The Piggy Blinders of Burger Cartel

It has been a while since the last time I paid my visit to Burger Cartel. One afternoon, I packed up my journal gear, got into the car, and drove my way to the burger joint down in Jalan Pengosekan. Guess who joined me for lunch? Richie himself!

I got there earlier than I planned. I was famished since I was saving up some space to indulge on Burger Cartel’s newly launched menu, but I couldn’t wait any longer so I opted for some smoothie. I had me the Super Magic Energy, which consisted of frozen banana smoothie blended with dates and raw cacao powder, then topped with tropical fruits, coconut flakes, and some granola mix. I thought it was going to be a smoothie, as in blended fruits in a glass, but, turns out, it was a smoothie bowl. For some reason, although smoothie bowl is just smoothie in a bowl, all the toppings made my stomach got somewhat full. 

The raw cocoa powder made the smoothie had a strong chocolate flavor. I could definitely tasted the banana, but the chocolate was overpowering. Among all the toppings I had, my personal favorite was the mixed granola, which were mainly chocolate rice puffs. They were light and puffy and the chocolate flavor was just delightful. The other toppings didn’t go quite well with the chocolate smoothie as they were more suitable to be paired with fruity smoothie. But, I gotta say, the tropical fruits used in this smoothie bowl were very sweet and fresh! 

Just as I was halfway munching on my smoothie bowl, Richie came and joined me on my table. Thin sky blue blouse paired with a light brown shorts, along with a pair of earth colored sandals, Richie has mastered the art of Balinese fashion - very casual and laidback tropical getaway vibe, yet also on point for a meeting with a pack of restaurant’s staff. We chatted for quite some time, sharing thoughts and ideas about Burger Cartel’s menu reconstruction, as well as some insights about life. 

Since I was thrilled about Richie’s genius idea about these new burger options at his burger joint, I let the man decide what I would be having for lunch. “Do you like pulled pork?” he asked. Without any second thoughts, I nodded rapidly. “Okay, so, you’re going to have pulled pork burger today. I’m gonna tell the staff to make one for you,” he said while dashing to the restaurant’s kitchen. “Do you want some of those Mozzarella sticks as well?” he confirmed, and I replied with some more nods and a thumb up as a positive respond. 

After a few words with his staff, he came back and we picked up where we left. He shared a lot about himself and the life that he lived before he moved to Bali about one year ago. One thing I admire about Richie is the fact that he has this carefree attitude towards life and all the lemons that he might stumble upon on his journey. In a way, with the ups and downs that he had been through, his life is an adventure and he is a warrior to say the least. People said that life begins at forty, but this term didn’t apply to Richie as life began for him when he was still young. But, that’s a story for another day. 

A few sips of lemon infused water later, came Mbok Pita with my plate of feast. The sight of the breathtaking burger and side dishes struck me like a bolt from the blue. There was a stack of burger with bacon on top and on its’ sides were a handful of thin fries, loaded with cheese and chili, and a couple of deep fried Mozzarella Sticks. I couldn’t hide the excitement as I was smiling from ear to ear. I asked Richie for some time to take my money shots and he was more than pleased to give me all the time that I needed. So, I immediately repositioned the food onto another table with better natural lighting, took my documenting gear, and started taking pictures and videos from numerous angles. 

It took a while for me to wrap it up as I was absolutely mesmerized by the breathtaking food presented on my plate. The burger was beautifully staked, with melted cheese and abundant sauce oozing from every sides. I spied with my two eyes a couple of well-fried bacons, as well as some french fries, at some layers of the burger. The pulled pork, on the one hand, was plentiful, not to mention the coleslaw lounging on the bed of the brioche bun. And, on the top of the burger, was this extra piece of bacon pierced onto a thin wooden stick that jabbed through the whole burger. Never in my life I see anything like this in the flesh. 

