Mozaic Story: Chris Salans, One of The World’s Leading French Chefs
June 26, 2026
At Mozaic Restaurant, we’re very proud of our heritage. As the best restaurant in Ubud, we look to bring the most exquisite gastronomy to the area. Everything we’ve accomplished has been made possible thanks to Chris Salans. He founded Mozaic back in 2001, and we’ve been a top restaurant ever since.
Learn more about the Mozaic dining experience and see what’s on the menu.
It is always at his best focus to blend the marriage of local and seasonal Indonesian ingredients with modern French techniques in his creation. This is why, just a moment ago, Chris was proudly appointed to Association des Maîtres Cuisiniers de France (Association of the Master Chefs of France) as it is in line with their vision “to preserve and spread the French culinary arts, encourage training in cuisine, and assist professional development”.
As a talented chef that’s worthy of a Michelin star as well, we’d like to introduce you to his story…
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Chris Salans is American born - but he spent his entire childhood in France. When he grew up, Chris started training as a chef in some of the top restaurants in Paris. This included the critically acclaimed Le Cordon Bleu and Lucas Carton. In these restaurants, he learned the fundamentals of gastronomy that helped him join the Association des Maitres Cuisiniers de France.
Throughout his years of training, Chris ventured out to New York. Here, he discovered his passion for Asian food while working as a Chef de Cuisine for Thomas Keller. He became so engrossed in Asian cuisine that he moved to Bali and took up an Executive Chef role at The Legian. Working at this top restaurant taught Chris a lot, and he soon realized he wanted to open the best restaurant in Ubud.
In 2001, Chris Salans opened Mozaic Restaurant - the pinnacle of fine dining in Ubud. From humble beginnings, we soon rose to become a contender for the Bali best restaurant prize. Thanks to Chris’ master chef abilities, we introduced a new menu to the culinary scene in Bali.
Everything Chris learned as a member of the Association des Maitres Cuisiners de France was put to good use as he constructed the perfect menu. His passion for Asian food was clear as he sourced all-natural ingredients from Bali. Then, he combined this with the French style of cooking to create dishes that you won’t find anywhere else. As a result, Mozaic has sat as the star of fine dining in Ubud for over 17 years - winning many awards along the way.
Since opening Mozaic, Chris has gone on to gain worldwide recognition. 10 years after opening the new Bali best restaurant, he released a cookbook; Mozaic: French Cuisine, Balinese Flavors. It showed the world the beauty of the Mozaic menu and how to marry French cooking methods with the best Southeast Asian flavors. The book was a huge success, earning the Best in The World prize in 2011 at the Gourmet World Cookbook Awards.
A few years later, Chris’s talents as a chef earned him a spot on Indonesian TV. He was the judge in the 2013 series of Top Chef Indonesia, displaying his extensive knowledge of food to the audience. In 2017, he earned another TV appearance as a professional judge on Iron Chef Indonesia. Since then, his face has been recognized throughout Asia, with many people keen to eat at his restaurants.
The sheer success of Mozaic led to the inception of a brand new restaurant idea. So, in 2015, SPICE by Chris Salans was opened in Ubud. This contemporary gastro bar continued the Mozaic mantra of using local Asian ingredients blended with French cooking. However, it offers something different from the fine dining of Mozaic restaurant. SPICE is all about quick and casual food in a modern environment. It’s somewhere you go for a quick bite to eat or cocktails with friends.
Chris used this restaurant as a chance to spread the word about the unique cuisine on offer at Mozaic. People can enjoy Balinese flavors with French cooking in various locations. In 2017, Chris managed to strike a deal that saw SPICE food making it onto Garuda Indonesia Airlines flights. Now, more and more people are getting a taste for his unique cooking style.
To this day, Chris remains a massive ambassador for the culinary scene in Bali. He travels the world as a master chef, spreading the word about all the stunning food available on the island. People still flock to Mozaic for a taste of fine dining in Ubud, and Chris is always keen to ensure that the restaurant lives up to Michelin star quality standards. The introduction of Mozaic to the culinary scene in Bali has changed things forever. Our restaurant offers something that nowhere else can give - and it’s all thanks to the talented brain of Chris Salans.
