🪸 Koral: Bali’s First Aquarium Restaurant | Bali eats
Before going to Bali in 2023, I made a booking at Koral: Bali’s First Aquarium Restaurant for one obvious reason, it was an aquarium dining experience, and no one in my family had ever been to one before, so I thought this would be the perfect occasion to book this experience and enjoy it together.
Located at the Apurva Kempinski Bali resort, Koral offers Asian-European dishes, wine pairings & degustation menus, where booking is required as it is always fully booked and busy! Upon arriving, a staff member is stationed near the entrance to check your reservation before taking you underground. This is to prevent people from entering the restaurant to purely take pictures and disrupting the diner's experience. When booking, you can book seats closest to the aquarium in the tunnel section, which comes at an extra cost, otherwise, you'll be seated where they have a table available.
My first impression was just in awe of how magical the place felt being immersed underwater, despite the restaurant space not being very large at all. You'll have a scuba diver who swims throughout the aquarium to entertain each diner while feeding the fish. We would also be allocated a specific time to take photos with the diver and his fishy friends!
The meal started with a welcome drink (blue), complimentary bread and a couple of entrees, which had a key focus on seafood. My brothers and I also ordered another cocktail to enjoy with our meal, where mine was a beautifully presented purple concoction, and from memory, the drink was tasty too.
The complimentary bread was divine! I had second and third servings of them! I can't remember each one of them, but they were all plated so intricately, and I remember the little ice cream cone entree was quite delicious, along with the crackers!
Then starting off with our first dish of the day, the Koral Carpaccio, which consisted of Barramundi marinated with Balinese flavours and topped with Kaviari caviar. It was a nice light dish to start the set course.
Next up was one of their signature dishes, their Fish Rice. The crispy coconut rice is stuffed with minced fish, tropical spice, black garlic and green kemangi coulis. It also had a hint of spiciness, which made this dish more appetising and not too heavy.
Next up was their Lobster which is grilled with chilli and garlic, topped with kaffir lime, parsley and mashed potatoes. The lobster portion was generous, and although I'm more of a crab person, I did enjoy the sweet lobster meat.
Next up was their wagyu beef, which was accompanied by foie gras and caviar on the side. The steak was cooked medium-rare, but did not look very well-marbled like a wagyu should look. It might have been that the specific cut they chose was on the leaner side, so the jus and foie gras were a must to enjoy the steak.
We finished the course with dessert, where there was a selection of different types available, including the popsicle cake, the mousse chocolate and Koral-shaped cheese wafer.
To make the experience even more special, they surprised us with a birthday cake that was meant for my mum, who couldn't make it to the trip. So I sent her a video and photo of the cake before we devoured the entire thing.
My experience at Koral was definitely a unique memory that I'll treasure, as I got to experience this with my brothers. The service at Koral was impeccable, where the staff were incredibly attentive and friendly, and each dish was plated and presented so beautifully with care.
Unfortunately, I wasn't drawn to each dish as I found some flavour combinations to be a mismatch or just not enough. Despite this, I did have a few favourites such as the complimentary breads, the little ice cream cone entree and crackers, as well as dessert. The lunch menu is a set menu starting IDR 888,000++ (AUD $85) per person for regular tables, which is relatively cheaper in comparison to the evening sessions for dinner.
Overall, this was a one-of-a-kind experience with an unmatched atmosphere, being fully immersed underwater and dining alongside the beautiful fish and sting rays. I would recommend booking the lunch sessions for a slightly cheaper price point, as you'll experience the exact same courses in the evening session too. From the stunning ambience to the beautifully and carefully crafted menu, every dish may not give you a sensational experience taste-wise, but it will surely keep your Instagram feed wanting more!
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