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

WARUNG KERAMIK

Finding a good cafe near the Bukit is close to impossible unless you head off to a hotel in Nusa Dua or Jimabaran or risk going to one of the many warungs on the long road up to Uluwatu which is why having Warung Keramik at the bottom of the hill is really convenient.  Located off to one side of the futuristic structure that houses Jenggala Keramik's showroom is this bright and airy cafe with modern interiors and an ever-changing display of ceramics and art.

I have been to this little place several times now, very often when we used to live up in the Bukit and a few other times when I'm in the area.  It's a really good spot for breakfast as they open early and the menu is varied.  The egg-white omelet or the feta omelet is tasty and comes with a freshly-made crispy potato latke.  Coffees are good, service is friendly and portions are large.  It's also quite nice for a solo lunch or with friends and because it's right beside the showroom and shop of Jenggala, one can always indulge in a little retail therapy afterwards.

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Warung Keramik

Jenggala Building

Jalan Uluwatu II

Jimbaran

Telephone: +62 361 704 640

Open daily from 7:00 to 5:30 serving breakfast, lunch and tea.

MENEGA CAFE, JIMBARAN BEACH

Dinner at Jimbaran beach and its' numerous seafood restaurants are a must for tourists and locals who want a simple seafood meal Balinese-style.  The last time we had dinner here was on our last visit to Bali in the summer of 2003.  Since we moved here half a year ago, we haven't been back yet but when my dad and brother came over for a long weekend, we ended up having dinner there twice in four days.

Arriving in Jimbaran on a Friday evening is hectic, with bumper to bumper weekend traffic starting right at sundown.  We left Sanur at around 6:00 just after sunset and didn't get to Kedonganan beach until about 7:00p.m.  The restaurants are lined up one after another between the beaches of the Four Seasons and Intercontinental hotels.  Choosing which one to go to, especially when they all serve the same selection of grilled fish and seafood, is difficult.  You can walk up and down the beach and sit wherever you fancy but remember that each area's tables correspond to a particular restaurant. Generally, the ones where tables are filled are good.  We ended up at Menega Cafe (closer to the Four Seasons beach) as it was recommended by a longtime Bali resident (who is also a chef).

After choosing a table a bit further from the shore, we ordered drinks then went back to the entry area where the aquariums and seafood are displayed to choose our dinner.  Here's how it works, you pick what you want to eat (fish or seafood), tell them your table number (which is clearly displayed on a card at your table) then have them grilled over coconut husks.  Then you head back to the table, order a few salads and drinks and wait.

Generally, the food arrives pretty quick and while you wait, they offer a plate of peanuts to munch on.  There are also carts that offer grilled corn (drizzled with margarine and sprinkled with a bit of chili powder) right by the shore.  We had a few cobs of corn and then our dinner was served.  We had grilled calamari on a stick which turned out like squid satay - smoky and not chewy at all, grilled red snapper which they conveniently slice open and serve deboned and ready-to-eat, grilled tiger prawns which were sweet and meaty and some grilled shrimps.  All the dishes come with sauteed water spinach, an all-you-can-eat basket of steamed rice and a few sauces: onion and chili salsa, spicy sambal and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce).  The food was simply prepared but the fish and seafood were so fresh that all they really needed was a quick squirt of lime juice.

As we ate our dinner, more and more people started to arrive and pretty soon, most of the tables were taken with large groups enjoying the casual atmosphere.  Dining on Jimbaran beach was so delicious and fun that we went back two nights later for another seafood meal and that time, we sat a little closer to the water's edge and ate with our toes buried in the sand.

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Menega Cafe

Jl. Four Seasons Hotel

Muaya beach, Jimbaran

Bali

Tel: +62 361 705888

*Open for dinner daily from sunset till late, credit cards accepted.

PEPeNERO

It was one of those lazy Sundays.  We woke up all set to go to the beach after a big breakfast and as soon as the last cup of coffee was finished, we all piled into the car.  We drove down the hill then the sun suddenly hid behind a cloud and the sunny day turned cloudy and overcast.  As we were headed towards Nusa Dua beach, hoping for the sky to clear, we decided to change plans and veered off the road towards Jimbaran instead stopping at this little Italian restaurant that we'd been to once before.

PEPeNERO is hidden away alongside the Temple Hill Estate on the winding road that ends up at the Four Seasons Hotel.  The three-story restaurant has a little deli/takeaway counter at street level, a small eating area on the 1st floor and the actual restaurant on the 2nd floor with a fantastic view of Jimbaran bay.  The open-air dining area has several wooden tables on two levels and lots of ceiling fans that help on hot and humid days.  The menu is extensive and has antipasto & carpaccio, pastas (Primi Piatti), meat and fish main courses (Secondi Piatti), pizzas and paninis.

The first time we went for dinner and I had the spaghetti alle vongole - deceptively simple yet not that easy to make and theirs had just the right mix of garlic and clams.   This time, I chose the rigatoni salsiccia e funghi with Italian sausage and a chunky tomato and mushroom sauce.  The pastas are generally good but on the small side, portioned the Italian way as "first plates" to be followed by a "second plate" or main course so if you're hungry, order the pasta as a starter.   We also had a couple of pizzas to share - the margherita which is a classic (perfect for kids) and the bianco al crudo, a non-tomato sauce pizza topped just with mozzarella, speck, cherry tomatoes and arugula.  For main courses, we had the Cotoletta a la Milanese (breaded beef) with homemade french fries and the bocconcini di maiale alle erbette - pork tenderloin in a herb and cream sauce.  Both were simply prepared and delicious.  PEPeNERO serves unfussy Italian food in a casual setting and the surprise is that the bill is always reasonable (about 100,000 Rupiah per or US$11 per person for two courses).
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PEPeNERO
Temple Hill Studios
Jalan Wanagiri 18
Jimbaran, Bali
Telephone: +62 361 704 677
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Takeaway available

KAT'S KITCHEN

Now that our son is back in school and we just have to finalize our lease on a house, Bali is starting to feel like home.  We're still staying at the hotel which is a luxurious treat but not that easy with kids so we try and have some meals outside the hotel to get away from daily room service and being in the villa all the time.

Down the road from Uluwatu in nearby Ungasan is a place we drive by all the time called Kat's Kitchen which has a large brightly-lit sign right on the road advertizing Thai fusion cuisine.  We finally stopped by last week for a quick dinner and we've been back a few times since the food is good, the service friendly and the prices very reasonable.  The place looks unassuming from outside and the parking lot is seemingly empty until one walks in and see that the restaurant is actually quite full with surfers and beachcombers who have come on their motorbikes.

We had several main courses to share - a delicious Pad Thai with chicken, a spicy-sweet-lime flavored Laarb gai (minced chicken salad), crispy pork ribs and a green curry of vegetables with lots of steamed rice (all for around 168,000 Rupiah or US$ 18.50).  On another evening, we brought our son along and had the usual pork ribs and Pad Thai but also tried the prawn spring rolls and the red curry of aubergines.  The food comes quick and the portions are large enough to share - perfect for a cheap and cheerful meal.

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Kat's Kitchen

Jalan Raya Uluwatu 132, Ungasan

Telephone: +62 361 272 8600

Takeaway and delivery - katsthaifooddelivery@yahoo.com

Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.