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Guide to Bali's Food & Restaurants
A special feature of any ethnic group is its food. The conditions of the fauna and agriculture produce of the tropical island of Bali as well as the daily life of its people, which is characterized by art and religious
activities greatly influenced the various distinctive kinds of food. the daily habit of eating rice is a characteristic of the Asian tropics, especially Indonesia, and the people of Bali also consume rice as their staple food. From
colonial times up to around forty years ago, rice was mixed with other ingredients, such as corn and sweet potatoes, mainly due to economic reasons. However, this practice is rarely followed these days, and the people of Bali consume pure
rice. Due to the irrigation organization called the 'subak', which supports the rice farming system, good quality rice is produced on the island. It is valued highly in Indonesia, and is known as Beras Bali (Balinese Rice).
Within the context of fulfilling the necessities imposed by religion, the high quality of rice (white and red rice, glutinous rice and black rice) supports the creativity of Balinese women in preparing various types of food and
rice cakes (Jaja Bali) to be used as offerings. There are those that can be eaten and those that can not. Known as Sarad, Gebogan, Pajegan, etc these are made only as representations to symbolize abundance.
Due to its combinations of hot spices, Balinese dishes are often not appreciated by the non-Balinese, who are especially wary of Lawar (sliced coconut), which is sometimes mixed with blood and raw meat, or half-raw meat.
Recently, many restaurants and hotels have adapted the recipes of Balinese dishes, including lawar, in order to please the taste-buds of immigrants and visitors from the archipelago and other countries. For example, this is done not by
using blood or raw meat but using cooked chicken and duck meat instead. They also use less hot mixtures of spices.
Prices, style, food presentation, decoration and service vary and range from very basic to luxurious and from extremely cheap to expensive (by Bali standards but still very cheap if compared with New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo or London).
Although not cheap, the Balinese dance performances presented during a buffet dinner in some hotels are memorable events and you should attend at least once.
In all restaurants outside the large hotels you can expect to pay from 20,000 to about 200,000 Rupiah for a main course. A beer adds 8,000 to 30,000 Rupiah to your bill, and if you really want to live it up and order a bottle of imported wine or
champagne this will set you back at least another 160,000 Rupiah or more. Usually 10% service charge is included in your bill. If not, a tip of 5% or a maximum
of 10% is appreciated but not necessarily expected. Hotels always add 21% (11% tax & 10% service) to your bill.
Most restaurants in Bali are open until 10:00 or 11:00 pm and a few eateries in the main tourist areas keep their kitchens open until midnight or 1:00 am with a few staying open 24 hours a day.
Variety of Cuisines
Whether you long for an original Austrian Wiener Schnitzel, Chinese delicacies such as Hong Kong style Dim Sum, Smoked Duck from Szechuan or Scallops in Black Bean Sauce, German Wurst or Rindsrouladen, Greek Souvlaki, Indian Tandoori Chicken or
Rogan Josh, Italian Lasagna or Pizza, Japanese Sushi, Yakitori or Shabu-Shabu, Korean Bulgogi Beef and Kimchi, Mexican Enchiladas or Tacos, Russian Borscht, Spanish Tapas or Paella, Swiss Cheese or Beef Fondue or a spicy Thai Tom Yam – you can
get it in Bali.
Although based on original recipes, the preparation of the dishes is often adapted to the local taste and the availability of certain ingredients and the results are not always predictable. However, if you don't insist on comparing the Balinese
version of international delicacies with those prepared in the country they originate from you can usually expect a rather enjoyable meal.
In addition to restaurants specializing in one type of cuisine you find many places which offer a wide range of Chinese, Indonesian and Western dishes. For emergencies, there are also branches of KFC, MacDonald's and Pizza Hut as well as a Hard
Rock Cafe & Planet Hollywood. These Western fast food outlets have recently become very popular with young Indonesians. Indonesian Food and Cooking
Indonesian home cooking can be excellent. Some tiny food stalls and "Warungs" offer one or two excellently prepared local
specialties if you don't mind the basic surroundings of a local warung. On the other hand, Indonesian food served in well-decorated and comfortable Western-style restaurants is often specially prepared for foreigners and has not
much similarity with the authentic version.
Balinese Food : Balinese Culture : About Bali : About Kuta : About Legian
: About Tuban : About Ubud : About Sanur :
About Seminyak : About Jimbaran : About Nusa Dua &
Tanjung Benoa : About Denpasar : About North Bali : About East Bali :
About Indonesia : |
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The centerpiece of any Indonesian meal is steamed or boiled rice. Accompanying dishes include various preparations of chicken, duck, beef, (in Bali also pork), all kinds of seafood and vegetables, either steamed, boiled, braised, stir or
deep fried, roasted or grilled over coconut husks. Other ingredients used to give Indonesian food its unique flavours are chillis, coconut, peanuts, garlic, ginger, saffron, basil, cardamon, lemon grass, lime, nutmeg, pepper, shallots, soy
sauce, tamarind, turmeric and several kinds of shrimp paste. (Indonesia weren't called the Spice Islands for nothing.) The result is usually very tasty but not unbearably hot – as long as you avoid the small green chillis and the various
kinds of 'Sambal' which are often served together with your meal.
