Santanera Bali celebrates its fourth anniversary this month with The Wild Harvest, a one-night-only dinner that captures the restaurant’s enduring philosophy of flavor, community, and sustainability. Since opening in 2021, the Uluwatu-based restaurant has become known for its Latin American flair expressed through the produce, spirit, and people of Indonesia.
Led by Bogotá-born Chef Andrés Becerra, The Wild Harvest represents both a milestone and a reflection of the restaurant’s evolution—a celebration of the land’s abundance and the collective effort that sustains it. “I’ve never been interested in following trends,” says Chef Andrés. “For me, it’s about flavor, hospitality, and constantly challenging myself to tell a story with the ingredients in front of me. The Wild Harvest is about letting those ingredients that are grown and loved here speak for themselves.”
A Collaborative Feast
For this special evening, Chef Andrés is joined by guest chefs Aditya Muskita (Esa, Jakarta), John Becker (Jono’s), and Selvina Lim (Lenny’s), each contributing their interpretation of the theme “harvest.” Together, they present a menu that bridges Latin American techniques with Indonesian flavors, showcasing the culinary dialogues that define Santanera’s kitchen.
The journey begins with roti made from “odading” dough, topped with suero costeño, fermented gooseberries, and cured duck sausage — a dish that blurs borders between tradition and experimentation. It continues with ceviche dressed in rujak kuah pindang, where Colombian acidity meets the bold, smoky tang of Indonesian spices. Each course unfolds with ingredient-driven creations that trace the island’s bounty, culminating in Selvina’s dessert — a tropical composition of guava, tangy fruit, and airy textures that reflect Bali’s vibrancy.
From Soil to Flame to Plate
Beyond the anniversary celebration, The Wild Harvest reinforces Santanera’s ongoing efforts to practice sustainability through collaboration and closed-loop systems. “Bali is changing quickly,” says co-founder Gabriel Steinberger. “If we are part of its growth, we also have to take ownership in caring for the land and the people. Sustainability must be structural, not symbolic — and we want to create an impact that is real, not just aspirational, as long as it’s within our capabilities.”
The restaurant partners with ACS Bali Foundation and Island Organics to minimize waste and restore the local ecosystem. Kitchen byproducts are converted into maggot feed, later transformed into compost that enriches the soil — a process that feeds back into the farms supplying Santanera’s kitchen.
A Movement Beyond the Plate
Four years on, Santanera stands not only as a restaurant but as a community rooted in shared growth. The Wild Harvest encapsulates this ethos — a celebration of flavor and responsibility that begins in the soil, finds life over flame, and returns again to the earth.
In the words of Chef Andrés, Santanera’s story is one of crossed roots and continuing evolution: “Food tastes better when the whole community has a hand in it.”
Santanera Bali
Jl. Tanah Barak No.55-57, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80351
