Anna's Chocolate Cake: The Special Continues!

A couple of months ago, I bought to you, my lovely readers, an exclusive offer that one of my favourite restaurants and I had collaborated on. The Art Cafe in Sanur is, in my opinion, home of the best chocolate cake. Not only that, they also have lovely staff, great service and fantastic meals (plenty of Western and Indonesian choices) at good prices. I refuse to miss out on having a meal here whenever I'm in Bali. They never fail to leave me with a very full but very happy tummy.

Tonight, I share good news with you. The special that I have collaborated on with this fantastic restaurant is still continuing until further notice!

The details of this offer are:

If you go to The Art Cafe for dessert only and order the cake, you will receive a complimentary tea, coffee, cappuccino or latte. The complimentary drink is valid per order of chocolate cake ie if you order 2 cakes, you'll receive 2 complimentary drinks

If you go to The Art Cafe for dinner AND dessert and order the cake, you will receive 10% off your final bill.

Conditions:

The offer will be continuing until further notice

The offer is valid for evening only, not lunchtime

If your party is more than 5 people, you will need to book and order the cakes in advance to ensure there is enough and you won't miss out

THE MOST IMPORTANT CONDITION:

To receive the offer, you must order the cake as "Anna's Chocolate Cake". If you don't reference it as such, you'll miss out

For those have already enjoyed this special, please enjoy it again. For those that haven't, enjoy!! I know I will be in October:)

 

Contact The Art Cafe:

• Click here to go to their Facebook Page. Message them here to book
  
• Click here to go to their website
  
• Click here to check out/write a review on Tripadvisor
  
• Address: Jalan Danau Tamblingan Number 82 (across the road from the Besakih Hotel and next door to the Lazer Sports Bar)
  
• Phone: +62 361 283811
  

 

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Fat Chow

During my recent trip to Bali, I insisted that we, Mum, Dad and I, try the new Asian-Fusion restaurant located at the beach end of Poppies Lane 2 in Kuta. I heard about it via a couple of Bali gurus and being the foodie I am, I just had to give it a go. It has only been open for about 4 or 5 months but has already earnt itself a good reputation.

The restaurant is easy to find. We caught a taxi to the Beachwalk shopping mall, down the laneway and the restaurant was just around the first bend. It wasn't busy at all despite its high rating on TripAdvisor. The decor is quite industrial but very comfortable, with a couple of large tables, benches with some beautiful cushions, exposed brick wall and funky lights.

The menu is quite extensive, with soups, salads and your typical Asian dishes. All were well priced between $3 and $13, the most expensive being a tasting plate. We decided to order entrees and mains to share and were glad we did. The dishes were perfect for sharing and we got to have a taste of everything. My goodness, the food was all so delicious. For entrees we ordered:

Pork on Fire

And Tokyo Prawns

Both were delicious, with the pork being the favourite. The meat was nice and tender with a beautiful peppery flavour.

Our mains were:

Pork Ribs

Chicken Satay

And Pad Thai. The pork was once again the favourite. I've tried a few rib dishes around Bali and this one has topped them. The meat just fell right off the bone, it was so tender and the sauce was just delicious. The roast potatoes were the perfect accompaniment. I easily could have eaten another serve of them. The Pad Thai had beautiful flavours too but the rice noodles were a little gluggy while the satay, also with great flavours, had a beautiful spiciness in the sauce. I like my satay hot!

The serves were on the small nice (but big on flavour!) which meant we for once had plenty of room for dessert although I'm sure we know I would have orderd it anyway. Mum and I got:

Green Tea Creme Brulee

And Grilled Banana. The Creme Brulee, although yummy, didn't have much of a green tea flavour which is good in my opinion; green tea for dessert? No thanks. The Grilled Banana, which was grilled with icing sugar, was amazing. I couldn't get enough of it. Such a simple dessert with such great flavour. What I wouldn't do to have some right now!

Our meal, including 4 drinks, came to about $55. Not bad if you ask me!! The staff were so friendly, the service was great and the restaurant was nice and clean with a fantastic atmosphere. Fat Chow has earnt a spot as one of my favourite restaurants. I recommend giving it a go:)

Address: Jalan Poppies 2, number 7C

Phone: +62 361 753516

Email: fatchowbali@gmail.com

 

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The Art Cafe: Special Offer

Since discovering The Art Cafe last July when they moved their premises from South Sanur, the restaurant has quickly become one of my favourites and I cannot get through a trip to Bali without eating there at least once. It's in a great, easy to find location on Sanur's main street, Jalan Danau Tamblingan, has a lovely setting, great staff and delicious food. Everyone I've recommended the restaurant to has been pleased with the service and the food. Their menu is extensive, with plenty of Indonesian and Western dishes, all beautifully presented and reasonably priced.

