About Spice by Chris Salans
Chris Salans opened Mozaic in Ubud in 2001 and put Indonesian fine dining on the global map — Asia's 50 Best, Relais & Châteaux, James Beard guest-chef appearances. Spice, his more contemporary follow-up, opened in 2017 and pushes Indonesian ingredients into a sharper modernist register: precise plating, fewer courses, the kitchen as an open performance space.
The eight-course tasting menu changes monthly and travels across the archipelago — a Sumatran-coffee-rubbed lamb, a Sulawesi-spice-cured tuna, a Lombok-vanilla-and-cocoa dessert. Salans's signature is restraint; courses are small but layered, often built around a single Indonesian spice or fermentation that gets dissected across two or three plates.
It is a restaurant for the curious diner — every course comes with a brief origin note from the chef or his sommelier, and the kitchen is happy to walk through technique for guests who ask. The wine list is one of the strongest in Ubud, with a particular focus on natural French and German whites that pair well with high-spice cooking.
Bookings via the Spice website three weeks ahead. Two seatings, Tuesday through Saturday, no Sunday service. Lunch is the best-value option — a four-course menu at half the dinner price. Dress smart; the room is intimate (twenty-four covers) and most diners arrive in evening wear.
Best Occasion Fit
When the visiting client wants 'something distinctly Indonesian' but means 'and absolutely world-class', Spice is the answer. The food signals craft, the cellar signals seriousness, and Salans himself frequently works the room — a credential that rarely fails to land.
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