WATERCRESS CAFE

I'm playing catch up as I've abandoned my blog for months now since we moved to Singapore and have just had several hours straight to sit down at my desk to blog.  Although we went back to Bali in January of this year for a long weekend (haven't been since we left in March 2012), I am only posting this recent find now.  Watercress Cafe is a charming cafe on Batu Belig street, an up and coming area right by Seminyak in neighboring Kerobokan which is on the twisty rice field flanked road towards the surfing beaches of Canggu.

A brick-walled light-filled interior serving breakfast all-day with a lots of other yummy, healthy dishes especially for vegetarians or those looking for gluten-free items.  I was so impressed with Watercress that I went twice while we were in Bali - once for breakfast and another time for a late lunch (recently, they have also started serving dinner).  Their bread is from Bali's French bakery Monsieur Spoon and coffee specialist Revolver Espresso.  Drinks are made up of fresh fruit smoothies, lassis and juices and a selection of iced teas.  The menu is simple but with so many good things, it's hard to make up one's mind with what to order.  Some menu items can also be ordered in half-size portions which is convenient and unusual for Bali.

For breakfast, I had the Two Crispy Sweet Corn Fritters - two poached eggs over corn fritters and a chunky avocado and tomato salsa.  I ordered it as part of the breakfast set which comes with a bowl of fresh tropical fruit topped with crushed peanuts and grated coconut and a creamy cappuccino.

At lunchtime, there are loads of salads, a few burgers (Mahi-Mahi, crispy Tempeh or chicken sate) and several open sandwiches served either on sourdough or gluten-free bread. I had the Bruschetta topped with vine-ripened tomatoes, Feta and arugula followed by a Roasted Pumpkin Salad -  a large bowl of caramelized pumpkin, watercress, arugula with a basil pesto dressing.  Watercress Malam (the dinner menu) is more substantial with small plates as starters, salads and grilled items with assorted side dishes.

It's been a long time since I've loved a restaurant from start to finish.  Watercress Cafe is going straight on my favorites list. If you're going to Bali, you should add it to yours too.

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Watercress Cafe

Jalan Batu Belig 21A

Kerobokan, Bali

tel: +62 361 780 8030

ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2014

What better way to make my first blog post on Singapore about the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2014. Held at the Capella Singapore yesterday evening, the chef-studded event brought together food-lovers and restaurateurs from all over Asia to witness the announcement of this year's top 50 restaurants in Asia. 

1. NAHM, Bangkok
2. NARISAWA, Tokyo (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN JAPAN)
3. GAGGAN, Bangkok
4. AMBER, Hong Kong (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN CHINA)
5. NIHONRYORI RYUGIN, Tokyo
6. RESTAURANT ANDRE, Singapore (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN SINGAPORE)
7. WAKU GHIN, Singapore
8. ULTRAVIOLET by Paul Pairet, Shanghai
9. LUNG KING HEEN, Hong Kong
10. 8 1/2 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA, Hong Kong
11. MR. AND MRS. BUND, Shanghai
12. IGGY'S, Singapore
13. CAPRICE, Hong Kong
14. LES AMIS, Singapore
15. BO INNOVATION, Bangkok
16. ISHIKAWA, Tokyo
17. JAAN, Singapore
18. L'ATELIER DE JOEL ROBUCHON, Hong Kong
19. FOOK LAM MOON, Hong Kong (HIGHEST CLIMBER AWARD by Zacapa Rum from no.48 in 2013)
20. JUNGSIK, Seoul (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN KOREA, Highest New Entry Award, first time for Korea)
21. SRA BUA BY KIIN KIIN, Bangkok
22. QUINTESSENCE, Tokyo
23. TIPPLING CLUB, Singapore (new entry)
24. LE MOUT, Taishung (Veuve Clicquot's ASIA'S BEST FEMALE CHEF, San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN TAIWAN, new entry, first time for Taiwan)
25. L'EFFERVESCENCE, Tokyo (new entry)
26. FU1015, Shanghai
27. BUKHARA, New Delhi
28. BO.LAN, Bangkok
29. INDIAN ACCENT, New Delhi
30. DUM PUKHT, New Delhi
31. ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB, Bangkok
32. VARQ, New Delhi
33. 28 HUBIN ROAD, Hangzhou
34. TAKAZAWA, Tokyo
35. SHINJI BY KANEZAKA, Singapore
36. WASABI, Mumbai
37. EAT ME, Bangkok
38. SUKIYABASHI JIRO, Tokyo (new entry)
39. ROBUCHON AU DOME, Macau
40. IMPERIAL TREASURE SUPER PEKING DUCK, Singapore
41. SAWADA, Tokyo (new entry)
42. HAJIME, Osaka
43. SUSHI SAITO, Tokyo
44. NIHONBASHI, Colombo (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN SRI LANKA)
45. YARDBIRD, Hong Kong
46. FAMIILY LI IMPERIAL CUISINE, Shanghai (Diner's Club LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD)
47. SARONG, Bali (San Pellegrino BEST RESTAURANT IN INDONESIA)
48. FRANCK BISTRO, Shanghai
49. KARAVALLI, Bangalore
50. TENKU RYUGIN, Hong Kong (ONE TO WATCH by Peroni Nastro Azzurro)

A special award was also given to Janice Wong of 2 am:dessert bar for ASIA'S BEST PASTRY CHEF giving Singapore a total of eight entries, making it the third highest in this year's list. China topped the list with 16 entries followed by Japan with 10.

