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bali highs
By Gemma Deavin
Published in the October-December 2011 issue.
There’s more to Indonesia’s resort isle than big waves, bustling bars and beautiful resorts. Here, our favourite places to savour Bali’s brave culinary offerings.
If you’re like me, your holidays inevitably revolve around three important junctions in the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. On vacation, the wonderfully indulgent pursuit of food comes into play more than ever. A trip to Bali is no different.
This is an island where everything from simple warungs (small cafés) to creatively conceived restaurants and bars have put eating on par with beaching and Bintang beer. Whether you’re heading to the terraced green rice paddies of Ubud or sunning yourself in Seminyak, you’ll find plenty of culinary entertainment on the Island of the Gods.
Chandi
Taking its name from the Indonesian word candi, used to describe ancient temples and their associated structures, Chandi offers a modern take on food from around the archipelago. The culinary techniques employed by chef Agung Nugroho are French but his focus on satay, sambal (a type of chilli paste – there are nine varieties on offer) and produce sourced from neighbouring farms keeps the food grounded in local flavour. The recently opened rooftop bar overlooks the Seminyak district and is dedicated to skewers – beef tenderloin, rib eye, butter fish, full soft-shell crab and pork belly – smothered in fiery peanut sauce.
Sea Circus
Those who judge a restaurant by its cover will want to make a beeline for this Seminyak eatery. The restaurant’s multicoloured louvres give the joint a breezy, relaxed atmosphere; the rustic boho beach interior is impressive, but the food and drinks are the main attraction. Sea Circus’ menu focuses on small plates to share – think salt-and-pepper squid and Vietnamese-style ricepaper rolls for dinner, moreish corn fritters and ricotta pancakes for breakfast. Don’t miss the house cocktails – they range from espresso martinis to killer passionfruit-and-guava margaritas.
Ku De Ta
Celebrating its eleventh birthday this year, this trendsetting establishment is much more than a restaurant – the beautiful people flock to Ku De Ta to soak up the sun on the beachfront deck, sip cocktails at the bar and take in the tunes. When it comes to dining, there are several options. You can eat reclining in the bar area, sitting in the restaurant or sprawling on a sun lounge overlooking Seminyak Beach. The decisions don’t get any easier when it comes to choosing your meal – chef Philip Davenport has put together a collection of 10 menus taking you from breakfast to well after dinner, with highlights including soft-shell crab salad and lobster risotto.
Potato Head Beach Club
This relatively new restaurant and bar takes its design cues from its older sister in Jakarta – it’s outfitted with a mish-mash of furniture and artworks including a striking 20-metre-high wall of rainbow-hued shutters that encircles the dining area. The burgers and light meals are good, but the real reason people come here is for the well-mixed cocktails. Order a Moscow mule, grab a perch between palms on the lawn and watch the sun set over the on-site infinity pool and the shimmering ocean.
Métis
Stepping off Seminyak’s booming Petitenget Street into the timbered, earth-toned dining room at Métis instantly instils a sense of calm. With fields of rice and lilies stretching out from the semi-open deck, it’s the kind of place you could spend most of a day enjoying. Just as well, then, that chef and owner Nicolas “Doudou” Tuorneville dishes up two high-tea offerings – think smoked salmon wraps and crème brulee – alongside menus (one dedicated to foie gras) that channel his French-Mediterranean heritage. Be sure to try the 14-hour crispy pork belly with Swiss chard, white-wine-poached apples and wholegrain mustard vinaigrette.
Sarong
Spicy cuisine is something that Sarong is well known for; theatrical and glamorous décor is another. On entering the semi-open Seminyak establishment you’re met with lofty ceilings, imposing chandeliers and dramatic drapery. Owner Will Meyrick, formerly of Longrain and Jimmy Liks in Sydney, oversees kitchen proceedings and has developed a menu inspired by street-food vendors around Asia – with a twist. Begin with creative starters like raw tuna with lemongrass, shallots and lemon basil wrapped in betel leaves before moving on to salads – the crispy salmon with watermelon and mint is a highlight – and inspired Thai, Indian and Indonesian mains. Save room for pudding – the duck-egg ginger crème brulee is one of the best desserts on the island.
Sardine
As its name suggests, this eco-friendly restaurant backing onto rice paddies is a seafood sanctuary, from the white koi fish welcoming you at the Petitenget Street entrance to platters of ocean-fresh fish. Husband-and-wife team Pascal and Pika Chevillot have created a casual dining experience with original fare dished up by Californian chef Michael Shaheen. The healthy menu changes daily but might include saffron crab bisque or blackened mahi mahi fillets, cooked sans butter and cream and incorporating organic produce grown in the restaurant’s own garden.
Sip
A favourite on the Seminyak scene, this French-style brasserie welcomes diners with a tobacco-red ceiling, curly iron staircase and mirrored walls lined with wine. The staff working here are particularly friendly and the French onion soup, goat’s-cheese salad and sirloin steak come recommended. Those with a sweet tooth are spoilt for choice, but the lemon soufflé is a hands-down favourite.
