Perched above the Indian Ocean at Jumeirah Bali, Akasa Restaurant & Bar has introduced a new collection of signature dishes by Head Chef Mauricio Higa, offering a fresh expression of the restaurant’s flame-grilled cuisine and Asian influences. The new menu reflects Higa’s personal culinary journey, bringing together Japanese heritage, Argentine upbringing and an appreciation for open-fire cooking.
Born and raised in Argentina within a Japanese family, Chef Mauricio developed a culinary perspective shaped by two distinct traditions. His cooking combines the precision and ingredient-led approach associated with Japanese cuisine with the open-fire traditions of Argentina, while his career with Jumeirah in Dubai and the Maldives has further expanded his repertoire. Now in Bali, local ingredients, culinary traditions and the island’s close connection to nature add another dimension to his cooking.
At the heart of the new collection is Akasa’s signature relationship with fire. Wagyu Picaña takes centre stage, drawing from the traditions of Argentine asado and served with Asian herb chimichurri, garlic chips and lime. Huancaína Octopus follows a slow-cooked octopus finished over the grill, accompanied by eggplant escabeche, Peruvian ají amarillo and fresca sauce. Together, the dishes demonstrate Higa’s ability to bring South American flavours into dialogue with Asian ingredients and techniques.
The menu then shifts towards lighter preparations. Maguro Tartar combines Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna with shoyuzuke egg yolk, Avruga caviar and a crisp katsuobushi cracker, balancing freshness with savoury depth. Seabream Tataki, meanwhile, showcases locally sourced wild seabream prepared using kombujime and tataki techniques, with Balinese tangerine, shallot, jalapeño and coriander oil providing a bright, aromatic finish.
For richer expressions, Atlantic Black Cod is marinated in den miso and paired with pickled fennel, chukka wakame and yuzu-miso sauce. Chicken “A La Brasa” draws on Peruvian flavours through adobo, pineapple chutney and crisp yuca sticks, while Australian Lamb Chops and Asian Wagyu Beef Cheek extend the collection with further flame-grilled preparations.
More than a collection of new dishes, the menu offers a glimpse into Chef Mauricio’s culinary story. Japanese, Argentine, Peruvian and wider Asian influences meet through carefully selected ingredients, considered flavour combinations and techniques centred around fire. In Bali, this multicultural approach is further shaped by the island’s produce and culinary landscape.
The setting adds another layer to the experience. Located on the cliffs of Uluwatu, Akasa looks out across the Indian Ocean and offers an evening that can begin with lunch, move into sunset drinks and continue through dinner, making the restaurant as much about its coastal setting as its food.
The restaurant’s broader menu centres on flame-grilled cuisine with Asian influences, complemented by Nusantara-inspired cocktails and wines. At Jumeirah Bali, the contemporary clifftop setting brings together the resort’s panoramic ocean views with a dining experience rooted in fire, flavour and carefully selected ingredients.
With Chef Mauricio Higa’s new signatures, Akasa presents a cuisine that travels across continents while finding a distinct sense of place in Uluwatu, where Japanese precision, Argentine fire and Bali’s abundant ingredients meet above the Indian Ocean.
For more information and reservations, visit jumeirah.com.
