The exotic flavours of Balinese cuisine

As an extremely popular holiday destination, Bali lives up to the expectations of great culinary experiences. While generally considered to be ‘hot' or rather strong and rich in flavours, the Balinese cuisine has mouth watering dishes for the meat consumer as well as the strict vegetarian.

One can enjoy the taste of Bali food inside a plush restaurant or find themselves in a breezy open bamboo hut, sitting on a cane chair savouring a delicious snack or a meal. The hawker food culture too is very much prevalent here and is a tempting proposition as the aroma of food constantly wafts through the air.
Rice being the staple food of Bali, is prepared in so many different ways of which the most famous is the ‘Nasi goreng'. Served in almost all restaurants and a great hit with tourists, this is a form of Indonesian fried rice prepared with fired egg on top and needless to say it is mouth watering. This often goes hand in hand in popularity with ‘mee goreng' the fried noodles version of it.

Sadly some of the authentic food dishes of Bali are difficult to find within star class restaurants. Move away from the main city areas and head over to regions like Mengwi or Ubad and one can find the ‘Babi guling' a well known favourite of the locals that is prepared from meat of a young pig. Lawar is yet another well known dish that combines pigs' blood with a whole range of spices and condiments and Bali's favourite shrimp paste, grated coconut and a whole lot more blended together to perfection. Finding vegetarian food that is equally sumptuous is not a problem at all, as various green vegetables such as kankung, spinach as well as well as curried jackfruit etc are commonly served as accompaniments to rice. The Gado gado is yet another favourite found in Indonesian type restaurants and is a combination of stemmed cabbage, tofu, rice as well as peanut sauce.
One can find an excellent collection of preparations at many of the Bali luxury villas that combine a fabulous stay with gastronomic delights. Alila Villas Uluwatu offers a cluster of villas that are all about sensational interiors that merge into the serene surroundings and let in the breeze of the Indian Ocean through the wide open spaces. Lounge in your private pool or gaze across the Indian Ocean into infinity at this premier hotel that ranks among the best of Bali resort villas.