At first, I thought it was bolognese sauce that decorated the top of the fries other than melted cheese, but later on I found out that it was, in fact, Chili con carne. Chili con carne, or chili with meat literary translated, is a spicy stew containing meat, red beans, chili pepper, and seasonings. Now, the recipe for this chili that Richie constructed incorporates a load of chili, hence explaining why it gave out this kick of spiciness on the back of my throat after consuming a mouthful of it. Richie took it better than me as he stuffed himself with bites after bites after bites. As for me, I couldn’t handle spiciness quite well although I’m a fan. 

The Mozzarella sticks were golden brown in color as a result of being perfectly deep-fried. There were streaks of melted cheese going around on some parts, which made the whole dish look even more appetizing. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them deep-fried cheese, so I took the opportunity to dissect them first before the burger itself. It was true, what they said about Burger Cartel having the best Mozzarella sticks in town. Richie explained to me about the ingredients that made this appetizer the people’s favorite. Fortunately, it’s not a secret, so I might as well share it with you, readers. 

“This is pure fried cheese,” said Richie. I could see that by the way the Mozzarella cheese stretched when I pulled them apart. The melted cheese stretched as far as my arm went and I believe it can stretch even more. Once, I saw this Instagram story that Richie posted on Burger Cartel’s Instagram account, and on the video was a man eating the same fried cheese and the cheese was drawn out excessively the man had to got up on a chair and asked for a help from another person to draw the cheese strings even longer. I was too shy to ask Richie to lend me a hand, so I played with my food myself. 

Like he said, he’s purely using cheese to make these Mozzarella sticks, so the flavor was not that complicated. No seasonings, no added condiment, no salt and pepper, just cheese. The breadcrumb batter was thin enough to not give any funky flavor to the appetizer, but more than enough to hold the oozing melted cheese together. I had my deep-fried cheese with some tomato-based dipping sauce, which tasted sweet and slightly sour, yet very refreshing. If you happen to visit Burger Cartel, I do recommend you to indulge on these while they’re still hot. The combination of the crunchy batter with the gooey cheese will send you straight to heaven!

The time for me to devour my burger had finally come. It goes by the name Piggy Blinders and I’m pretty sure that you can already enjoy this particular dish at the burger joint by the time this article is posted. Before I indulged myself on this heart attack on a plate, I made sure that I get a nice shot of the cross section so that you, readers, can get a nice look on this newly launched menu. 

The pulled pork was a plenty, though it had somewhat the same ratio with the coleslaw. I’m not a big fan of the coleslaw because it was using this type of sour cream that I’m not very fond of? I’m more into the sweet type of coleslaw, like the cheap ones with a jarful of mayonnaise that you can get at a fast food restaurant. This one at Burger Cartel had a more upper class vibe, so expect your food to be classy as heck with high quality ingredient. None of those cheap mayonnaise shit. I had to separate the coleslaw from the burger and finished it as it is so that I can just enjoy my stack of proteins and carbs. As for the pulled pork itself, though I’m sure it was using barbecue sauce, the chef certainly didn’t use those cheap ass barbecue sauce that is actually ketchup. I could definitely taste some pepper and the texture of the meat was tender. It was savory, sweet, a bit spicy, and very much delicious especially combined with the brioche bun and the melted brie. 

The thing about bacons is that bacons are always good with everything, including this burger. I got two slabs of bacon inside my burger, and an extra one on top of it, and the cut was thick, so I had my share of bacons quite enough that afternoon. There were also some thick french fries in between, which was crispy and chewy. Unlike my boyfriend, I like my french fries crispy and fresh from the oven, so I would definitely give this extra touch a two thumbs up. 

It took me a while to finish my meal and I definitely managed to devour all of it in one go. Of course, Richie was very supportive by helping me on munching a bit on some of my loaded fries. In terms of portion, rest assure that you won’t go hungry for a good few hours after eating this big baby over here. I was filled to the brim to the point that it was challenging for me to even breath. My stomach got loaded it felt like I was about to become one of the casualties in the Alien movies. It wasn’t something to feel remorse about though. It was a heckin’ delicious meal and I will always be back for more when I have the chance. 

