Eat Like Ushi

After nearly a week of family dining, I finally had a night to myself. Two were having a traditional Balinese dinner and dance performance at our hotel Anantara and two were trying out the Tripadvisor #1 glamorous waterside setting and food of Bambu. This unprecedented freedom for dinner had me enjoying the ridiculous luxury of the Anantara suite and looking up places to go. We were due to try the top restaurant Sarong (San Pellegrino #47 in Asia) the next evening, so something closeby and not over the top appealed to me.

In the end, I settled on the choice of 3 - the famous Warung Made, a new place Bo & Bun, and a dumpling place Fat Gajah. Lucky for me all of these were on the same street within a few minutes walk of each other.

I decided Bo & Bun would be dinner, and I'd try one of the other two possibly for the lunch the next day. The menu of bao, kimchi fries and pork ribs was something I couldn't resist. As much as I want to eat local food everywhere I go, the reality is anywhere in the world when I want something different or a well rated fusion South-East Asian place is available, my interest is piqued. I actually liked the idea of pho, but as I thought about it there, I figured I can get good pho in Australia (even Canberra!). And they told me they were out of rice noodles. That made the decision easier.

I was trying to figure out the name Bo & Bun. Bo perhaps being reference to Vietnamese word for beef? However they use the western word of Bun for bread or maybe as a play on the Vietnamese word banh? Or it could be Bun as for rice noodles... who knows.

- Bao Gao Pork Belly (twice cooked pork belly on steamed buns with crushed peanuts, pickled cucumbers, hoisin sauce, fresh coriander & Vietnamese chilli) - excellent flavour combinations with additions of pickled cucumbers and textural crushed peanuts. The pork was nice but quite fatty;
- Bo & Bun Bulgogi Fries (stacked fries, chopped kimchi, beef bulgogi, Sriracha garlic aioili, scallions, coriander & black sesame) - a wonderful dish I haven't tried that reminds me of MEATliquor's chilli cheese fries. A Korean equivalent with delicious meat morsels, sweet aioili, chilli, multiple textural elements and good old fashioned fries;
- Pattaya Pork Ribs - they recommended these best seller ribs over the Sticky Hoisin Ribs (which is a flavour I almost always like). The ribs were ok, very meaty and chewy rather than soft and a simple soy marinade. I think I would've preferred the other ones.

If going alone, the pork belly and bulgogi fries were enough food for just me. It was my natural travel greed that made me order the ribs at the end. The Try Everything sampler lacks the essential Fries (which is a shame), but otherwise the only other one to try is their take on KFC wings. Other diners ordered the banh mi thit and East Burger both of which had promise. Only if you have enough time and stomach space.

Next time I would order with a 2nd person to try more things. If alone, I'd ensure enough stomach space then order Bulgogi Fries, and two out of three of either Bao Gao or KFC wings or Banh Mi Thit (or East Burger)

I can't remember who had heard of Naughty Nuri's. I had obviously read about it in several places and how enticing the ribs were. Given that ribs are possibly my favourite pork cut (as well as roast belly and fried hock), there was no way I would miss this place. It may have been my brother who was keen to try this in Ubud, but since it was out of the way and that I had a plan to come here in Seminyak, we were happy to wait a few extra days. And I can happily report that out of every place eaten in Bali, this one probably lived up to my expectations more than any other.

The street in Seminyak seems full of great eating places. It looks like a non-descript seedy place at night, but people car and taxi here all over the place. The smells leak onto the streets from the guy manning the grill booth at the front - picking up a rack of ribs, dipping it into a container of sweet sauce and straight onto a hot BBQ grill. They don't give away much about the recipe on the menu and I can guess it's a guarded secret.

