Herro!
Missed my usual weekly blogging again because I was in paradise! No I am totally not kidding! I was in Bali over the weekend and it is heaven on earth. Blue skies, beautiful sunset, breathtaking waves and the soft soft sand. Can justify right why I skipped blogging for this week. But I did constantly update my Dayre! All the deets of the deets are all over there~
In paradise~
I was trying to make sure I don't get too fat right before the Bali trip because oh puh-leaseee~ it's a beach vacation after all! Cannot lose to all the hot bikini babes right? At least try to not look TOO sad! lol. But what a waste of energy really.. the moment I land I've been eating NON STOP!
I kid you not. The food there is always carbs, carbs, carbs. Wait scratch that, more like spicy carbs, carbs and more carbs! And the main source of carbs is my weakest point....
RICE
So I've been eating a lot a lot a lot! Like one day eat up to 5-6 meals and supper is a MUST! I guess I would sum up here the top 5 yummy Bali food list IMHO. Haha. I eat like super cheap food and mostly around Kuta area since my hotel is in Kuta! It's very hard to find good local food there actually.. it's so tourist-y I find it so difficult to find some place that's built for locals instead of for tourists. Like the chances of me finding beer is higher than me finding some local air jeruk.
Anyway, so just in case you're heading to Kuta Bali, maybe this list will give you some rough guide!
[5] Nasi Bali
It's sorta kinda like Nasi Lemak but it's Balinese. Everything in that plate is no joke SPICY! Have one bite and need to down like half the Bintang beer! Lol. I wasn't aware that this exist because their target market is definitely not tourists! It is usually sold by some lady walking among the locals during lunch time. And I can see the locals like gulping it down at 1pm.
Even though it's spicy, the flavor of the Nasi Bali will make you want to risk your tongue and have another bite again and again! That tingling spiciness definitely beats all the Nasi Lemak back in KL!
Nasi Bali! Local surfers's lunch pack
Comes with this peanut biscuit
The best part is, you can just chill wit your beer by the beach and viola those vendors will come to the locals there so you can have a nice relaxing lunch by the beach. Since the target market is the locals, the price is pretty decent at IDR 10,000 or approximately US$ 1. Worth it right right?
You can even get add ons like the meat/fishcakes.
[4] Jimbaran Seafood
Think anyone who has been to Bali would have heard of this seafood by the beach place in Jimbaran. It was a trip down memory lane since I've been to Jimbaran before on my first visit to Bali. I gotta say, something about Bali just doesn't change! Well, the added the beach chairs and tables. But other than that, it's really THE SAMEEEE!
Look at the stretch of Jimbaran seafood restaurants behind me
I feel like I probably paid the price for its ambiance. Hearing the strong waves hitting the beach while chowing down on fresh seafood is eerie yet exciting. Plus, I think it's quite romantic and quiet. Definitely a must-go place just to have some quality time with your loved one. Be it family or friends, people leave her after a nice dinner with good mood... and a hole in the wallet lol. But honestly, it's worth it!
Chilling
WHO CAN PASS A VIEW FOR DINNER LIKE THIS?!
There's nicely designed sets for people who find it difficult to order from the ala-carte menu. For small eaters, please remember to ask them for menus of smaller portion. It's significantly cheaper so it's just normal for them to rather hide it than just bring the menu out to the guest. Most people would have ordered the cheaper menu right?
Cheaper menu I had
Taadaa dinner is served
Not too shabby! Lobsters, calamari, fishes and some clams I think.. It's just technically a smaller version of the expensive menu. This set is enough to fit 2 people and even have leftovers! So yeap yeap! Watch what you order and you can get the right amount for price and quantity.
There's also live traditional dance performances
And a team of very talented A capella singing whatever song you request for.
They even sang xiao ping guo wtf!
A little tip though. No need to fuss over which restaurants to go to because their menu, pricing, and even the performance are THE SAME. All thanks to Indonesia government trying to reduce competitiveness among the vendors and ended up making life tougher for everyone. So feel free to walk in any shop and the end result will probably be the same.
