Food to get you in the mood

During my weekend stay in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, I ordered a roast beef salad at the resort restaurant. It's just another roast beef salad but it got me quickly in a holiday mood because everything about it was right. Colour, texture, freshness, flavours coming together. Whoever made this dish did not treat it as "just another salad". He took pain and care and I noticed and appreciated and loved. I could stare at my own pictures forever.

Beef strung on a lemongrass with freshly pound chillies dripping down my waiting fingers. Heaven.

It seemed the greens on my table conspired with the natural forest I was staring out into (one of the few remaining in Indonesia, may I add) to make my holiday one of pure culinary pleasures. Speaking of which, I am having my dinner at Mozaic tonight, rated one of Asia's top 5 restaurants for 3 consecutive years. I can't wait to be culinarily-educated and palate-trained by Chef Chris Salans.