Eat Like Ushi

Anantara is simply one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever seen. The prices reflect this, but luckily the Mr. & Mrs. Smith website allowed a cheaper booking (approx. $250-350 per night) to enjoy the luxury. Considering the reputation of Seminyak for being nothing but beaches and Australians, choosing a nice place where the option of staying there and not moving seemed reasonable.

There are very good restaurants and massages nearby, the beach is directly in front and the view isn't bad either. On the contrary the infinity pool (or more private pool) is lovely, those decks include table service for drinks and cocktails, there is an ice-cream cart (!!), the gym and spa have lovely views from the top floor and luckily the Anantara restaurant also serves excellent food.

The buffet breakfast is one that my buffet-obsessed brother had told me about for months as he recalled the different stations as well as the all-you-can-order menu. All guests staying at the hotel have breakfast included or for outsiders the cost is Rp. 25000 ($25). It's a high price for Bali so ensure you intend to spend enough time there moving from breakfast onto brunch.

Firstly there are several stations with which to pick up things and decorate your plate. The variety changes each day but starts from small dishes of fresh salads (such as rojak), martabak, chicken soup and moves onto the bakery section (including cronuts which I'm happy to have tried but never again), multiple cereals and yoghurts, fresh juices and a large bread section. You can also finish off with a colourful decorative selection of kue (desserts).

However there's more. The breakfast menu has a multitude of Western and local dishes cooked to order. The hash browns were the only Western ingredient I craved and they were delicious - crispy, hot, well seasoned with soft pieces of potato within - just perfect. Kway teow, chicken congee, mie goreng, nasi goreng were all upmarket local renditions. One of the most exciting was the 'Bacon & Eggs' which was braised pork belly & potato curry, crispy paratha, fried egg and chaat masala salad. It reminded me of the well-known breakfast roti at Tom Phat in Melbourne.

Overall one of the most relaxing and varied breakfasts I've had, filled with Western and Indonesian options. If I ever stay in Seminyak again, it will be at Anantara.

Deep amongst the stalls and bustle of Seminyak likes Warung Murah. It wouldn't ordinarily have appealed to me except that my brother insists it is his favourite warung from previous trips to Bali, and once he finds a place he likes to eat at on holiday, he goes there 2-3 times per day. He had been waiting the entire trip to take me there. Apparently the place is well reputed amongst expats and surfers.

The concept is slightly different to your typical warung. Essentially it's a display buffet and you ask the staff to pile up your plate with as much as whatever you want. They determine (assumably by sight and experience) what you to charge you.

The food is cheap, good and there's a great variety of vegetables, fish and chicken. The biggest benefit is you get a bit of everything rather than having to stick to one meal. Can't argue with that!

There was a short 2 hour slot before having to go to the airport. This was just enough time for one more meal. Luckily taxis around Seminyak don't take too long and don't cost too much to get to most places of interest. Anantara to Potato Head only took 10mins which left plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings in an otherwise unexpected visit.

It initially feels like an odd place - taxis drive through a security area and dropoff outside some fancy looking shops. You go past more security into what looks like an enormous speckled Colosseum and wind around the impressive corridors. A series of young females greet you and ask where you'd like to go - eat side 1(Lilin - Balinese), eat side 2 (Potato Head Bistro) or fancy eating (Tappingshoes - French). I think there are additional options of the lounge areas but I'm sure you pay more for those.

Being in Bali, the choice was always going to be Lilin, and I'd read briefly about it online somewhere so the name was familiar. As you are led towards the eating area, you can't help but notice the grassy central grazing area, the umbrellas, infinity pool, ocean and horizon. It's a beautiful setting and explains the popularity, nearly all tourist crowd (Western and Asian), beach bodies and high prices. What's also surprising is the number of older patrons and families including young children.

The drinks menu has dreamy cocktails. The Mango Jerry (vanilla tequila, spice sugar, honey, lime juice, mango, orange liquer) was selected for both the picture of it in the Potato Head mug (of which I was tempted to take one away like those delinquents at Oktoberfest) and the fruity sweet elements that I like. Others enjoyed on the day were Mai Tai (light & dark rum, lime, orange curacao, almond syrup, pineapple), and a non-alcoholic Mango Lassy.

- complimentary Shrimp, grapefruit, fish sauce and coriander was a nice tangy spoonful to commence.

Entree Set of Four:
- Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (with honey chilli reduction) - tasty pieces reminiscent of Chinese style;
- Golden Prawn Ball (crispy minced prawns marinated with a selection of fresh herbs, served with sweet chilli & plum sauce)
- Catfish with Red Chilli Sambal (fried fillet of catfish served with homemade red chilli paste) - a little crumbly and not as crispy as I would have liked;
- Baby Squid in Yellow Curry (stuffed with minced pork & fresh herbs) - only a few small squid morsels, but an absolutely delicious curry sauce that I could drink or eat alone with rice.

