Food To Try In Bali, Indonesia

1. Bebek and Ayam Betutu

Bebek betutu (smoked duck) and Ayam Betutu (smoked chicken) are probably the most unique dishes on the menu of Bali’s restaurants. The seasoned mouthwatering dishes are stuffed with a mix of spices and wrapped in banana leaves and coconut husks, after which, they are traditionally cooked underground to a tender softness in a pit of charcoal underground for up to 24 hours. The dish is made in a rich bumbu betutu sauce made from uncooked onion slices mixed with red chili peppers and coconut oil.

Bumbu Bali Restaurant

Address: Jl. Siligita No.101, Benoa, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Website: Bumbu Bali Restaurant bali

Opening hours: 11am - 4pm, 6pm - 10:30pm (daily)

2. Nasi Goreng

Considered as the national dish of Indonesia, Nasi Goreng or fried rice is a staple in the local diet and is generally topped with a fried egg and dried shallots, mixed veggies and sided with pickles, prawn crackers, and chicken sticks or beef satay. This simple yet delicious food can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and can be found everywhere, from opulent resorts to roadside stalls.

Poppies Restaurant

Address: Jl. Legian, Gg. Poppies I No.16, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Website: Poppies Restaurant

Opening hours: 8am - 11pm (daily)

3. Babi Guling

Bali’s most famous dish, Babi Guling or suckling pork is one of the best local delicacies that you have to try when in Bali. It’s usually accompanied with rice, noodles, pork sausage, huge cuts of spice-rubbed and spit-roasted juicy meat that have been cooked and marinated to tender perfection from hours of slow-roasting. The dish is a combination of crispy and well-seasoned pork skin, pork blood sausage, pork roll, and fried pork meat that literally melt in your mouth.

Warung Ibu Oka

Address: Jalan Tegal Sari No. 2, Ubud Tengah, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia

Website: Warung Ibu Oka

Opening hours: 11am - 6pm (daily)

4. Satay

Satay or grilled skewered meat can be found almost everywhere in Southeast Asia, but the traditional fish satay is best relished in Bali. Perfectly skewered and blended with an array of local spices, it is made of minced fish is grilled over charcoal or an open fire which imparts a slightly sweet, slightly spicy and totally delicious morsel melded around a lemongrass stalk or wooden stick. The dish can be enjoyed with a healthy dose of sambal.

Warung Mertha Sari

Address: Jl. Kresna, Pesinggahan, Dawan, Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia

Website: Warung Mertha Sari

Opening hours: 8am - 6pm (daily)

5. Lawar

This interesting Balinese meat salad is traditionally cooked using minced pork or dragonflies, offal, jackfruit, grated coconut, chopped vegetables, galangal, chilies, local spices, and fresh blood. The dish tastes best when eaten fresh immediately after being prepared and is highly recommended for non-veg food lovers.

Lawar Kuwir Pan Sinar

Address: Jl. Kroya Gang Cemapaka No. 1, Kesiman, Denpasar Timur, Sumerta Kelod, Denpasar Tim., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80237, Indonesia

Website: Lawar Kuwir Pan Sinar

Opening hours: 7am - 4pm (daily)

6. Pisang Goreng

Pisang Goreng or fried banana is a snack from Indonesia that is made from banana or plantain, covered in batter and deep fried in hot palm oil. It is mostly eaten as a snack in the morning and afternoon, and can be found at most street shops. You can also enjoy it at fancy cafes and restaurants that serve a more sophisticated version of the dish and present them in various ways; such as sprinkled with brown sugar, cinnamon sugar, cheese, marmalade, condensed milk, chocolate or vanilla ice cream. The dish is made from a special type of banana such as pisang raja and pisang tanduk that are are traditionally very popular in Bali. The batter used to cover the bananas uses a combination of flour–either wheat, rice flour, tapioca, or bread crumbs–along with several additives like coconut milk and vanilla extract.

Pisang Goreng Kremesh

Address: Jl. Nangka Selatan No.23, Dangin Puri Kaja, Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80234, Indonesia

Website: Pisang Goreng Kremesh

Opening hours: 7am - 7pm (closed on Sun)

7. Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng or fried noodles are staples in the local diet and can be found almost everywhere in Bali. There’s just something about this spicy fried noodle dish, best topped with a Hotdog, shallots, fried eggs, vegetables, diced beef, strips of chicken, and anchovies. It is cooked using green peas, onions, and a blend of sweet soy sauce or kecap manis and hot chili sauce, and is topped with sliced tomatoes and cucumber, fried shallots, fish or shrimp krupuk crackers, and mixed pickles.

Warung Padmasari

Address: Jl. Padma No.14, Legian, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Website: Warung Padmasari

Opening hours: 9:30am - 11pm (daily)

8. Nasi Campur

This Balinese dish is a delicious assortment of Indonesia’s best bites mixed with steamed rice and is a favorite with locals who typically dine on this bit-of-everything dish for practically every meal, whether its breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It is served alongside several local side dishes like long beans with hot tomato sambal and fried peanuts, coconut and cucumber salad or fried chicken in sweet soya sauce. The meal is light and simple yet palatable.

Warung Wardani

Address: Jl. Yudistira No.2, Dangin Puri Kauh, Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia

Website: Warung Wardani

Opening hours: 8am - 4pm (daily)

9. Mini Rijsttafel

One of the top dishes in Bali, Mini Rijsttafel is an exclusive meal adapted by the Dutch and consists of a multitude of side dishes served in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Some popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, vegetables and fruits, pickles, shallots, and nuts. The dish presents an array of local flavors, colors, textures (like chewy, crispy, soft, slippery and velvety) and degrees of spiciness.

Bumbu Bali 1 Restaurant

Address: Jl. Siligita No.101, Benoa, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Website: Bumbu Bali 1 Restaurant

Opening hours: 11am - 4pm, 6pm - 10:30pm (daily)

10. Gado-Gado

For those who don’t want to put on those extra kilos yet want to savor the traditional Balinese cuisine, Gado Gado or Indonesian salad is the perfect food to have. Made essentially from slightly boiled, blanched, or steamed vegetables like potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu and tempeh, and rice wrapped in a banana leaf, it is usually served along with a classic peanut sauce. The cold salad also has few variants like boiled long beans, spinach, potato, corn, egg and bean sprouts topped with cucumber and tofu.

Chez Gado Gado Restaurant

Address: Jl. Camplung Tanduk No.99, Seminyak, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Website: Chez Gado Gado Restaurant

Opening hours: 11am - 11pm (daily)

Get ready for a gastronomical Balinese experience

Traditional Balinese cuisines may vary between restaurants, regions, and at times, even seasons. Your visit to Bali remains incomplete without trying your hand at half of the above-listed dishes as all of them possess irresistible taste and qualities unique to the beautiful land of Bali.