text by James Carys - image by Jan Dekker

Breeze at The Samaya has recently welcomed new Executive Chef Michael Shaheen to the team for summer 2008. Bringing a refreshingly honest approach to his cuisine in a part of Bali more commonly associated with flash rather than flavors, his new menu is a daring departure.

Born in New York, raised in Los Angeles and having worked with such luminaries as Wolfgang Puck, Michael has worked in a number of the biggest names on the west coast dining scene including Spago the power-dining destination for movie moguls and industry players - Morton's in West Hollywood and has had his fair share of celebrity encounters along the way. It was at Spago that Michael combined his talents with Wolfgang Puck and produced three Academy Awards Oscar parties working side by side with numerous guest chefs. In 1991, Shaheen became Executive Chef at Morton's Restaurant in West Hollywood, and then at Café Rodeo and Cicada, before re-uniting with Wolfgang Puck and Levy Restaurants to reinvent The Stadium Club at Dodger Stadium. Relocating to Santa Barbara to transform Eladio's Restaurant from a family/tourist style restaurant into a renowned 4-star fine dining destination in its own right.

After spending 4 years at Eladio's he then went on to work as Chef de Cuisine of the famous Bacara Resort and Spa also located in Santa Barbara before leaving on what was initially a planned culinary awareness trip to Southeast Asia. It was on his travels through China that Michael fell in love with the simplicity of life in the east, a stark contrast to the frantic pace of LA life and he returned home desiring to relocate permanently to the South East Asia region.

"It was quite by chance that I came to be here in Bali," confesses Michael. "I was on the Internet forums everyday back home looking for an opportunity in this part of the world. Eventually Heinz (Von Holzen of Bumbu Bali fame) introduced me to Ray the General Manager here at The Samaya. Not too long after that I was on a plane to Bali."

Having been afforded the opportunity to travel and study the cuisine and culture of China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore Michael is the perfect candidate to continue the concept of a light, spicy and distinctly unfussy menu at Breeze. Michael's dinner menu hosts such tempting inclusions as a Crispy Softshell Crab with green mango-papaya salad, Thai basil, nouc cham and shiso aioli appetizer and from the main course selection the Duo of Pork Asian Braised Belly with tamarind glaze and Malang apple-ginger compote and the Crisp Seared Opaka Paka with olive oil poached potatoes, fennel, cured olives and tomato confit broth (pictured).

The decking at Breeze remains unchanged, affording visitors to this part of Seminyak uninterrupted sunset views without the clamor and confusion of other beachfront venues nearby. With Michael's lean towards honest fare and his passion for discovering Asian flavors and cooking techniques we're all in for a breezy treat this 2008.