Balinese food is a fragrant, spice-filled experience full of fresh local produce and selectively combined flavours from the endless islands that make up Indonesia. On my exploration around Bali, I came across many food stops that came highly recommended by locals. These places may not be the poshest of restaurants, but each of them has their unique dish that represents a very traditional piece of Balinese cuisine. We started exploring our trip at Seminyak. Here are my top affordable local food picks within a half hour car ride from Seminyak.
Why Denpasar ?
Denpasar is the central hub of Bali and the first stop you land at when you get off the plane. If you are into museums and animal conservation centres, then this is the place you will get your fill. Most visitors will head straight for Seminyak and Kuta if they want to party or they will make their way to the chilled forest life in Ubud. Seminyak and Kuta is party central and draws foreign tourists by planeloads with their beaches, resorts and endless clubs, but it is also due to this that you won’t find the most authentic Balinese foods there. If you are looking for a Balinese interpretation of western cuisine to chase down your next round of alcoholic drinks, then Seminyak is your place. however, a comfortable 30-minute car ride will take you straight from Seminyak to Denpasar to sample authentic Balinese dishes. This way, you can get your fill of traditional cuisine and make it back in time to party.
What is a Warung ?
When travelling around Bali, there will be signs with “Warung” or “Waroeng” or “Warong” which comes up often. These terms all mean a small family-owned business. While this term can be in use for neighbourhood convenience stores as well, local family-run restaurants and cafes will almost always have this word as part of their name. If you are looking for a food stop that will serve traditional Balinese cuisine, then your best bet is to go for a place that has “Warung” in their name.
Warung Wardani Yudistira Denpasar
This Warung has been around for decades and a popular place for the locals. Their specialty is Nasi Campur, a dish consisting of white rice and small portions of meats and other small side dishes all on one plate. We ordered one with Lawar as the main dish with fermented soybeans, beef jerky and sambal as side dishes. Lawar is a high protein dish made from a combination of vegetables (e.g. green beans), beaten eggs, freshly grated coconut, mincemeat or young Jackfruit, coconut milk, palm sugar and a mixture of spice and herbs. The beef jerky was slightly spiced and delicious while the chopped fermented soybean had a unique firm fish-tofu-like texture. The fermented soybeans are made from the remnants from the process of making soy milk. The soil milk is drunk or used to make tofu while the remaining crushed beans are compressed, fermented then chopped and fried with garlic, chilli and soy sauce to make this side dish.
Our Nasi Campur also came with soup and a local ice tea. The spicy pork and young jackfruit soup is a local favourite to have with the meal. Be warned not to inhale or slurp it as getting the spice overload into the back of your throat will trigger some pretty intense coughing fits. If you find things too hot to handle, take a good gulp of the pretty pink local iced tea. Teh Kayu Shecang or Secang wood tea is a traditional local tea loved by Balinese ladies. Secang wood (also known as Sepang wood) is full of anti-oxidants, and with a drop of lemon, the locals say it is the best-kept beauty and weight loss secret. The wood also helps reduce body heat which will help you cope with the chilliness as well as the hot tropical temperatures.
Opening Hours: 7 Days, 8:00 – 17:00
Address: Jl. Yudistira No.2, Dangin Puri Kauh, Kec. Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia
Warung Soto Ketut
When mentioning “Soto” or soup and Bali together, most will think of Soto Ayum or chicken soup. However, the locals head to this Warung for their beef soto. The fragrance of this semi-transparent, dark soup hugs every visitor that steps through the door. You will find locals sitting at one of the long benches happily chatting away with a spoon full of soup in one hand and a skewer of marinated quail eggs in the other. We ordered our beef soto with their homemade Indonesian styled meatballs and white turnip slices inside. This soup was so delicious I wanted to take it home with me so that I can have it as comfort food for my next winter. The sweetness of the soft white turnips melted perfectly with the salty umami of the beef broth like a match made in heaven. Add on a mouthful of a marinated quail egg, and I finally realised why the locals have one dish in each hand!
After sampling the specialty dish here, we ordered our next Balinese local drink – Jamu. Jamu is a deceptive looking drink made of turmeric and tamarind. Sometimes the locals will even add some ginger to the blend. The locals see this as a magical potion which helps with digestion, detoxing the liver and kidneys, good heart health and stamping out colds/flu. This bright yellow drink contains a vast amount of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties making it the health drink of choice of locals. The local ladies have said it even helps with menstruation pain. But be warned, just because it has the same colour as your mango smoothy doesn’t mean it taste as pleasant as one. Here’s to sacrificing taste buds for good health.