But, I'm sure you all know that my absolutely FAVOURITE thing is the decadent, delicious and perfectly cooked Chocolate Melted Cake. Oh, just thinking about that chocolate sauce oozing out of the cake has my mouth watering. It is heaven in the form of food.

If you haven't been to The Art Cafe, you're missing out. And lucky for you, now is the perfect time to go. The Art Cafe and I have worked together to come up with a special offer for my readers that are in Bali or will be going soon. There are 2 forms of this offer:

1. If you go to The Art Cafe for dessert only and order the cake, you will receive a complimentary tea, coffee, cappuccino or latte. The complimentary drink is valid per order of chocolate cake ie if you order 2 cakes, you'll receive 2 complimentary drinks
2. If you go to The Art Cafe for dinner AND dessert and order the cake, you will receive 10% off your final bill.

Conditions:

• The offer begins TODAY and will be continuing until further notice
• The offer is valid for evening only, not lunchtime
• If your party is more than 5 people, you will need to book and order the cakes in advance to ensure there is enough and you won't miss out

THE MOST IMPORTANT CONDITION:

• To receive the offer, you must order the cake as "Anna's Chocolate Cake". If you don't reference it as such, you'll miss out

I'm so excited to bring this offer to you all and I hope those of you that get to try it, will love it as much as I do!!

 

Contact The Art Cafe:

• Click here to go to their Facebook Page. Message them here to book
• Click here to go to their website
• Click here to check out/write a review on Tripadvisor
• Address: Jalan Danau Tamblingan Number 82 (across the road from the Besakih Hotel and next door to the Lazer Sports Bar)
• Phone: +62 361 283811

Map from Pinterest

 

 

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Jadi Home Cafe: The Second Installment

A little while ago, I wrote this post about Jadi Home Cafe. My mum and I had eaten dinner there back in July during our mother-daughter trip and absolutely loved it. Last month, I had my sneaky 3 night getaway and I insisted in eating here again. The only night we had free for dinner was a Sunday night and that just happened to be the only day the the restaurant was closed. My dad and I popped over before we realised this and I was so disappointed when I realised I wouldn't be able to eat there this time. That was until Srie, the owner and cook, said she would cook just for us. How nice is that?! Now let me explain how generous this was of her: The restaurant is located within Srie's own home. She is the only cook (she has a few helpers) and makes everything from scratch and fresh daily with ingredients she has gone and bought herself from the markets that same day. I can imagine that at the end of the week, she is very tired and looks forward to having her day off, but she opened up just for us. We were so grateful and I was so looking forward to dinner here.

We ordered a few dishes for 7:00 and when we arrived, our dinner was bubbling away on the stove. The smell was divine. We were the only ones there that night and a couple of people asked me if it felt weird or awkward. Well no, not at all. You are like a guest. The kitchen it open to the dining area so we chatted to Srie while she cooked, we went up to her stove to snap pictures of the dishes and smell the beautiful aromas from the spices, we wandered around and enjoyed the rustic and homely feel she has created for her guests. It was lovely.

Before too long, our dishes were ready. I always recommend ordering a day in advance. This means that Srie will be able to start cooking before your arrival so you won't have to wait too long and it makes things easier for her too, so she knows exactly what to buy at the markets. When Mum and I ate here in July, we both ordered beef rendang not realising that the serves were big enough to share. We loved the dish but we were disappointed we didn't order something else to try too. So this time we ordered chilli lime chicken, chicken in coconut and the salt and pepper prawns. Rice for each of us and veggies were included. All the dishes were divine. Srie somehow manages to get so much flavour into her dishes. The chilli lime chicken was our favourite. It had a bit of bite to it and the chicken was just falling off the bone. The coconut chicken was also delicious. Though it could have done with more chicken, I found myself literally drinking spoonfuls of the sauce when we had eaten all the chicken. And the prawns; yum!! They had a delicious and crunchy batter on them with the perfect balance of salt and pepper. I easily could have eaten many many more of them. We shared all the dishes and though we were full, we were once again disappointed we didn't order something else to try too.

