(July 22, 2009) WARREN MEAD is back in the restaurant business – this time in Bali – less than a year after the collapse of his Perth restaurant empire.
And, it appears, after having to hand back the keys to his Mosman Park home in March he is now living in five star luxury in a villa at the top end Jimbaran Bay resort which houses his new restaurant called Mead @ Karma.
He has sent out a press release welcoming new customers to the restaurant overlooking tropical gardens and pool in the resort owned by his entrepreneurial Bali-based friend, John Spence.
Spence, he says, asked him a while back to renovate and reopen the restaurant which Mead will operate.
He describes his checkered restaurant history which led to receivers being appointed last August, to sell his entire stable, including The Oyster Bar in South Perth, popular West Perth lunchtime haunt Black Toms Bar and Meads Mosman Bay as a “snakes and ladders” journey.
But he has a few “secret weapons” for this white-themed restaurant — his traditional Oyster Bar in a lounge above the restaurant, as well as valet parking and a black baby grand piano.
“My 24/7 promise to you as our guest is to personally be responsible for: quality, a fair price balance, service that’s crisp with a friendly fluid movement and food that you will definitely enjoy and want to come back to enjoy again.”
The food will be “simplistic, fresh and flavoursome” and will include seafood imported from Western Australia and dishes featuring his familiar Black Tom’s name.
It all adds up to luxury for the man who previously lived on the river at Mead’s Mosman Bay restuarant.
A guest who has stayed at the complex at Jimbaran Bay — the scene of the Bali bombings in 2005 — described the resort as tropical deluxe.
“The villas are very big, two storey, with huge timber doors and are self contained,” she said.
“There are sundecks and there are four poster beds in the bedrooms which are separatrate from the main living area. I would say it is definitely five-star accommodation.”
PerthNow tried phoning Mead at his new digs but were told he was out for the day at Lembongan Island.
But a staff member confirmed he was living at the resort.
Source: Perth Now