The Burger Cartel

Jalan Raya Pengosekan, No. 108

Ubud, Bali - 80571

Opening Hours: 

SUN - THU: 11 AM - 11 PM

FRI - SAT: 11AM - 11:45 PM

Contact:

+62 812 9586 5347

Instagram

Jackfruit Galore

Have you ever open up a jackfruit before? It's quite challenging, especially the ones that are as big as this. Though the sap can be messy, but, it's really fun and exciting to watch. In the end, you get to enjoy the sweet fruit harvested.

Ganesha Ek Sanskriti

I was feeling like having Indian food today, so I searched for a nearby Indian restaurant that serves authentic Indian cuisine. After minutes of browsing through Instagram and Zomato, I came to a decision to have my lunch at Lippo Mall, Kuta - at this Indian restaurant named Ganesha Ek Sanskriti to be exact. 

Apparently, Ganesha Ek Sanskriti has numerous branches around Bali, Jakarta, and Jogjakarta. This particular restaurant, as it claimed, serves various traditional Indian cuisine. The price for the food and beverage is quite expensive, so I would suggest you to share your food with family and friends, so that you can split the bill. Or, if you’re in the mood to have a date with yourself (like me earlier this afternoon), please get the food according to how much you can eat. The portion of the food is quite a lot. Make sure no food gets left behind!

For today’s lunch, I had me some Sev Puri, Garlic Naan, Chicken Butter, and a cup of hot Chamomile Tea. It was quite a lot to handle by myself, yet I managed to finish everything but four left-over pieces of the Sev Puri because I was too damn full. 

A little insight about Sev Puri and Puri itself. According to my quick research on the internet, Puri, or Poori, is basically fried Indian flatbread. It is made out of wheat flour and it is made in small batches. It is typically very crispy and thin. The name that goes in front of the Puri is usually what you have the puri with, in this case a Sev Puri, which is basically Puri with a popular Indian snack in the shape of crushed uncooked noodles that is Sev. Made out of chickpea flour and seasoned with spices like turmeric, cayenne, and carom seeds, the Sev is placed on top of each Puri as its’ cherry on top. 

To my knowledge, there are numerous way you can enjoy your Puri. It can definitely be indulged with anything your heart’s content - let it be savory gravy, curry, mint water, simple syrup, anything - hence the various names of Puri dishes, like Pani (flavored water) Puri, and Dahi (curd) Puri. 

Now, the Sev Puri that I had was basically crispy dumpling-skin-like puffs filled with chickpeas and potatoes, drizzled with yogurt and tamarind sauce, then topped with crunchy and savory lentil-based vermicelli (Sev). I have never seen anything like it before! It was, in a way, tantalizing. Since I’m a Sev Puri virgin, I’m not quite sure on how I could eat it properly. But, then, I remembered a video of the Try Guys eating Indian food with Lilly Singh with one of the dishes being Dahi Puri, and it said in the video that the way you can properly eat a Puri dish is by putting the whole thing in your mouth and let the whole thing pops and floods you with a sea of flavor. With no hesitation, I popped one in my mouth and, boy, did it explode. 

My mouth was bursting with flavors I have never encountered before! There was this creamy and thick yogurt that tasted savory and milky, yet somewhat sweet. A splash of super sweet and sour liquid came afterwards, which I assumed to be the tamarind sauce, which collided with the well-cooked and well-seasoned chickpea and potato filling creating a whole new mouthful of flavor that danced on my tastebud. The Sev on top was very crunchy, as well as the Puri. Everything was on the right amount, making the whole being of the Sev Puri had a well-balanced flavor although each food ingredients had very strong and lip-smacking character. 

What was unfortunate was that I asked the waitress beforehand regarding the amount of Sev Puri served in one portion. She told me that there would be six pieces of it, which I thought was an okay portion and that I could finish it by myself, so I ordered it. What came was ten pieces of Sev Puri. Although they were small and light, each Puri had a handful of stomach-filling ingredients inside. In the end, I couldn’t finish all of it and took the left-over home with me.