The bill was a very reasonable $25 for 3 dishes and 3 drinks. It doesn't get much better than that!!

In you're in the area, definitely pay Srie a visit and tell her I sent you!!

Jadi Home Cafe us located down a laneway off Double 6 in Legian (down the same laneway as the Pearl Hotel and restaurant)

Telephone: 081 7972 0903

Email: srichrisnawaty@yahoo.com

 

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Taco Beach Grill

Before my weekend trip to Bali last month, I had a serious hankering for some Mexican food. A number of people recommended I try Taco Beach Grill, located in Seminyak. After checking the reviews on Trip Advisor, I decided it was a must and luckily for us, it was located within walking distance from our hotel. We headed there for lunch one day and found it easily, with its big blue sign on the street. We were the only ones in the tiny restaurant, which we were thankful for because despite the numerous fans around, it has hot!

I was really looking forward to having lunch here; the restaurant has a reputation for fresh, authentic Mexican food with a bit of a Balinese twist and even better, they have gluten-free options, which Mum was so happy about. Everything on their menu is made in house, including their taco's (gluten free) and tortilla's. It had been recommended to me that we try their chilli poppers so Dad and I decided to split one. Now I love spicey food so I was a bit worried about this but turns out, they're not spicey at all. I wouldn't get this again simply because of the fact I do not like capsicum, and that's the flavour it had.

We also ordered a serve of guacamole, which comes with a selection of salsas and freshly cooked tortilla chips. Now I am not what you'd call a fan of avocado. In fact, I hate the stuff. But this, this guacamole I could not get enough of. It was delicious and not too avocado-ey if I can describe guacamole in such a way. The salsas were spicey, sweet, salty and the chips were perfect with a shimmer of oil still on them, so it was obvious they were fresh. The staff happily brought us more too when we ran out but still had more salsa and guacamole to get through.

I had also heard great things about their Babi Guling Tacos so I decided on that for my main, Mum ordered Vegi Taco's and Dad got a Shredded Beef Burrito. I absolutely loved my taco's. The flavours were beautiful and they were so so filling. Mum loved her veggie taco's and being the very small size that she is, was full after eating one of them. Each taco dish comes with 2 serves so it would have been great to order a few different types and have a bit of taste testing. Dad's burrito was also a massive size with a couple of sides like Spanish rice.

We left with impossibly full bellies, but man was I happy. I would definitely return. Although it was quiet at lunch, I've heard the restaurant gets very busy at night so it's best to book ahead. They also deliver for free within Seminyak!

Taco Beach Grill is located on Jalan Kunti, between Legian and Sunset Roads.

Website: www.tacobeachgrill.com

Email: info@tacobeachgrill.com

Telephone: 0361 854 6262

 

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La Finca

A while ago, I discovered and started following on Instagram a restaurant in Bali called La Finca. For months, I drooled over their food photos, craved their beautiful Sang Ria's and imagined myself relaxing with both in their beautiful Mediterranean setting. Last week, I snuck off to Bali for a quick 3 night trip to meet up with my parents during their 2 week stay. It didn't take much to convince them to try La Finca with me after showing them the photos I had admired for so long. Due to a tight itinerary during my stay which involved catching up with family friends and a surprise birthday party, we could only manage to get there for lunch.

I emailed the restaurant the week before my stay and got a fast and professional response from the founder and owner, Thomas. He also reassured me that they would be able to cater for my mum's gluten intolerance and offered to let us order off the less limiting dinner menu rather than lunch one, giving my mum more options for her meal.

La Finca is located North of Seminyak on Jalan Subak Sari. It first opened in June 2013 for dinner and started offering a lunch menu in October that same year. With his mixed heritage and upbringing in many different cities all over the world, such as Hamburg, Paris, New York Tokyo and Singapore as well as spending many Summer's in Ibiza, Thomas moved to Bali after spending many years in Jakarta. Upon finding partners who shared the same dream he did, La Finca opened. Thomas wanted to recreate the rich and rustic cuisines of Ibiza as well as the easy going atmosphere. Although I've never had the pleasure of travelling to Ibiza, it was easy to imagine that that was where I was sitting while dining at La Finca.

