My August wedding tour is over and I'm back :) It's been a crazy, fun and festive month. We had two huge family weddings...one for Neil's sister and the other, my cousin. The weddings were beautiful, and it was great to be able to spend quality time with both sides of the family. We had so much fun celebrating, I barely realized that summer is winding down, and it's hitting me now. I'm NOWHERE near ready to let it go yet! We still have a few more weeks of warm weather, I hope. I'll shed my first tear the day I'm forced to squeeze into a pair of jeans...ugh. Until then, I'm staying calm. Also, to make the transition somewhat easier, we booked a trip to PuertoVallarta in October! That might work to my detriment...we'll see :)
I plan to spend the warm days we have left, grilling. This recipe I came across online is a delicious dish that I love to make this time of year. It's a simple chicken breast, rubbed with an interesting spice mixture, served along side a refreshing pineapple salsa. I really like the spice rub on the chicken and the pineapple salsa offsets it perfectly. It's also served with a unique pumpkin polenta, which gives a teaser of the change of season ahead. Hey, at least I have food to look forward to in the Fall...
Out of all the fish dishes I make, this is Neil's absolute favorite. It's spicy, tangy, and a touch of sweet all in one. I've played around with the traditional veracruz sauce and made it to suit my taste. You don't have to use snapper either. Any firm, white fish will do for this. I'm really too tired to write anymore. This lazy Sunday is literally "lazy". We had a friend's wedding on Saturday...bit too much partying for me and no sleep! I'm paying for it now.
Have a great week, and make this. It's surprisingly a pretty quick fix for a weeknight meal.
I thought it fitting to post this moussaka recipe, after Neil and I went to the Greek restaurant, Mourayo in DC this past weekend. It's been open for a few years, but we never got around to checking it out. But last week, Neil came across an awesome deal from Groupon. If you haven't signed up for this, you really should. The deals come in daily and signing up is free. He basically paid $20 for a $40 coupon to Mourayo .
We enjoyed Mourayo overall. They serve traditional greek cuisine as well as some interesting twists. For example, the moussaka is made with ground duck in stead of lamb. We ordered the dip assortment, "Symposium" as an appetizer. It had about 5 dips...all tasty except for the hummus, which was dry and bland. The pita isn't freshly made , but it's served herbed and warm. For main course, I got the duck moussaka, which was tasty, although the flavor of duck was masked by the spices. I wouldn't have even known it was duck if I didn't read it on the menu. Neil got the winner of the evening, which was pork loin medallions served with Greek cheese, fig sauce and honey. It was a perfect marriage of flavors, and I ended up eating half his plate! I'm definitely going to try to replicate this one at home. The wines offered are all Greek. I'm not a fan of Greek wine, but we ordered a Cab/Syrah mix that wasn't bad.
Other dishes that are suppose to be popular are the crab/cheese in phyllo app, ground lamb and feta in phyllo entree, and the salt encrusted whole, fresh fish.
The restaurant is small and intimate. There is a little bit of a "cheese" element in that the waiters are dressed as sailors, and the restaurant has "portholes" on the walls. But, service was attentive and our waiter was knowledgeable too.
Would I return again? Probably not for a while, but if we get another groupon, it's a sure thing!
Anyways, I really do love a traditional moussaka, and this recipe is great. I never posted it before because the pictures are horrible. I was so hungry that night that I didn't have the patience to let it set or get a decent shot. But, trust me, if you like moussaka, this recipe is a keeper.
I relish the lazy Sundays where I can do whatever I please. Usually, my days are so routine and scheduled...get up at 6:30 am, exercise at 6:35 am, shower at 6:55 am, eat cereal at 7:30 am, go to work at 7:40 am, tea and muffin at 10 am, ...and the robotic routine goes on. It's my own fault, because I'm a creature of routine. But, when I get a "lazy Sunday" opportunity, I wake up whenever, and don't even bother to shower...which is pure freedom in itself! I put on some loud 80's music, an apron, and get to work on a fun recipe. It's my own little world where I forget about everything but the task at hand.
Making gnocchi is perfect for a Sunday! Gnocchi is one Italian pasta that I've had the most difficulty mastering at home. The ingredients are so simple (potato, flour, egg), but the technique is so tricky. In fact, majority of restaurants haven't gotten it right either. Most I've had are too heavy, gummy, or chewy. Gnocchi should be tender, light, fluffy pillows that melt in your mouth. You'll find various recipes out there with completely different proportions of potato/flour/egg. This recipe is the closest I've gotten, but I'm still in the practicing stage.
