66 Goes to Bali: La Plancha

Introducing Gavin, Alhamd, Bli Dito, and Pace Febrian

If you're looking for a great spot to enjoy sunsets with your loved one in Bali, then La Plancha is the right place for you. Located at Seminyak, La Plancha captivated the heart of local citizen and tourists with its' colorful shack and beanbags by the beach. Loud music roamed around the beach as we enjoy our drinks, and it continues until night. Even when there is a minimum payment system at La Plancha, which is Rp100.000,00 per person, the place definitely worth a visit. 

The gang and I arrived at La Plancha at around 5 in the evening. Just the right time to enjoy some drinks and chat while we wait for the sunset. The place were not that crowded at the moment, so it didn't take long for us to find some beanbags to sit on. 

I simply love the decoration of the beach bar! The colorful beanbags were beyond adorable, not to mention umbrellas were available at every table, and they were multicolored.

La Plancha

Which beanbags should I use?

Don't you just love the umbrellas? 

One of the waiter, being friendly with customer

There is a minimum payment at La Plancha, which is Rp100.000,00 per person. I decided to have myself a glass of cocktail, while the guys were having beer and smoothie. For those who are not familiar with what a cocktail is, it is a an alcoholic drink consisting of spirit and non-alcoholic ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream.

Full team, plus Fidh!

I've been wanting to try a Cosmopolitan ever since I drown myself in a Tv series named Sex and the City. In the series, the main character named Carrie Bradshaw proclaimed Cosmopolitan as "her drink". She never skips her favorite cocktail whenever she comes to a party. Being a curious person that I am, I just had to try this bomb.

Care for some refreshing drinks?

Bli Dito being cool

What's with the expressions?

Cosmopolitan is a  mix of vodca, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. It was pink in color and it was garnished with orange peeling on top. Same like any other alcohol, its' bitterness stung my taste buds, but it had a hint of sweetness from the cranberry juice and sourness from the lime juice. Overall, I did enjoy the Cosmopolitan, but I didn't see me in that cocktail to declare it as my "drink".

Carrie's favorite cocktail: the Cosmopolitan

The guys ordered some munchies to go along with their drink. There was the Fried Calamari and the Potato Wedges. The Fried Clamari was served in a long oval-shaped wooden plate, complete with two kinds of dipping sauce on the side. I had to give an extra point for this snack because they were well fried, so the meat was not rubbery from being overcooked, nor squishy because of its' rawness. Loving the sweet and spicy dipping sauce made from chilly oil. 

And then, there was the Potato Wedges. Served in a funky looking cone, it remind me of an ice cream sundae, minus the whipped cream and cherry on top. It also came with a bowl of dipping sauce, which I'm not that fond of compared to the calamari's set of dipping sauce. 

Fried Calamari

Have some potato!

Can't stop munching!

It didn't take long for me to finish my Cosmopolitan. Since the guys still had their beers, I decided to order me another cocktail which I was dying to try: Pina Colada. 

Ever heard the song "Pina Colada" by Jimmy Buffet? It goes

'If you like Piña Coladas, getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes on the cape
I'm the love that you've looked for write to me and escape' 

Classic, right? Ever since I heard the song, I kept having images in my head of how a Pina Colada would taste like. Now I know. 

Pina Colada is a rum-based cocktail, with a combination of coconut cream and pineapple juice. I don't like rum that much because of its' bitter cough-syrup-like taste, but this one is an exception. Dominated by its' pineapple flavor, my Pina Colada cocktail was very refreshing. I just love the crushed pineapple bits in the drink. Not to mention, the bubbly coconut cream was delightfully delicious. 

Compared to Cosmopolitan, I like Pina Colada better. But, I still can't proclaim it as my drink as it was not "me" enough. Am I making any sense? 

My first Pina Colada

We spent hours at La Plancha chit chatting, taking pictures, singing along to the funky oldies music, and even throwing ourself into the water. The sky was a bit cloudy, but we could still enjoy the beautiful sunset at Double-six Beach. I was soaked from being thrown to the sea by Gavin and Alhamd, thank you very much guys, I ended up on the car's trunk on our way back to the hotel. 

