Driving from Ubud to Amed takes several hours. For this reason it's nice to plan a stopover meal along the way. Candidasa is known to be a nice place to stay even for a few nights, for nothing more than enjoying beach. Considering you have to drive through it to get to Amed, it seemed like a good idea to stop for lunch and if time/weather/effort permitted, even wander around the beach area.
In actuality, the exhaustion of being driven around coupled with the fact that this particular driver wasn't great and so the vehicle did not easily accommodate 5 people and luggage, Candidasa just ended up being a place to get out, stretch legs and eat some lunch.
The driver suggested a restaurant that overlooked some water or a pond. Sure it was nice, but I do my research for a reason. The two choices here were Vincent's (TA #1, more upmarket and fancy) or Warung Srijati (not many reviews, quite local, mentioned in Travelfish). After looking at both menus, we decided upon the cheap local Warung with its prices better than anywhere eaten in Bali (besides street stalls). The menu has no surprises - they do local food and good versions too.
- Balinese nasi campur
- Cha Kangkung
- Gado-gado
- Special fried noodles
- Special fried rice
Mie goreng and nasi goreng had similar flavours, most closely resembling the Indo-mie flavouring packets. However the noodles, sauces and textures allowed me to know that this was far from the instant kind. Kangkung was well cooked and had good bite. The nasi campur and gado-gado seemed fine without being memorable. The fresh juices were also delicious, especially papaya, but after asking realised there was sugar added (if that bothers you).
In any case a nice warung that keeps you happy to continue. Simple local Indonesian.