To say that Robin Greatbatch loves Bali might be a bit of an understatement.

Following the fatal bombing in Bali in 2002, Robin and co-founder Andrew Seow, decided to re-live their memories of the beautiful island in Singapore by setting up a Balinese garden in Gilman Village, now fondly known as “Little Bali”. The warm and fun-loving Robin, who is 61 this year (but proclaims to feeling like 21), shares how his restaurant-cum-bar, Villa Bali, came about, as well as the quirks of running a Balinese eatery in Singapore.

 

What was your experience of setting up a Balinese style restaurant and bar in Singapore?

My partner and I had no intention of starting an F&B outlet, our business was and still is landscaping and design, even that is a hobby, since neither of us is a qualified architect or designer. More than the artifacts and art, I was intrigued by the way the Balinese culture harmonises with nature and the environment.

 

Staff of Villa Bali are fondly referred to as “Baliphiles”, what is the true essence of a Baliphile?

The Balinese are renowned for their service style and their culture demands that every guest be treated as you would a visitor to your home. A Baliphile is of course a person who is fond of or greatly admires Bali, its romance and culture and this term equally describes our loyal guests who talk about us and spread the word as it were! We take it a step further as Disney has with its ‘cast members’. Our culture is that every Baliphile is a key player in creating an unforgettable experience for every guest and our vision that every Baliphile is able to enhance our guest's experience by presenting him/herself with enthusiasm and passion for the Bali story and nature!

 

Is the ambience and food served at Villa Bali similar to what you will find in Bali? Did you make changes to suit local tastes?

We hired Balinese chefs focusing on the Western fusion cuisine that is so popular in Bali and Boy! Was that a letdown! We very quickly learnt that Singaporeans (who make up the bulk of our repeat guests) are actually a conservative lot when it comes to food on their home turf.

In my opinion our ambience is what draws people to The Villa Bali, we focus a lot on the authenticity of the building styles, choice of plants and trees, planting, construction of ponds, waterfalls and rivers, little things that you’d barely notice. Most importantly, we pay a lot of attention to mother nature, the unseen realm. This is what the Balinese are masters at and it forms part of their daily routine when you see offerings being placed along pathways and at major traffic intersections. Of course, we don’t do such things in Singapore but after spending three years in Bali, I have learnt the importance of offering gratitude and apology and of reporting to nature before doing anything. I call this spiritual landscaping!

 

What are some of the items on your Villa Bali menu that customers must try?

We are famous for our platters as they give our guests the opportunity to taste a wide selection of our fare. Our Balinese, Thai and North Indian platters for two to three persons are currently very hot items. We promote those as ‘recession specials’ at $30++ on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On Sundays, we open for a leisurely lunch from 11:30am onwards and it’s the best time to check out our offerings, as we don’t charge service on Sundays. The Villa Bali is also popular with couples celebrating their birthdays, engagements and anniversaries, we offer a romantic package at $200++ which includes dining in a private Lesehan (Balinese hut) served by our sarong clad Baliphiles, a sumptuous feast of Balinese, Thai or North Indian delicacies as well as welcome drinks and a bottle of champagne or premium wine. Romantic indeed!

 

Are there any other elements of Bali which you would like to introduce to Villa Bali?

I am a Baliphile at heart and I am keen to bring more of Bali to Singapore and the world! We have suggested to the government that they allow us to expand our Bali concept to include traditional resort accommodation in and around the natural setting of Gillman Village. We were drawn to this area because of its likeness to Bali in terms of the abundant flora and fauna, natural contouring and gorgeous jungle vistas. I’ve grown very passionate about Gillman and walk the area every day. I identified some very unique spots to construct chalet clusters with pools and spas, ideal for family getaways and serious spiritual or health retreats. We are very excited about this and we would also like to introduce model Balinese rice paddies, small-scale vegetable plots, artisanal cottage industries, art and dance studios and natural homeopathic healing clinics.

 

You are a passionate advocate of environmental conservation. Can you share with us how you have incorporated your ideals into Villa Bali?

Yes indeed! We try to practice environmental conservation and recycling of materials. For instance our man-made jungle river was constructed entirely by hand and has a 9-meter deep balancing tank. The tank allows us to use a much smaller pump and less power. Without it, we would have to use a 12-meter head to pump water back to the waterfall. Filtration is done naturally through water plants and coconut fiber underwater beds.

 

Have customers at Villa Bali ever come up with any special requests? What is the most memorable one you can think of?

We pride ourselves on giving our guests a memorable experience and generally this involves meeting a number of special requests. They range from dressing couples in traditional Balinese royal wedding costumes to wine stomping in our jacuzzi! Generally, we try to accede to all reasonable requests provided they are lawful and do not disturb nature or our other guests.

 

Have you ever met with skepticism or criticism while working at Villa Bali? How did you overcome them?

I am glad to say that most of the things created are a welcome improvement to what we inherited. In fact, we get a lot of compliments about the garden and the environment. We have had growing pains with the food though; hence we reinvented ourselves and threw out all the preconceived ideas about running a multi-cuisine kitchen. In the past, we also received complaints about service, which is why we re-thought our corporate culture and mission.

 

If there is something you can improve about the local F&B industry, what would it be?

Ownership! Local F&B workers need to be more passionate about what they do and take responsibility for it. The industry as a whole should set aside the inbred biases that seem to discourage young Singaporeans from starting a career in F&B. There are marvelous opportunities to be had in hospitality and foreigners are currently snapping up these jobs with long-term entrepreneurial opportunities in mind! The onus is also on the F&B operators to create a more transparent and conducive working environment and, if the government truly aspires to make Singapore the culinary hub of Asia, it has to follow through by promoting F&B service as a credible career and providing more awareness at the JC and Polytechnic level.

 

What do you do in your free time?

I have recently started a family, though some may say it’s a little late in life! I have a very positive outlook on life, I am blessed with a charming wife and a little two-year-old daughter and I will make more time as my daughter grows up. I really enjoy family holidays to Bali and our last trip to France and Spain while lugging baby and masses of baggage! I intend to teach my daughter all about the abundance of nature, the arts and music -- things that touch my heart.

 

For location and operating hours click here: Villa Bali