I went to Bali. But not to pose for photographs in flowing dresses among the rice terraces, practice yoga or indulge in a tropical holiday.
I went to spend three days with chefs whose names, I believe, we will be hearing far more frequently on the international gastronomic stage in the years ahead.
Even I hadn’t anticipated just how remarkable the experience would be. We ventured into forests in search of wild ingredients, explored research laboratories and discovered how local produce could be transformed into entirely unexpected flavors. What surprised me most, however, was that none of this was taking place in the back kitchen of a restaurant, but within an extraordinary gastronomic complex rising amid Bali’s rice fields. Its name is Locavore NXT. And I believe it is destined to become one of the most talked-about destinations in global gastronomy.
The story began in 2013, when Dutch chef Eelke Plasmeijer and his Indonesian partner Ray Adriansyah opened Locavore in Ubud. Their innovative approach to local ingredients quickly attracted international attention. Yet their ambition was never simply to open a bigger restaurant. They wanted to create a place where they could investigate ingredients, develop new techniques and deepen their relationships with nature and local producers. Locavore NXT, which opened in December 2023, is the realization of that vision.
Spread across approximately 6,000 square meters, the complex encompasses a restaurant, research kitchens, fermentation laboratories, a mushroom cultivation chamber, beverage development facilities, a biodiversity archive, a rooftop edible forest, waste-processing systems and even accommodation cabins. Across its three floors are more than 30 spaces serving different functions. Walking through the building feels less like visiting a restaurant and more like exploring an institute dedicated to the future of gastronomy.
Behind a project of this ambition lies an equally significant investment vision. Koman Wahyu Suteja, owner of Komaneka Resorts, one of Bali’s established boutique hospitality groups, is among Locavore’s investors. Together with his wife, architect Mansri Trisniawati, he has spent years developing projects that bring together art, architecture and hospitality. Koman’s father founded the Neka Art Museum, one of Bali’s important cultural institutions. What emerges here, therefore, is an approach to investment that goes beyond gastronomy, embracing creativity and a long-term commitment to cultural development.
The laboratories were among the spaces that impressed me most. At LabX, the research and development kitchen, the unexplored potential of local ingredients is investigated. The fermentation facilities are devoted to developing koji, miso-style condiments and new flavor profiles. Different varieties of mushrooms are cultivated in controlled environments, while the beverage laboratory creates original pairings using local botanicals and fermentation techniques. The objective is not simply to produce surprising dishes, but to redefine the possibilities of each ingredient.
One of the clearest expressions of this philosophy can be found in their newly developed The Source 2.0 menu. The 14-course tasting experience, the result of six months of research, explores the potential of almost every part of the banana plant. Its roots, stem, flower, peel and fruit are each treated using different techniques. Another dish brings together 15 varieties of legumes, combining fermented sprouts, miso cream and a savory ice cream made from broad bean pods. Their dairy-free cheeses are equally intriguing. They create a feta-style cheese from soybeans and a blue cheese-like preparation from noni, a tropical fruit with a particularly distinctive character. The menu excludes imported ingredients, wheat and dairy products. Here, creativity means exploring what becomes possible when familiar ingredients are replaced by unexpected alternatives.
One of the most memorable experiences of my three-day visit was foraging with the chefs. As we walked through the forest, we discussed how seemingly ordinary leaves, roots and fruits could acquire remarkable gastronomic value. Knowledge of plants, passed down through generations within local communities, meets the scientific curiosity of the chefs. Afterwards, the way you look at the dishes changes. You no longer see just an ingredient, but the landscape in which it grows, the cultural memory it carries and the human effort behind it.
This philosophy extends far beyond the kitchen. Indigenous plants are cultivated in the rooftop garden, organic waste is repurposed and biological wastewater treatment systems are incorporated into the operation. Nor do they attempt to produce everything themselves. They deliberately maintain close relationships with farmers, foragers and local producers. The aim is not to make nature serve the restaurant, but to make the restaurant an integral part of its surrounding ecosystem.
In Copenhagen, Noma transformed the direction of contemporary gastronomy through foraging and fermentation research. In Peru, Virgilio Martínez’s Mater Iniciativa placed biodiversity and cultural heritage at the heart of gastronomic exploration. In Bali, Locavore NXT is developing a different model, bringing research, production, architecture, the guest experience and waste management together within a single physical ecosystem.
Until now, we have largely judged the success of great restaurants by the creativity of their chefs, the precision of their dishes and the quality of their service. Locavore NXT raises a different question. Should a restaurant be judged not only by how well it cooks, but also by the knowledge it generates, its relationship with nature and the legacy it leaves behind?
At just under 3 years old, the project received the Sustainable Restaurant Award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2025 and was ranked No. 44 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2026. Yet, I believe its greatest achievement lies not in its accolades, but in the way it challenges the very boundaries of what a restaurant can be. I am convinced that Bali, and Locavore NXT in particular, will have an important place in the next great chapter of global gastronomy.