Mains:
- Grilled Prawn (live sea prawns grilled with garlic, lemon & chilli sambal) - expected larger prawns rather than the bite-sized snack versions. In any case quite nice but could've used more seasoning and chilli;
- Asian Chilli Crab (served with fried buns) - small crab in chilli sauce. As usual I feel the effort for crab meat isn't always worth the reward. What I did like was my second experience with fried mantou buns (which I've had trouble finding since Melbourne's Mao Restaurant);
- Wok-Fried Clams (with chilli paste, kaffir lime leaf, spring onions) - potent heavy flavoured sauce with only very small (other than a few) clam meat. I like my clams big and meaty (a la Borough Market Richard Hawards);
- Kangkung Belacan
- Coconut Rice and Red Rice

The food is fine, the drinks are great, the prices are high considering the quality you can get in Bali for low costs. The setting makes it a worthwhile visit though - you're enjoying more here than just tastes. Give yourself more time than 1.5 hours and enjoy the sunset and basking warmth.

The final dinner of the trip was initially booked at Sarong - a modern pan-Asian upmarket experience rated currently at #47 in San Pellegrino Asian restaurants. Unfortunately someone had a few belly problems meaning the consensus was to cancel the booking on the day and wait until the evening to see how far from the hotel this belly would let us venture.

As mentioned in the Bo & Buns post, Fat Gajah was another place I had only read up the afternoon before, and the menu of dumpling variety interested me. I can say that in all my travels and food places thusfar, I haven't experienced anywhere that has gourmet modern dumplings. As much as I appreciate the standard yum cha, Din Tai Fung and other Asian dumpling varieties, this was on another level of cool and creative. Funnily enough I didn't even realise how impressive the noodle menu was also until looking at the menu once we sat down.

The cocktail menu is equally enchanting. Red Dragon Sangria (red wine, brandy, dragon fruit, mango, strawberries, raspberries, lime, vanilla bean) is a tropical version that tastes as good as it sounds. The excellent local fruit made it particularly special. The other Fat Cocktails were nearly all designed with me in mind, and if only I had enough time and alcoholic penchant I would've gone through several.

It was a quiet time in Bali (which is great) meaning there was noone else there when we arrived. The army of chefs standing across from us waited to see what orders would get them kicking into gear.

Snacks:
- Braised Beef Short Ribs in Steamed Chinese Bun (Pickled Cucumber, Cilantro, Lettuce, Roasted Red Pepper) - not quite what I was expecting. I thought either an open gua bao or even a closed classic bao (less likely). Actually turned out to be a bao base topped with shredded beef. This made it surprisingly difficult to eat/share. I didn't feel the flavours or textures here were that good. The only dish tonight I probably wouldn't order again;
- Amazing Fat Gajah Tofu Chips (Peanut Pecel Dressing and Pickled Cucumber) - mildly seasoned tofu skins deepfried into a light thin chip, most reminiscent of a flaky corn chip. In the grand scheme of things I probably prefer potato/sweet potato chips but this is certainly different.

Dumplings:
- Spicy Beef Rendang Pot Stickers (Bird’s Eye Chili, Lemon Yogurt, Cilantro, Yellow Bell Pepper, Egg, Scallion) - a very different kind of fried dumpling, with mild chilli and yogurt sauce making it feel almost Mediterranean. The rendang flavour wasn't very strong;
- Seared Lamb Shank Lemongrass Dumplings (Grilled White Onion, Jicama and a light Lemongrass Curry) - my favourite dumplings of those tried. The meat texture was silky smooth like a blended mince and the lamb flavour stood out strong. The delicious curry sauce was a drinkable bonus;
- Steamed Black Pepper Crab Dumplings (Soy Cardamon, Green Peas)
- Steamed Beef Short Ribs Dumpling (Orange Peel, Chinese Broccoli in Soy Ginger Honey)
- Sesame Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna Squares (Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, Chilli, Fish Sauce)

Noodles:
- Crisp Salty Egg Oyster Mushroom in Ramen Noodles (Scallion, Green Pepper, Chili Pepper, Pikled Cucumber, Chives) - surprising winner dish of the evening. I wouldn't ordinary order this, but my dad wanted it. The salted egg flavour was only very mildly coating the mushrooms, but extremely heavy stuck to the noodles. This was sensational and delicious;
- Red Snapper Bakso Balls in Squid Ink Noodles (Bok Choy, Celery, Dill, in a light Soy Fish Broth, Crisp Egg noodles) - the only soupy noodle dish with sweet savoury broth and black noodles (very very mild squid ink flavour);
- Beef Tenderloin Curried Noodles (Crisp Beef Jerky, Beef Floss, Red Chilies, Bok Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Sauteed Flat Rice) - combination of different textured and degree of flavoured beefs (the jerky being as expected the most potent);
- Spicy Soft Shell Crab Noodle (Egg Noodle, Onion, Caisin, Fennel, Scallion, Sesame Seeds)

This was a fantastic meal. With the exception of the Chinese Bun, I would order any of these again and given the success of the dishes try anything on their menu. For me the Lamb Shank dumplings and particularly Salty Egg Noodles would be what I'd have again every time. Coupled with a wonderful drink menu, this is one place I am delighted to have tried.

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.