Michelle Francisca LeeContributed by Michelle Franc-Lee
Where to eat in Bali like locals? After several visits to Bali since I was a kid, my family and I’ve become fond of some places to eat. These places are not necessarily restaurants. Although I’m not a local in Bali myself, the places I will mention below are quite famous among Indonesian people.
As one of the best tourist destinations in Indonesia, Asia and the whole world, Bali has endless restaurants, cafes, bars and places to hang out, and they can be very innovative and over-the-top creative. I love trying out new places but I also have a must-to-go place whenever I’m in Bali.
In this post, I have listed my top three favourites from my last visit to Bali.
1. Sate Babi Bawah Pohon
The original, authentic, pioneer of pork satay or if I have to summarise in one word – an oasis. Sate Babi Bawah Pohon literally means pork satay under the tree and they’ve been selling pork skewers for 25 years! Now it has become one of the culinary destination for tourists. I prefer it without the crowds but nevertheless, I’m happy for their success. Surprisingly, the taste has remained the same over the years.
It is just a simple pork satay and comes with the spicy salt dip. I honestly don’t know which part is more addictive – the pork or the dip itself – because they are a match made in heaven. I don’t really remember the price of one portion but it is very affordable and addictive. So addictive that one portion is never enough. They used to sell it under the tree (literally) but since the number of customers has increased over time, they moved it to the side of the spot. This pork satay is a must-try for everyone, tourist and locals alike. Get ready to queue before you get yours.
2. Warung 96 Pizzeria
I call this the pizza version of the Dead Poet Society. Dead Pizza Society?
This is another childhood place of mine. What I mean by childhood is that I’ve been dining at this pizza since I was under ten and introduced by my cousins. Warung 96 is different from other pizza restaurants because they use a special traditional oven. I love the chill vibe here. Its location is very secluded and you have to go through a small alley from Kuta Beach to get here.
What to order in Warung 96? Pizzas! As I mentioned, they have this special oven where they use wood to make fire and the pizza tastes different when cooked this way. I always order the salami, Warung 96 special and calzone.
3. Revolver Espresso, Seminyak
This is a hidden jewel in Seminyak.
About 3-4 hours before my flight, I visited Revolver Espresso Cafe. Although this meant that I had to hustle to the airport, I didn’t have any regrets visiting this cool coffee bar! Revolver Espresso calls themselves a Boutique Coffee House. Once you enter through the cool wood door with ‘REVOLVER’ sign, you simply can feel the love of coffee in the waiters and also the customers. The waiter that served me explained everything with so much passion!
The ambience is another thing to talk about! There are several rooms with different atmosphere. They use mainly woods and rustic feels as their interiors. Even their smoking area was too pretty to be use as a smoking area. I had the impression that Revolver Coffee House is cowboy-themed because of the cactuses, US flag and shotguns used as their decoration.
I didn’t order any food, but my family ordered the carrot cake and apple crumble. I believe they change their dessert menu now and then because they didn’t have those on the online menu. For the beverage, I ordered affogato, which turned out not like what I was expecting but it was agreeable. To be honest, I’m not a big coffee fan. So I cannot truly give my opinion in this because it’s not my forte. Nevertheless, I give this place two thumbs up for ambience and innovation!
Don’t forget to take a look at their merchandises just near the entrance. They sell cool clothing from tank tops, t-shirt, and sweater for men and women and other merchs and coffee stuff.
Quick tips on how to eat like locals
There’s an endless list of innovative food establishment in Bali. My tip for you is to avoid dining in a mall or a franchise restaurant that you can find everywhere. Try to ask a local, “where is the best local dish or restaurant?” because they are the ones who know more about the area. You can also do your online research at your usual sites and also Zomato (this one is quite popular in Indonesia) before you go.
