Sunday, July 20, 2008

Presidio Social Club

I joined Mr. and Mrs. H. last week at the Presidio Social Club for some feasting on the following:
braised short ribs with trumpet mushrooms and egg noodles, kobe beef sloppy joe, blueberry-marinated beets, mac and cheese, smashed peas with mint ...

It's stick-to-your-ribs comfort food with plenty of fun twists and turns.



Saturday, July 19, 2008

Bali Pig-Out


I saw this monkey going to town on that coconut and I thought: that pretty much sums up how it all went down in Bali ... eating to excess, eating with abandon, eating a whole helluvalot.

Good times.



This is not just any cat poop ...


OK, granted this does not a pretty picture make, but I had to put it in. This here is cat poop—civet cat poop to be exact. The critters are fed coffee beans, lots of 'em. Because they'll only eat the best beans, what they crap out is some really choice coffee, so say the Balinese. I took a deep inhale off the little 1 oz boxes that they sell 'em in, and they did smell mighty good. So, I decided, what the heck, I'll buy one. But when I found out it would cost me $55, I recoiled. This shit cannot be that good. Plain ol' Balinese coffee will do me just fine.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Bumbu Bali - The Best Meal in Town

Bumbu Bali dazzled us so much that we went a second time, making it our last meal in town. From the crispy cassava chips with ear-tinglingly spicy sambal dipping sauce to the super-tender braised lamb shank in tangy tamarind-curry sauce, the restaurant's the king of the hill when it comes to authentic Balinese cuisine.

What's Balinese taste like? Well, I'd say it's got a little bit of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malaysian going on along with some really inspired and yet simple flavor combinations I've never had before—like the I-can't-help-myself-I've got-to-have-more grilled chicken with roasted coconut sauce.


Dinner is served. Our hostess ever-so-graciously explained each dish on our overloaded tray (yes, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs) ...


The tender and smokey grilled chicken with roasted coconut sauce (Siap Mepanggang, top); beef, chicken and fish satay (right); and addictive and ubiquitous fried noodles (Mie Goreng, bottom).


The honkin' braised lamb shank with tamarind (Kaki Kambing).

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Bali - A Feast for the Eyes

I've had one outstanding meal so far: at The Istana, super swank site of my cousin's Saturday wedding. But who's really counting (OK, I am, but not in an anal kind of way).

Really, what's been the best so far about being in Bali are the incredibly delicious sights and sounds. I'm eating it all up ... more to come (though prolly not til I'm back in the US of A) ...


Cliffside at The Istana in Uluwatu