Eating out in Bali – yes, I’m still going…

Do a quick poll amongst people you know…where is the best food to be found in Bali? I guarantee you they will answer ‘Jimbaran Bay’. Well, they’d be pretty much right, the food there is delicious and it is a lovely idea to eat at restaurants that are literally on the sand. The first thing nearly all of the Balinese taxi drivers ask when you hop into their cab is ‘do you like seafood?’ (a question it is impossible to answer in the negative), then they will suggest a trip to Jimbaran Bay to eat in the best seafood restaurant there!! Be a little cautious with this approach, we got caught on our first trip to Bali. They offer free transport, (which is a great idea), but then you are constrained by having to go to the one they take you to. There are about 50 little restaurants sitting cheek-by-jowl together on a relatively small piece of sand, some are ‘nicer’ than others. For example, some have wooden chairs, tablecloths and pretty tealights on the tables, whereas the one we were taken to had old-looking plastic chairs, plastic tablecloths and a general air of dirtiness that was a little off-putting in somewhere you are paying to eat!! I have read since that the diners being dropped off by these cars are given a different menu, with the prices inflated by about 30 %. A better idea is to take a taxi there in the late afternoon, (sunset is at approximately 5.30pm), have a reconnoitre, check out the different places, then pick one and be seated in time for the sun to set over the water just in front of you.

The menus at all the restaurants are basically the same – you pick your seafood from large containers of ice, or sometimes water filled tanks, then it is grilled over hot coals, and served with boiled white rice, a local green vegetable, (kinda like spinach or bok choy in texture) and a choice of one to three sauces.The desserts are confined to tropical fruit mostly and, while they serve alcohol there’s a limited range, (pretty much Bintang or nothing at the majority). Like most good ideas, when the first few shacks set up on the beach to take advantage of the fresh seafood brought in by the fishing fleet at Jimbaran Bay the prices were dirt cheap – however now that it is a bona fide tourist attraction they have risen accordingly. Now for a fairly substantial dinner for two it costs about 1 million rupiah, (or A$118), depending, of course, on what type of seafood you choose, and how much, it is all priced on the weight. I have also read some rumblings about rigged scales but, jeez, you’re on holiday!

 My previous post on Seminyak mentioned the warungs or little cafes that are very common there, the most famous being Maud’s Warung that is on Jalan Raya Seminyak – the food there is supposed to be lovely. There is also the tourist ridden Ku De Ta resort right down on the beachfront, apparently nice for watching the sunset with a cocktail if you can bag a table but the food I’ve heard is not as fancy as the price. One of the new fads in Bali is staying at private villas, complete with 24 hour butler service and private plunge pool. When in Seminyak we were very generously given a tour of the newish ‘Kanishka villas’. They are breathtakingly beautiful, and set in a quiet lane straight off the main shopping road, I would heartily recommend them if you have a spare $US400 a night! They can be found at  www.kanishkavillas.com

 We also checked out the main foyer area to ‘The Villas’, although we weren’t able to see the villas themselves we looked at their complex, which consisted of a spa, gift shop and restaurant. The Prana spa has to be seen to be believed, it is decorated like something out of Ali Baba and the forty thieves and while pricey would definitely be an experience if you are looking for something out of the ordinary. I personally found it a little claustrophobic and dark, the walls and ceiling are all tiled in dark blue or green mosaics and while there’s lots of gold leaf sprinkled around it’s not enough to lighten the atmosphere somehow! The restaurant is decorated in the same vein, you can eat indoors or out in a beautifully decorated courtyard complete with fish pond, fountains, statues and greenery, and the food was delicious, a varied western style menu, expensive for Bali but cheap for those of us used to Sydney prices!!

This is the Prana restaraunt courtyard, at night it is lit up with fairy lights – I can’t decide which photo is cooler, so I’ll put on both!

 

PS. If anyone has any questions about being a tourist in Bali that you would like answered I’m quite happy to give it my best shot…leave it on the comments section below and I’ll get back to you.