and the stars above: this is the simple and natural setting for a seafood BBQ dinner on the beach.