Soon after my appetizer was served, came the main course that was the Garlic Naan and the Chicken Butter. Naan here is basically oven-baked flatbread, which I love very much! The Naans at Ganesha Eh Sanskriti was thin, yet very fulfilling and quite heavy. Butter and chopped garlic were glazed on its’ surface, making it had this salty and strong flavor. The bread itself was bland though, but combined with the Chicken Butter’s gravy made the dish very delicious and addictive! 

It’s a good thing that the chicken in my Chicken Butter was tender and boneless, so I didn’t have to get my hand dirty separating the meat from the bones. The gravy was very thick and heavy, I had to take a break in between my meal because I was suddenly hit with nausea from being too full. That was when my hot Chamomile Tea came to rescue! Although zesty, or minty, beverage is usually a great neutralizer, my Chamomile Tea worked out just fine on helping the food go down. 

All in all, my first dining experience at Ganesha Ek Sanskriti was not a let down. The waitresses who served me were very friendly and helpful in terms of choosing the dishes. I even asked which one is better between the Pani Puri and the Sev Puri and she recommended me the Sev Puri with such enthusiast. I spent around Rp250.000,00 for all the things that I ordered and I was content as the food tasted as delicious as its’ price. 

Ganesha Ek Sanskriti

Lippo Mall Kuta, Ground Floor

Jl. Kartika Plaza, Kuta - Bali 80361

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 11 AM - 11 PM

Contact:

+62 361 897 8056

Kineruku dan Segala Isinya

Semenjak gue dikenalin dengan Kineruku oleh kawan seperjuangan gue, Rama, setiap gue RON Bandung, gue nggak pernah nggak menghabiskan sore gue di perpustakaan tersebut. Ditemani dengan segelas teh, atau kopi, dan sepiring camilan, gue bisa menghabiskan berjam-jam di Kineruku menulis, atau sekedar membaca buku karangan Sapardi Djoko Darmono. Berlokasikan di Jalan Hegarmanah, dikelilingi dengan pepohonan dan tanaman yang rindang, dan diapit oleh rumah-rumah lain yang menghiasi kota Bandung, perpustakaan ini adalah tempat yang sempurna untuk kalian penikmat sunyi.

Saat gue bilang sunyi, berarti memang benar-benar sunyi. Namanya juga perpustakaan, semua orang yang mengistirahatkan pikirannya di sini sudah mengerti bahwa kami semua nggak boleh terlalu berisik. Berbincang boleh, namun jangan sampai terlalu bingar karena bisa saja suara-suara itu mengganggu teman-teman lain yang mungkin sedang berkonsentrasi dengan skripsinya. Gue pun begitu, nggak pernah berisik ketika berbincang di telefon, bahkan saat menggeser kursi ketika gue mau memesan minuman lain ke kasir.

Sore itu, gue sangat lapar dan sedang ingin nyemil yang gurih-gurih. Setelah menyeleksi makanan dan minuman dari daftar menu Kineruku yang tergolong sedikit, gue memutuskan untuk memesan satu porsi Tempe Mendoan dan satu set Teh Tongji. Pilihan yang sangat tepat. Hujan mengguyur Kota Bandung dengan derasnya, menghasilkan udara dingin yang merayap ke tulang-tulang. Bahkan ketika gue sudah memakai baju hangat lengan panjangpun, dinginnya berhasil membuat gigi gue bergemeretak. Saat itu pula gue belum membakar rokok, namun nggak sedikit uap panas yang berhasil terhembus dari mulut dan kedua lubang hidung gue.

Rama pernah bilang bahwa suasana di Kineruku itu paling mantap kala gerimis berkunjung. Awalnya gue setuju, tapi sekarang gue sanggah. Suasana di Kineruku itu paling mantap kala hujan. Derasnya hujan yang beradu dengan atap, yang kemudian jatuh ke tanah dan menciptakan aroma basah yang sangat khas, itu sangat nikmat. Apalagi, sudah lama sejak terakhir kalinya gue bertemu lagi dengan hujan. Pulau Dewata masih dilanda sinar matahari dengan teriknya sehingga gue rindu dengan hujan.

