The 5 best things I ate in Bali

In this series, I round up the five best things I ate in a particular city or country. On the 15th of each month I feature a destination from my past travels; on the last day I recap the best of the month in Paris. This month’s culinary blast from the past comes from Bali, Indonesia.

Bali was the first holiday I ever went on with Mike. We’d been dating all of six weeks when we visited this island, a popular honeymoon destination romanticized endlessly in American literature and film (read: a lot of pressure to be in love for such a new couple). I worried this was our sink-or-swim point: less than two months in and we were already testing if we could travel together internationally, and to lovey-dovey Bali at that. Happily, it worked out; in fact, we ended up loving Bali so much we made a second visit just four months later. Food may or may not have played a part in that.

1. Art Kafe, Ubud

By far our favorite find was Art Kafe, a tiny but colorful bamboo hut café located just up the street from the Monkey Forest. Focused on organic food, fresh fruit smoothies, and offering free wifi with a laid-back hippie vibe, I know I’d spend hours at Art Kafe if I ever lived in Ubud (central Bali). The smoothies (top) as well as the seared tuna and avocado salad (above) alone make me want to return to Bali a third time.

2. Mozaic, Ubud

Dinner at Mozaic is the most expensive meal I have ever eaten. And it was totally worth it, all six courses, plus an amuse bouche and petit fours, plus the wine pairings.

Owned and run by a former head chef of The French Laundry, this French-Indonesian restaurant is the only one in Southeast Asia that’s part of “Les Grandes Tables de Monde” and has won loads of fancy culinary awards. The ingredients are local and fresh, the combinations are unique, the flavors are exquisite, and the wine pairings are out of this world. I could write a full post about it, but my old flatmate Jillian did a better job than I ever could, so I’ll refer you to her post.

(Did I mention the trip was just before Valentine’s Day? This ridiculously fancy meal was our first Valentine’s Day dinner. Talk about setting the bar high.)

3. Bollero, Ubud

After blowing all our money at Mozaic, we were delighted to stumble upon Bollero during an evening stroll. Cheap by Western standards, and even more so considering the quality of the dishes (value for money, for real), the menu featured a wide range of Asian dishes as well as plated-up Indonesian fare. The best part? The drinks menu. To date, the mojitos at Bollero (classic, pineapple-ginger, and mango) are a few of the best I’ve ever had.

4. Fresh seafood, any seaside restaurant, Jimbaran Bay

Don’t let the terrible over-flashed photo fool you. These prawns were frighteningly large and satisfyingly tasty. If you go to Bali, go to Jimbaran Bay: not only is your seafood fresh, you can even negotiate a discount (we usually got 20-30%), then enjoy it at an oceanside table in the sand. I’d recommend going in the evening to have dinner on the beach while watching the sun set and dusk fall — it’s unbelievably idyllic. If you’re staying nearby, you can even negotiate with your chosen restaurant for a free ride back to your hotel.

5. Pandan pancakes, Jati Homestay, Ubud

Pandan is a grass-like leaf commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, easily identifiable by its bright green color. At our homestay in Ubud (can you tell which is my favorite part of Bali?), we would wake each morning to a sweet little Indonesian woman preparing fresh fruit and homemade pandan pancakes with coconut shavings for us. It was that personal touch that made us love our homestay, Balinese hospitality, and Ubud.

Been to Bali? Found better food outside Ubud? Share your favorite Balinese dish or restaurant in the comments below!