Babi Guling Candra - Denpasar, Bali (Lebaran'12)

Babi Guling Candra or better known as just 'Candra' is a famous restaurant especially amongst Chinese living in Jakarta & Surabaya. That is obviously proven when you're there. Only Jakarta & Surabaya people crowds that eatery, even during non peak period of the day. The restaurant is situated on the busy office street of 'Denpasar' and thus parking might be an issue but if you're a fan of pork, I'm sure you would not mind the hassle.

Menu : Sate Babi (Pork Satay)
Price : Rp 20,000 (For 10 sticks)
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> I like this pork satay because it is purely meat, without organs or the belly fat part on the stick. I waited for this for a good 20 minutes because they just ran out when I reached there and they were only starting to grill a new batch. The result of patience was rewarding for this case. Succulent bits of pork meat, smeared with specialty sauce on all over and has a slight burnt charcoal smoked smell infused into the meat. Good Stuff !!

Menu : Nasi Campur Special
Price : Rp 30,000
Score : 6.25 / 10

>> Slightly fall short of my expectation. I thought it would be mind blowing as people always says that this is a 'must go place'. Don't get me wrong, this is good overall but maybe I was hoping too much. The pork was cooked well, loved the pork satay at the side and even though the pork crackling wasn't very crunchy, the vegetables dishes were there to compliment. Overall, a nice dish, suitable for a lunch but again may I remind you, don't go during peak hours or you'll need to wait for seats and that is just painful !!

Menu : Babi Goreng
Price : Rp 60,000
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Like this !! I think they only include one piece of this 'babi goreng' in the nasi campur and thus you'll need to order another plate of this in addition to your rice. Loooove this slightly crispy, slightly chewy, heavy on the sweet side meat dish. Maybe they used honey and definitely sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) to give the color and the taste. Eat this with steam white rice and chili with a few sticks of pork satay and you'll come back here again the next time you're on your Bali trip !


Babi Guling Candra
Jl. Teuku Umar 140, Denpasar Bali
Phone : +62 (0361) - 221278 / 9940098

Manega Seafood - Jimbaran, Bali (Lebaran 2012)

I always put aside one dinner slot schedule for about eight out of ten trips to Bali, especially for this restaurant. There were some renovation made to the place, better decor all around but one thing for sure, their food is as good as ever! I made a point to come there sharp at 5.30 pm, just managing to catch a good glimpse of the Jimbaran sunset while waiting for the dishes to be cooked.

If you reach here at their peak period (per say 7 to 9pm) you will need all the patience you can find inside you to wait for seats and chasing the waitresses for to deliver your food out of their super chaotic kitchen. Therefore, I seriously suggest for you all to reach no later than 5.30 pm. Rather early for a dinner but the time they get your food onto your the table it's 6.30 pm! Perfect timing isn't it?

Menu : Sate Cumi (Squid Satay)
Price : Rp 75,000++ (For 15 sticks)
Score : To Be Advised

>> If you don't know, I don't eat squid unless maybe fried calamari rings (not a fan either). I didn't try any of these but hearing from FW, he loved it. There is something about the texture and the chewy pat of the squid meat that I just don't like any bit.

Menu : Tiger Prawn

Price : Rp 70,000++ (For 4 pieces)

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Very well cooked, exactly how a prawn should be grilled. It's well done, but still retains it's 'springy' texture when you bite and chew into it. The smoke grilled taste is infused into the dish and when dipped with 'kecap manis' (sweet soy sauce) and cut chili with sambal matah, you'll probably order another dozen of these!

Menu : Kerang (Shellfish)

Price : Rp 40,000++ (For about 12 pieces)

Score : 9.0 / 10

>> This dish is not only the cheaper among the menu but also simply the best tasting one! The shape of the shell retains all the sauce that was smeared all across it instead of dripping down the grilling stove. The sauce is simply yummeh!! It's their specialty I suppose, it's buttery, able to taste the smoked effect from the grill, strong in garlic and has a slight BBQ tang ! Hmmm....delightful :)

Menega Cafe

Jl. Four Seasons Muaya Beach, Jimbaran Bali

Phone : +62 (361) - 705888

Nasi Jinggo - Ubud, Bali (Lebaran'12)

The first time I tried 'Nasi Jinggo' was about a year ago. A Balinese butler introduced me to this dish. Nasi Jinggo is perceived as a 'peasant' food, due to the relatively cheap nature I assume. A packet of this particular Nasi Jinggo in Ubud Street costs only RP 3,000, USD 0.30 when converted to the US Dollars. With that mere amount of money, you can actually get a decent amount of rice, with a scoop of fried noodles, a little bit of stir fried egg, half handful of ground peanuts and most importantly a dollop of home made chili ! All that for only RP 3,000 !! Try to beat that price! Well, that is the basic Nasi Jinggo, but there is always room to make a simple vegetarian rice dish to be slightly more interesting.