Next time I visit Bali, I will definitely go back to La Plancha. 

Selfie with the guys who threw me into the water

Enjoying my Pina Colada with Pace Febrian

Don't get fooled by its' funky sunglasses, this guy is a tricky fellow

An overcast sky

Sunset at La Plancha

La Plancha

Mesari Beach

Between Jalan Dhyanapura and Jalan Double-six 

Seminyak, Bali

66 Goes to Bali: Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu

Bli Dito took us to Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu to have lunch. It is one of the most popular and most visited dining place in Bali. The restaurant is famous for its' traditional Balinese dish, which is the Ayam Betutu, or seasoned roasted chicken. 

Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu khas Gilimanuk

Ayam Betutu is a local delicacy in Pulau Dewata. The chicken is either steamed or roasted, then cooked with spices and seasoning, and the cooking method for every regions in Bali varies. The one that I ate was cooked in Gilimanuk's way, which was cooked with lots of onion, garlic, chilly pepper, turmeric, ginger, coconut oil, and black pepper. As a person who has a weak colon, yet loves hot and spicy dishes, Gilimanuk's Ayam Betutu was both heaven and hell. 

It was around two in the afternoon when we arrived at the restaurant and it was a challenge to find an empty table for us to monopolize. The place was packed with people hungry for the super hot chicken. I was beginning to worry that we will not find any seats, but Lady Luck was upon us. Immediately, Bli Dito marking the place by resting his bottoms, and took the liberty to order the dishes for us: Ayam Betutu Kuah. Thank God it didn't take long for our lunch to be served. 

Our mouth-watering Ayam Betutu

Our chicken was served with rice and side dishes, such as Plecing Kangkung, fried peanuts, and Sambal Matah. Plecing Kangkung is another traditional dish from Bali, which is blanched water spinach topped with sambal made from chilly pepper, shallots, garlic, lime, and shrimp paste - super hot, yet very refreshing - while Sambal Matah is made from raw shallots and lemongrass. Both side dishes were smacking, yet my favorite would be the Sambal Matah. I just love the spicy and sour taste of the raw shallots, not to mention the addicting crunchiness. 

Man, that chicken was hot!

The refreshingly spicy and sour Sambal Matah 

Just look at that gorgeous bright color

We were very hungry, plus we are cadets who are trained to eat anything on sight in a snap, so we ended up devouring our meal in less than five minutes. The Ayam Betutu was well cooked as the meat was very tender and the seasoning soaked into it nicely. On the one hand, the broth was also very flavorful and hot. I was in pain. I got sweaty armpits and runny nose, but the chicken was deliciously savory and rich in taste. I tried to eat my rice with a little bit of everything and BAM! explosion of flavors. 

I would probably go for the Ayam Betutu Goreng next time I visit Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu since I'm not that into soaked chicken. But, for those of you who favors it, it is highly recommended.

Daddy Dito slicing the chicken evenly so that we would get an equal share of the meal

Selamat makan!

It's a good thing ice cream was available to ease the pain in my mouth. Its' name is Es Goyang si Jegeg, or Jegeg's Es Goyang, an old skool Indonesian ice cream made from coconut milk and flour. I went for the durian ice cream, while Gavin had the mung beans ice cream. Both were deliciously milky and creamy, but I liked Gavin's ice cream better because it had this bean bits in the ice cream, even though my ice cream had a strong durian presence in it. 

When you visit Bali, you ought to make a pit stop at Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu. Try its' famous Ayam Betutu, along with various sambal on the side, and tear up because of how hot it is. You won't regret every bite of it. 

Each ice cream costed Rp10.000,00

My durian flavored ice cream

Want some? 

Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu

Jalan Raya Tuban No. 2X

Badung, Bali

Contact:

+62 361 757535

66 Goes to Bali: Warung Makan Nikmat

On the first day of our stay in Bali, the gang and I went to Warung Makan Nikmat, a restaurant specialized in Javanese dishes with a wee bit of Balinese sparks here and there. I know what you guys think, "Why eat at a Javanese restaurant when you're in Bali", right? Well, why the hell not? 