The chefs from Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2014
(photo courtesy of Asia's Best Restaurants website)

Spnsors San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Veuve Clicquot and Chocolat Barry

Canapes and after-party food courtesy of the Capella Singapore

They say that packing up is hard to do

There's a very good reason why my blog has been abandoned lately.  First, lightning hit the phone lines on my street (honestly, it's one of those weird island things) and we haven't had a working phone line or Internet for the last two weeks and still don't until now.  Second, we are leaving Bali after our two-year posting and are off to Puerto Rico.  As I write this, our house is a an obstacle course of boxes and packers busy at work.  Today is the fourth day of packing and we're not done yet but we have moved back to the hotel so at least, I have WiFi and can work on the computer again.  It might be awhile before my next blog post but when I get to it, it'll probably be from Dorado Beach.  Keep checking in and wish me luck on this new adventure.

KEMIRI AT UMA UBUD

After our fruitful morning exploring Ubud, we stopped by the Como Shambhala Estate's sister property Uma Ubud for a quiet lunch a deux since there was no one else at the restaurant that day so we had whole place to ourselves.

The open-air restaurant is an all-white bale right beside a large Koi pond and surrounded by a lush tropical garden.  We were offered two menus - an orange one which had typical Continental cuisine and a beige one that offered their healthy Como Shambala cuisine with an emphasis on raw food.  A had their linguine with garlic, fresh herbs and tuna while I chose two starters: the raw tuna, seaweed and noodle salad followed by the gazpacho.

We were served a basket of homemade bread - cheese rolls, crispy crackers and brown bread while we waited for our lunch to be served.  A's pasta was simple but tasty and the portion was big enough to share.  My tuna salad was delicious and filled with several types of seaweed and cold noodles tossed in a sesame oil-based vinaigrette.  The gazpacho was less successful as it was a tad too spicy (hint of too much Tabasco maybe?) although it was also refreshing on such a hot day.  We opted not to have dessert but were given a small taster anyway which was a nice touch - a pomegranate granita over sliced papaya and some sticky rice pudding at the bottom of the shot glass.  It was a pleasant lunch and one that made me realize that raw food is pretty good.

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Kemiri at Uma Ubud

Jalan Raya Sangginan

Banjar Lungsiakan

Kedewatan, Ubud

Gianyar 80571

Telephone: +62 361 972 448

CAFE SENIMAN

Last week, we went up to Ubud to visit our friends Marcello and Michi at Gaya Ceramics and to have a look at their sale items to add to our growing collection of Gaya plates and platters.  After an hour spent looking through their shelves, we went to have a coffee at Cafe Seniman which I had heard about from friends of Novita who had recommended it as a good place for coffee in Ubud.

Cafe Seniman is off the main street Jalan Raya Ubud and is a tiny two-story cafe with a wooden coffee cart with a few stools right by the entrance and a few more tables further up on the terrace.  The place is simply decorated with the focus on their coffee- organic, made-to-order brew of specialty Indonesian coffee.  On that morning, they had the Sumatra Gayo mountain coffee bean which is their house bean and two others: Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi and the Kintamani from Bali.  I had a Sulawesi espresso macchiato served on a special wooden palette which held a glass of water and a tiny plate of local coconut-encrusted rice cakes.  Service was friendly and the barista clearly knew what he was doing.  It was a good early stop after a morning of retail therapy at Gaya.

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Cafe Seniman

Jalan Sriwedari (near Taman village)

Ubud 80571

Telephone: +62 361 972 085

*Open daily from 10 a.m.

MINAMI

When a new restaurant opens in quiet Sanur, there's always a buzz as this sleepy part of Bali is filled with restaurants yet very few are worth going to.  Minami in Ubud is where people go for refined Japanese cuisine.  I had never had a chance to visit the Ubud outpost so when I heard that a tiny branch had opened at the newly-renovated Segara village hotel in Sanur, I knew I had to try it.

Minami is an all-white open-air restaurant right on Sanur beach just by the souvenir market.  The menu is limited and not traditionally Japanese but the options are quite creative.  We started off with a few sushi rolls - ebi (prawn) sushi, salmon roll and California roll.  I chose the set lunch which gave me a choice of three items from the selection of Japanese tapas.  I had the fried tofu, tori karaage (fried chicken) and stewed pork belly which came with fried rice and miso soup.  My son had the prawn tempura which was hot and crispy and came with the more Japanese-style salt dip instead of the usual tempura sauce.  The food was good and well-presented but the service was dismal.  We were the only ones there when we arrived around 12:30 and later, two more groups arrived but for some reason, the food came out from the kitchen in spurts and in a haphazard order.  We got the set lunch first, then one sushi roll followed by another and finally the tempura which was almost an hour later then our first course.  Minami has quite a way to go to improve their service before I'll go back there for another meal.

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Minami

Segara Village Hotel

Jalan Segara Ayu

Sanur

*Open daily for lunch and dinner

*Main Minami at Jalan Sangginan, Ubud (Telephone: +62361 970013)

MOJO'S FLYING BURRITOS

A few months back, we went to pick up our 10-year old from a sleepover in Seminyak and met up with him at Mojo's Flying Burritos.  It's down an alley off Petitenget and is really just an open-air shack at the side of the road.  You can't miss it with it's brightly painted walls and colorful chairs and tables.