I sauteed the gnocchi in butter/oil, and served it with a truffledmornay sauce and the slow roasted tomatoes from last week. See, I told you those tomatoes were versatile! Truffledmornay sauce is just a fancy title for bechamel sauce that has been transformed into a "mornay" by melting/mixing in cheese at the end...in this case, a truffle cheese. Anyways, the dish shows so beautifully and the combination of flavors was pure bliss.
Uncooked gnocchi also freezes great. I think it's time I buy a separate freezer for all these Sunday experiments. If freezing, make sure you freeze them on a tray first, and then after they are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. They can go straight into boiling water from the freezer.
Here are some tips to perfecting gnocchi at home:
- Use Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes - Bake your potatoes versus boiling them. This is so you don't have any water in the dough, which will completely ruin it, contributing to the gummy/chewy texture. You can also bake them on a bed of coarse salt to draw out even more moisture. - Always rice your potatoes using a potato ricer. This will result in a fluffier, lighter gnocchi. Mashing the gnocchi can result in a gummy texture. - Don't use ricotta in your gnocchi unless you have completely drained it of any water. You should drain your ricotta in a cheese cloth overnight.
We're in the heart of tomato season, so I thought it was appropriate to post this delectable, summer bite. What makes these so tasty are the slow roasted tomatoes. These are so much better than store bought sundried tomatoes. Store bought ones have the the texture of beef jerkey and completely mask the true taste of tomatoes. Tomatoes scream "fresh" to me, and slow roasting them takes the inherent freshness to another level. After discovering how easy homemade slow roasted tomatoes are, I've sworn off sun dried tomatoes. The flavor concentrates, popping in your mouth, and the texture is so soft and delicate. I don't know how else to describe it. These are very versatile too. I have them pictured on crostini, but I've also used it in sauces, pasta, and pizza. Or you could do what Neil does, and just pop them in your mouth :) A hummus made with these tomatoes would also be fantastic. Make these by the trays and freeze them for the cold months. Ugh, I hate thinking that far ahead! We still have a good while to bake in the summer sun, right?
June flew by so incredibly fast and it’s already July 4th!! I feel like I’ve barely had enough time to enjoy summer, and it’s just passing me by. At least the rain is slowly, but surely decreasing. Hopefully, the trend continues into the holiday weekend. The perfect drink to celebrate the holiday, is this refreshing Sangria. I got the recipe from my cousin who makes some delicious libations. We have her make jugs of this at all of our family gatherings. I’m visiting her sister for July 4, so hopefully she makes this for me! Did you catch that, Sonia???
So, I kinda lied when I said I haven’t had time to enjoy the summer. I just want more time to explore…a lot more time! We have been taking advantage of the nice days and trying out restaurants in the city, specifically Capitol Hill. You might have noticed that I haven’t blogged much about any new restaurants lately, nor have I updated any that I have posted on. That’s because I hate writing, and I’m just not that good at really expressing myself. The hardest part about keeping up with this blog is the blogging! It would be so much easier to just post a recipe and picture, but I suppose that's cheating. Anyways, I have to come out of hiding because I'm so excited about some restaurants on Capitol Hill that are sure bets. We’ve been frequenting this area a lot this summer, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite city spots. Most of their venues also have outdoor seating, which I think is lacking in most parts of the city. Also, the Eastern Market on the weekends is such a fun summer treat. Btw, I’ve noticed that the Hill doesn’t have heavy markups on their wine like most DC restaurants. Overall, they are much more affordable for food and alcohol, and provide a casual, unpretentious environment. I haven’t made my way to all the restaurants on the Hill, but here’s a few that I’ve enjoyed recently.
Sonoma - This is a very cute, little wine bar. It’s sister restaurant is Mendocino Grill in Georgetown. The menu is very small, but the offerings are very good, and simple. Portions are small, so don’t expect to get full. I think this is more of a lunch/afternoon spot for a light meal with a glass of wine. I had the pasta with confit of chicken, which was divine. The flavors and seasonings were perfect, and the chicken melted in my mouth. Neil had a pizza, which was very small, yet tasty. It’s no 2 Amys, but it hit the spot. Oh, and you get some very plump, delicious olives to start with. A large part of the menu consists of cheese and charcuterie which is the common theme amongst wine bars. We sat outside, so I only got a little glimpse of the inside. It’s narrow and very small, with simple décor. Sitting outside was fun to people watch :)
Cava- This restaurant is also in Rockville, but recently opened up on the Hill…..and what a fabulous addition!! The cuisine is Greek, and it’s mezze style… similar to Zaytinya in Penn Quarter. All night, our group was comparing them, and the general consensus was that Cava is the better of the two. The only thing that gave Zaytinya the edge was their fresh pita. Cava provides pita, but it definitely isn’t freshly made. However, they provide an excellent spicy dip and olives along with their pita. Pitas aside, the mezze menu is very vast for meat eaters and vegetarians…a lot larger than Zaytinya, and between the 7 of us, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. The lamb sliders are an absolute must!! You can’t really go wrong with this menu. The restaurant itself is also very trendy and dimly lit. It has outdoor seating with a rooftop lounge as well. As far as drinks go, it has excellent cocktails on the menu, and very inexpensive, decent wines. You definitely want to take a group to this restaurant, so you can try more items. Service was very attentive too, especially given how packed the restaurant was.
