Menu - Food - Drinks

Rice (Nasi) is the basis of most Indonesian meals.
Noodle (Mie) is common in Chinese dishes.

There are many regional specialties. More expensive international dishes are widely available in the tourist areas. Street hawkers and Warungs offer the cheapest local food. Check the level of hygiene first.

Indonesian Specialities
Sate- charcoal-grilled chicken or mutton pieces usually served with peanut sauce
Nasi goreng- fried rice
Nasi campur- cold rice served with meat, vegetables, tofu and fermented beans
Gado gado-salad with peanut sauce and prawn crackers
Cap cai - fried vegetables
Ayam goreng - fried chicken
Mie Bakso- noodle soup
Rijsttafel - rice with as many as 15 different side dishes.

Tried them all except the last 2, and every one of them is YUM YUM YUM! Especially the Nasi Goreng, Chicken Satay, and Gado Gado, but give me any of them and I will be happy! I stuck with the local food for every single meal except once I went to the mexican place, one night I had pizza at Tubes, a baked potato at Tubes, and I tried KFC with some kids one day. I didn't meet anyone that didn't love the food.

I highly recommend 3 places in Kuta for meals:
1. Aquarius Star Hotel in Legian St.. try their Nasi Goreng Special (MMM!) and banana pancakes (aprox 14,000Rp per meal - AUD$2.26)
2. Art Goes in Legian St.. lots of things to try, they have pizza til about midnight I think, but I think I had Cap Cai.. whatever I had there though, it was yum. (apx 10,000Rp)
3. a little place in-between Popies I & 2 (there's only 3 there, so it won't be hard to find), darned if I can remember the name of it, but it's sooooooo cheap and the food is ok, not delicious, but since they cost about 6,000Rp-10,000Rp - it's local food, it doesn't make you sick, it tastes ok, and it's CHEAP.

Desserts
Pisang goreng - banana fritters
Bubur - sweet black rice with coconut milk
Es buhah & es campur - crushed ice with fruits and condensed milk.
*** You need to try the Banana Pancakes, everyone makes them slightly different and they are soooo delicious! drizzled with honey.. mmm

Drinks
Kopi - Coffee, local coffee is excellent and cheap, from Rp200. More expensive nescafe and expresso is also available
Fruit juices/shakes are available in every travelers-style restaurant.
Bottled beer, & soft drinks are available everywhere.

Fruits
Rambutan: similar to a lychee, has hairy, red skin.
Durian: huge, smelly, spiky fruit
Nanka (Jack-fruit) similar to Durian, used a lot in cooking.
Manggis (Mangosteen) round, purple fruits with soft white clusters inside - delicious.
Belimbing - star fruit.

Tap Water - Not drinkable, even the locals do NOT drink the water. Buy mineral water, it's cheap! 500ml water = 1,500Rp (25c), 1.5L water = 3000 Rp (50c) at supermarkets / mini markets.

Cheap, Good Restaurants
Ubud is the gourmet highlight of Bali - Balinese, Indonesian, Asian, European, & Fusion cuisine, also in Kuta - Nusa Dua / Tanjung Benoa, Sanur, & Lovina.

Warung & Foodcarts
Streetcart = approx 1,000Rp - 5,000Rp (up to 0.80c)

Tourist Restaurants
Breakfast - omelettes, pancakes, jaffles
Lunch & Dinner - steaks, spaghetti, hamburgers, pizza, nachos
Kuta-Legion and Denpasar have - McDonalds, KFC, Subway, PizzaHut, etc.

Kuta - try TJ's California~Mexican Bar & Restaurant in Poppies Lane I. ph 0361751093
Not cheap but yummy Mexican food. I had a Grande for 36,000. Has a great atmosphere.

One place in Kuta that wasn't so nice was TAMAN SARI cottages, staff were friendly though! They are in Poppies Lane II and apparantly quite new... the food was a bit dry, though their chicken satay was delicious.

Matahan Food Court - top floor of the Matahar Department store has good selection - economical Asian Food stalls (aimed at Indonesians rather than Tourists).