Menu is simple: burritos of course then tacos (both on soft flour or crispy corn tortillas), quesadillas and enchiladas.  We've been back a few times since and haven't been disappointed.  We always enjoy the freshly-made guacamole or salsa with warm corn tortillas and their carne asada tacos which come with rice and a side of black beans.  

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Mojo's Flying Burritos

Jalan Petitenget, Gang Prana

(watch out for the sign on the side of the road)

Seminyak

Telephone: +62 361 730260

*Open daily from 9:00a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Other branches in Poppies Lane Kuta and in Ubud on Jalan Raya Ubud

THE BEST OF 2011

My Best of the Year post takes time to complete.  I go through all the meals of the past year and make a short list of the places that really impressed me with an unforgettable meal.  It doesn't have to be a fancy restaurant, it's all about the food and the experience.

Since 2011 was a year of travel for me, there were many restaurants to choose from.  New places were discovered - Bangkok and Beijing, some revisited - Sydney and San Francisco, along with the usuals - Singapore, Las Vegas and Manila and of course I explored my island home - Bali - as well.  After much deliberation and elimination, and in no particular order, here are my best gourmet experiences of 2011.

BEST BREAKFAST

No questions about it, my best breakfast this year was at bills in Sydney's Darlinghurst.  From the fantastic flat whites to the amazing ricotta hot-cakes, the delicious sweet corn cake to the homemade oatmeal, the breakfast was amazing and the service friendly.  How I wish there was a bills near me!

BEST IN THE PHILIPPINES

Since I'm from Manila, I had to include two restaurants that really impressed me back home: Antonio's and Cafe Juanita.  Antonio's is a no-brainer and on most foodies best list.  It made the drive up to Tagaytay worth it and their fine dining and Colonial atmosphere is just the right mix of fancy and simple.  Cafe Juanita is a bit off the beaten track but also worth the drive to Pasig for home-cooked Filipino food.  This is the kind of food I crave while living abroad.  It felt like I was back at my lola's (grandmother's) house having one of those long leisurely Sunday lunches.

BEST IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Here in Bali, a restaurant that that's a favorite for local food is Cafe Degan for classic Javanese cuisine in a classic wooden joglo (wooden house).  Simple food and friendly service.  They also have half their menu dedicated to Thai dishes as the chef used to work in Thailand.  Whether you order from the Thai side of the menu or the Javanese side, you won't be disappointed.

In Singapore, where I was almost every six weeks, my cousin took me to Ippudo where we had a fantastic noodle lunch - flavorful broth, al dente ramen, chunky pork belly - everything was good.

Two new places we visited this year were Bangkok and Beijing.  In Bangkok, I had my first taste of the real flavors of Thai cuisine.  I tried many types of Thai food and enjoyed most of them but it was chef David Thompson's fine dining take on classic Thai street food at Nahm that left me with a clear idea of how sophisticated Thai food is.

In Beijing, we had the best Beijing duck (aka Peking duck) I've ever tasted at Made in China  - extra crispy non-fatty skin with either sugar for dipping (a novelty!) or the traditional Hoisin-pancake-scallion-cucumber roll.  And it wasn't just the duck, the other dishes were also outstanding and it was the best Chinese meal I'd had all year.

BEST IN THE AMERICAS

In the Americas, we start down South where we made our usual pilgrimage to Buenos Aires and where surprisingly, we didn't eat at our favorite El Mirasol as often as we usually do.  Instead, we rediscovered a Recoleta classic - Munich (or as the locals call it - "el munitch") where we had dinner almost every night and never got tired of their repertoire of classic dishes - a perfectly grilled matambre (pork steak), crispy papas paille (shoestring fries), a simple green salad, the retro Chicken Maryland and Chicken Kiev plus lots of other home-style dishes from the past and the impeccable service from the white-jacketed old-timers just added to the atmosphere.

Finally to North America, first at our usual stop in Las Vegas where we had a superb tapas meal at Jaleo where it felt like we were back in Spain.  It was great to see the quality of Spanish food so lovingly recreated at chef Jose Andres' hip and happening tapas restaurant.  We also revisited our favorite city - San Francisco - so many lovely memories from past visits and so long since our last encounter in 2004.  Dinner at RN74 was impressive - cool concept, fantastic Burgundy wines, packed with a mixed crowd and best of all, the food was really good - simple classic dishes made of incredible ingredients which is what San Francisco is all about.

Last but not least, we go back to breakfast where I just have to mention the best coffee I've had all year (lots of close seconds - Sambalatte in Las Vegas, bills in Sydney and Liberica in Jakarta) but this one topped my list and made my mornings better - Blue Bottle Coffee.  The coffee was prepared with so much love and they took their time getting it right which just goes to show that after all these years, San Francisco's foodie ways haven't changed, it's only gotten better.  And with that I look forward to another year of eating and traveling.  I hope that 2012 will be as food-filled as 2011 was.  Happy Gourmet Travels!