Whether you're after casual drinks before or after dinner, an intimate, romantic dinner or a fun meal out with friends or family, I think La Finca is a place to try. It has a beautiful courtyard garden feel to it, with a huge cushioned daybed area and beautifully rustic tables and chairs surrounded by pressed metal lanterns and decorations hanging from the trees. The Mediterranean feel is carried through into the main restaurant area with huge bamboo pillars, beautiful lanterns and the loveliest table set up I've seen. Sharing the photos on Facebook and Instagram, the thing most people commented on were the gorgeous plates. It was a lovely atmosphere to come in to. I can imagine how inviting and lively it would be at night time, with everything lit up, people chatting while enjoying their drinks and the laid back vibe.

One of the advantages of being the only people in the restaurant is the great service you get, although I'm sure that the service would be just as good during dinner. We were promptly seated and given menus upon arrival and the food came out quickly and nice and hot. We decided to order a bunch of tapas which was perfectly fine with me as I love having a chance to taste a few different dishes. We decided on:

Patatas Bravas Con Chorizo crispy potatoes with spicy bravas sauce and chorizo. If you're not a fan of spicy like I am, this dish isn't for you. The sauce had a definite bite to it, but I loved it.

 

Albondigas Con Salsa De Tomate Y Queso Feta beef meatballs with fresh tomato sauce and feta. This was probably my favourite dish. The meatballs were juicy and the sauce was deliciously sweet. I would have very happily ordered another serving. It was just bursting with amazing flavour.

 

Gambas Islas Baleares truffle garlic prawns with white wine sauce. Although the prawns were the tiniest bit overcooked, it had a lovely flavour and not too garlicky. I think the dish should come with a bit of bread to soak up the delicious sauce that's left, but freshly baked rustic bread is available on the menu.

 

Calamares Fritos De La Casa house recipe crispy fried calamari with squid ink aioli. I love calamari and I loved the crunchy batter on this as well as the delicious aioli. I think a bit more seasoning on the calamari and through the batter wouldn't go amiss.

 

Setas Crujientes crispy mushrooms with paprika aioli. Mushrooms are my absolute favourite! The paprika aioli complimented the dish perfectly but I think it would be better to come in a separate little dish; there wasn't enough of it for the great serving of mushrooms. Again, some more seasoning would be great to bring out the flavours more.

 

 

And Ensalada Mixta a mixed salad with a medly of greens, cucumber, purple sweet potato, grilled corn, red onion, boiled egg topped with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Although I didn't try this salad, my parents absolutely loved it, especially the Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

To top it all off, my mum and I shared a half pitcher of Sang Ria which was delicious!! Full of fresh fruit and not too strong. My dad wasn't very impressed that they only had one kind of beer on the menu so more options for those beer fanatics would be great.

The Sang Ria's come in 2 sizes: a jug and a half pitcher. A half pitcher for $15 got us a couple of glasses each so the drinks prices are very reasonable. Their happy hour even includes 20% off your second jug, 30% off the third and so one. A great deal if you're dining in a large group!!

My parents and I all really enjoyed the restaurant and I'm so glad I got to give it a try. We left with smiles and full bellies after paying what came to a very reasonable bill. I look forward to returning to La Finca again, for dinner next time so I can enjoy the full experience and try some of their enticing mains!

I would highly reccomend La Finca to all of you. Definitely try to go for dinner so you can enjoy the more extensive menu and what I imagine would be a lively yet easy going vibe. Click here to check out their website.

 

Address: Jalan Subak Sari number 77, Batu Belig

Website: www.lafincabali.com

Email: enquiry@lafincabali.com

Telephone: 0361 2105080 or 0361 2740088

 

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The Art Cafe, Sanur

The Art Cafe has recently become one of my favourite restaurants to go to in Sanur. Not too long ago, they opened up a new premises in North Sanur opposite the Besakih Hotel. I had never visited their old premises, having been in South Sanur opposite the Mercure Hotel, but from what I understand they altered their menu to fit in with their new restaurant. They offer a huge range of dishes from Indonesian like Nasi Goreng, to curries, to Western dishes which all are beautifully presented and delicious. In my experiences at the restaurant, the service is great and the prices, in my opinion, are extremely reasonable.

Photos above: snapper rolled in bacon, Nasi Campur, stuffed chicken with mushroom sauce and tarragon chicken.

Photos below: Chocolate Melted cake and Creme Brulee.

