I expected it to be Bali without the Bintang, but instead Jogjakarta is a grand old Dame, full of stories and culture; of history and idyllic images. How fitting then, that the Dames and Chevaliers of the Chaine des Rotisseurs had the good fortune to appreciate her beauty, her sense of grand occasion and her exotic foods at the recent Grand Chapitre in Indonesia.

My husband, Fred, and I were guests of Chaine members and therefore we came to the events from Western Australia without any predefined expectations. We were mesmerized by all three nights of the Chaine dinners and are now eager to join the Bali Chapter.

Our journey of amazement began on Friday evening as we stepped off the bus to be greeted by smiling young women clad in beautifully detailed, traditional Indonesian dresses as we walked a red carpet to the dining area. And then our jaws dropped. Prambanan Temple, discovered in 910, served as an awe-inspiring backdrop to our market themed dinner. We had great fun moving from one “market stall” to another; sampling BBQ’d seafood and meats, salads and noodles, variety of traditional dishes, and brightly coloured desserts as the sun set and the temple lit up in hues of gold.

People strolled past the stall of Javanese batik silks and silver and some stopped to have a free foot massage. We enjoyed the conversation of people from countries far and wide.

After dinner we were transported by old-fashion horse and carriage to the other end of the park. Here we enjoyed a traditional dance telling the story of good triumphing over evil before returning to our hotel, excited, happy and delighted to be here.

We thought it would be difficult to beat our evening at Prambanan but Saturday evening surpassed it with royal grandeur. 154 people, from 24 countries, clad in their very finest, excitedly sipped champagne and nibbled hors d’oeuvres as a fashion parade of batiks , showing the antique collection of the palace, each batiks with its own story, began the entertainment at Keraton, the royal palace.

As we took our seats for the Chaine Induction the Sultan, Hamengkubuwono X and Sultana, Gusti Ratu Hemas, elegant and regal, joined our party and the sense of occasion jumped that much higher. As Klaus ceremonially knighted each new member and they made their pledges to Chaine, I vowed to myself that would be me next year. A group that enjoys this sense of occasion, appreciation of excellent dining and such a great spirit of friendship and sharing is one I want to be a part of.

Our 10 course meal (the favourite dishes of the 10 Sultans) was both exotic and delicious having been prepared by the Sultan’s own kitchen. I took great delight over dinner chatting with my dinner mate, Princess Condro Kirono, a beautiful and gracious woman, who spoke of both the privilege and duty that accompanies the life of royalty. It was somewhat surreal and yet altogether comfortable – a hallmark of my Chaine experience.

The evening in all its pomp and ceremony was over too quickly and the excited chatter on the bus on the way back to the Sheraton was telling – no one was ready for bed after such a fantastic evening. The bar beckoned and Firdaus’s birthday was a magnificent excuse to party until the wee small hours with copious amounts of champagne and multiple fine Chaine-branded cigars from the Sultan’s private factory.

Sunday evening, day 3 of our magnificent journey saw us sipping yet more champagne, this time at the foot of the majestic Borobudur Temple. I was told it was unknown who had built it or when, and its air of mystical magic permeated the entire evening.

A degustation of both local and European dishes once again delighted the palate and was almost overshadowed by the extraordinary dining experience – under the stars, against a mighty backdrop and topped off with a specially performed dance complete with 200 dancers, some goats and a gaggle of geese. This dance - The Mahakarya is normally performed only once a year on the Buddhist New Year ( Waisak ), but was performed specially for the Chaine des Rotisseurs. On the bus home we laughed, we chatted with new friends and we shared ever more amazing moments we had all experienced.

This was an once-in-a-lifetime experience. I cannot imagine anything that could surpass such grandeur and excellence of occasion, such meticulous organization and spirit of confrere – but I’m keeping an open mind.

Chaine Indonesia, take a bow – you truly deserve your crescendo of applause.

I am sure as I left her, I saw Jogjakarta wink – she knows I’ll be back.