"Atas nama Kinan," ucap pelan salah seorang pelayan di Kineruku. Kineruku membiasakan pelanggannya untuk memesan dan membayar makanan dan minuman dulu di kasir, yang berlokasikan tepat di sebelah pintu masuk perpustakaan, kemudian pesanan tersebut akan di antar ke meja kita oleh pelayan yang bertugas. Pengunjungpun nggak diperbolehkan membawa tas ke dalam perpustakaan entah kenapa alasannya, mungkin untuk jaga-jaga agar nggak ada yang terbesit pikiran jahat untuk mencuri buku-buku dari perpustakaan tersebut. Gue sarankan, untuk kalian yang ingin mengerjakan skripsi, atau hanya sekedar membaca buku di sini, nggak usah membawa barang-barang yang terlalu banyak. Kalaupun harus membawa tas layaknya mau pindah rumah, loker juga disediakan bagi kalian untuk menitipkan barang bawaan kalian.

Tempe Mendoan gue disajikan di atas piring besar, lengkap dengan mangkuk kecil berisikan sambal kecap yang pedasnya nampol banget di lidah. Untungnya, Tempe Mendoan di Kineruku ini digoreng sampai kering karena gue nggak gemar dengan Tempe Mendoan yang masih lembek. Secepat kilat, keenam potong tempe goreng tersebut berhasil gue habiskan dalma hitungan menit. Maklum, lapar. Kemudian gue menghabiskan sore tersebut melanjutkan tulisan yang sudah gue buat dari awal tahun kemarin, ditemani dengan beberapa gelas Teh Tongji hangat. Hitung-hitung menunggu hujan reda juga agar gue bisa kembali ke hotel.


Kineruku
Jl. Hegarmanah, No. 52
Hegarmanah, Kecamatan Cidadap
Kota Bandung 40141

Opening Hours:
TUE: CLOSE
MON - SAT: 10 AM - 8 PM
SUN: 11 AM - 6 PM

Sate Pojok di Pojok Cockpit

Seperti biasa, akan selalu ada bekal yang gue bawa setiap gue selesai RON (Remain Over Night) dari Bandung. Atas rekomendasi kapten gue, yang kerap kali memesan Sate Pojok setiap beliau menjalankan penerbangan ke Bandung, menu makan siang yang menemani gue selama perjalanan ke Singapura adalah Sate Pojok. Satu porsi Sate Pojok ini berisi lima tusuk sate daging ayam yang gemuk-gemuk dan terdiri dari potongan daging semua. Benar-benar daging, nggak bohong! Nggak ada kulit, nggak ada jeroan, nggak ada lemak, pokoknya semuanya daging. Kurang lebih satu konsep dengan Sate Taichan, namun ukurannya jauh lebih besar, dan harganya jauh lebih mahal juga.

Rp65.000,00 adalah harga Sate Pojok ini pada umumnya. Terdiri dari lima tusuk sate, satu plastik saus kacang, satu plastik sambal kecap, dan satu plastik potongan timun, sate ini benar-benar cukup untuk membuat gue kenyang selama perjalanan gue ke Kota Singa. Namun, beberapa jam kemudian, dalam perjalanan gue ke Pulau Dewata, perut gue sudah menyanyikan lagu kebangsaan rakyatnya kembali.

