Bali

The famous Balinese cuisine features flavours that jive like the island's dances - fun, colourful and traditional with a hint of adventure. Among Indonesia's thousands of islands, Bali is among the favourite stops for a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience. Top dishes in Bali are often punctuated - and upgraded - by savoury herbs and delicious spices and induced with a sweet touch of coconut milk. A food feast in this island equates to meat dishes exploding with exotic flavours - order the popular satay and the Babi guling to know what we're talking about - and delectable seafood creations like the Ikan Bakar or grilled fish. ​
read more...
Pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables are popular varieties on the island. Beef lovers may need to tame their steak cravings for a while since local taboos restrict beef dishes. Prominent herbs often used as ingredients include galangal, shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric and lemongrass. The famous Balinese 8-spice - a must-have flavouring in popular meals - is a combination of coriander, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, sesame seed, candlenut and white pepper. Local cooks are big on pastes - fish paste and spice paste are used as base flavours for almost all meat and fish dishes. 
​
The food scene in Bali is not exclusively for meat eaters - raw food options are abundant on the island. Feast upon local fruits like papaya, mango, passionfruit, coconut, rambutan and the famous durian. Fresh salads made from fresh harvest and sweet fruits can satisfy any vegan's palate. Not only is raw food delicious, but it's also very affordable, too. 

If you want a bit of adventure, avail the local cuisine from warungs - also known as street food stalls - that can be found all over the island. Not only do they feature traditional flavours, but they're also relatively cheaper than other dining options. 
Sate
Sate

Sate is a popular Indonesian dish that's on top of every foodie's list. If you have a particular liking towards this tasty and addicting dish, you must not miss the impressive variety offered by the Balinese satay. 

Babi Guling
Babi Guling

The island of Bali welcomes meat lovers with a wide array of dishes made of pork and chicken bursting with delectable flavours. Pork delicacies are quite hard to find in the Indonesian archipelago due to religious beliefs but...

Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng

Indonesia has elevated the beloved Nasi Goreng - also known as rice - into a popular Indonesian dish known both locally and internationally.

Lawar
Lawar

Lawar is a bowl of everything good - its a concoction made up of fresh vegetables, minced meat and sweet coconut meat made more flavorful by strong herbs and spices.

Jimbaran Seafood
Jimbaran Seafood

What’s Bali without seafood, right? Beneath its crystalline waters is a marine life that’s abundant. Every day, fresh fish is delivered to seaside grilling stations for anyone who wants to grab a bite of seafood goodness.

Tahu (Tofu) & Tempe
Tahu (Tofu) & Tempe

There’s no denying that when a dish comes in several varieties, you’ll always come back for more. The same thing goes for Tahu and Tempe – one of the must-tries in Bali cuisine.

Bebek & Ayam Betutu
Bebek & Ayam Betutu

Don’t let the name of this dish intimidate you. Ayam and bebek betutu – also known as one of the most popular Balinese dishes – is steamed chicken (ayam) and duck (bebek) cooked in betutu sauce.

Nasi Ayam & Nasi Campur
Nasi Ayam & Nasi Campur

Rice - a most essential staple in Asian cuisine - is not just rice in Bali. The region has elevated the simple white rice into dishes that are raved about locally and internationally - the Nasi Ayam and Nasi Campur.

Bubur Mengguh
Bubur Mengguh

What’s Bali without seafood, right? Beneath its crystalline waters is a marine life that’s abundant. Every day, fresh fish is delivered to seaside grilling stations for anyone who wants to grab a bite of seafood goodness.

Urap
Urap

Though Bali is an island that’s known for its most tasty meat dishes, it’s vegan food selections are not to be frowned upon. Urap - a delicious Balinese salad made of steamed vegetables and spiced grated coconut dressing...

Burbur Sumsum
Burbur Sumsum

Bubur sumsum is one of the popular desserts in Bali that’s light on texture but big on flavour. Each serving is made up of mixed black and white rice pudding flavoured with coconut milk or cream and served with hot, sticky syrup.

Gado-Gado
Gado-Gado

Gado Gado is one of Bali’s most exotic food options - this dish is a plateful filled with a beautiful combination of fresh greens, meat slices, tahu and tempe, eggs and a delicious peanut sauce for the dressing.

You may also like...

Bali's Top 10 Restaurants

Discover Bali's food scene at the
​best restaurants on the island
Social media platforms
Stay updated