Also, remember to bargain for a cheap ride to Jimbaran! Some rip off tax driver actually wanted to sell me a ride of RM 90 to and fro Jimbaran. Of course I rejected it. So overpriced! I ended up asking around and the trip to and fro only cost me RM 25! Check around is ALWAYS the key!
[3] Flapjaks
Didn't I mention Kuta is very tourist-y and westernized? Well, if one is lazy to find food, try flapjaks! It's 100% western cuisine. I only went there cause it's next to my hotel and it's highly recommended. Throughout the trip I accidentally went there like 3 times wtf! Yeap accidentally cause I did not intend to go back AT ALL! lol
I blame their pancakes! It's... better than any pancakes I had in KL! Lol
And the Aglio Olio! My bf literall begged me to learn how to cook it
I like it too but I think the vege smell is a tad bit too strong for my liking. However, it's still super yummy!
Why hello~
If you order a 3 course meals like that, it'll cost you about IDR 145,000. Approximately RM 40 or so. This is definitely not the price you can get in any hipster cafe in KL! That big breakfast will probably cost that much dy.Taste wise.... CAN SOMEONE PLEASE OPEN A FRANCHISE IN KL PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... Enough said lol
[2] Babi Guling
Extremely non-halal food coming ahead. What I like about Bali is that yea they have multiple religions. But no one is far superior than the other. Hindu is the majority religion in Bali but you see beef everywhere. There's Muslims but there's babi guling sign everywhere. There's no religion taboo. Like babi guling is everyone's food. If it's against your religion then ok.. the Muslims simply refrain from eating it. No taboo of any sort! That freedom! Oh how I LOVE IT!
Anyway, one of the regrets from my first Bali trip is that I didn't try the Babi Guling! Die die also must try this time! Lol
Stopped by this place on the way to Bedugul and AHHHHH~ INSTANT FOOD ORGASM!
The pork is like the typical roast pork we have during Chinese wedding dinners. The portion is quite small compared to the rice. They have this special sambal that I can't taste what is it made of but WOW THE SPICINESS! SYIOKKKK! The soup tastes a bit like out pepper pork belly soup and oddly, fighting fire with fire can kinda ease the first fire. Lol.
Decent price since it's where locals dine. Like a mamak store to us.
So good that I went to another shop in Seminyak which is a lot like Village Park style, called, Pak Malen Babi Guling! Why Village Park style? THE LINE I TELL YOU! ITS CRAZY! I also learn that a lot of locals just cut queue and jump straight to any empty seats even though they came later. RUDE MUCH! It was so bad until the boss keep apologizing to us. He literally pointed and shouted that the seats are for us and people sat there anyway WTF!
But for Babli Guling.. I am willing to endure such rudeness!
This pork skin is less crunchy so yea.. I prefer Betty
STILL DAMN YUMMY THOUGH
Air Jeruk a.k.a. orange juice to ease the spiciness!
Time for my #1 must have food in Bali! *drumrolls*
[1] Gado-Gado
Taadaaaaaaaa~ It's this insignificant popiah that captured my heart. Actually.. I don' even know is it called Gado-Gado cause I went to the warungs nearby and ordered it but it came out very different from the version I LOVE!
What I had was sold by those walking vendors with a huge glass box on their head with the popiah in it.
Look at that BEAUTY!
The sauce is sweet, and with the added chili padi, the whole thing just does a little dance in your mouth. Yeap it's THAT good! So good that whenever we're out, our eyes will be looking out for that guy selling Gado-Gado but to no avail! Only get to have it once and.... I AM LEFT WITH MEMORIES AND CRAVES!!!
Since it's local food, one portion (like in the picture above) is only sold at RM 1.50.
The price.. too cheap for such good food really! So hoping I can have this again as I am blogging! Really.. please try this out and don't hesistate! Order one whole portion all to yourself! Lol
Alright! Done my top 5 countdown and I hope it makes you salavate a little!
Missing Bali so much right now I could cry... :'(
Gonna sleep it off I guess.
Signing off now!
Bye bye