Asado Argentino

Our last evening in Buenos Aires was spent with family at home and a typical Argentine Asado (barbecue meal) where it's all about the lighting up the grill early then waiting patiently for the wood to burn then when the embers fly and the wood is white-hot, the grill is cranked up and the super hot wood chunks are pushed underneath before the grill is lowered again and the meat is cooked.  We always start with some sausages - always chorizo, sometimes morcilla (blood sausage) followed by several cuts of meat.  This time there were costillas de cerdo  (pork ribs), asado de tira (beef short ribs) and  bife de lomo (tenderloin)  plus baked potatoes.  Along with the meats, there are always several salads: cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm and corn, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, a mixed green salad, and shredded carrots with shredded beets.  Several plates of meat and bottles of Malbec later and the desserts were served: a strawberry mousse, a chocolate tart and brownies.  It was a beautiful spring evening with family and a great way to end our two-week holiday.

* The photo above is an Asado Argentino that we did at our home in Bali last year.  Again, it's all about the grill and the wood used.  We had a makeshift grill propped up on the ground but we still used wood and did it the classic way.

Travel 2011

2011 has been my year of travel.  I have never been on a plane this much ever.  There were trips to new places - Bangkok and Beijing, a trip to my favorite city - Paris, trips to visit family - Buenos Aires and Las Vegas, several trips to see the doctor - Singapore, trips to do renew our passports - Jakarta and quick trips on a stopover - Sydney.

November, though, is going to be the busiest travel month for me, with a week in Manila from today (to finish unpacking boxes that have been in storage for several years) then a week in Osaka and Tokyo (my first trip to Japan) and finally, two weeks during Thanksgiving in Laguna Beach, Las Vegas and San Francisco, before I head back home to Bali just in time for the children's holidays and Christmas.  And there are still so many places I haven't been to and hope to visit in 2012.  So bear with me and my erratic posting.  I promise there will be lots to read very soon with my Buenos Aires posts coming out, slowly but surely, and with more gourmet travel write-ups soon.

MAMASAN

We got back from Buenos Aires a few days ago and I was all set to post my Argentina eats until I went for lunch at two week old Mamasan in Seminyak and decided that this post had to go out before anything else.

Mamasan is the new restaurant from the same owners of Sarong and specializes in noodles and wok-stir-fries with lots of designer drinks to go along with the spicy food.  P and I went for lunch last Thursday and were pleasantly surprised by the modern funky interiors, the comprehensive southeast Asian menu and the cool bar on the second floor.

There were several tables taken for lunch but not as packed as we hear dinner is (book ahead!) with two seatings in the evening and lots of people waiting at the upstairs bar for a table to free up.  To start, we looked through the extensive bar menu - lots of cocktails and non alcoholic drinks and a decent wine list with most New World wines.  I decided to try one of their frozen teas - the honey and lime which was black tea with honey and lime sorbet - refreshingly cold especially now in Bali's scorching 30C days.  P opted for the passion fruit juice, another frozen concoction of fresh juice and fruit sorbet.  We shared a Vietnamese starter of minced pork wrapped in Betel leaves - delicious minced pork, like a spring roll without the crunch, with a sweet chili dip alongside.  Next up were two main courses.  We decided to order two dishes to share, family style: one noodle - Khao Soi, the northern Thai dish of curried noodles with chicken and one wok stir-fry - the Peking duck fried rice.  Portions are big so the dishes are meant to be shared.  First came the curry noodles - flat fettuccine-like noodles in a rich curry flavored broth which was creamy and spicy at the same time.   The Peking duck fried rice was served last and was a large plate of smoky-flavored fried rice with pineapple chunks, red chilies and onions and topped with several slices of roast duck.  We managed to polish off most of the curry noodles but only ate half the fried rice as we were full by then and still wanted to leave space for dessert.  We shared the mung bean cake - a sweet bean and rice cake dessert which, strangely, came with fried crispy garlic on top that we scraped off the palm sugar glaze.  The cake came with a light coconut ice cream and worked well with the sweet bean cake.  Illy coffees to end our large lunch and a promise to lunch again together soon.

A few days after, I went back again for lunch, this time with the family as I was eager to show off my discovery to A.  Again, the restaurant had several tables filled but wasn't so full that reservations were needed.  We settled into the corner banquette and had a longer look at the menu.  We decided, as usual, to do family style and ordered several dishes to share.  To start, we had the Thai prawn cakes - sticky sweet and spicy prawns shaped into a patty and fried then served with a sweet chili sauce - delicious!  Then the table started to fill up with our orders: a triple-tier metal tiffin container was served for Hainanese chicken rice set lunch with some clear chicken soup in one container, rice cooked in the chicken broth in another and slices of steamed chicken in the third.  Standard sauces of ginger, green onion and dark soy were served alongside.  We also had prawn Pad Thai with a tiny plate of dried chili and sugar so you can make the noodles as sweet or as spicy as you like,  a Vietnamese salad of thin strips of carrots and cucumber flavored with lemongrass, mint, Thai basil and crunchy shallots in a fish sauce, lime and sugar dressing with several fired pork patties thrown in the mix.  We started on these two main courses before the next two were served: fiery Thai minced chicken, garlic, chili and basil with steamed Jasmine rice topped by a fried egg and the same Peking duck fried rice which P and I shared a few days ago.  As much as we tried, we only managed to finish the salad, the noodles and the chicken rice and had some leftover fried rice and Thai minced chicken to take home.   To soothe our burning palates, we shared the creme brulee - a crunchy-sugar-topped vanilla bean custard served with a Vietnamese coffee affogato (usually vanilla ice cream in which a shot of espresso has been added, this version has the vanilla ice cream in a glass topped with a Vietnamese coffee maker so the the hot and milky Vietnamese coffee drip-brews onto the ice cream).

