Forget the Frills….It’s All About The Flavours
Flashy and funky looking eateries are springing up around the ‘Gu about as often as the shortcut gets jammed these days, but while many offer the promise of incredible ambience and super cool surrounds, few actually deliver on taste. Sometimes it pays to look past an unassuming facade to rediscover what makes magic on a plate!
As a lover of Thai cuisine it has long been my mission to find somewhere to satisfy my appetite for those authentic, spicy flavours but amazingly, all it really took was a casual scoot around the streets of Tibubeneng to find what might just be the best little Thai Kitchen outside of Bangkok!
Quite simply named ‘Thai Kitchen’ this tiny gastronomic gem serves up some of the best Thai food I’ve sampled out of Siam itself! Not the fanciest looking facade I’d have to agree but don’t be dissuaded by its cover, ‘cos what comes out of this little husband and wife warung is hands down delicious!
Thai Kitchen has been open for a while now yet its off-the-tourist-track location tends to guarantee that despite word of mouth and happenstance, the operation has remained rather small (seriously, it only seats about 12) Run by a charming and friendly couple, eating in at Thai Kitchen is almost like you have been invited into their home to have dinner! The welcome is always friendly including the affectionate sniff and lick from the two resident furry friends as you pull up out front. Service is efficient, prices will hardly put a dent in your dompet and the flavours are to die for. The only hassles I seem to have are over ordering and overeating!
Not likely to be a place you’ll ever leave hungry, Thai Kitchen dishes up generous portions of your Asian favourites. Start with a serve of Spring Rolls or a spicy (and I mean spicy…) Papaya Salad. Leaner options include the herbaceous Larb Gai or Nasi Basil but if you’re yearning for something rich and saucy it’s hard to go past their Red Chicken Curry or Masaman….Mmmmmm! Pad Thai gets the nod from noodle lovers and if you’re still hankering for something sweet, give the mango and sticky rice a go to tame the heat.
Main meals range from around RP40K – Rp50K so you see why it’s so easy to keep ordering! They offer vegetarian options as well as a fairly comprehensive list of cold beverages – something you might be needing if you opt to turn up the heat!
Thai Kitchen is open 7 days for lunch and dinner from 11am until 10pm. Take away is often a good option if you arrive at their busiest times so call ahead to order on:
+62 813 38929199. Small and sweet, Thai Kitchen can be a trick to find and it’s easy to ride right past! Located at 39 Jalan Raya Semat, Tibubeneng – look for the red sign.
Race Day Fans Help Fill Solemen’s Cup!
An early morning cloudburst come Melbourne Cup day did nothing to deter the 530 fabulously dressed guests who coursed through the gates of Finns VIP on Tuesday, November 6. Finns’ famous Cup party was on again and with an increase in numbers from last year’s event, Finns VIP proved to be the prime venue for Bali’s biggest cup day soiree.
Doors opened from 10am and the bubbles flowed freely from 11! Despite the tropical heat, guests did not disappoint in the fashion stakes as finely dressed divas and elegantly attired gents along with cool and casual cup lovers lobbed in from far and wide to celebrate this iconic Aussie event – Bali style!
Expats, locals and travellers mixed, mingled and marvelled at the outfits for an hour or so before pausing at midday with all eyes focused on the race that stops a nation. With the race run and dusted, guests really got down to the business of celebrating as champagne continued to flow along with some fine food. A few extra flutes of liquid dutch courage under their belts meant party goers made their way to the dance floor and bounced along to a very convincing performance from Jason Singh and his musical associates as the live auctions got underway for an afternoon of fundraising.
Winners were certainly grinning however the true winners last Tuesday were indeed local, humanitarian NGO – Solemen Indonesia. For a number of years now, Finns Bali have pledged all funds raised at their annual Melbourne Cup functions to this well respected charity with donations from the 2016 and 2017 events alone totaling a staggering IDR 590 million! Despite many guests already generously contributing to earthquake and volcano appeals earlier in the year, they continued to dig deep on Cup Day to help Solemen sustain their invaluable efforts to support those disadvantaged members of our local community.
The proceeds from Finns Melbourne Cup parties and Finns sponsorship already form a major percentage of Solemen Indonesia’s annual funding and this year Solemen received an added bonus from Finns – the pledge of extended support with a total contribution of IDR 1,000,000,000 (AUD 100,000) over the course of the next 12 months. Just imagine what that will mean for all of the Solebuddies already under this charity’s care!
As aching heads from the after party ease and fascinators are flung to the back of closets for another year, Finns would sincerely like to thank everyone who contributed to and attended their Melbourne Cup Day event for 2018. The success of such a day is never possible without the support from many and Finns looks forward to an even bigger event next year!
finnsbali.com
Finns Features Jason Derulo for One Night Only!
With over 50 million singles sold worldwide and 2 billion Youtube views it is safe to say that Jason Derulo’s star power won’t be waning anytime soon. Hold onto your Hip Hop playlists Bali peeps because this popular world class performer is about to take to the Indonesian stage for the very first time at Finns VIP on December 1. For one night only, Derulo will perform exclusively at Finns VIP Beach Club for his only Bali performance and tickets are on sale now!
US born singer, songwriter and dancer, Derulo began penning lyrics for the likes of Pitbull, Diddy, Sean Kingston and more before embarking on a solo performance path in 2009. Just a few short years later and Derulo, a performer known for his proclivity to pronounce his name at the beginning of each of his songs, has already skyrocketed to the top of the charts on more than one occasion! His 2014 album, ‘Talk Dirty’ spawned no less than five platinum singles and Derulo now boasts 11 platinum singles to date including ‘Wiggle’, ‘In My Head’ and ‘Watcha Say’.
Citing Michael Jackson as one of his biggest inspirations, Derulo’s music is largely Pop featuring some definite accents of Hip Hop and RnB. Cleverly reworking his style with each new release to ensure audiences never tire of his music, Derulo is set to please the crowd at Finns VIP come December 1st. A performance not to be missed, Finns is featuring a number of ticket options to catch this internationally acclaimed performer live on stage, starting from General Admission at just RP800K.
Looking for more of a red carpet experience? VIP entry is available for RP1.25 million per person and guarantees access to all areas including VIP entry to all bars and amenities. VVIP Rooftop entry gives Derulo fans an uninterrupted bird’s eye view of the stage as well as entry to all VIP areas. Tickets to this area are strictly limited so act fast! For those wanting to groove with their crew, book today to secure a VIP Double Day bed for up to six people, guaranteeing a day bed strategically positioned to make the most of both ocean and stage views!
Be one of the lucky few to see Jason Derulo live on stage for the first time in Indonesia at his exclusive Bali performance. Hear him perform popular hits the likes of ‘Talk Dirty’ and ‘Swalla’ as well as this year’s new release, ‘Goodbye’ – an upbeat collaboration with French DJ David Guetta based around the celebrated Bocelli and Brightman ballad -Time to Say Goodbye.
For complete details regarding booking options, pricing, inclusions and venue map, simply head to:
vipbeachclubbali.com and book online today!