Healthful and Organic Dining

I'm going to state the obvious.  It's very hot and humid on Bali.  Extremely hot and humid at times...the type of weather that makes you thank the gods for the existence of ice, cold water, and air conditioners.  Sometimes, it's so hot, you (even you, guy who thinks only long-haired hippies eat organic/healthful) will want to eat a light, healthful meal instead of warm rice and grilled meat.  When you find yourself in such a spot, walk yourself to any of the following restaurants:

• The Kafe--Run by the folks who brought you the Yoga Barn.  The Kafe has great salads, drinks, dessert, and light meals.  Yes, the new-age hippies are too much at times, but it's great people-watching.  Has wi-fi.  Jl. Hanoman
• Sari Organik--Walk through the rice fields at the end of Jl Kajeng and you arrive at this sustainable restaurant.  I haven't tried too many dishes, but can tell you their babaganoush is the delicious and their mango brem wine is pretty good too. No wi-fi.
• Clear Cafe--Not many tourists know about this place yet, so it's mostly full of expats.  They serve very well-priced organic fare ranging to raw pizza to the fish dishes. The interior design is also spectacular and the manager-woman is very nice--I forgot her name :(.  There isn't a sign out front, but look for the tall bamboo fence at the top of Jl. Hanoman. Has wi-fi.
• Bali Buddha--Big salads, vegetarian nasi campur, and really delicious rice and nut milks.  I think some of their food is overpriced, but still not expensive. They also have a mini market downstairs where you can buy cold-pressed coconut oil, veggies, and their famous honey-oat cookies by the bag.  Jl Jembawan #1 (across from the Ubud Post Office).  No wi-fi.
• Juice Ja Cafe-- This place is on one of my favorite streets in Ubud: Jl. Dewi Sita.  Juice Ja has great juices (surprise!) and tempting sandwiches (I recommend their chicken breast sandwich).  Their fruit salads always include an interesting mix of fruits-it's one of the few places that use pink dragon fruit as opposed to the much blander white dragon fruit.  They also carry a variety of homemade goods, like granola, passion fruit cordial, and other treats.  Jl. Dewi Sita (close to the football pitch on Monkey Forest).  Has wi-fi.

                                                                    View from Juice Ja Cafe
 

And....we're back!

It's been over a month since my last post and I have to apologize.  We've been traveling through Tana Toraja and The Kei Islands in the Malukus--Torajan food wasn't the best, but we did eat amazing food at Savana Cottages on Kei Kecil.   While making our way through Sulawesi and the Malukus, I came to really appreciate the variety of Indonesian and non-Indonesian food Ubud has to offer, although I must admit that since moving to Indonesia, I've been pretty disappointed with Indonesian food.  Balinese, Javan, Sumatran, etc. food doesn't compare to the tantalizing flavors Thai food can offer, the depth of flavors found in Mexican food, the balanced notes throughout Korean food, the utterly delicious combinations found in Italian food...I can go on and on.  Indonesian food can be very good at times, but Indonesians don't necessarily live to eat (try Singapore for this trait), but rather eat to live.  The fact that the most famous Indonesian dish is nasi goreng (fried rice) should tell you everything.

But this doesn't mean you should stay away from Indonesian food while visiting the country, I would just caution you  to temper your expectations.  I will also say that there are pockets of amazing food--unlike Thailand where amazing food is ubiquitous.  In any case, sorry for the pseudo-downer message about Indonesian food, I didn't mean it to be as such...

Back to eating in Ubud...if you find yourself in Ubud, you must get eat at Naughty Nuri's.  It's been written up in the NYT, reviewed by Anthony Bourdain, and patronized by countless celebrities.  But the best part is, Naughty Nuri's remains a local's place  (well, if you stop by after the groups of Singaporean, Chinese, and Euro tourists have left).  The grill's out front, there's bench seating, and the owner (Brian--he's married to Nuri) will inevitably stop by your table to regale you with stories, and try as you will, but he'll never reveal the secret to his famous martinis.

What to eat at Nuri's?

• You must have the pork ribs--they fall off the bone as soon as you sink your teeth into them. 
• Please order the grilled sausages--you'll be reminded of a light, creamy brat. 
• Ask for a cold Coke to wash it all down.
• Then order a hamburger (medium rare) and a plate of fries. THE BEST BURGER ON BALI--Brian's from NY/NJ, so knows his burgers and sausages.
• Order a gin martini while waiting for your burger to arrive.
• Order another gin martini when your burger arrives.
• Hang out with Brian for a while. 

The last time we ate at Nuri's, we took a friend who was visiting from the States...we ended up closing the restaurant (even Brian left before us) and ended up at Ozigo (the only "bar/club" in Ubud).  That's what 2 martinis from Nuri's will do to you.  Eat at Nuri's--you won't be disappointed. If you can't make it all the way to Ubud, they're opening a Canggu branch in the coming months.

                                                                    Ribs! Ribs! Ribs!

 

                                           Expert at the grill...

                               Best burger on Bali (maybe in all of Indonesia)

                                       
Naughty Nuri's
Jl. Raya Sanginggan, Across the road from the Neka Art Museum
Open 7 days a week