The new Director of Cuisine, Richard Millar, has been busy setting up a number of new culinary experiences for guests to feast on.  Starting with a menu overhaul at the Retreat's signature grill restaurant FIRE; to planting an organic garden with an emphasis on traditional Indonesian herbs; and forming an exciting partnership with a local chocolatier; Richard's passion for food and his extensive experience across Asia and the Pacific has brought a creative energy to the kitchens at W Bali.



FIRE is all about theatre and as the name suggests it's all about grilling - fish, meat and anything in between.  There are still the classics like the grain-fed Black Angus prime rib aged 200 days or Wagyu Beef +7 from the wood-fired grill as well as extravagant pizzas from the pizza oven; but also new highlights like Iced Lombok Prawn Ceviche, Torched Tuna Chutoro, Spiced Curry Leaf Crusted Mahi Mahi, and Crispy Pork Cheeks.

Whilst from the organic garden expect to find a wide range of herbs and spices, including almost every variant of mint from choco mint to pineapple mint and apple mint!  Richard was also keen to introduce locally produced chocolate into his menus and guest room treats so tracked down a fellow Australian, Toby Garritt, who had set up a chocolate factory and cafe on the island in January this year.  Pod Chocolate (www.pod-chocolate.com) is one of the few places in the world where chocolate is made only minutes from where the cocoa is grown.  They work hand-in-hand with local farmers to increase productivity of their farms, the quality of their cocoa beans, and the price with which they can sell the beans, which meant a natural fit for W Bali to partner with.

Working closely with Pod Chocolate, Richard has created decadently delicious but also beautiful works of art.  Signature dishes on the FIRE menu include the Pod Chocolate Melting Sphere (white chocolate mousse, popping candy, choc-mint streusel and orange jelly) and Pod Couverture (chocolate chilli brulé, dark chocolate soufflé, milk chocolate bon bon, macaroon, ice cream and pandan cotton candy).

The traditional afternoon tea has also had a Richard make-over and now features oversized cakes and pastries, cotton candy, marshmallow, honey crumble and jellies.  A fun T-Party that is available daily from 2:30PM to 5:00PM in the WLounge.

--Ends--

About W Hotels Worldwide

W Hotels is a contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand and the industry innovator with 41 hotels and retreats, including 14 W-branded residences, in the most vibrant cities and exotic destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access, offering a unique mix of cutting-edge design and passions around fashion, music and entertainment. W Hotels offers a holistic lifestyle experience that is integrated into the brand's sensibility through contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous entertainment experiences, stylish retail concepts, signature spas and inspiring residences. With more than 12 years of proven success, W Hotels is on track to reach more than 60 hotels by the end of 2015. W Hotels have been announced for Guangzhou, Milan, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Athens - Astir Palace, Muscat, Mumbai, and Santa Fe, Mexico, while upcoming W Retreats include Verbier and Mexico's Riviera Maya.  For more information, visit www.whotels.com. To live the W Hotels lifestyle 24/7/365, visit www.wresidences.com. Follow W Hotels on Twitter: @WHotels.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,134 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com

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For further information, please contact:

Aini Zariyah

Public Relations Manager

W Retreat & Spa Bali - Seminyak

Phone: +62 361 4738106

E-mail: aini.zariyah@whotels.com