Biku was one of the rare few. Full on opening and has been the same ever since. Biku, on Jln Petitenget, does High Teas. So do most major hotels mid-afternoon. At Biku, they are available all day, from 11.00 a.m. till 6.00 p.m. Not just the traditional English High Tea, which they do perfectly, but also an Asian High Tea and even a Children’s High Tea. Now they are celebrating Mothers’ Day, Sunday May 13, with a special Mothers Day High Tea, pictured [@ Rp.165,000++]. Children are not forgotten as there is also a special High Tea for them. For this day a prior booking is essential [online at www.bikubali.com or phone 0851.0057.0888]. As the Sydney Morning Herald [their Tuesday Good Food section is Sydney’s dining bible] recently said about Bali’s Biku…the only downside is that everyone knows that it is fantastic! So always full. I love snacking and Biku also has many options that are just right for me; Spicy Chicken Wings, Vegetable Samosas [with chutney of course], Corn Cakes with avocado salsa, fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls and great Crisp Sesame Chicken with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. A breakfast with a difference, so healthy, are the Indian Lentil Crepes. Biku is always buzzing! Full of happy customers who you can tell by their manner, have been there before and will soon be coming back again. A unique success story!
The Melting Pot, on Jln. Pengosekan, Ubud, is much more than just a sports bar [though one of Bali’s best], it is also Bali’s No.1 Texan restaurant. That description includes a few different cuisines, just all of those dishes that are popular in Texas. New additions on their menu are the very popular Sliders [mini hamburgers]. Hot Link Sliders are a coil of small linked pork sausages, smothered with caramelized onions and a dab of Dijon mustard in a mini poppy seed hamburger bun. The Steak Sandwich Slider is very different, a fold of steak [40gm] with caramelized onions and mozzarella cheese. Most restaurants in Bali offer Sate, usually chicken. At Melting Pot they have Beef Sate, chunks of tender juicy beef with a sweet soy and chilli sauce. There is just one danger, eat one serve of these and you will immediately order another one!
Happy Chappy, Jln Braban, Kerobokan opened with set times for lunch and dinner. Now they stay open all afternoon so leisurely mid afternoon Chinese banquets have become the norm, as have very long lunches. Quality Chinese, concentrating on Cantonese, their Sunday Dim Sum lunch [from 11.00 a.m.] features food trolleys, still the only one in Bali. There are many dishes here that I like very much. Top of my list is their exceptional Sang Choy Bow, minced duck with plum sauce served on cos lettuce leaves. This is closely followed by the Salt & Pepper Chicken which is also a great bar snack, as are the Peking Duck Long Rolls. The Kung Pao Prawns with Szechuan chilli and cashew nuts uses large prawns, excellent! The Singapore Chilli Live Crab and the traditional Roasted Peking Duck are essential for any banquet. Specials for the month of May include Beef Short Ribs, a must to try! A mini version of Happy Chappy is soon to open on Raya Ubud.
Burritos by Goodwood is one of the latest rave places in the new Canggu, where restaurants are opening almost on a daily basis. Yes they are Mexican based, Tex-Mex in fact, but offer a lot more than just burritos. They are found on Jln, Pantai Berawa. These burritos though are different, stuffed with your choice of chicken, pork or beef, all the meats are smoked. Served with the usual guacamole, cheese, corn and beans. There is even a Vegetarian Burrito for those who want to stay Veggie. Other Tex-Mex options also available, The big rumour is that Burritos by Goodwood are soon to also open in Ubud.
White Yellow has been the most successful restaurant, so far, to operate on Jln. Sukma, Tebesaya. They have also taken a stand in the new Ubud Food Court even though their own restaurant is only metres away, on the same road. At the UFC they offer both interesting snacks and main meals, all at food court prices. As they serve very traditional Balinese fare it is no surprise that the popular Ayam Sambal Matah heads the list. Ayam Ukup Ukup is most unusual. First the chicken is grilled with a traditional Balinese spice paste then it is boiled with the same mix until the liquid is reduced to half. Kare Ayam is chicken in a fragrant coconut milk curry. Be Balung is pork, gently simmered in spices, served with boiled jackfruit. To finish Tape Gulung, fermented cassava cake topped with rolls of small, very crisp, crepes.
Curry in Bali has opened on the old site that was once Warung Kayu Api, on The ByPass in central Sanur. After testing the water at Uluwatu for a few years they now bring this concept to Sanur. Indian with a difference as the menu concentrates on food from southern India, Kerala in particular, which is where the owner originates. A thick creamy Seafood Soup is full of prawns and fish pieces, the Vegetable Rolls are Indian bread rolled around fresh vegetables served with mint chutney. South Indian style potato masala is made with boiled, crumbled potatoes in mild, flavorful gravy. It is served with hot, puffed Puri’s. (Deep fried Indian wheat bread). Chicken Livers are marinated in spices, then pan roasted with onions & tomatoes. Kerala Beef Fry is a classic from this mostly non-Hindu Christian area. The star of this menu must be their Crab Masala, thick and rich.
Gerry Williams
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