Where chefs eat: A foodie's guide to Bali

Chef Ray Adriansyah of the award-winning restaurant Locavore in Ubud, reveals his favourite restaurants and local food haunts in Bali.

PICA
  • Lee Sihan
  • February 2020

Modest about his accomplishments in the kitchen, Jakarta-native Chef Ray Adriansyah is widely known by the foodie community for his tireless efforts to introducing his guests to the beauty of local ingredients. On days that he is not fussing over the quality of local vegetables delivered to the kitchen, he is out reminiscing home-grown flavours at some of his firm favourites.

Top fine dining restaurant: Nusantara by Locavore

Nusantara by Locavore
Nusantara by Locavore celebrates the diversity of Indonesian cuisine.

Nusantara opens in new window is honestly one of my favourite places in dine in Bali. What I like about it is that it’s super casual, diners are placed in good settings chowing down on sharing plates that feature a variety of lesser-known regional Indonesian dishes. Shedding the stereotypical image of Indonesian cuisine, you won’t find nasi goreng or mie goreng here. Be daring and give the frog leg dish or stir-fried banana blossoms a go!”

Address: 9C Jalan Dewi Sita, Ubud
Telephone: +62361972973
locavore.co.id opens in new window

Favourite street food fix: Rumah Makan Sederhana Padang

“My parents are from Sumatra so I was raised on Padang food, and Rumah Makan Sederhana Padang is the place to go to for the real deal. You can choose from a selection of small dishes of curries and vegetables coated in various types of sambals. I normally make a beeline for the gizzard and chicken liver, beef trotter curry and salted dried fish with eggplant.”

Address: Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 1, Jimbaran, Kuta Kabupaten Badung

Best casual restaurant: PICA South American Kitchen Ubud

PICA
This modern Peruvian restaurant marries quality ingredients with fresh, bold flavours.

PICA opens in new window is the perfect place to enjoy my Sunday off with my family in tow. I adore their contemporary take on South American cuisine. My regular orders are the classic ceviche, empanadas, pulpo al olivo and the beef ancho all washed down with Pisco sours. Do keep a watch out for their blackboard specials too!”

Address: JL. Dewi Sita, Ubud
Telephone: +62361971660
picakitchen.com opens in new window

Restaurant to watch out for: XiaHouse Canggu

XiaHouse Canggu
XiaHouse Canggu is a great place to grab a quick meal.

Still pretty much an insider's secret, XiaHouse in Canggu opens in new window is about simple, hearty, reinterpretations of comfort food from all around the world. “The brick chicken and chicken parfait are my favourite dishes.”

Address: Jalan Tanah Barak Canggu Bali
facebook.com/xiahousebali opens in new window

Top dish to order at Locavore:

Locavore
Locavore picked up two awards at Asia’s Best Restaurants 2019 — Best Restaurant in Indonesia and the Most Sustainable Restaurant Award.

“A current favourite of mine is the broccoli dish — broccoli stems marinated with homemade miso, peanuts, mung beans and dairy-free sour cream are mixed together, and served in a ham and cassava broth.”

Address: 10 Jalan Dewi Sita, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62361977733
locavore.co.id opens in new window