At this street food stall (Warung Kaki Lima), there are options for additionals; chicken, pork and tuna. Those side meat are packed in banana leaves and charged at RP 1,500 per packet. I had all three meat together with a packet of Jinggo Rice and I like the Tuna best. Unfortunately, I forget to get pictures of those meat dish thus unable to share it here. Tuna is best, second is the chicken and last was the pork meat due to the powerful stench 'pork smell' (difficult to describe that smell, but I'm sure you readers could understand).

Honestly, I wasn't impressed by this particular 'Nasi Jinggo' but was rather surprised to be able to still find a decent rice with meat meal that cost RP 7,500, barely a dollar!

Nasi Jinggo, Ubud Bali

Sunrise Restaurant - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

I have never heard of 'Gili' until a few months back when I was planning my trip. Gili is situated close to Lombok and I traveled with a chartered 10 minute ride speed boat trip from the local Lombok dock to Gili Air. To those that haven't hear of this island, check out this link http://www.gili-paradise.com. Basically there area 3 Gili islands; Trawangan, Meno & Air. FW and I chosed Gili Air as he has a friend that owns an establishment called 'Omah Gili'. Just for your information, Gili Air is nothing that I had seen or been before. Extremely quite and very laid back. Beautiful serene beach that is famous for snorkeling and diving. But if you are looking for parties, booze and weed for breakfast, then should definitely opt for Gili Trawangan!

My first lunch in Gili Air was at this Sunrise Restaurant (or should i say hut). I was famished and determined to have a good big solid lunch, turned out to be a good one! The cafes and restaurants in Gili Air were similar to one another. Wooden establishment on top of sandy beach with hay as the shelter. The weather there is 90% sunny and thus it make a lot of sense for the design.

Menu : Fettuccine Carbonara

Price : RP 50,000 ++
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> I am not sure whether the fact the meal was good or it was just me who was being hungry. I asked for extra spicy when I ordered the dish and damn it was spicy! The dish still look like a cream pasta but with extra cut chilies inside. Perfectly cooked pasta; al dente, and the viscosity of the cream was nailed. Thumbs up for the seasoning too. Very yummy and very much recommended.

 

Menu : Pelecing Ayam

Price : RP 45,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Pelecing Ayam is different from Ayam Taliwang, besides the taste of the chili sauce, the chicken in Pelecing Ayam is fried while the chicken in Ayam Taliwang is grilled. As for this, I love the way this piece of chicken is cooked, crispy but not overcooked. However, lack in spicy and chili. The kick is there but not to where I wanted it to take me. Instead of just chili, there is a combination of tomato and chili to make the chili base which thus made it slightly more sweet than spicy for my personal taste.

Sunrise Hotel & Restaurant

Gili Air Lombok - Indonesia

Phone : +62 (0)370 - 642370

Gita Gili Seafood - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

I was astounded upon seeing the fresh seafood paraded on the tables, just right by the walking pathway. All of the seafood were caught daily and the eaters were allowed to choose themselves on the selection. Well of course due to the nature of the sea, the variety will depend on the daily catch, therefore each seafood cafe's menu selection will also vary from one another. I wanted to try the busiest seafood resto there 'Wiwi Cafe' but due to the queue, I went to 'Gita Gili' instead. It was a dinner for 2 person and thus we ordered 2 dishes, 6 large prawns & a good sized salt water fish!

Menu: Grilled Fish & Grilled Large Prawns
Price : RP 150,000 (for 2 person)
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Can you imagine the freshness of the seafood I had at Gita Gili? When the raw seafood were paraded on the display tables, there were no stench whatsoever! Superbly fresh and literally smell of fresh salt water. I love the idea of eating fresh ingredients and somehow imagine myself being instantly 'healthier'. The way they grilled was pretty much the normal way, no special BBQ skills applied. It was the ingredient itself that gave this dish an 8 pointer. Nothing beats damn good ingredients! In addition, every person was given a choice of baked potato or steam rice with complimentary stir fry vegetables at the side.
Gita Gili
Gili Air, Lombok Indonesia

Biba Beach Cafe - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

Biba Beach Cafe might be the most well known restaurant in Gili Air. A few reasons I assume :

1. The only Italian eatery
2. Friendly Service
3. Bloody good food!

I might sound bias or hyperbolic on the 3rd point 'bloody good food' but it is! The owner is Italian himself, he and his wife now own the Biba establishment and resides there. There must be something right about the Gili Air island itself, so tempting that even Italian would wanna live in Gili Air itself. The Biba Beach Cafe sits directly in front of the beach and opens for lunch and dinner. However, if you want to try their famous Italian Pizza, you would have to be patient and wait till 7pm. But hey! It was worth waiting for :)

Menu : Kiss Pizza with Extra Anchovy
Price : RP 75,000
Score : 9.0 / 10

>> Thin crust pizza, generous amount of onions, mushrooms, anchovies (for the extra salty kick) with a spread bed of tomato bolognaise sauce at the bottom. Something was special about this pizza over here. It wasn't the generous topping but how it was cooked. It has that burn, smoked, wood fire grilled distinctive smell that just infused into the thin dough. Loveee it! A must try if you're there by any chance.