Opening Hours: 7 Days, 10:00 – 22:00
Address: Jl. Kapten Sujana No.77, Dauh Puri, Kec. Denpasar Bar., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia
Pondok Genyol Bu Agus Cab. Sading
Babi Guling or Babi Genyol is a traditional roast suckling pork dish served during Galungan, a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma and when the ancestral spirits visited earth. Locals come to this compact restaurant for this dish. This indulgent dish is a must-try when in Bali. The fresh pork meat is stuffed with a mixture of herbs and spices before being roll roasted over a fire. At this small restaurant, their Nasi Campur will serve you fresh steaming rice with mouth-watering with juicy Babi Genyol, crunchy pork crackling, local traditional pork sausage, fluffy pork floss, a spoonful of vegetable lawar and their spicy sambal. I recommend eating the pork crackling first while it still has a crunch.
Your meal can come with a small bowl of clear pork soup. This will help with dampening the spiciness of the sambal. If you find the fire in your mouth escalating a little too quickly and struggling to put it out, the sweet local ice tea on the menu will help keep everything cool. This restaurant is not very obvious if you pass by on the street. To help you identify the place, I would look for their faded sign hung from a balcony with a smiling cartoon pig.
Opening Hours: 7 Days, 8:00 – 22:00
Address: Jl. Werkudara No.7A, Dangin Puri Kauh, Kec. Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia
Gula Bali The Joglo
Dessert lovers rejoice! Make this dessert haven your last food stop. This place is a treasure trove for traditional Bali-Indonesian desserts. Relax on one of the airy veranda seatings under a big Balinese hut while sampling endless dishes made of fragrant coconut cream and milk, local yams, pandan jellies, sticky rice, local tropical fruits and more! We ordered four different dishes and a dessert drink for our trip here. They were all deliciously unique with a genuinely authentic south-east Asian island taste. It reminded me a little of the Burmese desserts I had growing up.
Our first dish was a mashed local root vegetable, cassava, with coconut milk. According to the locals, this sweet and slightly fragrant root looks a little like Taro. The mouth texture is very similar to Cilembu sweet potatoes. Then comes the bowl of Balinese mixed sweet porridge. Bathed in slightly sweet coconut milk are black sticky rice, chewy bits made from rice flour with pandan leaf extract, tapioca pearls (more like cubes), cassava chunks and boiled banana. I would recommend sampling each ingredient separately in small bites before eating everything together. This way, you will get to know the actual texture and taste of each porridge component.
The next star of the show is a caramelised palm sugar syrup coated combination platter with chewy white sticky rice cake, a green cake made of mashed banana with rice flours and pandan extract, Laklak or small Balinese coconut pancake and scrambled shredded coconut. If you are a lover of chewy textured desserts, then this is made for you. The plate full of sticky cakes can be a little bit hard to swallow. I recommend trying their sweet iced drink, es daluman, to help things down. This is one of my favourite south-east Asian dessert beverages. This drink is similar mouth feel to your local Asian pearl milk tea but made with coconut milk, green daluman leaf juice jelly, tapioca pears and caramelised palm sugar. The best way to drink this is by stirring everything together before consuming.
The final dessert dish should be approached with caution. This dish is not for the faint-hearted. Those who order it will be able to smell this dessert as it comes to the table. Made with white sticky rice, a generous drizzle of coconut milk and chunks of durian; this is a very traditional south-east Asian dessert. Durian fruit is notorious for its domineering fragrance and dividing opinions down the dinner table. Those who love it will drool at the smell and enjoy its sweet soft fruit, but those who hate it will want to puke at the scent which they can smell from a mile away. If you are making a first time attempt at this fruit or dessert, eat them cold and don’t smell it before you eat it. Things smell worse when you have not tasted it. Just don’t go kissing anyone or breathing in their faces after. Enjoy!
Opening Hours: 7 Days, 9:00 – 21:00
Address: Jl. Merdeka II No.16, Sumerta Kelod, Kec. Denpasar Tim., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80239, Indonesia
Satay on the streets
Satay or “sate” said in Balinese, are grilled meat skewers. This is one of the most famous street foods found in every Indonesian city and around Bali. While each Indonesian island has its unique take on these snack sticks, Bali has its own marinates made with coconut milk and spices. The overall taste of these spice-filled Balinese meat sticks leans more towards slightly sweet rather than salty. We came across a local grandma roasting pork and liver skewers near Bajra Sandhi Monument. She was cooking the skewers using coconut shells instead of coal. According to locals, using coconut shells instead of coal gives food a unique smoky fragrance.
Collaborating with this grandma was her friend who made sticky steamed rice in woven local leaves which makes a perfect match to the skewers. Her expertise at weaving the grass pockets which the sticky rice is cooked in was incredible. The whole time she was sharing her story with us, her hands never stopped weaving those grass pockets! The ladies have sold skewers and rice here for decades and are super popular with the locals who drive through for these delicious sticks. If you ever come across them, I highly recommend stoping by to try some!
