Moksa

Moksa is a plant-based restaurant and permaculture garden in Sayan, in Ubud district, founded by the Balinese chef Made Runatha. Before opening Moksa, Runatha cooked European and Asian cuisine in hotel restaurants in Bali and abroad, and he later trained at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in the United States. Moksa describes him as the first Indonesian certified plant-based cuisine chef.

The restaurant sits on about 2,500 square metres of tree-lined land, with a permaculture garden beside the dining area. The garden is planted in forest-style systems that imitate natural ecosystems, and it supplies the kitchen as part of a farm-to-table approach focused on healthy eating and eco-friendly practices. Garden tours run on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and a farmers' market is held on Saturdays, which makes a weekend visit particularly worthwhile.

The menu is entirely plant-based but draws on cuisines from around Asia rather than following a single style. The chef's recommendations include Mongolian jerky, tempeh ribs, an Incredible Curry Tofu, the Chef's Bowl, a masala pumpkin uttapam and an asam laksa noodle dish. The idea is to show how much variety plant-based cooking can offer, and it is a good choice for vegetarians and vegans as well as for anyone simply curious.

Moksa is open daily from 9am to 9pm, with last orders at 8.30pm, so it works for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner. Beyond the restaurant, the Culinary for Soul academy runs cooking classes in raw food, heated plant-based cooking and Balinese plant-based cuisine, and there is a space called the Dojo for wellness activities. Bookings and enquiries can be made by WhatsApp. Breakfast choices have included an acai bowl, a papaya salmon-style benedict and almond butter toast, and the Dojo hosts yoga, aikido and ikebana sessions.

Moksa suits vegetarians, vegans, families and anyone interested in gardening and sustainable food. Allow an hour and a half, more if you join a garden tour. As metered taxis and ride-hailing pickups are not permitted within Ubud, most visitors arrive by scooter or with a driver. Moksa also lists upcoming events such as chef's table dinners on its website, so check what is on before you go.