Day 4 in Bali: Lunch @ Sardine

We were skeptical about going to Sardine after Jas told us she wouldn't recommend this place for such a short trip.  But on our last day in Bali, we just couldn't resist going there for lunch before heading to the airport and we were definitely blown away by it! 

The decorum was absolutely charming with an indoor dining area within a bamboo hut and an outdoor sofa area and both overlook the gorgeously beautiful green rice fields.  The view was stellar and impeccable, and tantalizingly natural!  

Like the name of the shop suggested, the menu comprised mainly of various kinds of fish. The service was acceptable and they seemed attentive enough and they could explain the dish and give recommendations which proved to be quite helpful. Lunch was priced at around HK$150 to HK$200 per person. 

(1) We started with the Tuna Tartare (HK$60) which was served with Avocado & Wakame Seaweed Salad.   It was nicely flavourful but the seaweed salad was the star of the dish and it was very delicious and comforting. 

(2) The Sautéed Prawns (HK$80) on Green Papaya Salad with Nuoc Cham Dressing was another excellent starter!  The sautéed prawns were exquisitely juicy and tender and the green papaya salad acted as a right citrus element to balance the oceanic taste of the prawns! 

(3) The main dish took a while to come and we had to remind the waitresses that we had a flight to catch.  The Pan Roasted Mahi Mahi (HK$90) was served with Curried Rice, Sautéed Greens, Cucumber Raita.  The Mahi Mahi was not as tender and fresh as D expected, and the curried rice lacked the chewy texture rice normally had.  

(4) The Grilled Hamachi (HK$100) served with Virgin Olive Oil & Preserved Lemon, Citrus Pearl Barley, Herb & Calamaris Salad was delicious.  The Hamachi was nicely grilled to achieve a fabulously firm and chewy texture, and the side salad was super fresh and simply unmissable!

When we were waiting for our food to come, we walked around the lovely rice field and took pictures there.  The environment was just incredibly magical and the gorgeous view must be seen in person,  and we were just fairly happy to be able to witness this place in person. 

Overall remarks:  It's hard to imagine not liking Sardine on one level or another.  No, it isn't crazily imaginative fine dining French cuisine, nor does it serve authentic Balinese food, but its ambience  flawlessly matches with its food and environment--rice fields never look so beautiful and charming before. These were definitely some wonderful and memorable images to end our short trip in Bali! 

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

Sardine (website)
Jln. Petitenget No 21, Kerobokan, Kerobokan, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Telephone: 62 361 843 6333

Day 2 in Bali: Lunch @ Potato Head Beach Club

We woke up to a new sensation the next morning - extremely hot and very, very sunny!  The good weather made us want to go out and dive into a swimming pool right away (and we did so literally at Jas' place).  After Jas went to her Saturday pilate class, we headed out for lunch at the Potato Head Beach Club.  Jas recommended us to try the Asian restaurant, Lilin, there, and we made a reservation accordingly.  

Once we arrived at the Potato Head Beach Club (it was a very short drive from Jas' place) in Seminyak at 11:30 a.m., our first expression was "WTF!" when we saw that the day-beds near the infinity pool were all occupied already!  These people definitely woke up early!  Without the day-beds, it would be quite inconvenient to go swimming.  Not only were we frustrated about not being able to get a bed, the poor service further infuriated us!  The girl at the reception was absolutely horrendous at conveying useful information and for example, we didn't know we needed to wait-list for the day-bed and we didn't know that there would be a HK$500 minimum spending for the day-bed.   And after being wait-listed  we didn't know how they were going to inform us because we would be sitting in the restaurant... Since the Potato Head Beach Club restaurant was closer to the swimming pool, and there was practically no one at the Asian restaurant, we decided to settle down at the Potato Head Beach Club restaurant for lunch instead. 

The Potato Head Beach Club restaurant had both indoor and outdoor sections, with its cool  modern and stylish decoration with lots and lots of colourful wooden teak shutters and natural lighting that looked like a villa of paradise and we definitely felt comfortable and relaxed despite our frustration.  We chose the outdoor section which faced the beach.  The menu was quite limited and heavily focused on the typical American casual food with American prices. Guess Uncle Sam rules here! Lunch was priced at around HK$150 to HK$200 per person. 

(1) We were fairly parched when we got there so we immediately ordered some Fresh Coconut and it was disappointing.  The Coconut juice tasted very sour and was not cold at all! 