Daging ayam yang dipakai dalam pembuatan Sate Pojok ini beukuran lebih besar daripada sate pada umumnya, pantas saja harganya mahal. Daging tersebut dibakar sampai berwarna kecoklatan. Bahkan, di beberapa potongan daging, masih ada bagian gosong yang menempel. Gue tau, bagian yang gosong itu sangat buruk untuk kesehatan kalau dikonsumsi, tapi bagian itu juga adalah bagian yang paling enak. Nggak biasanya gue suka dengan bumbu kacang, tapi bumbu kacang yang disajikan dalam kotak sate itu sangat enak! Rasanya gurih dan manis, teksturnya tidak terlalu encer, dan masih ada sedikit potongan kacang yang belum larut dalam bumbunya. Sambal kecapnya pun sangat enak, meskipun beberapa kali gue terkena ranjau potongan cabai ketika tengah mengunyah. Pedasnya nggak main-main, gue sampai kesulitan bernapas untuk beberapa saat karena gue memang nggak tahan dengan pedas, tapi nikmatnya nggak ada yang ngalahin.

Gue sampai menyesal kenapa nggak memesan sepuluh tusuk saja. Sepanjang perjalanan penerbangan, gue berangan-angan tentang sate tersebut, berharap ada sate yang setidaknya mirip dengan sate Kota Kembang tersebut di Bali.

Sweet Cantina, Braga

Sweet Cantina is a newly opened dessert parlor located on the side of the busy Braga street, Bandung. The place offers you a wide varieties of doughnuts, chunky cookies, and ice cream. I’ve been wanting to try Sweet Cantina’s chunky cookies ever since I knew about the place from Instagram and, finally, I got the chance to do so last week!

Bandung was poured with rain that evening, but that didn’t stop me from ordering my cookies through Go-Jek. I opened the application, seek for Sweet Cantina on the Go-Food page, and ordered a couple of chunky cookies. I got me the Red Velvet White Choc Cream Cheese and the Sprinkles Marshmallow White Choc. I know, my diet was ruin, but come on. Cookies!

My favorite among the two was the Sprinkles Marshmallow White Choc as it had this familiar flavor which reminded me of Mom’s homemade cookies that she used to make when I was little. The sprinkles on top of the cookie was abundant and very sweet, but it was not that hard to consume because the milky cookie dough managed to balance the sweet flavor. The melted marshmallow hidden in between each bite was super gooey and very much delightful to indulge, and the fact that the marshmallow was slightly burnt because of being baked in the oven made the cookie even more palatable. I do recommend you to take it easy with the cookies because it was very very sweet. Maybe best paired with a cup of hot tea. 

On the other hand, the Red Velvet White Choc Cream Cheese was crumbly and it had this weird taste which I was not fond of. Maybe it was the red velvet flavor that they use that made the flavor a bit off? I do enjoy the burn white chocolate decorating the top of the cookie, but the flavor combo in this dessert was just not that enjoyable for me. 

I would love to have another one of those Sprinkles Marshmallow White Choc cookies next time, but maybe I’ll opt for another option for its’ partner. I think the Double Choco, or Choco Chips, would be great! 

Sweet Cantina

Jl. Braga, No. 64

Braga, Bandung

Opening Hours: 

MON - SUN: 12 PM - 8 PM

Contact:

+62 896 7408 5408

The Lousy Fish and Chips of Pepito Cafe

I was really in the mood for some good fish and chips this afternoon, so I opted for the nearest option available from where I live, which was at Pepito Cafe. They have this lunch menu that gives you a full set of dishes for only Rp75.000,00 consisted of main course, a side dish, a bowl of soup, and a choice between a plate of salad and a dessert. It was a nice deal, so I settled there for lunch. Wrong decision. 

I was hoping for a decent fish and chips dish, with fresh fish deep-fried in crispy batter, but what I got was a lousy instant frozen food deep-fried in a flaky instant batter. I was disappointed, but I guess that’s what I get for settling at a supermarket’s restaurant. Although it tasted not as good as the fish and chips at Sama Bar & Kitchen, or Fish & Co., it was good enough to ease my craving for the British dish. 

The fillet fish itself was very very lousy. It was an instant fish fillet, with what I think consisted of less fish and more flour. It was juicy, yet slightly fishy. The deep-fried batter was flaky as it fell apart the moment I cut the fish with my knife. It came with a handful of lanky french fries, which tasted good, especially when dipped into the tartar sauce. What I love most about my lunch set was the Minestrone. That’s it. The rest of the dishes was a total let down, including the Mix Salad. 

