There is something special about August at Karma Kandara. The air feels brighter, the sunsets seem richer, and the calendar is filled with reasons to gather. This month, guests are invited to enjoy two unforgettable celebrations. One is a sophisticated tribute to Indonesia’s Independence Day. The other brings a touch of the Wild West to the shores of Karma Beach.
Different in style but united in spirit, both events promise exceptional food, great wine, and an atmosphere that only Karma Kandara can create.
Merdeka Brunch – Sunday, 17 August 2025 | 12 PM to 3 PM | di Mare Restaurant
Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day deserves a celebration to remember. At di Mare, the Merdeka Brunch begins with an exquisite seafood platter featuring prawns, clams, tuna tartare, oysters, and cured mackerel. This is paired with assorted krupuk, vibrant sambals, and a shallot and tamarind mignonette.
The feast continues with free-flow dishes that capture the heart of Indonesian cuisine. Butterfish Aburi with chili coconut dressing. Balinese fish skewers with lemongrass and kaffir lime. Grilled prawns in Sulawesi sweet chili sambal. Prawn and barramundi baked in bamboo with green tomato. Pomfret in a tangy tomato lime broth.
There is also crispy pork belly with turmeric and galangal, coriander spiced duck crackers with lychee, and spiced chicken skewers with peanut sauce. Vegetarian favourites include cabbage wraps with tofu, tempeh, and egg, along with long bean and spinach salad with toasted coconut sambal. Dessert is just as indulgent, from pandan panna cotta with coconut and palm sugar to sweet red rice with mango and coconut milk, and flourless chocolate cake with kopi tubruk gelato.
Guests can pair the brunch with a curated selection of rosé wines and cocktails, creating the perfect toast to freedom.
Smokehouse Showdown – Texan vs Southern BBQ and Wine Pairing – Saturday, 30 August 2025 | 6 PM onwards | Karma Beach Bali
Wine dinners are usually formal affairs. This one is all about sandy toes, smoky air, and a friendly BBQ rivalry between two iconic American styles.
The five-course menu is served beachside, with each course showcasing two barbecue interpretations. The evening begins with canapés and cocktails at sunset. Guests can try hush puppies with gravlax, crème fraiche and caviar, fried okra with ranch dip, Texas sausage rolls, seafood ceviche cups, and mini Frito pies with campfire chili and cheddar. A Tito’s Texan Vodka cocktail in hand and a turn at the Lassoo Bull game set the tone for what’s to come.
When the BBQ battle begins, each course will feature two interpretations of the same dish. Expect oysters on the half shell with charred watermelon mignonette, smoked pork shoulder sliders, catfish done two ways, and the much-anticipated rib showdown: Texas-style dry rubbed versus Southern-style wet. The main event pits Texan 12-hour beef brisket against North Carolina smoked whole hog, all served with inventive, family-style sides like cast iron honey butter cornbread, truffled potato salad, cowboy baked beans, and crunchy pineapple sesame coleslaw.
Everything will be fired up on the impressive Komodo BBQ machine, with a flight of house-made barbecue sauces to match, from Carolina mustard to Alabama white. Light, easy-drinking wines will be poured with each course, complementing the bold and smoky flavours.
The night ends the way a BBQ should, with good old-fashioned American apple pie, bonfires on the beach, s’mores, bourbon under the stars, and maybe a little friendly bragging about which style won the vote. Hats are on us, and the best-dressed wrangler will ride home with a Karma voucher.
As the waves roll in and the fire crackles, guests will leave with full hearts, satisfied palates, and a little sand on their boots. It is, after all, what it means to #ExperienceKarma.