(2) The Wagyu Beef Burger (HK$155) was served with PH Burger Sauce, Romaine Lettuce, Tomatoes, Dill Pickles and Fries and it was simply the perfect brunch food!  The lightly toasted buns were crispy, and the beef was lean and juicy with the right amount of PH Burger Sauce that left us with an intense taste (although we couldn't tell it's Wagyu Beef, it didn't matter!) D also noted that the steaming fries were excellently fried and very delicious!

(2) The Grilled Chicken with Herbed Mustard (HK$140) came with the Roasted Pumpkin, Feta, Spinach, Tomato, Balsamic Jus and had a fabulously tender and moist texture.  The chicken was wonderfully grilled and the roasted pumpkin was delicious.  The balsamic sauce was also unmissable.  This dish would not disappoint. 

During our lunch, we saw that many more people were constantly arriving (mostly tourists) and were all waiting for the day-beds as well.  After we finished our food, we were quickly informed that our day-bed was finally available, so we happily moved to our day-bed and were ready for a swim.  Once we settled down at our bed, we were amazed by the view which was magical in every way- the infinity pool was fantastically gorgeous!  It was definitely worth waiting for! (I would suggest bringing an extra towel though). 

Overall remarks:  Many beach resorts had a fantastic pool and beach, but Potato Head Beach Club was even more magical and beautiful because of its impeccable infinity pool and that made this a very special and exclusive experience if you are able to ignore the glaring problems with the service.  Although the dishes were simple, they were good enough for its price  Do come here earlier to get a day-bed (as there were not many) to avoid the long wait or else prepare yourself for the possibility of experiencing some of the worst service!  

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

Potato Head Beach Club (website)
Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Telephone: 62 361 475 7979

Day 1 in Bali: Dinner @ Made's Warung

It was raining on our first day in Bali for our 4-day trip but that didn't stop us from enjoying our first night there.  After a very long travelling day (including getting up in ungodly hours to catch a super early flight), we finally reached Jas' beautiful villa in Umalas.  Once we were done being amazed at how big her place was and how luxurious the house was (with an open kitchen and a swimming pool), we laid around her house being bored as we waited for her to come back from work for about an hour (literally doing nothing).  Finally Jas came back a little after 6:30 p.m. and it's time for some good food! 

Jas initially wanted to bring us to Ku De Ta, her favourite restaurant in Bali.  Having lived in Bali for almost 6 months, Jas spoke like a true expert of the where-to-go's and what-to-do's locally and we thought most of her recommendations and comments were heartfelt and sincere.   But since we have booked Made's Warung, we would like to go there as none of us have been there before.  Warung is a type of small family-owned restaurant in Indonesia. 

We were driven there by Jas' driver and Made's Warung, located just in Seminyak, was a big open-air restaurant with two sides and a bar in the middle.  There was also a stage where they performed some sort of Balinese dance every 15 minutes.  The environment was comfortable and casual with a lot of woods and naturalistic decoration.  When we arrived, we could see some tourists dining there already.  D commented how he liked the restaurants that needed no reservations.  Because of the rain, it was actually quite cool to sit in the open-air space.  The menu offered a variety of international dishes, including Balinese, Indonesian, American and Japanese.  Since we were here on vacation, Balinese and Indonesian dishes were our obvious choice. Dinner was priced at around HK$100 to $150 per person. 

(1) The Beef Rendang (HK$100) was the first dish that D specifically requested as it was his favourite Indonesian dish.  The dish almost never disappoints and the beef was incredibly tender and juicy, and the sauce was also deliciously cooked. 

(2) The Nasi Campur Babi Guling (HK$80) was the well-known suckling pig dish in Indonesia.  Despite the pig skin was ultra hard and not easy to chew, the meat was delightfully soft, moreish and tangy!  C was definitely wowed by the dish even though it was a bit spicy and the waitress said the chefs couldn't reduce the spiciness. 

(3) When the Nasi Goreng (HK$40) first arrived, it did not excite us visually but it was utterly indulgent and certainly one of the best dishes that evening!  The Nasi, the rice, was kept very warm and soft with a suitable amount of seasoning which made this extra decadent!

(4) The Green Curry with Tofu Jas ordered was simple but also tasty - it was light but spicy.  The ingredients were fresh and the sauce was perfectly adjusted. 

Overall remarks:  When we speak of our favourite restaurants in Bali, Made's Warung is certainly one to be mentioned.   There's plenty of magic and heart to be found at its dishes, in spite of a slight down-to-earth quality of the restaurant--at the end of the day, it is still a Warung.  Made's Warung is wonderful as it is providing us with a satisfying amount of authentic Indonesian flavours to begin our joyous journey.  

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

Made's Warung (website)
Br. Seminyak, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Telephone: 62 361 732130