Bali is a great place to indulge in some amazing food. You just have to be brave enough to step outside the joints that cater to the tourists from wealthy countries(Australia, Japan, Germany, etc.). The real finds are on the small restaurants on the street and the street hawkers. I asked the locals where they go to eat, and that included people ranging from the hotel receptionist, to the guys who constantly harass you by yelling "taxi". People were very forthcoming and that is how I ended up at some amazing eating places. The locals repeatedly asked me if I truly liked Balinese food, I said "Of course", and they were surprised. It is funny because places like Ubud and Kuta are swarming with tourists, and during certain seasons apparently there are more tourists than locals, and it must be the case that not many tourists dive in to the street food. I would urge you to try the food that the locals eat, and also try to go to the inexpensive places, the food is generally better there.
Here is a list of specific recommendations:
- Jimbaran Bay Seafood Places near Kuta[Expensive]: Go to any of the outdoor seafood cooking places in Jimbaran bay near the Four Seasons Resort in Jimbaran, south of Kuta in Bali. You will be sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, sipping coconut juice, and eating fresh seafood from the ocean. You get to select the type of fish, tiger prawns, and several other bounty from the sea(many I didn't recognize), and you can request to have it cooked any style. I asked for the Bali style, they grill the fish on skewers over a bed of coal. Simply amazing, and worth the expense.
- Ayam Goreng Asam Place in Kuta[Inexpensive]: There is stall on the beach in Kuta that opens at seven in the morning, and is next to the art market in Kuta, and I don't think that place has a name, but if you ask the locals they all know where it is. This is a shop that makes this amazing soup made with chicken pieces and a host of spices. I ordered some with fresh rice, and also they were deep frying some fresh fish that I alse ordered. My mouth is just watering as I type this. The meal was simple amazing, and you get to watch the ocean as you eat and savor this delectable meal.
- Sate Kambing(Goat Satay) Place in Ubud[Inexpensive]: This is a total hole in the wall place and it seemed like I was the first non-Balian to venture in to this place. It is run by a family, very modest place, kids helping with serving etc. The goat satays are marinated in some amazing sauce, and then cooked over coals(it is a slender and tiny grill). The satays were served with peanut sauce. They also served me a goat stew with rice. Again, I don't know if this place has a name, it is located on Ubud Main Road. All of the locals know where it is and they were happy to point me in the right direction. I didn't take any pictures because that just felt anachronistic.
- Ibu Oka in Ubud for Babi Guling[Expensive]: This is the place that is famous for the suckling pig dish. It comes highly recommended in all guidebooks and even the locals like this place. I personally didn't find the food amazing, probably a matter of personal taste. It is very popular and packed with people.
- Bebek bengil or Dirty Duck Diner in Ubud[Expensive]: This is another place that is popular for its deep fried duck. The food was delicious but again it wasn't mind blowing compared to the street food. The ambiance was great and it is a very comfortable place to spend a few hours on a hot afternoon. One thing I noticed was that every single person, that seemed local, only ordered the deep fried duck, even though they have an extensive menu.
- Ubud Market Vendors[4 am to 8 am][Inexpensive]: The Ubud market apparently opens at 4 am, I have not confirmed the opening time, I just sauntered there around 6:30 am. The place is buzzing with hawkers selling everything from vegetables, live chicken, prepared food, to an amazing array of fresh fruit. I love the food being sold here by a group of old ladies. It was a meal with hot rice(the best Asian rice I have ever had), with an array of chicken soup and other ingredients that I have no idea what they were. It was all wrapped up in a banana leaf. I just looked at how the local ladies were buying their own meal. The procedure is to leave the money on top of the lid of one of the ingredient containers, and then somehow your turn comes up. That breakfast was 5000 rupiah(around 50 US cents) and this was hands down the best meal of the entire trip. I can eat this every single day. The old lady was just adorable, she was wearing tattered clothes, and had this sweet smile. I felt embarassed when she served me before my turn and gave me more rice than what she was giving the locals. I just accepted that as a gracious gesture on the part of the Balinese people towards a visitor. I paired it with a Cendol drink, and some fresh Mangosteens and Jackfruit.
- Street Vendors in Ubud[Inexpensive]: I ate the local food from two street vendors, the first one was serving tempeh and he made this little concoction with tempeh and some sauce. It was delicious and made me recognize that tempeh in US is a complete misnomer for the real tempeh. The other vendor was a lady carrying a large plastic container, she had twenty different things packed in small plastic bags. The content of the little bags ranged from different sea food to vegetables cooked in Balinese style, I have no idea what each one was and I bought one of each kind, they were simply amazing.
- Fresh Fruit at the Ubud Market: I was lucky to had a chance to indulge in Durian, it was in season. I ate one pretty much everyday, the locals are absolutely crazy about Durian, and they were happy when I offered them Durian. Other than that, there is Salak(snake fruit), Mangosteen, White Mango, Jackfruit, Dragon fruit, and some other unrecognized fruits. They all tasted wonderful.
Namaskar(नमस्कार)
