10 Food Places In Bali That Locals Want To Keep Secret…
You’ve booked your tickets to Bali with your best pals or family. This is your third or even fourth trip to Bali. You have been to Naughty Nuri’s, Potato Head and Ku De Ta. So where do you go next?
Here, we have ten places you probably have not tried before. These are the recommendations we have put together from both locals and foodies who frequent Bali — places they’d much prefer to keep to themselves, which we had to skillfully pry from them. They range from cheap eats and cafes to atas restaurants. Here we go:
KUTA
1. Ayam Betutu Khas Gilimanuk Bali
This eating place is known for its Balinese herb chicken or betutu that has been marinated for a long time with red onion, turmeric, chilli and other spices and served with a spicy paste.
One portion of chicken costs IDR 90,000. The meat is oh-so-tender! You may want to order an extra portion of the rice to go with the spicy paste.
Bali Outlets
- Buluh Indah №51X, Denpasar. Telp +62 (361) 7407509
- Merdeka №88, Renon. Telp. +62 (361) 4746029
- Raya Tuban №2X, Kuta. Telp. +62(361) 757535
- Central Parkir Kuta, Kuta. Telp. +62 812 3665901
- Gatsu Guntur Hotel Gatsu Timur, Denpasar. Telp. +62 (361) 4712781
- Uluwatu, Perum Nuansa Jimbaran №1, Jimbaran. Telp. +62 (361) 704524
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10.00 am — 10.00 pm
The best pork ribs in Bali is their slogan. If you like pork ribs, this is the place for you. The meat from the ribs (IDR 80,000) is so tender that it falls off the bone effortlessly. With the spicy BBQ sauce, you’ll be licking the bones and your fingers clean!
Location: Jalan Bakung Sari №43, Kuta.Bali, Indonesia
PH: +62 821 46348525 , +62 878 61392149
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9.00 am — 11.00 pm
This gem is tucked away in a quiet corner in Seminyak. The café may be tiny but do not let its size fool you. Foodies flock there for their Crispy Pork Belly (IDR 99,000), Curry Chicken (IDR 30,000) with Roti (IDR 20,000) and of course, their coffee (from IDR 22,000).
Location: Jalan Petitenget Gang Kecapi no7, Banjar Umasari, Seminyak
Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia 80361
Tel: +62 813–3918–6677
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 11.00 am — 10.00 pm
DENPASAR
4. Sate Plecing Arjuna (Pork Satay)
Sate Plecing Arjuna is always packed with locals and there’s a good reason why. Their pork sate is nicely charred on the outside yet tender on the inside. For those who do not like pork, there is also a beef sate option. You can have sweet or spicy sauce or both to go with your sate. Each portion is IDR 20,000.
Location: Jalan Arjuna №47, Dauh Puri Kaja, Kec. Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia
Tel: +62 878–6778–9002
Opening hours: Sunday to Saturday, 9.00am — 7.00pm
5. Ayam Bakar Taliwang Baru
If you are looking for authentic Lombok grilled chicken (IDR 32,000), this is your place. The chicken is grilled with a spicy paste and you may want to order more than one piece per person as one is never enough, according to their regulars.
Location: Jalan Teuku Umar no 10, Denpasar Bali, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361–263031
Opening hours: Monday — Sunday, 10.00 am — 11.00 pm
6. Warung Tipat Tahu Gerenceng
At IDR 8,000, the pieces of tahu (or tofu) are topped with fresh sprouts, fried onions and shrimp crackers (additional cost of IDR 1,000) and mixed in a delicious sauce. It is always crowded during lunch and in the afternoon as it is a nice savoury snack for a relaxing afternoon.
Location: Jln. Dr Sutomo №9, Denpasar 80118, Indonesia
Tel: +62 813–3371–5715
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10.00 am — 8.00 pm
7. Firefly
What is a beach holiday without cocktails? Firefly, a bar with cool vibes and music, serves some of the best cocktails in Sanur and at reasonable prices, from IDR 100,000 to 150,000. One of the popular signatures is Dragontini, a mix of vodka, white chocolate, passionfruit, grapefruit and lemon. The tapas they serve work well with the cocktails too. So, cheers to lip-smacking good cocktails and a beautiful beach holiday.
