DALUT - The Lincoln Park Craft District welcomed its new restaurant Wednesday with the opening of Bali Asian Cuisine.
Owner and chef Navi Mariadi says he hopes to share his heritage by bringing authentic Indonesian food to Northland.
"I'm very grateful and lucky to have a community that supports me so much," Mariadi said. “I couldn't believe the response I got to my two soft starts this weekend. "I didn't expect such a warm welcome from Duluth."
Bali Asian Cuisine is located at 1931 W. Superior St. in addition to the Spice & Tea Exchange. Building, Store 500 E. 10th St.
Full-service restaurant with seating for 85, six tables for seasonal outdoor seating and street parking. Currently does not offer delivery, pickup or reservations.
Mariadi said the old printing press had been destroyed and the building had come back to life. Old floor support steel posts are turned and window frames are reused. Tables and reception stands are made of reclaimed bowling wood from the now demolished Country Lane North.
“We don't really provide any help to do it. My friend Kelly Reinerz, I think deserves all the credit for making the neighborhood really beautiful. He had some brilliant ideas to change what we had for this building. It still has its own character," Mariadi said.
Originally from Indonesia, Mariadi and his father moved to Colorado in 1999 in search of work and better opportunities. Once installed he was followed by his mother and four sisters.
"When I came to the United States I was 18 years old, I finished high school and I didn't want to continue my education. I wanted to have an adventure. I wanted to see what the United States was like and I was excited," Mariadi said.
In 2014, Mariadi opened K'Zen Asian Cuisine, a Chinese-American restaurant in Basalt, Colorado. After moving to Duluth with her partner, Mariadi's former business is now owned and operated by her sister with the help of her parents.
According to Mariadi, food is her family's "love language". They all helped start the journey from Colorado to Duluth.
Unlike the "quick and easy" food culture of the United States, Mariadi said, Indonesian food requires more time and effort to prepare.
“For example, we have corn husks and we buy corn husks. We clean them. Then chop the corn. Stir, add spices and then fry. That's why it takes time," Maraidi said. "Indonesian food is spicier Not spices like turmeric, cardamom, ginger, lemongrass, coriander, pepper. That's why we use a lot of spices."
Some menus include beef or chicken, he said. The meat is grilled on a skewer and served with a dipping sauce, a side of rice and fresh agar (pickled carrot and cucumber salad).
"We marinate the meat overnight and prepare a stew that we simmer for a while. Our meals require a lot of preparation," Maraidi said.
He recommends beef stew with Bumbu Bali, chili pesto, fennel, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. “It's very sweet, but it has a spicy and savory side. It's really delicious,” Maraidi said.