- Sweet potato fries - deliciously sweeter and better than any normal potato fry;
- Rojak with seasonal fruits (bengkuang, pineapple, green mango, jambu air with spicy sauce, peanut, chilli, tamarind, shrimp paste) - first place in Bali that we saw this. A change from the usual gadogado order for different vegetables mixed with sweeter fruits and a mild tangy sauce;
- Nasi Goreng Pak Wayan special (fried rice, pork sate, veggies, egg, krupuk) - excellently presented inside a folded fried egg with rich heavy seasoned rice;
- Pork Chop - cooked nicely and very tender. Cut extremely easily;
- Pork Ribs Full Rack - the magic begins with rib meat sliding off the bone, but still retaining enough texture for a pleasant chew, sweet soy marinade and sauce and endless amounts of pleasure. One of my favourites ever;
- Bebek Goreng (crispy duck confit with urap veggies & steamed rice) - honestly the ribs were so good I don't remember the duck.

Pork ribs I dream of - The Slanted Door BBQ Willis Ranch pork spareribs in honey hoisin sauce in San Francisco, Bone Daddies Korean pork bones in London, Pitt Cue Co hot chilli rib tips in London (if they ever bring them back) and now Naughty Nuri's full rack pork ribs. There can be no higher compliment.

I can't remember the name of the place. All I know is that I requested our driver stop us somewhere for lunch - somewhere he would eat on a usual trip between Amed and Seminyak. After leaving Karangasem Water Palace, he told us it would be a couple of hours. Suddenly about 10mins later he pulls up on the side of the road right next to a guy cooking satay.

What was different? This was fish satay.

There were only two things to select from - fish chunks on skewers or not on skewers. Both were delicious. The chilli was hot - an intensity I hadn't felt in the other more tourist friendly places we had eaten. The chilli dipping sauces were similarly powerful and excellent. This was easily the best satay in Bali, not because the rest were all chicken and beef and very cooked, but this had great flavour, texture and was fish!

As I ate one that looked a little raw/rare on the inside, I wondered if it would make it sick. It possibly did, with a small amount of stomach upset for a couple of days. I think the experience was worth it, but I'd probably have to think twice about doing it again voluntarily. Not everyone felt funny though, so maybe it was something else.

If Amed has one fine dining restaurant, it is Sails. The reputation means that I've read about it online in recommendations and had it suggested by my accommodation owner and also someone else I was talking to locally. After eating (happily) at local venues, a slightly higher splash seemed appropriate for the final night in Amed. It was after a long day of morning scuba diving, afternoon walking and snorkelling and so appetite was at a high.

Sails has its own van with which they offer complimentary pickup and dropoff. It's a great luxury but necessary considering that the restaurant is quite a way down the Amed coast.

The setting is great (although only outdoors from what I could see) and the sunset was nice, although sadly facing the wrong way (east) so the full colours were behind us. Given the warm, lit outdoor evening, there were a few kamizake insects, but not enough to detract from the evening. The restaurant specialises in seafood, caters for Western dishes, actively avoids MSG and promotes cleanliness.

- Sail's own Fish Cakes (with chilli dipping sauce) - unusual in that the fish is not blended, but rather small chunks. Great win in texture and flavour;
- Fish soup signature dish (flavoured with lemongrass, citrus leaves) - better than Harmony's version with a more flavoursome broth although I probably prefer the stronger flavoured Thai and French seafood soups;
- Gado gado (lightly steamed vegetables with tempe, tofu, farm eggs and peanut sauce) - one of the more fancy versions with chunky ingredients to mix together, chopped hard boiled eggs and nice thick peanut sauce;
- Balinese Chicken Curry (slowly simmered in traditional Indonesian sauce) - mild creamy sauce served with a touch of yoghurt. Would have liked more heat in the curry;
- Pork Spare Ribs (trimmed of fat & gristle & slow cooked in Anik's special sauce) - reasonable ribs with some chew and not as tender as the wording said. The description is proud of these being unlike any others in Bali, but I didn't feel there was anything incredibly unique;
- Seafood Pasta (ribbon pasta with fish, prawns and calamari in a light cream sauce with wine and parmesan) - I think I've been spoilt by the seafood pastas of Italy. The seafood was a bit sparse and the overall sauce didn't have the impact of seafood flavour for me;
- Mie Goreng - nice addition of fried egg on top. Simple and effective dish.