This was my first time dining at Pepito Cafe. The restaurant, or cafe, is elegantly decorated with vintage painting and wood-based furniture. It gave this rich and classy atmosphere, but the food serve could not live up to the restaurant’s ambience. The service was splendid, though! I was probably the most local looking customer here this afternoon and the waitress serve with with such friendly and excellent manner. 

I would probably go back here for the service and the fact that the customers are allowed to smoke indoor, but I will definitely not order the Fish and Chips again. Maybe I’ll opt for something lighter, like sausages and french fries, or the Minestrone. But, not the fish and chips.

Do not, I repeat, do not get the Fish and Chips dish from Pepito Cafe!

Pepito Cafe

Jl. Kediri, No. 36A

Tuban, Bali

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 7 AM - 11 PM

Contact:

+62 361 763 953

Sama Bar & Kitchen

“Share good food with good people, aye,” said Richie over the phone. Richie had been telling me to stop by at his place down South ever since it had its’ soft opening back in September and I hadn’t had the right day off to do so until yesterday. Finally, after two months of postponing, I made my way to Sama Bar & Kitchen! 

Located on the side of Jalan Pantai Batu Mejan, Sama Bar & Kitchen is a newcomer in Canggu area that serves funky fusion dishes with warm tropical atmosphere. When we, me and Nona, arrived at the restaurant, we were welcomed with a set of sand and navy blue colored bean bags that were calling out our names from he small yard right in the middle of the restaurant. Surrounding the yard was a numerous hut-like seatings along with posters sticked on the walls that had pictures of something out of the ordinary. Sofas and individual comfy chairs were also available at Sama Bar & Kitchen for those of you who prefer to leisure around with a glass of cocktail instead of indulging on something heavy. The decoration was rather adorable and unique. What caught my attention the most were the cracker tins, or kaleng kerupuk as we Indonesian call it, that had a set of lightings inside. With a good knowledge on how to take splendid angles, your Instagram feed will definitely be decorated with aesthetic pictures that made your followers jealous. 

It was past seven in the evening when we arrived at the restaurant. We had a rather long drive from Tuban and we were famished. Since the restaurant was still having its’ soft opening, there wasn’t many options of food and beverage that we can chose from the menu. Nona settled with a plate of Fish & Chips and a bottle of sparkling water, while I had me the Polpo Potato Pesto and hot tea. As much as I remembered, I do ordered my tea with no sugar, yet, unfortunately, the staff did the other way around. I didn’t make a big fuss about it because, maybe, the sugar would come in handy for my drive back to Tuban later on. 

Last night was a slow night for Sama Bar & Kitchen, which was great for me because I’m not a big fan of crowded dinning place with riotous guests. Me and Nona got to spend our night chatting with each other with ease without having to shout at each other because of the loud noise coming from the speakers, that were in fact placed very close to where we were seated. We opted for the bean bags to soothe our backs and, while we waited for our food to be served, we played for a bit with the restaurant’s newly adopted baby, Stroopwafle - a couple months old mixed puppy who was crazy about the pompoms on my sandals. 

We waited for a decent amount of time for our dinner to be served on our table. Nona’s Fish & Chips were humongous she was in shock when it was brought out to our table. “This is so big,” she said, which then I replied with a, “Hey, relax, you got me!”. Her meal consisted of four big pieces of breaded fish fillet, with a handful of well-fried french fries, a slab of sesame coleslaw, a cup of mayonnaise, and a cup of lemongrass tartar sauce for some good dipping action. The sight of the dish really made me excited although it wasn’t mine to begin with. 