Less than a month open and after two yummy lunches, this is now my new Bali favorite for the delicious dishes, the casual yet cosmopolitan interiors, the creative drinks menu and the courteous service.  Did I also mention that it's fully air-conditioned and that they have valet parking?  What more can one ask for?  It's going to get very crowded soon so book your dinner table now or pop in for lunch when it's less busy.  I bet it's going to be the favorite of many Bali residents too so don't say I didn't warn you.

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Mamasan

Jl. Raya Kerobokan 135

Seminyak, Bali

Telephone: +62 361 730 436

*Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 till late. Closed Sundays

*Kitchen open for lunch till 3:00 and dinner till late. Drinks served in-between lunch and dinner hours.

QUEEN'S TANDOOR

Last week, I was in Seminyak almost every day.  If it wasn't to do errands or shopping, it was to have lunch.  On a windy Wednesday, I met up with the ladies for lunch at Queen's Tandoor.  I had heard about the restaurant but had never been and looked forward to having a proper Indian curry.

We sat at one of the terrace tables and looked through the extensive menu of Indian classics finally opting to order several dishes to share family-style.  We started out with some crispy peppery papadums which came with some pickled onions, mango chutney and a coriander green chili chutney.  We started with vegetable samosas and a Masala Dosa - a crispy crepe filled with curried potatoes.  For our main courses, we shared the creamy classic butter chicken, Rogan Josh - a mild curry of mutton in masala, saffron and yoghurt and Aloo Gobhi Mutter, a vegetable dish of potatoes and cauliflower cooked in tomatoes, fresh coriander and spices accompanied by saffron-flavored Basmati rice and cheese nan.  The food was good and not too spicy.  We managed to polish of most of the dishes including the warm cheese bread.  Queen's Tandoor is Bali's best known Indian restaurant and is a good place to stop for lunch before or after some shopping in Seminyak. Perfect for those days when one gets a curry craving.

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Queen's Tandoor

Jalan Raya Seminyak 73

(opposite Warung Made)

Seminyak, Kuta, Bali

Telephone:  +62 361 732 770

*Open daily for lunch and dinner.  They also deliver.

Another branch Queen's India in Kuta

SIP SUNSET GRILL

When a new restaurant opens in Bali, we make it a point to try it right away and see what it's like.  SIP Sunset Grill is the new concept from fun and friendly French sommelier/restaurateur Christian Vanneque of SIP Wine Bar in Seminyak.  This time, he has opened a larger restaurant with the usual reasonably-priced wines.  Managing the place is another "Frenchie" Eric Guth who has worked at several hotels and was the opening F&B director of the Bulgari Bali.

The restaurant is cozy with leather banquettes lining the room, brick walls and lots of natural light.  There is a large bar at the front with a few cocktail tables and a separate private dining room in the glassed-in wine cellar.  The kitchen is visible from the dining room with the large grill as the focal point.  They also have an outdoor area with several tables and a vertical garden.  The location on the Sunset road and ample parking out front makes it very accessible even to those coming from Nusa Dua, the Bukit or Sanur. There is also a glassed-in bullet proof display case where the most expensive bottle of white wine is kept - the 1811 Chateau d'Yquem that Christian purchased at auction for £75,000  (around US$122,000) - see photo below.

The menu at SIP Sunset Grill is simple with less items compared to SIP Wine Bar.  A few starters and salads then from the grill, several cuts of meat (sirloin, rib-eye, tenderloin, pork chop, chicken breast), fish (catch of the day, salmon) and a grilled seafood plate.  For lunch, there is a very reasonably-priced two course set menu for 85000++ IDR (with taxes, around US$12) with a choice of starter and main or main and dessert.  For lunch one day,  A had the set lunch - a delicious starter of leeks vinaigrette followed by the chicken vol au vent - chicken and mushrooms in a gravy served in a puff pastry case.  I chose two starters for my lunch - the Salade Nicoise a la SIP which came with the grilled tuna with roasted peppers over bread on one side, and the salad greens and quail eggs on the other.  For my main course, I had the seafood vol au vent - squid and prawns in a saffron sauce which also came in a puff pastry case.  We shared the strawberry and meringue dessert and finished off with espressos.

  

I also went with a friend last week but this time we didn't have the set menu.  She had two starters - the Nicoise salad and the scallop raviolis while I had the tuna carpaccio and the grilled chicken with tarragon sauce.  Light lunches which we chose especially so we could share two desserts - a creme caramel and the honey souffle.

On another occasion, we went for dinner and A had the two-fish terrine to start while I had the tuna carpaccio.  For our main courses, A had the pork chop from the serious cuts section of the menu which has larger cuts of meat, while I had the classic Entrecote-frites-Bearnaise.  We all shared several desserts - the extra sweet honey souffle, a dark bitter chocolate mousse, a decadent rum-infused Baba au rhum and the strawberry Arlette - a millefeuille filled with whipped cream and strawberries.

SIP Sunset Grill will go on my safe list as the type of restaurant that you can go to with the kids on the weekend or with friends for a quick lunch mid-week.  The food is simple, the prices are reasonable, the service friendly and the wines on their list well-chosen - everything needed for a good restaurant.  They're still on their first month since opening so expect a few minor glitches (like the bills getting mixed up) but I'm sure they'll get that sorted out sooner rather than later.  It's another great addition to the island's growing number of more casual restaurants and with both Christian and Eric at the helm, it should become one of Bali's best.

