How have food & beverage industry trends in 2022 impacted the art of dining at Tanah Gajah, Ubud?

This month we’ve taken the time to look back at global predictions for Food & Beverage industry in 2022. Below, we are delighted to share a few industry trends from this year, which we have noted, and how The Tempayan has adapted to them:

1. Menu Selections Will Shrink

After a couple of years living through the COVID-19 pandemic, where we saw every day was full of uncertainty, we are now faced with new kinds of uncertainty for the future.

In recent months we have learnt about the dramatic change in the world’s climate (eg. Europe experiencing serious drought, heatwaves and furious bushfires; heavy rainfalls in Korea and Australia, and the list goes on). Combined with the ongoing war as well as the scarcity of supply chains, the world is experiencing escalating prices of produce which has forced chefs to reduce the restaurants’ menu selections and take a creative approach to minimise food waste. In order to be able to serve delicious premium dishes without too many choices, restaurants work together with local farmers and emphasize local and seasonal produce which can be obtained in its freshest state.

2. Food Will Be More Personal

In 2022 we started to see more and more chefs reconnecting with their culture, background and history through the food they create. Executive Chef Dean has been reminiscing about the Laksa noodles recipe, which he learnt from his late mother in his hometown in Singapore, along with authentic Singaporean Hainanese chicken rice. Chef Dean has brought these two precious memories of home and his late mother to life through a special dining experience ‘A Taste of Singapore’ which is only available with an advance reservation.

3. Comfort Food Is Sticking Around

Even when fine dining culture is on the rise, the demand for comfort food still remains high amongst our guests. Given that communities have recently dealt with hardships and times of stress, comfort food helps bridge the divide between consumers today and what reminds them of better times. The most beloved comfort food at The Tempayan are: our pasta dishes, Laksa soup, Indonesian Mie and Nasi Goreng, as well as our breakfast congee and pancake.





 

4. Amplified Dining Experiences

Accelerated by the pandemic, consumers are hungry for new food and beverage experiences. Travelling is no longer about going to all the popular tourist spots of a destination. It’s about looking for more unique experiences.

In a recent piece in The New York Times, it stated: “Travel is no longer just about ‘going somewhere,’” said Christie Hudson, a senior public relations manager for Expedia. “Coming out of such a long period of constraints and limitations, 2022 will be the year we wring every bit of richness and meaning out of our experiences.”

Tanah Gajah is here to pamper its guests with one-of-a-kind and culturally rich experiences. As an example, the omakase dinner experience allows guests to connect, share and exchange knowledge as well as culture with Chef Dean. The experience is enhanced with a delicious five-course meal, in a beautifully-designed restaurant inspired by Balinese style pavilions, Wantilan, that are the gathering place at the heart of a village. The fact that guests are able to experience all that, with a surrounding view of acres of rice paddy fields is indeed a luxury and definitely an amplified dining experience.







 

5. Outdoor Private Dining

Based on an interview between NPR - an independent, non-profit media organization and Dr. Rick Potts - Scientist; Director, Human Origins Program, Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington USA, humans are the most adaptable species on Earth. Unlike most other living things, throughout history humans can live in rainforests, deserts, high mountains, even on ice. People have adapted outdoor private dining by building small yurts, and bubbles in outdoor restaurants to keep people safe by minimizing the amount of space that they share with other restaurant guests.

At the same time, we experience more requests for private dining. The 20 villas spread across six hectares of land give an impression to our guests that the entire estate is private as they hardly see other guests when staying at the property. Hence, almost anywhere in the property can be set up as a private dining venue for hotel guests. Guests can also enjoy local Balinese cuisine at Dua Dari, a Residence by Hadiprana with a backdrop of Ubud rainforest. The sister property is just ten minutes away from the resort. 





 

6. Community Hub

With the new culture of work-from-home or work-from-café, restaurants are no longer a place simply for dining. Consumers come to restaurants to have meetings, as well as to spend some time alone to work on their projects. The Tempayan is designed with two air-conditioned and comfortable private dining areas, equipped with a TV screen which can be used for a meeting session, conference call or simply as a private dining room for a small group of people.





 

7. Well, Well, Wellness

A focus on healthy living is back due to the pandemic and the trend has carried on throughout 2022. ‘Functional Food’ or immune boosting food that has a positive impact on guests’ physical and mental health are currently in high demand. Indonesia is blessed with easy access to some of the world’s most popular ‘superfoods’ such as turmeric, garlic, moringa, avocado, and ginger, which have been a part of the daily staple of Balinese and the rest of Indonesians. Our sister property, Dua Dari, a Residence by Hadiprana, specializes in authentic Balinese cuisine made with immune-boosting ingredients. At Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana we believe that healthy food should be tailor-made to each guest’s requirements and nutritional needs. Therefore instead of designing a healthy menu, Executive Chef Dean is more than happy to design a meal plan which guests can enjoy throughout their stay for anyone who has special requirements or dietary requirements.
https://travelandleisureasia.com/tanah-gajah-bali-resort-review/



 

8. Chefs Collaborations

In 2021 and 2022 we have seen more and more chefs join forces and host collaborative dinners with enticing tasting menus that combine two or more chefs’ unique styles. Chef collaborations work very well as there are countless guests craving social interactions and, just like artists, chefs are constantly longing and hungry to showcase their creativity.

By doing these collaborations, we are also able to reach double the audience a solo chef would. Tanah Gajah has hosted one collaboration dinner with one of Bali’s most renowned chefs, Chris Salans, from the legendary fine dining restaurant in Ubud, Mozaic. It was a successful event where guests had the opportunity to enjoy a five-course dinner at Panen Padi Lounge, the former house of Mr Hendra Hadiprana, founder of Tanah Gajah Ubud.







 
 
Sources:
https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/party-planning-services
https://www.lightspeedhq.co.uk/blog/top-restaurant-trends/
https://www.kalsec.com/food-trends-2022/?utm_content=194934292&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-3188870570
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/travel/trends-spring-2022.html
https://www.cuboh.com/blog/food-trends
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12344547#:~:text=Human%20History%20Shows%20a%20Gift%20for%20Adaptability%20Climate%20change%20isn,most%20adaptable%20species%20on%20Earth.