Planet Samudra Cafe — Michel Lippitsch

The Cafe

Nestled beachside at Jong School in Bintan, under the shade of a massive sea almond tree, Planet Samudra Cafe transforms into a vibrant hub for beach parties, family events, birthdays and cultural gatherings tied to traditional sailing — sunset get-togethers blending French-inspired feasts with local maritime rituals from the adjacent Jong School.

It doubles as an immersive gallery of Michel's ocean-inspired work — driftwood sculptures, reef mosaics, maritime paintings — blending seamlessly with the beachside dining. Guests eat fresh seasonal dishes amid rusty-chic decor built around pieces on jong sailing, the Orang Laut sea nomads, and eco-narratives, turning every meal into an encounter hosted by the artist-ex-sailor himself.

Planet Samudra Cafe, under the trees, right on the beach — Lunch under the trees, right on the beach.

The Market Kitchen

There is no fixed menu here, really — there is the market, and there is the boat. The kitchen at Planet Samudra runs on market cuisine in the truest sense: fresh, instinctive, and built dish by dish around whatever the morning actually delivers, from a handful of just-landed mackerel to a basket of whatever the market stalls were generous with that day. It is a versatile way of cooking, one that can turn the same catch into a ceviche one week and a curry the next — and it is, just as often, wonderfully unpredictable. Some mornings the boat comes back light and the whole day's plan changes over breakfast; some days the market hands you something you weren't looking for and the dish follows.

A handful of each is below — a few plates as they left the kitchen, a few mornings' worth of what came off the boats and out of the market. The complete set, including the people who make it all happen, lives in the full gallery.