Ships once sailed months in search of the spices that grew exclusively in the far reaches of the Indo-Pacific. Nutmeg was once more costly than gold and European nations battled over control of tiny islands lost in the south Pacific. Today these spices are staples in kitchens across the region and the world – affording dishes fragrant, heady flavours redolent of the tropics.
Across our kitchens in Bali, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, our talented chefs build vegetarian menus on this rich cargo – turmeric, lemongrass, coconut, chilli, cumin, saffron and more – proof that vegetables can absolutely play the main character in any meal.
In Bali, the spice trail runs from fine dining to village kitchens: sweet pea ravioli and celeriac risotto with pecorino and hazelnuts at di Mare, Karma Kandara, sit alongside Gado Gado – blanched vegetables, fried tofu and tempeh (fermented soybean cake) in peanut sauce – at Karma Royal Sanur; jukut urab, a Balinese salad of steamed vegetables in grated coconut, with tempeh satay (skewered, grilled tempeh) at Karma Royal Jimbaran; a red chilli coconut bumbu (a Balinese spice paste) at Karma Royal Candidasa; and a Balinese yellow spice tempeh curry at Karma Jimbaran.
Vietnam brings its own quiet warmth. At Karma Song Hoai, mushrooms braise in a soy-based clay pot sauce scented with garlic and black pepper, served alongside steamed rice fragrant with lotus seeds and seasonal vegetables – comfort food, done properly.
At Karma Two Palms Beach in Koh Samui, fried tofu and cashew nuts arrive nested in crisp golden taro – a starchy tropical root vegetable – a playful, textural dish that earns its place on any table, vegetarian or not.
Cambodia closes the trail at Karma Bayon, where samosas – spiced pastries filled with potato and peas – meet Vegetable Amok, Cambodia’s national dish reimagined with broccoli, tofu, mushroom and noni leaf (a slightly bitter tropical leaf), simmered in lemongrass, turmeric and kaffir lime paste, served in banana leaf.
Wherever you choose to visit among our Southeast Asia properties, a world of incredible vegetarian flavours is waiting to be discovered.
