Bumbu Bali*

Location - Nusa Dua, Bali Indonesia

Bumbu Bali - Jl. Pratama, Tanjung Benoa, PO Box 132 Nusa Dua 80363.
Bumbu Bali Info

Its raining heavily here in London. Looking outside to gloomy and depressing weather always makes me reminisce on hot sunny days in Bali. There, the weather is perfect. Hot, with a slight breeze and mostly accompanied by a happy sunshine.

People in Bali are very laid back and easy going. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by such positive energy individuals. Their relaxed way of living was very contagious and this also seemed to reflect with the types of food they cooked. Unpretentious, simple,  full of character and punchy flavors.

Eating in Bali was excellent. Because of the tourism, they cater for western palettes as well as keeping close to their traditional cuisine. There are some amazing eats in Bali Collection which is in Nusa Dua, but be warned it is tourist prices. Bali Collection is a great place to do souvenir shopping as well as the fine dining. Its also very easy to get to, and if staying in Nusa Dua there is a free shuttle bus that takes you there and back.

If you are looking for more traditional and local cuisine, I highly recommend the restaurant Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua. You can ask the hotel to make a reservation for you and they also offer a free transport service to and from your hotel. On arrival you will be shown to your table by welcoming and smiling staff and even given a fresh orchid flower to put in your hair (even the men lol). It is open air and has Gazebo type dining areas. It has a very authentic setting and such a lovely place for a peaceful and relaxing dinner.

The menu spoilt us for choice. They had meat, seafood and vegetarian set meals as well as the ala carte dishes. We opted for a beautiful seafood set meal with a whole grilled fish. It had starters, mains and dessert. I really enjoyed the minced seafood satay on lemon grass skewers, which was grilled and served on a small mini bbq. The mains was served with a fragrant jasmine rice and also a red grain rice which I'd never tasted before. The seafood was perfectly cooked especially the marinated grilled squid and for extras we ordered braised pork in Sweet soya sauce from the ala carte menu. To end the beautiful and hearty meal, they gave us selection of traditional desserts along with a cup of Balinese coffee. Some of the desserts were very similar to ones you find in the Philippines made of sticky ground rice and coconut. Everything was beautifully presented with either fresh chillies and lemon grass or colourful orchid flowers. The bill came up to less than 400,000 Rupiah which is roughly £26-£30 for 2 people.

For the quality of the food and the gorgeous ambiance, Bumbu Bali is definatley one of the leading Restaurants in Bali. They also run a very popular cooking school that teaches classic recipes and even takes trips to local markets for fresh ingredients. This is definatley a great way of learning about the people and its culture.