Eating Ubud: 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.