Dava “Reinventing” Itself with New Chef de Cuisine John Nash

HONG KONG - 16 February 2011 – Dava restaurant, the signature dining venue at AYANA Resort and Spa Bali, has "reinvented" itself as an "innovative steak and seafood restaurant by John Nash" following the appointment of the new Chef de Cuisine.

Previously based in Doha, Qatar, where he was Chef de Cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton's La Mer fine dining French restaurant, John said he was inspired to join AYANA because of the resort's successful rebranding and the opportunity for creative freedom at Dava.

"Bali already has a multitude of fantastic restaurants specializing in various cuisines, and I wanted to do something completely different," said the American, who has worked in several Michelin-star restaurants in Japan. "My menu draws on the concept of a classic steakhouse offering the six best cuts of meats paired with the guest's choice of gourmet sauces and sides. But we've taken it upscale with a modern twist, featuring seafood dishes, small touches of molecular gastronomy in the mushroom gelee and horseradish espuma for example, use of local flavors and ingredients, and a larger selection of meats than a traditional steakhouse."

All meats and seafood are prepared using the sous-vide (French for 'under vacuum') technique preferred by the world's best chefs – perhaps most famously, Paul Bocuse, Michael Mina and Joel Robuchon. Sous-vide maintains the integrity of the ingredients and ensures even, slow cooking for full flavor, by sealing the meat or seafood in an airtight plastic bag in a water bath and cooking it at low temperatures for many hours. At Dava, the Braised Short Ribs are cooked for more than 24 hours, while the Angus Beef Fillet is cooked for two hours.

John has also created a new Tasting Menu for more adventurous guests, offering the choice of 3, 4 or 5 courses. "This is my play area, where I get to do the really fun things," said John, who first got into cooking while working at a ski resort. Then 17, he was on banquet set-up, but decided he "wanted to wear a tall, white hat. Now I never wear a hat, it falls off going in and out of coolers and is very inconvenient."

Highlights of John's new menu are:
Bedugul pumpkin pudding
roasted prawn, cured duck, raw apple, coconut foam
Pan seared foie gras, apple parcels, salted cashew nuts, spicy mango

Braised beef short ribs, pineapple, galangal, asparagus

Angus beef rib eye 300 days grain fed, cauliflower, tomato, parsley

Black cod marinated in soy and honey, baby bok choy, coco beans

Choice of sauce: coconut chili sauce / yuzu vanilla butter / mustard emulsion /spicy lime tomato espuma

Choice of sides: potato puree / purple potato dumplings, onion bacon foam / Balinese rice


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About AYANA Resort and Spa
Named after a ‘place of refuge’ in Sanskrit, AYANA is perched on limestone cliffs up to 30 meters above the Indian Ocean near Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s south-western peninsula. The 77-hectare property enjoys majestic views and a secluded location across its 1.3 kilometer coastline, yet is just 15 minutes from Bali’s airport. The 368 guestrooms comprise 78 private pool villas and a 290-room hotel.

Resort highlights include the 22,000sqm Thermes Marins Thalasso spa with one of the world’s largest Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pools and the Spa on the Rocks villas set amidst the Indian Ocean. There are five purpose-built wedding venues; the avant-garde Champa Garden for grand-scale events; four freshwater swimming pools including a children’s pool; a salt-water, infinity-edged Ocean Beach Pool at the cliff’s base, accessed via an inclinator; 13 dining venues; 18-hole golf putting course; tennis pavilion; jogging/cycling path; fitness center; children’s center; boutiques; comprehensive meeting facilities and business center; and resort-wide WIFI.

About The West Paces Hotel Group
The West Paces Hotel Group based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. was founded in 2002 by Horst Schulze along with several former Ritz-Carlton executives. The principals of the company leverage unparalleled hospitality experience and a diverse track record of operating world-class hotels and resorts to create value through superior service at luxury, world-class properties and conference centers in gateway cities and high-profile resort destinations around the world. West Paces has successfully launched two hotel brands, Capella and Solis, and has dozens of independent brands under its management. Co-Chairman and Founder Horst Schulze has helped reshape concepts of luxury service throughout the hospitality and service industries. As chairman of West Paces Hotel Group, he has created the unparalleled Canon service standards introduced at AYANA. For more information, visit www.westpaceshotels.com.






For interviews/photos, contact:
Dorothy Fung / Alice Li
Impact Asia (HK) Limited
dorothy@impactasia.com/aliceli@impactasia.com
Telephone: +852 2521 1498
Marian Hinchliffe
Director of Public Relations
AYANA Resort and Spa
marian@ayanaresort.com
Telephone: +62 361 702 222