Made’s Warung
Somewhat of an establishment in Seminyak, Made’s Warung has been serving up nasi goreng (fried rice) and babi guling (Bali’s famous suckling pig) since 1969. It’s so much part of the local scene that it’s developed a menu dedicated to its top 20 dishes – Balinese classics that never fail to impress. Run by local Made and her husband Peter, the eatery has a sister outlet in neighbouring Kuta. Neither restaurant is overly flashy in design but what the dining rooms lack in style, they more than make up for in substance. This is good quality food at reasonable prices – what more could you ask for?
Dava
Arriving at Dava, the Ayana Resort and Spa’s signature restaurant, is an experience in itself. Golf buggies whisk diners through gardens peppered with frangipani and bougainvillea before arriving at the stylish eatery, perched over beautifully lit ponds brimming with fish and lilies. The setting is perfectly complemented by a long roster of cocktails and contemporary cuisine. When it comes to deciding on a meal, the degustation can’t be beaten. Proceedings might begin with superb yellowfin tuna or kingfish sashimi and end, many courses later, with a Valrhona chocolate fondant alongside espresso ice cream or cannelloni of strawberry and hazelnut compote. Be sure to visit the resort’s Rock Bar, perched on cliffs hugging the Indian Ocean, before you leave.
Bumbu Bali
Surrounded by mega-resorts just back from the beach in Nusa Dua, Bumbu Bali is one of the island’s most popular Balinese restaurants for good reason. Guests are welcomed into a breezy courtyard dotted with water features and overhung with fragrant frangipani trees. Friendly staff whisk around beautifully presented platters showcasing the archipelago’s finest fare, including slow-roasted duck served on banana leaves, charred meats skewered on sugarcane and a superb bubuh injin (black-rice pudding). And if you like what you taste, book in for one of the restaurant’s cooking courses, offering tips on traditional ingredients and preparation techniques.
Mozaic
Through a modest doorway in Ubud lies one of only three restaurants in Southeast Asia to have been recognised as a member of Les Grandes Tables Du Monde (The Great Tables of the World). Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Mozaic is the brainchild of chef and owner Chris Salans, who woos diners with four regularly changing degustation menus. The experience begins with a cocktail in the modern lounge followed by delightful dishes that might focus on modern French fare, Balinese cuisine or even haute vegetarian plates, all served up in the garden dining room set aglow with magical low-hanging lights.
Naughty Nuri’s
Come to Naughty Nuri’s for the strong martinis and margaritas and stay for the moreish pork ribs and burgers. One of the most popular eateries in Ubud, Nuri’s recently spread its wings with a sister – and equally busy – establishment in Kerobokan, within walking distance of Seminyak’s busy streets. Both dining rooms are simple and small, fitted out with wooden stools and rickety tables and chalkboards listing specialties. Arrive early to guarantee yourself a spot.
Ary’s Warung
Overlooking Ubud’s historic temple complex, Ary’s Warung may be one of the town’s oldest eateries but it’s still one of the most popular. Drinks are served in the stylish ground-floor bar while in the restaurant upstairs, diners order Balinese delicacies such as babi guling (suckling pig) and lawar, a tasty dish made from pig’s blood combined with diced green beans, grated coconut, boiled jackfruit, turmeric, shrimp paste and galangal. Adhering to principles of the Slow Food movement, Ary’s prides itself on its commitment to local, organic and chemical-free ingredients. •
Photographs courtesy of respective restaurants.
TRAVEL FACTS
getting there
AirAsia X flies from Melbourne to Bali via Jakarta and direct to Bali from Perth and the Gold Coast. 1300-760-330;
airasia.com
Garuda Air flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Denpasar (Bali) on a daily basis. 62-21/2351-9999;
garuda-indonesia.com
when to go
April to October – the dry season – is the best time
to visit Bali.
where to eat
• Ary’s Warung. Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud; 62-361/975-959;
dekco.com/aryswarung
• Bumbu Bali. Jl. Pratama, Tanjung Benoa; 62-361/774-502; balifoods.com
• Chandi. Jl. Laksmana 72, Seminyak; 62-361/731-060; chandibali.com
• Dava, at Ayana Resort and Spa. Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; ayanaresort.com
• Ku De Ta. Jl. Kayu Aya 9, Seminyak; 62-361/736-969;
kudeta.net
• Made’s Warung. Jl. Raya Seminyak, Seminyak; 62-361/732-130; Jalan Pantai, Kuta; 62-361/755-297. madeswarung.com
• Métis. Jl. Petitenget 6, Seminyak; 62-361/473-7888; metisbali.com
• Mozaic. Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/975-768; mozaic-bali.com
• Naughty Nuri’s. Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/977-547; naughtynurisbali.com
• Naughty Nuri’s Seminyak. Jl. Batubelig 41, Kerobokan Kelod; 62-361/847-6722.
• Potato Head Beach Club. Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak;
62-361/737-979; ptthead.com
• Sarong. Jl Petitenget 19, Kerobokan Kelod, Seminyak;
62-361/4737-809; sarongbali.com
• Sardine. Jl. Petitenget 21, Kerobokan Kelod; 62-361/738-202; sardinebali.com
• Sea Circus. Jl. Laksmana (Oberoi Rd.) 22, Seminyak;
62-361/738-667; seacircus-bali.com
• Sip. Jl. Raya Seminyak 16A, Seminyak; 62-361/730-810;
sip-bali.com
further information
Contact the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Indonesia for tips on travelling to Bali. indonesia.travel
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