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!
16 Comments
SDWanderer
September 16, 2012 at 23:42Love Bali! My favorites are Ibu Oka Babi Guling and Bebek Bengil. I would have loved to try the pandan pancakes. Hmmm…definitely on my next visit. BTW, great blog!
edna
September 18, 2012 at 21:29Thanks! Will have to try those the next time I’m in Bali :)
Amanda @ Farsickness
September 17, 2012 at 01:53Ubud has so many delicious organic/vegetarian/vegan cafes. I was sad I didn’t have more time there to hop around eating at each of them. I’m adding Art Kafe to my list for when I’m back next year :)
And I had a wonderful Indonesian-European sort of fusion meal in Candi Dasa. The food in Bali really impressed me, and surpassed my expectations!
edna
September 18, 2012 at 21:35Yes you must go to Art Kafe! And I agree, Indonesian food isn’t my favorite but I loved the food in Bali.
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence)
September 17, 2012 at 04:32Those meals look amazing! I have heard that Bali is paradise, but I never stopped to consider the food at all… I can’t believe how big some of those prawns are (over-exposed or no!)! So far we have been finding the food completely sensational here in Asia, and it looks like Bali continues that trend.
edna
September 18, 2012 at 21:42Ubud was definitely like the paradisiacal Bali I’d imagined. If you go I’d recommend checking it out, and staying away from Kuta!
DebbZie
September 17, 2012 at 09:15Glad you enjoy the food here in Bali :)
edna
September 18, 2012 at 21:42Definitely adds to the relaxing tropical island feel :)
Traveling Mo
September 19, 2012 at 07:58Have I mentioned how much I love this column that you do? I am obsessed with food while traveling. It is such an intimate way to experience another culture, and you can find some amazing culinary treats of all flavors, sizes and costs. Thanks for doing this and for putting up such fantastic photos!
edna
September 25, 2012 at 18:34It’s one of my favorite series too; food is such an integral part of travel — plus it lets me relive some of the most amazing meals I’ve had! Glad you enjoy :)
Kieu ~ GQ trippin
September 22, 2012 at 06:23Omg, pandan pancakes?! Why didn’t I know about this. I’m surprised you managed to find good food in Bali, Gerard and I weren’t so lucky. Maybe once or twice. :T
edna
September 25, 2012 at 18:35Oh no! You’ll just have to go back then :)
Nomadic Samuel
September 25, 2012 at 08:47Edna, I now have some great ideas of what I’d like to try eating when I return back to Bali next year. One of my personal favourites was Gado Gado. I’ve seriously got to try Pandan :)
edna
September 25, 2012 at 18:37Ooh, I haven’t tried Gado Gado — will have to find it next time I’m in Bali!
Magu Bee
September 29, 2012 at 16:24One of the best street-cart Gado Gados I’ve had was actually in Ubud, on my way back from the Monkey Forest. And it’s a taste I’ve been missing badly. Along with the amazing kacang sauce – those peanuts made me go nuts, seriously!
tia
February 21, 2013 at 20:41I love this series of yours! I love how colorful those pancakes are.