Location: Jl Danau Poso 108, Sanur, Denpasar 80228, Indonesia
Tel: +62 812–3774–4150
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 6.30 pm — 12.00 am (Closed on Mondays)
UBUD
This small family-owned restaurant is located right in the middle of rice fields. In this rustic, idyllic environment, you can enjoy Tempe Goreng (fried tempeh at IDR 25,000), Mie Goreng (IDR 35,000), Ayam Sambal Matal (shredded chicken at IDR 40,000) and then smoothies (IDR 35,000) to round up the meal. You can take your time here, to soak in the relaxing ambience while indulging in the delicious local food.
If you fancy a massage, the restaurant can even make the arrangements for you on the premises if you give them at least an hour’s notice!
Location: Jalan Subak Juwak Manis, Ubud
Tel: +62 813–3877–8689
Opening hours: Monday — Sunday, 9.00 am — 9.00 pm
9. Sage
If you are in Bali on a personal retreat or when you just want to have a healthy meal after all the partying and indulging in local cuisine, then Sage is the perfect place for you. It is a vegan restaurant that exudes a relaxing vibe. They serve very yummy vegan food throughout the day. Some of the favourites here are Tempeh Buffalo Wings (IDR 40,000), Teriyaki Bowl(IDR 60,000), Hula Burger(IDR 70,000) and the not-to-be-missed chocolate chip cookies!
Location: Jalan Nyuh Bulan №1, Banjar Nyuh Kuning, Ubud, MAS, Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361–976–528
Opening hours: Sun to Sat, 8.00 am — 9.30 pm
10. Room4dessert
If you are ready to splurge, then end the holiday on a sweet note and head to Room4dessert.
This is not your usual, run-of-the-mill dessert places. Be prepared to have your taste buds teased and embark on a sweet gastronomic and visual journey at this uber popular dessert bar. An Unpaired Tasting menu starts at IDR 740,000 per person and IDR 1,150,000 for a Full Tasting Experience.
Location: Jalan Raya Sangigingan, Ubud 80571, Indonesia (Next to Naughty Nuri’s)
Tel: +62 813–3705–0539
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 5.00 pm — 11.00 pm (Closed on Monday)
… and 1 Mobile Data Hack We Don’t Want To Keep Secret From Locals and Tourists
Gluu is a platform that taps the sharing economy model to match mobile data sharers with mobile data seekers. Locals and local businesses can share their mobile data or Wi-Fi and become hotspots, offering secure connectivity to anyone who needs it, especially tourists and travellers.
For Locals
When local users share, they earn Glits, a currency on the app which can be exchanged for rewards on the Store. In Indonesia, every 1 GB shared earns 1 Glit, equivalent to IDR 10,000. 2 Glits gets you a IDR 20,000 Alfamart voucher on the Store. With Bali welcoming some 15.7 million (The Bureau of Statistics in Bali) domestic and international visitors in 2018, Gluu offers locals a great opportunity to become micro-entreprenuers, sharing connectivity and earning rewards in return.
For Travellers
For tourists, the platform is a cheap and hassle-free way to get mobile connectivity. Need to get online to check the locations and opening hours of the above foodie havens? Just sign in to Gluu on your device and connect to a local sharer on a pay-per-use basis, at local rates. It costs just IDR 10,000 for every 1 GB you use. That’s a mere S$0.10 per 100 MB. Best of all, it’s secure and you get better connectivity everywhere you go.
Save on mobile data and have more to spend at these secret food places before they become not-so-secret anymore.
Download Gluu from Google Play: www.bit.ly/Gluuapp
Find out more about Gluu at www.gluu.life
2nd of the Gluu-ly series. By Darrell Chan for Gluu.