Warung Makan Nikmat is just 10-minutes-drive away from the airport. Located at Jl. Bakung Sari, the restaurant is hard to miss, as it had this gigantic green-colored banner sticked on the roof. Same like any other Indonesian restaurant, Warung Makan Nikmat looks very modest and simple - it actually looked a bit like a warteg, yet bigger and slightly modernized.  

Warung Makan Nikmat

The restaurant had a wide varieties of dishes and they are displayed in a large food display made from glass. They were very colorful because they are cooked using the finest spices and herbs that the chef can find in Bali. I lost count on how many kinds of dishes available for us to dig in - all sorts of meat with various method of cooking, countless veggies to indulge for those who fancy some greens, and even traditional Balinese treats like sate lilit. It was a shame the restaurant didn't serve any suckling pig because the owner is a moslem. But still, the food was a sight for sore eyes.

The system here at Warung Makan Nikmat is to point at the food that you want to eat, then the food lady will then put the dish onto your plate. You can have whatever and as many dishes as you want. Each dish has its' own price and it varies depends on the type of the dish. After you're done decorating your plate with food, the food lady will count the total price of the meal and she will hand you a card with the nominal price printed on it. Pretty cool, don't you think? 

Gavin being confuse in choosing what to have for lunch

Gavin and Bli Dito who ate here often whenever they visit Bali recommended me the Ox Tail's Soup. "Swear to God, it's the best Ox Tail's Soup there is," said Gavin. But, since I was not in the mood to suck on tail bones, I skipped the offer and choose me another dish to have for lunch. 

Gavin, on the other hand, was dying to have the so-called delicious broth, so he ordered a bowl. Accompanied with a plate of rice, sweet and sour squid, and serundeng (sauteed grated coconut), the chubby fellow enjoyed his Ox Tail's Soup. He offered me a bite and, boy, was that soup tasted delicious. I simply love the warm savory broth of the Ox Tail's Soup, it truly was delicious! On the one hand, the ox tail was cooked to perfection. The meat was very tender and it fell off the bone right away, I didn't have to struggle to cut a small piece of it.

Gavin's set of meal

I had me a plate of warm white rice with omelet and sate lilit. Sate lilit here is a traditional Balinese cuisine, which is minced meat on a stick. They commonly use pork, fish, or chicken meat here in Bali to make the sate lilit, and my favorite is the fish satay.

The sate lilit here at Warung Makan Nikmat is brown-ish red in color because of the chilly pepper that they use, hence it tasted spicier compared to any other satay I have ever tasted. I love how the satay was grilled nicely, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It went well with the warm rice and the omelet.

A plate of warm white rice with fried egg and sate lilit for me

What Pace Febrian had for lunch

Bli Dito's luxurious dish

How much does your lunch cost?

A selfie wouldn't hurt
From left to right: Pace Febrian, Bli Dito, Gavin, and yours truly

After we finished with lunch, we made a short trip to Pasar Seni Kuta, a marketplace where you can buy souvenirs with shockingly expensive price if you can't bargain. You can find lots of good to bring home with you here at Pasar Seni Kuta. Bangles, necklace, canvas bags, t-shirts, tanktops, you name it! But, you have to be able to bargain if you don't want to spend a ridiculously big amount of money for a piece of T-shirt. It's a good thing we were with Bli Dito, otherwise Pace Febrian will get charged Rp90.000,00 for a pair of sandals. 

The marketplace is just a few steps away from the beach. Since we were waiting to pick up another friend of ours, who were on a flight to Pulau Dewata, we took the liberty to take lots of selfies with Pace Febrian's brand new GoPro Hero 4. 

The sight of Pasar Seni Kuta

Gavin and Bli Dito

What is vacation without a beach?

Welcome to Bali!

#sorrynotsorry

Warung Makan Nikmat

Jalan Bakung Sari

Gang Biduri No. 6

Kuta, Bali

Pasar Seni Kuta

Jalan Kartika Plaza
Kuta, Bali