Bali Restaurants

Hotels and restaurants in Bali offer guests a great variety of excellent dishes to satisfy every taste and budget. Prices, service, style, presentation and decoration differ from the very basic to the elaborate and from extremely low-priced to quite expensive. There is a choice of having a tasty meal at one of the many warungs (mobile carts) for Rp. 4,000 or Rp. 5,000 or at one of the many five-star restaurants for US$ 150 or more per person.

Austrian wiener schnitzel, Chinese favorites 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 lasagne or pizza, Japanese sushi, yakitori or shabu-shabu, Korean bulgogi beef and kimchi, Mexican enchiladas or tacos, Spanish tapas or paella, Swiss cheese or beef fondue, and even spicy Thai tom yam - it's all in Bali. Centuries of contact with other civilizations have left their mark on the wonderfully varied cuisine of Indonesia, especially Bali. Although the preparation of dishes is often adapted to local tastes or due to the availability of certain ingredients, the results are not always predictable. But if you're not comparing it with the country of origin, you can usually expect an enjoyable meal.

You will see simple restaurants in Bali that display 10 to 15 different plates and bowls, all piled with cooked food in a glass compartment next to the entrance. This is called the nasi Padang from Sumatra. There are chicken, beef, fish, liver, eggs and a variety of vegetables prepared in the style of Padang, a major city in Sumatra. The waiter will bring you a plate of rice and one plate of every single dish there is to your table. You only eat whatever you prefer and leave the rest on the table. Charges will be made for only the amount taken. A meal like this will usually cost around US$ 2. Many of these nasi Padang restaurants can be found in South Bali and are open 24 hours a day.

Try not to miss the opportunity to watch a Balinese performance that is accompanied by a sumptuous buffet dinner, which will probably cost US$ 40 to US$50 per person. The main streets of Kuta, Legian, Ubud, Candidasa, Lovina, Sanur, Lombok, and most of the major tourist areas teem with good restaurants. Often topped with grass roofs and cane furniture, these simple and relaxed restaurants are everywhere.

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, 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 (usually not very trustworthy) places which offer a wide range of Chinese, Indonesian and Western dishes. For emergencies, there are also branches of KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN, MACDONALD'S and PIZZA HUT as well as a HARD ROCK CAFE. These Western fast food outlets have recently become very popular with young Indonesians.

Indonesian home cooking can be excellent, but finding a restaurant serving good local Indonesian food in pleasant and comfortable surroundings is difficult. Some tiny food stalls and "Warungs" offer one or two excellently prepared local specialties but the primitive surroundings easily spoil the experience for many visitors. 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.

The centerpiece of any Indonesian meal is steamed or boiled rice. Accompanying dishes include various preparations of chicken, duck, beef, (in Bali also pork), goat, 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 chillies, coconut, peanuts, garlic, ginger, saffron, basil, cardamon, lemon grass, lime, nutmeg, pepper, shallots, soy sauce, tamarind, turmeric and several kinds of shrimp paste. (They weren't called the Spice Islands for nothing, you know.) The result is usually very tasty but not unbearably hot – as long as you avoid the small green chillies and different 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 KETUPAT 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 shopping centers (e.g. Tiara Dewata) in Denpasar. 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.