Bali Balinese Food
For more on this subject check out the main Bali food page.
Nusa Dua Fiesta 2008
All in all the Visit Indonesia Year 2008 has been relatively successful albeit less promotion of events for some islands in the archipelago has been somewhat lacking. However, on the island of Bali it has been a screaming success with a multitude of events receiving record number of tourists. And, it’s not over yet. There is still the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival to come and many more but, before that great event we have the Nusa Dua Fiesta 2008 scheduled for October 10-14.
Since the United Nations Climate Change Summit …
Date: September 17th, 2008 |
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Dapur Alam
Quite accidentally I read about this new eatery in a local magazine a few months ago. Dapur Alam opened in February and has been steadily increasing its clientele mainly due to the high quality of food and, I consider this to be the reason why it has become so popular now with locals, domestic and foreign tourists. Dapur Alam means ‘natural kitchen’ in Bahasa Indonesia. Located on Jalan Patih Jelantik, Dapur Alam is nestled in a gully and can be easily missed. However, you will find most taxi drivers know about the place. I went there with my Javanese wife and a Swiss friend of ours who considered himself a connoisseur of Javanese cuisine having spent some months in Jakarta. The first impression of Dapur Alam is one of warmth mainly because of the two open-air pavilions where people sit and eat, and the general friendliness of the staff who come from various islands in the archipelago. The seating arrangements are purely simple. Wooden benches with mock, marble-topped tables give Dapur Alam that, well, natural ambience. There is even a special playground area set aside for kids.
Date: May 22nd, 2008 |
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Supardi and the Kerupuk Business
It is an irrefutable fact that Indonesians love their kerupuk — just ask Supardi, the owner of a successful kerupuk business. Kerupuk - crunchy fried or baked crackers made from flour - are everybody’s favorite snack and can be found at most sidewalk food stalls. Supardi, 55, is not an economist or a business analyst. He did not graduate from elementary school and he struggles to read and write well; he asks his son Mulyandi, the third of four of his children who is studying economics at a private university, for help with any written documents. Supardi, who was born to a farming family in Gemulung, Sragen regency, Central Java, became an orphan at the age of eight after both his parents died from an unknown illness; due to economic hardship, they could not afford medical treatment. Following the death of his parents, Supardi stayed with a relative. But his relative was also poor and Supardi was forced to drop out of school.
Date: May 13th, 2008 |
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Indonesian dishes with a European influence
The cuisine of Indonesia, like it’s national language has been greatly influenced by outside cultures. Take for instance sate, the small grilled chunks of meat that can be bought for a few thousand rupiah on many streets in Indonesia. Sate was invented in Java, but has it’s roots in the Middle East, with the kebab, featuring beef and goat. The popular vegetable dish cap cay is taken from Cantonese cuisine and so forth. Here is a Jakarta Post article discussing other local dishes with foreign roots.
Date: December 23rd, 2007 |
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Lawar: One of Bali’s most famous dishes
Lawar is one of Bali’s most famous local dishes. Made from pig’s blood and spices, together with an assortment of other goodies, lawar can be found in every village in Bali.
Date: March 15th, 2007 |
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Shark Delicacies
For as long as I can remember on my travels I have never imbibed in seafood cuisine that contained shark meat of any kind. As a scuba diver and an environmentalist, I do have a very healthy respect for these beautiful creatures. There are those that don’t considering them the scourge of the oceans. This is not to say that I haven’t had my fair amount of run-ins with them and on one particular occasion, it was almost a fatal meeting with a large Tiger Shark. Even after that I still harbor a healthy …
Date: May 28th, 2008 |
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Book Review: The Secrets of Balinese Cuisine
Many people in Bali and elsewhere will be delighted to read this book because they will have already sampled the delectable fare offered in Heinz von Holzen’s restaurant, Bumbu Bali in Tanjung Benoa, which is generally regarded as the only truly authentic Balinese restaurant in the whole of the island. Many have tried to copy the concept and one restaurant in Ubud has even taken the same name but has not managed to achieve the same standard.
Date: May 19th, 2008 |
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Culinary Map to be Released
So often when my stomach reminds me that it is time to eat, I ponder for at least half an hour in making a decision on a destination for my choice of repast. Of course, in the main, I am never disappointed with my final choice. When I at home in Yogyakarta it is easy because I hit the street stalls of which there are many. But, in Bali one is spoilt for choice. Do I eat upmarket, warung or from the kaki lima. I was pleased to read today that a culinary map is due to be released and will be available at most places. This is an excellent idea for first-time visitors who are often bewildered by the island’s number of eateries and where to go. But, it’s not only the greenies that will benefit. Often people have said to me ‘Have you been to such-and-such a place. It’s near that other place’. Now all I have to do is look at a map!.
Date: May 12th, 2008 |
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