Ubud, Penestanan - restaurants

DavidB · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 06:02 AM

Hi all, when in Ubud I recently have always stayed in Penestanan at the west end of Ubud. This area is starting to see new businesses and in particular good cheap warungs for great Balinese/Indo food.

My favourite is Made's Warung slap bang in the middle of padi fields and reachable only by foot or motor bike. Made has been serving food here for several years. Mains range from 10 to 20,000 rp. The warung is basically 3 or 4 small bale seating up to about 30 in total. I have attached a photo taken with my phone (possibly with finger print on lens!) Made Warung Penestanan July 08.jpg (click on thumbnail to enlarge) looking from the kitchen area to my favourite Bale. In the next post I will show the scenery from that Bale.

Another good new place is Warung Mendez on Jl Penestanan. I will describe that in another post so that I can attach a photo!

Cheers,
David

DavidB · #2 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 06:08 AM

Photo from "my" bale Made Warung scenery July 08.jpg (click on thumbnail to enlarge)

David

DavidB · #3 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 06:25 AM

Hi all,

as I was saying, new places opening up in Penestanan. Apart from a new, very efficient and cheap laundry there is Warung Mendez, in the spot where Cafe Dewarta used to be until it closed in 2005. They have set up a dining area as well as a drinks area with bamboo sofas and low tables. They serve what they call "comfort food", many of the recipes being from east Java. The chicken breast is slow cooked in advance in spices including cinnamon, cloves, galangal etc and then finished off over a charcoal grill when ordered - served with balinese salad and rice for 18,000 rp and is absolutely delicious. On Mondays and Thursdays they do a goat leg using the same method which is served with a lovely gentle ginger sauce. I had it for lunch on a Monday and it was possibly the best thing I ate in Ubud in July. Warung Mendez goat leg July 08.jpg (click on thumbnail to enlarge) I tried to repeat the scene on the following Thursday but while it tasted as good it hadn't been cooked as long during preparation and there fore the meat wasn't falling off the bone and wasn't as tender as the first one.

They do a great "Bali kopi espresso" for 8,000. It comes as a short black and is pre sweetened and was the best coffee I have had in Bali. It is accompanied with a small short bread type biscuit. When combined with a serve of vanilla icecream it made a very good affogato!

Cheers all,
David

Catherine · #4 (**permalink**) 08-11-2008, 11:00 AM

Great photos.

The whole cremation procession and ceremony must have been an incredible spectacle. I can only begin to imagine the smoke haze.

We were in Ubud several years ago for the cremation of a member of the Ubud Royal Family....from memory she was the wife of the King of Ubud, and her grandson (owner of Lotus I think) rode to the cremation site, along Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Raya Ubud, seated on the black bull, on top of the whole structure. Quite something to see. Half of Bali turned out for the event.

I was quite surprised at the amount of development in the surrounding Ubud areas. It's all link up as one huge place just as it has done from Kuta to Cenggu. Still it has a great atmosphere, and always reminds me a bit of Nepal. I must have been there not long before you as I heard about the huge cremation ceremony that was soon to take place.

I'm still working on my JBR which I will post in installments, starting soon.

All the best.

Catherine

DavidB · #5 (**permalink**) 08-11-2008, 11:11 AM

C, I look forward to reading it!

Cheers,
David

layla17 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 03:54 PM

I've never had the opportunity of experiencing a ceremonial procession. It's still one of those things I'm waiting to see. I've read so much about the detail and dedication of the participants.