P.D.  14 November 2011
Since posting this, there have been a few changes at SIP Sunset.  Manager Eric has left and a new French chef, Karim Hassene, has taken over the kitchen revamping the menu and adding on several new and improved dishes while still keeping the spirit of their French-influenced grill menu. I was there for a recent dinner and was impressed by what I ate: a red pepper carpaccio with a crispy goat-cheese croquette, salmon teriyaki with roesti, pumkin ravioli with tomato concasee and a simple grilled tenderloin this time with thin-homemade fries and a side sauce of chimichurri.  Now, I'm ready to go back for several more meals and eat my way through their new menu.

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SIP Sunset Grill

Sunset Road 88X

Seminyak 80361

Bali, Indonesia

Telephone: +62 361 847 5830 or 31

*Open daily for lunch and dinner.  Kitchen serves food till late.

LA SPIAGGIA

Hidden away at the southernmost tip of the island in the Bukit is one of the Bali's most beautiful beaches I have seen in the year since we moved here.  It's rocky and not ideal for either swimming or surfing but it's the best for that deserted-island-feeling which is becoming more and more difficult to find on the overcrowded island.  It's a place for sitting quietly, watching the waves rush to shore and listening to nature.

On a recent afternoon, M, N and I had lunch at La Spiaggia (the beach in Italian), the Bulgari's Robinson Crusoe-inspired beach hut grill.  It's a short but steep ride down on the inclinator until we reached a halfway point on the cliff.  There a simple bamboo and thatch roof hut sits perched on the cliff overlooking the crashing waves below.  We shared a salad and N & I each had a plate of grilled reef fish, squid, lobster and prawns while M had the grilled tuna steak.  It was a simple but delicious lunch and the best part was there we were alone except for a few monkeys swinging on trees nearby, watching our lunch and hoping for some leftovers.

After lunch, we trekked all the way down until we reached the beach where a few lounge chairs are set up.  There is no music except for the sea, no fancy amenities except for a towel and a water-filled earthenware pot for washing the sand off, just pristine white sand.  We waked to the edge where an outcropping of rock marked the end of the Bulgari's beach and on our way back, we disturbed a large monitor lizard looking for some lunch and watched it scurry off and up the cliff.  We reluctantly headed back up the cliff to sit by the pool but later on in the afternoon, N went down another time and saw several monkeys come down to shore searching for clams on the beach which they cracked on the rocks for their dinner, a moving end to a relaxing afternoon.

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La Spiaggia

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Bali

Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin 

Uluwatu, Bali 80364 – Indonesia

Tel + 62 361 8471000

Fax + 62 361 8471111

*Open daily for lunch from 10:00 to 5:00

As the place is quite small it is only for hotel guests.   Call to find out if a reservation is possible.

AMANKILA

When we have house guests, I take advantage of them being here and I go along with them to explore parts of Bali that I've never been to.  Two high school friend are here on holiday and we decided to do a day trip to Bali's eastern coast.  Although I had been once before to Manggis and Tenganan (ancient Balinese village), we decided to go a bit further up the coast to Amlapura where the Tirtagangga water palace is.  We set off right after breakfast and drove the hour and a half to Amlapura past Candi Dasa.  We reached Tirtagangga and were excited to arrive until we saw the water palace but were disappointed by how unexciting it was.  The structure was actually built in the 40's and although the mountain spring pool was quite nice, the whole thing just seemed like a kitschy water park. 

We did a quick visit and walk around then went back down to Karangasem to have lunch at Amankila.  The view of the sea from the terraced infinity pools is stunning.  It would have been perfect, if not for the cargo ships and oil tankers in the distance.  After a simple lunch: beet and orange salad then salt crusted prawns with tamarind for M, a traditional Nasi Goreng for N and a stir-fried rice noodles and pork for me, we took the winding steps down to the beach club and the black-sand beach.  We settled into one of the beach bales and had some Kopi Bali while watching the waves crash to shore.  Long leisurely ladies lunch over, we backtracked to Tenganan where we meandered through the village till dusk and headed back home.

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Amankila

Manggis, Bali

Telephone: +62 363 41333

EL KABRON

Sometimes, I find a really good restaurant that's out-of-the-way and I'm reluctant to blog it because I'm worried it'll be ruined and become a reservations-only kind of place.  But then again, if I don't share it, it might shut down eventually and I would loathe for that to happen, so here's my summer restaurant discovery.

On a mid-week evening after drinks at the Bulgari bar, we decided to have dinner at this new Spanish restaurant, El Kabron, in Padang Padang that friends had been to recently.  They had raved about the paella and after over a year of living in Bali, we missed our Marbella Sunday paella on the beach.  It took us a while to get there as the road to Padang Padang at night is dark and we missed the turn-off.  We finally found the unlit sign for El Kabron and followed the one-lane winding road for about three kilometers until we saw a light through the trees.

El Kabron is down a rocky path then a brightly-lit entrance lined with railroad ties.  It's a simple, white roofed structure opening out towards the sea where some bean bags are scattered around a small all-white rock pool.  The vibe is definitely Spanish chiringuito (a simple beach side restaurant) mixed in with a touch of hippy chic with piped-in lounge music for the "sunset-drinks crowd".

