Holy Spice is the latest from OHA Group, a Balinese-inspired restaurant with a rooftop herb garden in Xuhui. “Inspired” is the keyword here, as the food is loosely based on Bali’s style of regional Indonesian cuisine.
It’s located on Fuxing Zhong Lu in the old Maolago space (also by OHA). Design has always been the group’s strong suit, and it shows: they’ve transformed the space into an eclectic, colorful dining room with plenty of fronds giving off beachside Bali cafe vibes.
There’s a rooftop garden terrace upstairs, lush with herbs and plants, and furnished with up-cycled pieces from OHA’s other venues. It’s a fully functioning herb garden — healthy planters with enough to supply the kitchen.
Indonesian food is highly diverse, differing from region to region. Balinese food has its own nuances, and I won’t pretend to be an expert on that specific regional cuisine. However, I do know enough about Indonesian food to say this: don’t expect anything traditional here. Holy Spice is borrowing names, aromatics, and ingredients, for something that’s more pan-Asian than Indonesian. More Balinese in spirit with a wildly creative outlook.
The meal begins with a welcome drink, a nice touch of hospitality, built with familiar aromatics like galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, and lemon verbena.
I’ll address the elephant, or should I say, the pig in the room: Babi Guling (¥88). Forget the sheet of crackling pork skin and blood sausage. You’re not getting that. This classic has been reimagined into a roast pork with accoutrements of jackfruit, rice balls, prawn crackers, and long beans. The pork itself was juicy and flavorful, piled high with sambal and crispy shallots that do the crunch-work. It’s enjoyable, but perhaps a name change will help to manage the expectations of those who know the dish.
More memorable was the Eel and Foie Gras (¥88), though, a dish that has little to do with Bali. Smoky, grilled eel is served on a crispy-chewy rice cake then blanketed in shaved frozen foie gras. The eel is plump and savory with glaze, and foie, doing what it does best, adding fat and flavor. Not on theme, but tasty.
The Grilled Beef Skewers (¥62/two) was nearly spot on. Large cubes of beef are stacked with white button mushrooms, pickled vegetables, green peppers, onions, and a mound of sauced and cooked perilla leaves. Lots of citrus and properly salted. The perilla was slightly overdone, resulting in a bitter aftertaste, something that can be easily adjusted.
The Handline-Caught Pencil Squid (¥92) is a dish I’d recommend. Lightly charred on the barbecue, the smoky and tender squid is and topped with an Asian gremolata of sorts — fish sauce, lime juice, shallots, chili, parsley, and celery — served with fresh mango salad and grilled corn.
Holy Spice does a Bali version of Rendang Beef (¥92), one that’s supposedly wetter, saucier, more stew-like than the dry caramelized version that most people know. This is the first I’ve heard of the dish, and it eats more like a bright, lighter beef curry. Served with a house flatbread.
Less successful was the Green Papaya & Sour Mango Salad (¥55), which was unfortunately flat, and lacked fresh sourness. The Tofu, Tempeh & Orange (¥68) felt like three ideas trying to commandeer the plate. I love tempeh but this version didn’t convince me, as it was oddly soft and sweet.
Dessert was a strong finish: Coconut Cream Pie (¥46), a soft meringue with coconut, toasted cereal, macadamias, white chocolate, and a light, fluffy chiffon cake. Highly recommended.
Holy Spice is still finding its footing, and some dishes are further along than others. The space is charming, and I believe the team is genuinely trying to tackle this cuisine in earnest — they’ve caught the Southeast Asian bug. If you’re going, stay curious and keep an open mind.
Holy Spice
View the listing here.