Café 8- This is the closest thing I’ve had to authentic Turkish food in DC, and I have been to Turkey. They even sell the spicy Turkish dip, Muhammara, which I haven’t seen on other Turkish menus in the area. It was excellent, as was the Adana kebab and Pides (turkish "calzone"). Even the chicken kebab was delicious....I'm use to dry chicen kebabs at most places. The dough they use for the Pide is very soft and tasty, and as far as I can tell, authentic. This restaurant is such a nice treat, and it really took me back to Turkey for an evening. The restaurant itself is casual, and nicely decorated. They also have two outdoor sections, one in the front, and a small garden in the back. The wine list isn’t so great, but I was fine with the offerings. I suppose it’s not for the wine connoisseurs of the world. Just stay away from the Turkish wines. The food more than made up for the lacking wine list, and it is very affordable too! This is another restaurant good for a group, so you can try everything.
Next up on Capitol Hill is Belga Cafe! Happy eating and July 4 :)
Ahi Tuna is one of my favorite fish. It's very meaty, and holds up beautifully on the grill. This is the perfect meal for a hot, summer day. It's refreshing, healthy, and delicious. And doesn't it just look like summer? I like to serve it with couscous, but the dish stands up well all on it's own, making a wonderful treat for those that are low-carbing it. I'm a sucker for carbs, and don't feel complete without my daily dose, hence the couscous :) This recipe is also extremely fast and easy, so I've been preparing this almost every other week. Be sure to buy high quality fish, because the freshness and quality of your tuna will make a huge difference with this dish.
I thought that I had Pittsburgh sports in hibernation until football season, but I was oh so wrong. I totally forgot about hockey, and had to spend this last Friday night watching the Stanley Cup finals. The Penguins made it all the way to game 7, ended up winning the cup, and made Neil a happy camper. We watched the game at the Poorhouse , which is the Pittsburgh bar of DC. I had no idea that one existed, but it was a mad house, and very entertaining. There were multiple lifesize, homemade replicas of the Stanley Cup. Pitt fans are on the verge of insanity, and they are proud of it. Anyways, I decided that I'm a fan of Sidney Crosby, and Neil was so ecstatic about my preference that he agreed to "let" me have him in my top 5. Crosby definitely keeps hockey interesting :) I got through football and hockey, and Pitt is majorly sucking at baseball, so I think I'm in the clear for a short while. None of this has anything to do with the eggplant recipe, but I just felt like venting.
If you like eggplant, you have to try this recipe. It's made with Asian eggplant which takes on incredible flavors when seared and caramelized. My mom is vegetarian, so every time we go out for Asian food, she orders the eggplant stir fry. All of us carnivores mooch off her plate. This recipe comes pretty close to what she orders, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make. It makes a delicious addition to an Asian themed meal. I don't know about you, but when I eat Asian food, I like to have variety. I made this with pad thai and red curry. Try it!
I've had some really bad imitations of bellinis in restaurants here. Most just use peach juice with champagne, which tastes awful. But, I had my first real bellini in Venice, and it was a frothy delight! Ever since then, we've been making it at home during the summer months. It's a refreshing and relaxing treat. A traditional bellini consists of pureed peaches and prosecco (sparkling wine). Make a "Bellini Bar" with different fruit purees to mix with the prosecco! It's a great idea if you're hosting a brunch, shower, etc.
This past week/weekend we celebrated my birthday...I use my birthday as an excuse to get Neil to do the things that I like to do :) We started last Thursday in DC. I dragged Neil to the Penn Quarter Farmers Market. Then we, headed over to the happy hour at Vinotecaand after that made it to the happy hour at Oya. Both were a lot of fun, and great options for food and drink. Vinotecahas several glasses of wine priced at only $5. Oyadoes a great job on eclectic/modern sushi rolls, several of which are offered at happy hour prices. Btw, Oya's happy hour ends at 8 pm which is why we were able to make both. I don't know of many venues that have happy hour that late into the evening.