Menu : Bolognaise Lasagne
Price : RP 65,000
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Hmmmm...yumm!! Look, I'm not a fan of lasagne but this was good, really good. I love the bolognaise sauce spread across, inside and between all the pasta layers. The portion was alright, not to big thus suitable for an appetizer. The only issue for me was the pasta was slightly overcooked but definitely saved by the sauce :)

Menu : Tagliatelle Aglio Olio Pepperoncino
Price : RP 50,000
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> This dish was nearly a 8 pointer for me. The pasta was cooked well, the seasoning was perfect, the portion was generous too. But it was lacking the 'pepperoncino' taste. It was suppose to be strong with garlic and chili but sadly wasn't the case. Nevertheless, a satisfying dish on an average!

Menu : Salame Di Cioccolate
Price : RP 20,000
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> My first time trying on this new dessert. The name itself was difficult to pronounce and thus I'll just concentrate on the eating part :) To begin with, the look was interesting, close to the name itself 'salame' (an Italian meat sausage). This chilled chocolate dessert didn't 'wow' me but certainly a nice way to end the dinner.

Biba Beach Cafe

Gili Air, Lombok Indonesia

Phone : +6281917274648

Email : biba@bibabeach.com

Chill Out - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

This place was very much recommended by the staffs at Omah Gili. Chill out has the capacity of around 50 to 70 pax indoor but you can lay down outside facing directly to the beach, sipping ice cold beer while sun bathing under the scorching sunlight. I wouldn't know where or what to compare Gilir Air's super laid back and breathtaking serenity. It wasn't only Chill Out that provide such spectacular view, but it goes the same for many other restaurants and cafe.

Menu : Chicken Curry

Price : RP 35,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> The curry came in pipping hot with steam still ashing out from the bowl. What I love best about this curry was the consistency! Exactly how I like my curry, not too viscous, not watery either. The portion is excellent! This comes with steam white rice and in addition, the fillings inside were generous. Mountains of vegetables and big chunks of chicken were in there. I wanted to give this a 7.5 pointer but the fact that this is a 'mild' curry turn this to a 6.5 dish. I personally thought it was lacking a 'kick' on the taste buds, again..too mild for my liking. Lack of curry spices and most importantly chili. But then again, adjusted to the main target consumers, the 'Bules'. Therefore, fully understandable :)

Note : This dish has a lot of potential !! A little more of this and that will make your taste buds go ' WOWWW' !!

Menu : Beef Burger

Price : RP 45,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> I ordered Fried Rice and switched to this menu over here upon seeing another customer's beef burger sent over to their table. If wouldn't for that moment of 'laper mata' I don't think I'd order a burger. Nevertheless, this was good stuff! I would never expect to find such chunky and crispy and salty french fries over here. I thought it would be thin, greasy and soggy :p The beef patty was alright, nothing too special about it, but their home made mayonnaise was a star! The mayo sauce made the burger alive, add chili into and between each bun layers and you'll go eat in silence *not wanting anyone to interrupt your meal*. Thumbs up :)
Chill Out Bungalows and Bar

Gili Air, Lombok Indonesia

Phone : +6281999364607

Email : chilloutbungalows@yahoo.com

Omah Gili - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

This is the establishment that I had mentioned before. Omah Gili is owned by FW's high school friend and it only made sense to visit his place during our holiday trip. Not a 5 star luxury place to pamper yourself but certainly a decent, reasonably clean place, but most importantly very friendly service and a sense of blending into the local Gili Air community. This small establishment is relatively new, located around 200m behind Manta Dive so it's a good alternative for Manta Dive accommodation even if no sea view available. Omah Gili has 8 cottages, two types of room offered: 4 units of Joglo (Geladak) and 4 units of Lumbung.

Our room was clean and air conditioner worked well. We liked much the outdoor bathroom. They provide a 5-galon bottle drinking water in each room. No problem at all for water supply - not fresh water though - and electricity was fine. Note: no TV provided. By the way, you would regret your visit in Gili Air if you spend time watching TV because the island is just too beautiful. The staff are all friendly, particularly the front desk officer.

The breakfast okay, and although it wasn't located on beach-side, it was not far from the beach. It was a perfect location for a holiday hideout-- nice and quiet, not too close to the crowd. It feels just like home, but with extra services, cleaner air, and other island treats. No lunch and dinner offered so you have to find meals for yourself but no worry, there are many beach front restaurants with reasonable prices ready to serve you in Gili Air. I recommend Biba Beach Cafe & Chill-Out, great tasty food, unforgettable view towards the sea and Lombok island, nice service with good price. 

Omah Gili
Behind Manta Dive & Sunrise
Gili Air - West Nusa Tenggara Indonesia