Ubud Archives - BURNESSIE TRAVELS

Kafe

Kafe and The Garden Kafe alike are a part of the extremely successful and pretty famous Yoga Barn in Ubud. Offering a wide range of different yoga classes every day from early until late in this sleepy town, The Yoga Barn has many loyal customers and as a result their café outposts get pretty busy. Kafe is further toward the centre of Ubud on Jalan Hanoman, whilst The Garden Kafe overlooks The Yoga Barn studios within grounds of tall banana trees and even taller coconut palms in a mass of green. Set far back off the road, the latter is a peaceful place, away from the sound of scooters hooting. The staff are friendly and attentive, and as you may have guessed by now, the food is seriously healthy. Mostly vegetarian with an extensive vegan and raw menu, Kafe caters excellently to the health conscious yogi crowd.

Whilst you couldn’t pay me to turn vegan, the few times I did grab food here during my time in Ubud left me impressed with the quality and freshness of ingredients, and I enjoyed knowing I was eating something truly healthy to go with my side of yoga class. And frankly it made me feel like I’d really earnt my evening Bintangs.

The wide range of different meals on the menu is impressive for a mostly vegetarian and vegan café, as well as inventive. There are a huge amount of breakfasts and mains to choose from, not to mention a large list of salads and raw desserts. The grilled veggie and feta salad I had at Garden Kafe one day was delicious and pretty sizeable at that. Kafe and the smaller outpost at The Yoga Barn do have slightly different menus, and the former is slightly more expensive. Kafe serves dinner in the evening whilst Garden Kafe closes at 6pm.

The juice menu is extensive and there’s no alcohol served, so forget it if you’re after a cold Bintang with your lunch. Kafe’s juices (18,000 – 30,000 IDR) are highly popular of course (because this is Ubud); each juice designed to help your body in some way by aiding digestion, energizing, detoxifying – I could go on. My personal favourite was the Energy Drink: pineapple, apple, ginger and cucumber blended together, and I actually liked it so much I would go to Kafe simply for it, which I’d consider a pretty strong accolade from a staunchly non vegetarian patron. These two hangouts are the perfect healthy option to help you immerse yourself in all things Ubud.

Liked this post? Subscribe here so you never miss an update!

Asia Bali Food From Travels Indonesia Ubud

Atman Kafe

Salivating. That’s the first thing that happens when my avocado and feta on ciabatta is placed in front of me. Two slices of thick ciabatta toasted perfectly and piled precariously high with chopped up ripe avocado and big chunks of crumbly feta. The kind of bruschetta that falls apart as soon as you prod it with your cutlery – messy, but excellent, because you have so much to cram into your mouth whilst carrying out a balancing act on your fork. A tomato sambal was served on the side, which added depth to the avocado and feta, though for me could have done with being a bit spicier. But then, I am a girl who will sprinkle a whole chilli on her smashed avocado for breakfast, so I’m perhaps not exactly what one would usually cater for.

The cafe has a distinctly chilled atmosphere – a hippy vibe, if you will – with plenty of backpackers and yogi expats using the free wifi and whiling away the day on rattan mats and cushions. The quality of ingredients used is clear, the standard high and the service friendly, if a little slow at times. But hey, this is Asia and you’re on Bali time.

Everything that comes out of this kitchen you wish you’d ordered. BLTs (53,000 IDR) made on freshly baked ciabatta bread from the bakery down the road. Plentiful gado gado accompanied with a big bowl of extra peanut sauce that saves you the embarrassment from having to ask for more. I suspect they got fed up of having to go back into the kitchen, hence why it is now standard. Chicken satay sprinkled with fresh chillies (45,000 IDR). Bite sized fish cakes with lime and tomato sambal. A vegan Balinese curry (57,000 IDR) that was so brilliantly balanced in flavour that I barely missed the meat, let alone realise it was (whispers)…vegan.

And THEN they do this thing were they offer you melted Belgian chocolate to be poured over what is commonly recognised as Ubud’s best gelato (shout out to the panna cotta flavour) and you say yes and then you’re fighting to fit as much of the thick chocolate with ice cream in your mouth at once and before you know it, it’s disappeared. So get at least two scoops.

Atman is a great option for a healthy breakfast, lunch or a quiet dinner and a firm favourite and frequent haunt of mine whenever I’m in Ubud, ideally situated across the street from my usual homestay. Highly recommend. And seriously – do get the chocolate smothered ice cream.

Jl. Hanoman no 38, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
+62 361 8620505

Liked this post? Subscribe here so you never miss an update!

Asia Bali Food From Travels Indonesia Ubud

Biah Biah

Bali is full of little warungs – small hole in the wall restaurants run by locals that serve up cheap food all day long and into the night. Some will be distinctly average, and some will surprise you with some of the best meals you’ve had on your trip. As a rule, trust the crowds, especially …

Asia Bali Food From Travels Indonesia Ubud

Melting Wok Warung

Simplicity is key at Melting Wok: two curries, one made with coconut cream, one made without; served with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, tempeh or tofu; plus rice or noodles. Not spicy, medium or spicy. Bar two specials that are offered every day, this is the menu. You wouldn’t usually expect somewhere with a menu this basic, to be that in demand, but making a reservation here is a must unless you’re willing to eat dinner at 5.30pm. Because the food at Melting Wok is anything but basic. My chicken coconut cream curry (spicy, always) served with rice was ridiculously good. Full of flavour and texture from the peanuts crumbled over the dish, I didn’t want it to end yet simultaneously couldn’t shovel it in my mouth quick enough. The portion is generous and costs 39,000 IDR, which is around £2. In short, I’m furious I didn’t go sooner, seeing as I was living in Ubud for a full month. Which is why I went again two days later, this time opting for the noodles. Again, I could not fault it. It’s some of the best food I’ve had in Indonesia, and it’s as cheap as you could hope for.

Owned and run by a friendly French woman, Melting Wok offers a dessert menu inspired by her native country, with creme caramel, chocolate fondue with fruit and crepes with ice cream, the latter of which could have been served to me in France itself, good as it was. The staff are friendly, explaining the menu well and service is quick. They will warn you if the table needs to be turned over, which it will, because Melting Wok is almost always fully booked, so be sure to make a reservation. Nothing is worse than food disappointment.

Jl Gootama no.13, Ubud, Indonesia
+62 (0) 361 9299716
Open Tue – Sun, 10am – 11pm.

Liked this post? Subscribe here so you never miss an update!

Asia Bali Indonesia Travel Guide Ubud

Ubud Travel Guide

Vivid green rice paddies, yoga and meditation, organic healthy eating, scooters everywhere, the smell of incense, women in brightly coloured outfits carrying offerings effortlessly on their heads, children playing football and flying kites, traditional Balinese dancing, silver, batik, ikat…welcome to Bali’s cultural centre, Ubud.

(more…)