I've loved the dishes I've tried there, but none more so than their incredible Melted Chocolate Cake. Oh my, it is simply divine. They are cooked fresh to order which means about a 15 minute wait, but trust me, the wait is necessary to allow your stomach to digest your dinner a bit more and make room for this mouthwatering dessert. It comes out steaming hot, presented with caramelised banana and a scoop of ice cream. Each time I've dug my spoon into the cake, the sauce inside has just oozed out. In all the times I've eaten it, not once has it disappointed me. I've always left with an impossibly full stomach but with a huge smile on my face. If you're in the area, please do yourself a favour and visit this lovely restaurant. They also offer take-away.

Click here to visit their website.

 

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Jadi Home Cafe

As I'm sure you all know, one of my favourite things about going to Bali is getting to eat so much delicious food!! Mmmmm, my mouth just waters thinking about it.

When I was in Bali in July, my mum and I got a reccomendation from some fellow travellers to try out a bit of a hidden gem. It's truly one of those places you would not know about unless you were told. The place was Jadi's Home Cafe. At the time, we were staying at the Pearl Hotel and Jadi's Home Cafe is conveniently located down the same laneway. If I were to describe Jadi's in one word, it would be authentic. The restaurant is literally a cafe in the owner's, Srie, and only cook, own home which is beautifully rustic with an open kitchen so you can smell the amazing aromas and chat with her while she cooks. What makes it so special is that she cooks with such love and passion. I had the pleasure of talking to her while she cooked our meal and she told us of how she loved to cook food from her home of Borneo. All the dishes are prepared freshly with ingredients she herself has bought from the local markets that very day.

Mum and I, being the rendang lovers we are, went in and ordered our beef rendang dishes the day before. I would recommend doing this because then Srie knows what to get from the markets and can start cooking before you arrive, saving you a bit of waiting time. Our dishes were delicious, with bits of cinnamon, star annaise and bay leaves still being found throughout. The beef, having been cooked for hours, was beautifully tender. I cannot wait to return this month and try some of her other dishes. I've heard her lime chilli chicken, salt and pepper prawns and Borneo fish are amazing so I'll let you know when I've tried them:)

Jadi's Home Cafe is located in a lane way off Double Six in Legian. Look out for the sign for the Pearl Hotel and restaurant; Jadi's is located in the same lane way.

 

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Waroeng Bonita

Last year, I had gone to a restaurant in Seminyak called Waroeng Bonita. What attracted me to this restaurant was the good reviews on Trip Advisor and their Friday night entertainment. Every Friday, Waroeng Bonita has a "Baliwood Extravaganza" show. I had seen it last year and had a great night and decided to take my girlfriends there for our trip last month.

Waroeng Bonita is a gorgeous little place located on Jalan Petitenget. It has a beautiful garden setting that is lit by fairy lights wound through the trees and candles on the top, along with mozzie spray in case you've forgotten your own. They also have an undercover lounge area, which was where we were seated. In my opinion, it's the perfect place for a special night out with a partner, whether you go for the Friday night show or not.

Images from www.bonitabali.com

I made an 8:00pm booking via email as the show doesn't start until 9:00. We had our seats right in front of the stage. We ordered drinks and food before the show started. The show consists of lady-boys, who are incredibly dressed and made-up, lip syncing to songs by the likes of Lady Gaga. They sing and dance along side both male and female Balinese dancers that are dressed up in costumes that make you think you're in Las Vegas. It's a very entertaining show that has you laughing, clapping and singing along. I had organised a special belated birthday surprise with the restaurant for one of my girlfriends. Just before the shows finale, one of the lady-boys came out with a dessert while everyone sung along to "Happy Birthday". My friend was clapping and singing along until the dessert was placed in front of her. At that point, she was mortified. It was a porcelain willy standing tall and proud on her plate, along with fruit filled crepes. We all found it hilarious, except for her. I was so grateful that the management was so willing to organise this for my friend.

The dessert, along with the rest of the food, was simply delicious. All beautifully presented, reasonably sized and priced, everyone loved their meals. They have both Indonesian and Western dishes to suit everyone. So if you're looking for somewhere new to try during your next trip to Bali, somewhere that has a beautiful setting, delicious food and great entertainment, I would whole heartedly reccomend a visit to Waroeng Bonita, especially for their Friday night show.

 

Address: Jl. Petitenget 2000X, Seminyak, Bali

Website: www.bonitabali.com/wp-waroeng/

Email: booking57@bonitabali.com

Phone: + 62 361 4731918

 

 

 

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