Nona offered me to try her dish and I obliged. Both of us agreed that the fish fillet was delicious and not the slightest bit fishy. It was deep-fried to perfection as it had the amazingly golden-brown crispy and savory batter and a tender, flavorful, and flaky meat on the inside. The fish went really well with the lemongrass tartar sauce, as it had this savory and sour flavor to it, with a subtle kick of spiciness from what we expected to be mustard. Although I know the fish was the main star, the french fries played its’ supporting role very well. I love how they were fried well, resulting in a crispy texture on the outside, yet chewy texture on the inside. I don’t like my fries soggy and Sama Bar & Kitchen’s managed to serve the fries according to my liking. I have no complaint towards Nona’s dish. I even want more of it if I could! 

Now, about my dish.. I had the Polpo Potato Pesto, which was very unique and confusing because the dish consisted of food combination that I was not familiar with. Later on, it came to my knowledge that the name of the dish I ordered was in Italian and the word “polpo” itself stands for octopus. So, if I know my Italian well, it wouldn’t take me all night to figure out the oh-so-obvious dish name. 

Immediately, when the staff served my dish, my attention was caught by the thick and purple octopus tentacle resting on a bed of thinly cut potatoes that had a thin slab of wasabi mayonnaise on top of each slices. The dish was sprinkled with a mix of roughly chopped almonds and what smelt like parmesan cheese. It also had some frozen sliced strawberries on the side, a dollop of pesto sauce on top of the tentacle, and a mint leaf to finish it all up. My Polpo Potato Pesto looked out of this world, but because of that reason as well I was intrigued to try the dish. I took a bite of everything and I was pleased with the flavor, yet still confuse with the whole being of the dish. 

The texture combination was very confusing, yet, somehow, it worked out just fine. Applause for the chef for being able to cook the octopus tentacle properly because, from what I know, tentacles are very challenging to cook with - a minute too early, the tentacle would still be raw, yet a little too late could make it as thick as a car tire. The chef managed to cook this tentacle until it was tender, but it still had this slight chewy texture that was just plain enjoyable for me as I love my food to have a wide spectrum of texture. 

As for the flavor, like I said before, it pleased me just fine. The creamy and savory wasabi mayonnaise worked well when combined with the nicely grilled potato slices and it wasn’t spicy although it had wasabi in it. I was contemplating hard on whether or not the strawberry was necessary to the dish, because its’ frozen and icy texture, as well as its’ sweet and sour flavor, didn’t do any justice to the dish. If the reason for the strawberry to exists is so that it could be a neutralizer, it certainly wasn’t necessary. It certainly didn’t ruin the flavor wheel, but it also didn’t do anything to enhance anything that was on the plate. I guess the strawberry is a moo point? But, then again, I’m no food expert. 

After we finished our meal, we had to take a minute for our food to go down properly. Well, Nona did, as her meal was already a lot to begin with, unlike mine which had just the right amount of portion. We also made friend with one of Sama Bar & Kitchen’s managers, Eiren, who happen to be Stroopwafle’s dog mom. Eiren explained a bit on how she wanted to do a food tasting event at the restaurant sometime in the future, as well as sharing some insight on business marketing and a bit about Stroopwafle who was, at that time, running around like kids after they consumed too much sugar. She mentioned about how Sama Bar & Kitchen is only a few days away to its’ grand opening day and that the full course menu is going to be launched any time soon. “Be sure to be around when we launched the new menu. We’re planning on doing it, maybe, on the weekend. Or, maybe, Friday night,” she said. 

Soon, we had to bid goodbye to Eiren, Stroopwafle, and Sama Bar & Kitchen as we had another appointment at Seminyak - Nona’s brother was in town and we were invited to spend the remaining of the night chilling at JA’AN. We went away with a full stomach and a takeaway box filled with Nona’s leftover Fish & Chips. Overall, my dinning experience at Sama Bar & Kitchen was delightful! The service can be improved though because the staff, although friendly and well mannered, took a while to explain to us which dishes that were out of stock that night, as well as explaining to us about where we could park our vehicle. 

Sama Bar & Kitchen

Jl. Pantai Batu Mejan, No. 72

Canggu, Bali 

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: Lunch hour until passed midnight

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