Indonesian delicacies served in many restaurants and hotels include 'Sate' (charcoal-grilled skewers with small pieces of chicken, beef, pork, prawns or minced seafood) served with a peanut sauce, 'Gado-Gado' (a half-boiled combination of various
vegetables with peanut sauce) and 'Nasi Goreng', tasty fried rice with either meat or shrimps.
For Indonesian "High Cuisine" – not to be confused with local home cooking – visit the restaurant Ketapat in Kuta. For a down-to-earth experience of Indonesian food you should visit the night markets and/or the food halls in or adjacent to some
of the shopping centers. For a dollar or so you can try "Bakso", different "Sate" (including the Balinese "Sate Lilit" made from minced seafood), and many other local delicacies.
Sumatran Nasi Padang
In every Balinese town you will see a number of very simple restaurants which display 10 or 15 plates and bowls of cooked food in a glass box next to the entrance. Chicken, beef, fish, liver, eggs and different vegetables are prepared
in the style of Padang, a major city in Sumatra. When you sit down at a table, the waiter brings a plate of rice and one plate of every single dish to your table. You eat whatever you like and, on leaving, you will be charged only for the food
you've eaten. Usually one of these meals is two or three US dollars. Many Nasi Padang Restaurants in South Bali i.e. Sanur, Jimbaran, or the Kuta area are open 24 hours a day.
Traditional Balinese Food
There are two traditional Balinese dishes you should not miss: It's a must to try the Babi Guling, the crispy skin and pieces of grilled suckling pig which is a specialty of the town of Gianyar, and the Bebek Betutu, a delicious duck specialty,
slowly baked in banana leaves together with many different herbs and spices. To try "Babi Guling" watch out for signboards at small restaurants which specialize in this dish. For one of the best "Bebek" dishes you should try in
Murni's Warung next to the bridge in
Campuhan, Ubud.
The best place to experience a whole range of authentic Balinese dishes including Sate Lilit made from minced prawns and fish, a delicious grilled marinated fish, and Nasi Kuning, yellow rice often served at celebrations, is the Bumbu BaliI
Restaurant in Tanjung Benoa adjacent to Nusa Dua. This unique and comfortable restaurant was opened in December 1997 by Heinz von Holzen, the author (and photographer) of "The Food of Bali" – a book which is a must
for everybody interested in exotic cuisines. Heinz is the former food guru of the Grand Hyatt Bali and the Ritz Carlton hotels, and his restaurant is devoted to traditional Balinese cuisine.
Inside the nearby Rumah Bai is the Balinese Village Center is a carefully designed compound to stage cultural shows for up to 340 guests, art exhibitions, theme parties or private dinners. In various traditional pavilions
the preparation of rice, vegetable and meat dishes is demonstrated, and you can also watch the distillation of the home-made Arak (Rice Wine). During most mornings the Village Center at Rumah Bali is the venue of Heinz' popular Balinese Cooking
School for visitors.
In regard to beverages, the good news is that the choice of available wines from Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and South Africa has recently increased. If you think the prices of these imports are too high, you should at least try the
Hatten wines, one rosé wine and two types of white wine made from grapes grown in North Bali and sold in restaurants and hotels. The same company is also produces a rosé
sparkling wine named "Jepun" with a refreshing fruity taste. "Jepun" is about 50% to 100% more expensive than Hatten Rosé. Hatten's newer sparkling white wine named "Tanjung" is also becoming quite popular.
"Wine of the Gods" is a company which produces wines in Bali from grape juice imported from the Margaret River region in Western Australia. Their "Premium Chardonnay" and "Shiraz" are quite drinkable. The winery is open six days a week from 9 m to
5pm for tours and tastings and is located on the Ngurah Rai By-Pass at Sanur.
Most foreigners like the local Bintang beer. Many restaurants and pubs also serve Bintang "draft". Other locally produced beers are Anker, Carlsberg, San Miguel and the less popular Bali Hai beer. In hotels and supermarkets you can also find
well-known brands imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and even China (Tsing Tao).
Beer is available in all supermarkets and many smaller shops. Wine is very expensive in supermarkets but nowadays there are a number of specialized wine shops where you can find a good choice of imported wines at more reasonable prices.
Local Beverages
Tuak (about 5% alcohol) is a sweet palm wine made from the juice of the coconut palm flower which is stored for about one month for fermentation. Brem is made from black glutinous rice and coconut milk; the alcohol content is about 7% to 9% after
three days fermentation. Most popular with foreigners is Arak: a colorless, sugarless spirit distilled from either Brem or Tuak with 20% to 50% alcohol content. A whole bottle costs about Rupiah 12,000, and it is usually served 'on the rocks' as "Arak
Attack" or "Arak Madu" (Arak, lemon or orange juice, and honey). You should try it at least once. There is no hang-over as long as you don't mix your drinks, and many visitors don't order anything else after they have discovered Arak
Bali Holiday Activities : Bali Travel Books & Guides : Surf
Tours : Balinese Dance & Drama :
Exploring Indonesia : Balinese Dance : Bali Night Life
: Popular Tours :
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