Warung Joglo in Kerobokan Bali

The Bali Advertiser came out the other day and ran an ad about a warung in Kerobokan. ‘Warung Joglo’ it said, ‘Lunch Buffet 5,000rp’ . Ika wanted to try out th place so leaving Jevon with Ana, we hopped on the bike and rode up Jl. Raya Kerobokan to the traffic light at Jl. Petitenget. Turning left we came to Warung Joglo after about 100 meters.

I was impressed with the interior of the place, and the uninterrupted view of the fields behind the wrung. Just like the ad says there was a buffet set, with a stack of plates. “How does this work?” I asked “Just grab a plate and start going for it.” The waitress nodded. A chef behind the buffet picked up a plate and asked me what I wanted. “Can I come back as many times as I want, or is this a one-time only deal?” I said. “I change the menu everyday.” said the chef. “Yeah, but can I come back for more?” he nodded. About then Ika came up to me and said “Babe, they say nasi is 2,000rp and you must pay separately for everything else.” What’s going on here?

Turns out that this ‘buffet’ wasn’t a buffet after all. The newspaper ad was a hook to score stupid bules like me, who have been seduced into believing things written in black and white.

Ika and chose a few items and sat next next to the view. The food was very good, I particularly liked the sauces which ranged from sweet to slightly spicy (rendang). Our bill, which included a lemon tea and a watermelon juice was 44,000rp, nothing to break the bank, but not 5,000rp a head either.

Warung Joglo was not super busy and the atmosphere was relaxing. A joglo is an antique house in Java and this place looked like it it the bill, with elegant chairs and plenty of shade.

I asked Ika what she thought about the advertising and she said she thought that although they were not totally lying, they were being deliberately tricky. Anyway I got to have lunch with Ika, and I am a free man, which is wroth remembering when you consider the 9 people who are incarcerated about half a mile away.