This is a special occasion place with the ambience that could only be described as luxury for Amed. The food itself didn't excite me as much as I had hoped. I think part of the issue is that for a place that specialises in seafood, there aren't that many Indonesian/Balinese seafood dishes. Most are western which is fine, but not what I was looking for. However if I was to come again, I'd stick with Indonesian seafood entrees and the fresh seafood mains (eg. prawns or mahi mahi fillet).

A very short walk (ie. less than 1min) from the accommodation in Amed at Rumah Adi was Cafe Harmony. In fact, one of the owners of Rumah Adi recommended Harmony. It wasn't until arriving there that one of the waitresses informed us that the Harmony and Rumah Adi owners were brothers. Nonetheless it wasn't a strong enough reason to leave to find somewhere else.

Of all the more local places, Warung Enak (TA #1) and Warung Pantai were on my list, but not knowing exactly where they were and the effort involved in finding a driver to take us there meant close enough was good enough.

- Fish, coconut lime soup - thin soup with fresh fish stock and meat;
- Fried noodles - very savoury version requiring two serves to keep the flavour going;
- Kangkung (water spinach stir-fried with garlic & spices)
- Jukut blingbling (leaves of star fruit plant with red beans & fresh coconut) - polarising salad of bitter leaves and beans. I liked it;
- Pesan be mahi-mahi (fish fillets wrapped in traditional-style banana leaf with Balinese herbs & grilled)
- Mixed seafood BBQ served with homemade sambals - given the cost of 125,000 IDR (compared to how much things generally cost), expected more than 2 prawns, some calamari and piece of fish. Nothing special and not worth the cost in the end;
- Special pancake with coconut a la Harmony (green pandan pancake with fresh coconut) - simple dessert with sweet palm sugar and nice overall flavours.

It was a reasonably expensive meal given the setting and standards of a more local restaurant at 586,000 IDR (compare Sails was 680,000 IDR). The food was fine without being exceptional. I'd happily eat here again, but just as easily find something else in the area to try.

The last comment I'd make it that sitting outdoors in the evening eating under a roof light, be aware that insects may kamikaze into your food. Just smile and pick them out (they aren't small).

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.

Bebek Bengil, the dirty duck diner. An institution that everyone who lives or has visited Ubud seems to know. What is less known is that if you have enough people and book a day in advance, the smoked duck is the main dish to try here. Otherwise they have an endless number of fried ducks you can order on the day, but variety is good.

After a nearby massage to fill a casual 90mins before the 630pm dinner, the heavens opened up at precisely the time we started walking along Monkey Forest road. The warm rain drenched down, soaking us all from head to torso to shoes. The 15mins walk through rain, darkness and along the roads kept us focussed at the endgame - mega duck dinner.

We finally arrived and were led to a private table right at the back, where rice fields surrounded (although it was too dark to really appreciate the natural surroundings). As I had pre-ordered 2 smoked ducks, we perused the menus looking for some extras. What we didn't appreciate so much was that each smoked duck also came with 6 chicken sate, vegetables, steamed rice and 2 glasses of Balinese punch. And when they say that each smoked duck order feeds two people, they really mean two people as a full meal. My parents had misguided me that the Balinese ducks they had eaten here previously (the fried ducks) were small and one person could easily eat one to them themselves. Hmmm.

- Whole Balinese Smoked Duck (in traditional way with spices wrapped in betel nut leaf)
- chicken sate
- Gado-gado (steamed mixed vegetables with tofu, egg & peanut sauce)
- Bebek Bengil (half an Original Crispy Duck steamed in Indonesian spices, deep fried for a crispy finish)

Both the smoked and crispy fried ducks were good. The smoked duck was a much bigger meatier bird, with soft delicate flesh. The crispy duck was thin, small and perhaps had a bit more flavour (although nothing compared to the fried pork at Ibu Oka 3). Opinions were divided as to which duck was preferred - I'd have to say I think the fried was my choice. But I wouldn't hesitate to eat both again. The chicken sate and gado-gado were fillers for the main event. The dipping sauces were delicious (and hot!) and went brilliantly with rice as a dish of their own.

