A healthy restaurant for both meat eaters and vegans with unusual ingredients
Those who are interested in Incan mythology know that Pachamama is Mother Earth and one of the main female deities in Quechua mythology, the goddess of earth and fertility. The restaurant with this name on the island of Gili Air, contrary to expectations, is not Peruvian, Chilean or Argentine. It shares a common philosophy with Mother Earth - love for nature.
Pachamama was opened in 2014 by Australian Jill, originally from Sydney. She is an amazing and very warm-hearted person. From her Batak father, originally from Sumatra, she inherited a love for Indonesian culture. In the restaurant's decor, Jill used a lot of traditional Indonesian batik and ikat, Javanese wayang dolls, and Indonesian masks. From her Australian artist mother, the restaurant's creator inherited the talent to transform space and create interior items with her own hands.
The macrame panels that decorate the restaurant were started by Jill. Gradually, she got the restaurant's employees hooked on this hobby. And now the Indonesians are happily weaving new masterpieces. The boat that once decorated another of Jill's restaurants on the shore was sawn into two parts and turned into two bar counters that were built into the walls. The richness of the decor and attention to detail of this restaurant is somewhat reminiscent of the Balinese La Brisa and La Laguna or La Favela.
The restaurant itself is located under the shade of a huge duvet tree, from which sometimes grape-like fruits fall. You can taste them, although they turn out to be surprisingly tart.
The menu was the joint brainchild of Jill and her husband, a Swedish chef. It was designed to satisfy the tastes of any visitor, be it a meat eater, a vegetarian or a vegan. Most of the vegetarian dishes on the menu can be prepared in a vegan version.
Many products, such as various sauces, peanut butter, jamu, yogurts, fermented vegetables and kombucha are made in the restaurant. And just recently, Jill began making excellent granola of her own production in a large oven and delivering it to the villas of the island.
Palm oil is not used in the preparation of products in the restaurant. Only coconut, olive or sesame. And of course, no flavor enhancers are used in the kitchen. The original products are delivered to the restaurant either from Lombok or Bali to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.
In addition to the usual ingredients, the dishes also use rather unusual ones - moringa leaves, fern, okra fruits, mung beans, bengkoang.
Vegetarians will love the Namaste Combo. This is one of Jill's latest inventions. She spent a long time ordering different dishes because sometimes she wanted vegetable rolls with marinated tofu, carrots, cabbage and sprouts in rice paper, sometimes a salad with pesto and seeds, sometimes mini potatoes. So she decided to combine all her favorite things in one dish, which became universal. Another new item on the Pachamama menu is the rainbow bowl. It is suitable for breakfast for those who do not want to indulge themselves in sweets in the morning. Quinoa, a little sauerkraut, an omelet of egg or tofu, carrots, sprouts, vegan parmesan, pumpkin seeds and vegan pesto. This magnificence is served with a loose seasoning made from crushed nuts with turmeric. When ordering a bowl like this, don't overmix the ingredients to enjoy the flavors of each one, as each one is made with care and attention and each one has its own amazing character.
Jill herself loves the raw zucchini pasta for its bright and fresh flavor, the spicy beef bowl with quinoa, cucumber and beetroot, as this dish has a great balance of carbohydrates and fresh vegetables, and of course the granola bowl. Jill believes that all dishes are prepared as simply as possible, as she herself loves a simple lifestyle.
Among the dishes that are Pachamama's signature dishes, it is worth mentioning the fern bowl. It combines steamed quinoa, blanched fern, carrots, bengkoang slices, fermented eggplant, sunflower seed sauce and vegan parmesan. Pachamama's version of nasi goreng is a far cry from the nasi goreng you'd get at a budget Indonesian eatery. Here, organic red rice is fried in coconut oil with ginger, cabbage and carrots, topped with fried egg, toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and pickled onions. Served with sprout salad, tempeh, sambal and tapioca crackers.
Next door to the restaurant is Jill's two-bedroom villa for rent, built in the shape of concrete domes. This unusual technology was developed by architects in 2004 for the rapid restoration of Aceh province and has proven to be surprisingly earthquake-resistant. Another unusual business of Jill's is the swimwear shop Kartini, located in the Gili Air port near the Oceans 5 dive school. In addition to clothes created by Jill, they sell organic goods from Indonesia.
What to try?
Egg benedict with salmon or bacon
Beef curry
Chicken katsu burger