Our group of six sat as close to the view as we could then proceeded to order several tapas to share and a large arroz negro for everyone along with a chilled bottle of the ubiquitous Spanish wine Torres Viña Sol.  Soon after, they served the tapas: gambas al ajillo (hot, spicy, garlicky prawns in olive oil), Txistorra (small pork sausages from Northern Spain),  pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus with smoky paprika), pan con tomate (grilled bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and scrubbed with fresh tomatoes), jamon Iberico from the owner's farm (paper-thin slices of Iberian ham on pan con tomate) and patatas bravas (fried potato chunks topped with smoky Romesco sauce and aioli).  We dug in and were pleasantly surprised at the authentic flavors.  This was like being back in Spain, only in the tropics.  After the tapas, our palates were stoked and our expectations higher so we eagerly awaited the arroz negro.  Paella is a dish that looks deceptively simple - it's just rice mixed with seafood or meat right? - but quite difficult to master.  Traditionally, it's a saffron, red pepper and sofrito (tomato, onion, garlic) infused rice made with either fish and shellfish or meat (chicken, pork, sometimes rabbit).  Although El Kabron had the classic paella de mariscos (shellfish paella), we opted for the more exotic arroz negro (black rice) which was served in a large paellera (paella pan) and came with squid, Manila clams and prawns.  The rice is black from the squid ink used to cook it and it retains the dark, smoky and distinct flavor of the squid which is an acquired taste.  If it's your first time, then by all means go for the orange-tinged seafood-topped paella de mariscos, but if you're ready for an adventure, have the arroz negro.  El Kabron's arroz negro was everything we craved and took us back to those long lazy beach lunches we used to have in Marbella so we weren't surprised to find out later on that El Kabron's Catalan chef Marc Torices used to work at the 3-star Michelin restaurant Sant Pau in Barcelona.  The food at El Kabron is authentic Spanish and probably the only place in Bali to have proper tapas with a cold beer.  So now, the secret is out.  Get there before the crowds find it.

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Chiringuito El Kabron

Jl. Pantai Cemongkak

Pecatu, Bali

Telephone: +62 361 780 3416

*Open daily for lunch and dinner and unset drinks from 4-6 p.m.

How to get there: From Jl. Uluwatu, go right on Jl. Labuhan Sait towards Padang Padang beach for 1.2 kilometers then watch out for the red and black El Kabron sign on the right-hand side of the road.  If yo get lost, call David, the owner.

GROCER & GRIND

If you've followed my blog over the years, you'll notice that one of favorite meals is breakfast.  It's a great way to start the day and try a new restaurant.  It's like a blind date, a way to dip your toe in the water and see if it's worth it.  Of course, most Bali regulars would know about the Grocer & Grind in Seminyak where at all hours of the day, the place is packed with both tourists and resident expats having a coffee and using their free WiFi.  Recently, another Grocer & Grind opened in the swanky Jimbaran Mall on the road to the seafood warungs on Jimbaran beach.  It's the same concept, a cafe and all-day-dining restaurant with a small delicatessen and small grocery off to one side.  It's a good addition to the Jimbaran and Bukit area where aside from Gourmet Garage and Pepito supermarket, there's not much in terms of food shops.  There's a chiller with cold cuts and cheeses, milks and yoghurts and shelves of basic pantry items - nuts, flour, sugar, cereal, chocolates as well as a cake counter for eat-in or takeaway. The only difference between the two locations is that the one in Seminyak is a larger stand alone restaurant while the newer one is inside the Jimbaran mall.

We went for dinner on a week night and had a pretty good burger and caesar salad so we went again on a Saturday morning for a late breakfast.  Their breakfast selection is one of the most varied on the island and is even better than what some hotels offer.  There are many egg dishes (scrambled, poached or Benedict), different breads and jams, fresh fruit smoothies, other breakfast dishes plus pretty good coffees and teas.  I had one of the breakfast favorite selections - a sweet corn cake topped with crispy bacon, avocado, grilled tomato and a dollop of cottage cheese along with a perfectly executed flat white. A had the avocado eggs - soft poached eggs with an avocado, tomato and cilantro salsa on sourdough toast with a banana orange juice.  We also shared some sourdough toast with berry preserves.  Service was quick and courteous, the food was delicious and the place bright and hip - especially the large communal table they have out back near the deli.  They also have a full all-day kids menu.  What a treat to have two places on different sides of the island with yummy breakfasts.

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*Both are open daily from 7 am till late.
Grocer & Grind
Jimbaran Mall
Jalan Raya Uluwatu, Jimbaran
Bali

Grocer & Grind
Jalan Kayu Jati 3X
Petitenget, Seminyak
Telephone: +62 361 730 841 or 737 321

KAYUMANIS

A few people had mentioned Kayumanis as a good place for dinner in sleepy Sanur and we never got around to trying it because I didn't know exactly where it was then a couple of months ago, while dropping off some dry cleaning, we cut through a tiny side street and there it was.  We stopped by for dinner on a Saturday evening but they were already fully-booked so I made a dinner reservation for the following week.

We arrived early for our eight o'clock booking and were surprised to see that even on a Monday, there were no free tables.  Kayumanis is an open-air restaurant with an open kitchen situated right by the entrance.  The guest house has five rooms for rent through the garden and towards the back while the front area is taken up by the cafe.