Next time I would order 1 smoked duck to share between 4. Consider 1 smoked chicken (also needs pre-ordering) if you have 4-8 people. Top up with Bebek Bengil orders of 1 between 2. Nothing else required.

PS. when saying Dirty Duck, you must automatically think of the Black Eyed Peas - dirty bit, do do doooo... (as horrible of a remake as that is).

Balinese suckling pig is one of the specialties to try. Ibu Oka is listed on practically all the Ubud food recommendation lists I read, including some in email form forwarded to me by friends of locals. I suppose it ends up being one of those well touristed places for good reason - they have damn good suckling pig.

There are two locations - a smaller closer to town one that seems to be the one that is listed everywhere. Additionally there is a larger restaurant not too far away, where all the pork is cooked and then transported to the smaller venue. Luck should have it on this day that our driver took us to the mothership (I wanted to go here preferentially and the driver thought the other was closed, even though it actually wasn't).

The menu is quite simple - suckling pork, fried pork, pork skin or pork sausage.

The special (rice, vegetables, pork roll, fried meat, sausage, skin) is the generic sampler plate to try. On this occasional it actually also came with some kind of boiled jackfruit (had none of the sweetness associated with usual jackfruit I'm used to). After sampling each of the porks, the best is really the fried meat with its exquisitely delicious savoury flavours. This was possibly the most flavoursome morsel of everything eaten in Bali. The suckling pork meat is nice also, but I think I like the Spanish version better.

In any case, try for yourself. I will again.

Finding a first meal in Ubud and Bali was going to be a challenge. Considering the arrival time and efforts of the travel group and precise weather and ease of walking around was unknown, I figured something last minute should be adequate. The most anticipated places of mine were already scheduled - Ibu Oka (lunch only) and Bebek Bengil (the next night dinner) - so a simple generic warung seemed like a good idea.

Walking from the accommodation along Jalan Bisma, we expected that the approximate location Google maps showed us along Jalan Raya Ubud would make Bogasari easy to find. Sadly it wasn't - on the bright side we ended up eating gelato first and getting a short glimpse at the town. Funnily enough we found Bogasari (with some help - although most locals had never heard of it) located exactly opposite the entrance to Jalan Bisma.

- gado gado (mixed vegetables with peanut sauce, tofu, bean cake, boiled egg, shrimp crackers)
- mie goreng kampung (fried yellow noodle, chicken & shredded vegetables served with fried egg, acar, chicken sate, shrimp crackers)
- pepes ikan laut (grilled marinated fish wrapped in banana leaf served with vegetable urab, steamed rice)
- sate campur (grill pork, beef, chicken skewer served with rice & peanut sauce)
- tuna sambal matah (grilled tuna, vegetable water spinach Balinese pelecing, steamed rice, served with Balinese raw sauce sambal matah)
- egg lawar (with pork, white rice)

Everything was nice. The gado gado was a slightly more upmarket version than the street types, which some may prefer for cleanness, but I think in the end the street types are more to my liking. Mie goreng was one of my favourites for the trip. Delicious and chilli. Pepes and tuna were probably the dishes I least liked due to chewy fish texture, however the pepes at least had some nice flavour mashed into it.

Driving the 3 hours between Sydney and Canberra doesn't always lend itself to needing a break. However it's easy to add on an extra hour or so getting out of Sydney's central traffic, navigating the highways, accidentally going down tolls or stopping for groceries in Cabramatta (which often results in a pre-trip Vietnamese meal anyway). However if there is a desire for food or caffeine or toilet enroute, Goulburn probably represents the biggest place to stop in through.

After some quick online reading, I was actually hoping to get to The Roses Cafe - unfortunately they were closed for reasons unknown. Other cafes, Thai and Italian restaurants that were around didn't really appeal, so the second option on my list was Greengrocer.

This is actually a bike shop with a nice cafe area as well as some produce for sale too. There are bikes, bike shorts, some laptops and plenty of food around. The atmosphere is eclectic and quite nice. Food options include sandwiches, lots of salad options, some nice Greek meatballs and a solid list of gourmet pizzas. Everything is good without being spectacular, but easily satisfying for any reason you decide to stop by.