Monday, July 30, 2012

Authentic Balinese at Bumbu Bali

Another trip to Bumbu Bali in Tanjung Benoa after a four-year hiatus, and it's still just as good as I remember. I won't say much since what I wrote before still holds, except that there's love in this food. And it's all about the grill: the satays are amazeballs as is the chicken in roasted coconut sauce.

Needless to say, we didn't go hungry. Bumbu Bali likes to load its trays with a ton of bells and whistles to the point where you're rolling out the door, and almost regretting ordering all of the food you've gobbled up. Almost ... but not quite.

Lunch by the Sea at La Lucciola

When I read that beachside bistro La Lucciola in Seminyak, Bali, had amazing views of the ocean from its second floor, I decided this would be the perfect place for a mid-day repast. And indeed it was.
 Not only did the view take our breath away (see below), but the food—"a creative fusion of international fare with an accent on seafood," according to Lonely Planet—was some of the best we had on holiday.

The tuna crudo with its drizzle of basil oil and generous garland of sharp watercress, licorice-y fennel and sweet-and-sour pomelo tasted faintly of the sea and melted like butter in our mouths.

The blush-toned baby chicken was so tender and moist, it fell away with just a little push of the butter knife. The French green beans were sauteed to a lovely crisp-tender and perfectly complemented the chick as well as the creamy richness of the pillowy bed of polenta sitting in its savory pool of jus, all of which came draped in a vibrant pesto sauce.

My tangy and garlicky seafood risotto came chock full of the tenderest calamari, octopus and local fish. Creamy and smoothwith just the right amount of liquid, the risotto was a winner. La Lucciola's cooks clearly know what they're doing.

We couldn't leave without getting in a bit of dessert, especially when La Lucciola was pushing a luscious coconut tart topped with coconut ice cream and fresh chunks of mango. Wow.

Oh yes, this was the view we enjoyed. So while we devoured La Lucciola's amazing food, we also ate up the awesome spectacle of Seminyak beach stretching out before us. Love Bali.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Best in Class: Bulgari

Bulgari's pina colada was by far the best pineapple-coconutty beverage I had the great fortune of ordering while in Bali. Thank you, AB, for suggesting we drop in for a drink. 

Though an overnight stay was mos def too rich for our blood, a late afternoon refreshment (just one) did work within our budget. And the killer views were certainly worth the $13 per drink price tag.

The "world famous" pina colada at Poppies Restaurant in Kuta, Bali, gets an honorable mentionfor the coconut carved in the shape of a barong (aka lion's head) that the frothy fruity drink came served in, not to mention the extremely modest fee.