The small menu has both Western and Asian dishes along with juices and beer but no wines.  (We found out later on that they have allow you to bring your own bottle of wine ( B.Y.O.B.) and waive the corkage charge.  As soon as we ordered, they brought us warm bread with a cheese spread.  We were quite hungry and finished this quickly and had to ask for some more which they brought along with some amuses bouches - a bite of tuna on a slice of eggplant topped with the traditional Balinese sambal metah (chopped shallots, cilantro and chili).  To start, A chose the Caesar Salad (35,000 IDR, around US$4) while I had the Vietnamese summer rolls (40,000 IDR, around US$4.50).  The Caesar salad was good but wasn't actually a Caesar salad - it was more of a mixed salad with shredded chicken and oddly, cilantro and nuts.  My Vietnamese rice paper rolls were fresh and filled with julienned vegetables, glass noodles and prawns and came with a spicy sweet chili sauce.  For our main course, we both had the beef Stroganoff (85,000 IDR, around US$10) - a generous portion of beef fillet in a mushroom and tomato sauce with a scoop of chunky mashed potatoes.  The meat was tender and the sauce delicious (I wish they had served it with pasta or rice instead of mashed potatoes which would have been good to sop up the sauce).  Dessert was an apple spring roll for A an a coconut delight for me, a halved young coconut filled with coconut ice cream.  All in all, a good simple meal at very reasonable prices and with the B.Y.O.B. policy (a first I've heard of in Bali) it's a great little place to have a meal with a good bottle of wine.

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Kayumanis Cafe and Home Stay

Jalan Tandakan 6,

Shindu, Sanur

Bali

Telephone: +62 361 289 410

GONTA RAMEN

On a breezy Wednesday evening, after a long afternoon at the beach, A and I decided to get a quick dinner somewhere nearby on Sanur's main street, Jalan Danau Tamblingan.  Since the summer season has officially begun and the yearly tourists have arrived on the island, most of the restaurants were packed, including our local cafe and last resort dinner destination Cafe Batujimbar, so we drove up and down the street looking for a place that wasn't packed.  Finally, we parked at Hardy's and ended up at the ramen house that used to be inside Hardy's and has recently moved across the street.

Gonta Ramen is a tiny noodle counter with a few benches and tables squeezed into a cozy space lined with bookshelves filled with Japanese comics and reading material.  There is a small counter at the far end where the open kitchen is and where solo diners usually sit.  The menu is limited and only has ramen in several forms (different types of broth and types of noodles) and a few simple dishes.  We had been to Gonta a few times before and also once to their newer, bigger open-air restaurant further up the road on Jalan Danau Poso.  As before we had the shoyu ramen set which comes with a side order of gyoza (pan-fried dumplings), a bargain at 72000 IDR (about US$8.50).  The food came quickly - a large steaming bowl of tasty broth filled with noodles, a hard-boiled egg, greens and slices of roast pork.  The accompanying four pieces of gyoza were crisp on the outside and filled with the usual ground pork and vegetables.  It was a delicious, simple and filling dinner and a Bali bargain.

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Gonta Ramen

(noodle counter)

Across the street from Hardy's supermarket

Jalan Danau Tamblingan

Sanur, Denpasar

Bali

Warung Mr. Ramen Gonta 

(open-air restaurant)

Jalan Danau Poso 2A

Sanur, Denpasar

Bali

Fast Food

It's the middle of the summer holidays and the kids are bored - what to do?  We've been to the beach almost every day, to the new play area Cubby House in Seminyak, to Ubud on day trips and to the Bali Galleria's Time Zone, eaten lots of ice cream and tried several fast food places.  Here they are.

MM JUICE

I first tried this fast food restaurant at the food court of the Carrefour on Sunset road.  After a morning spent grocery shopping, my son and I spotted the juice sign and decided to have a fresh mango juice which was wonderful.  We were all set to get some takeaway pizza from the PepeNero stand when we noticed that all of the tables in front of MM Juice were full so we sat down and shared a Nasi Goreng special - fried rice with sausage and chicken and topped with a fried egg and served with some achar and melinjo crackers.  It was a surprising find - the food was freshly cooked and delicious and the service quick.

They have another branch at the Bali Galleria which is more like a restaurant with brightly-colored wooden tables in an air-conditioned space.  We had lunch there a few days ago and this time, I ordered the stir-fried beef kway teow (flat rice noodles) which was a large portion of flavorful fried noodles with chunks of beef and egg - a satisfying lunch for such a reasonable price.  Fast and cheap food.

WARUNG BUNANA

Another little spot I've been meaning to try is the stand just at the end of Jalan Danau Poso which we pass often on our way home.  There is a large sign advertising Roti Canai (flat bread) & Teh Tarik (milky tea).  They also have a few other branches around - one of which is in Seminyak.  I finally stopped by the other day and ordered one portion of plain roti which was rolled out, slapped around and cooked to order right in front of me.   I took it home and opened the brown paper package of hot flaky bread which came with the standard curry dip.  Perfect as an afternoon snack and again, another cheap and cheerful place.

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MM Juice

Carrefour Food court on Sunset Road

Bali Galleria Food court area, ground floor

Warung Bunana

At the Sanur bypass just at the end of Jl. Danau Poso

On the Kerobokan road, Seminyak