Friday night, I had a small birthday dinner with friends/family at Blue Duck Tavern and went out dancing at Tattoo Bar. It's literally my once a year outing. The last time I went out dancing in DC was my last birthday. I think Friday night was enough to last me another year :) Saturday turned out to be beautiful and sunny, so we went to some Virgina vineyards with a couple friends. We took some fun picnic food, and just took in the amazing weather. It's a beautiful drive as well this time of year. So, that's that...another year gone!
I didn't know what recipe to post today, since I'm a little drained. We got back from New Orleans recently, and I wanted to post the Muffelettas that Neil made for our winery outing, but I don't have those pictures uploaded yet :( I'll try to get it up soon.
I decided it would be a good time to post this caramel recipe. Ice cream season is here, and caramel is my favorite topping. Caramel is another one of those items that is actually really easy to make, but equally easy to royally screw up. Working with sugar can get tricky. With caramel, just when you think it's ruined, it's actually perfect. You'll understand what I mean when you try making it. This caramel is wonderful to have around to drizzle whenever you get that ice cream craving. For me, the ice cream craving is nightly these days. I try to stick with half a scoop on the weeknights though...I'm getting a tad better with self control. Sundays are double scoop day :) Sorry for the scattered post. It's hard getting back into the swing of things after such a crazy weekend! I'm gettin' old!
I spent the Memorial long weekend eating my little behind off in New Orleans. This is still one of my favorite dining destinations in the US, and it never fails us. I've been once before Katrina, and twice after. The city is as alive as ever, sprawling with tourists, and we had a blast. To get in the spirit of 'the big easy', I made some fried catfish fingers and Po Boys last week. The Po Boys were almost as good as what we had over the weekend. For those that have never had a Po Boy, it's simplicity at it's best...a french bread sandwich with some type of meat inside. I like it best stuffed with fried seafood. I "wiki'd" the term and found this:
"The traditional versions are served hot and include fried shrimp and oysters, catfish, crawfish, etc. You may be asked if you would like your po' boy "dressed". A "dressed" po' boy has lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise."
Instead of mayo, I made a remoulade sauce to go with the fried catfish fingers. I also used a store bought french bread, but the bread doesn't come close to that in NOLA. The crust of Louisiana French bread is very crispy, so much so that it is difficult to eat without leaving crumbs. But the interior is very light and airy. We ate our Po Boys at Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. It's a touristy spot, but you'll find the locals there too. They put a twist on their Po Boy that includes a tabasco infused mayo dressing. We get the "Peacemaker", which is a combo of fried oysters and shrimp. I've never had so much fried food over the course of a few days:) I need some major detoxing this week! Only problem is that my bday is on Thursday, so that just means more celebrating...but, I'm not complaining.
If any of you plan to go to NOLA, feel free to contact me for additional restaurant recs.
A while ago, I mentioned that I planned to experiment with red velvet cake. It's one of my favorite cakes as of late. I haven't figured out exactly why I like red velvet so much, but I think it's the sinful red color, mild chocolate flavor, and most importantly, the icing....combined, it's the perfection in a cake. Oh, and the brown sugar cream cheese icing in this recipe is the "icing on the cake".
So, I experimented by making different variations of the cake...one using just butter, one with a combo of oil/butter, and another with shortening. I thought the one with shortening had the best overall texture, so that's the recipe I'll provide. The best flavor was yielded by using all butter, but you are sacrificing some texture. The one with combo oil/butter was a little too fluffy for my taste. Whatever method you choose, as long as you make the cream cheese icing, you're set :) There are some who don't like the cream cheese flavor in icing, but I think it makes this cake.
After I narrowed down the best recipe, I made it for Neil's graduation. He recently got his MBA from GW in December, and got to walk this past weekend (May 15). He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the final graduation cake and all the cupcakes from my "experiments".
When I was packing up to move to a new house a couple years ago, I came across a waffle iron. I had no idea I even had one, or how it got there. Apparently, it was one of the few items that came with Neil when we got married. He never even used it, and I have no idea why he bought it. Maybe he thought his "future wife" would one day make him waffles :) Well, of course I put it to use. Making waffles on a Sunday morning is so much fun. It takes me back my college days at VT, when my hall mates and I went to Sunday brunch at the dining hall. We always got made to order waffles, topped with tons of whipped cream and strawberries. How I miss those days!
Here's another asian dish that I was inspired to make after returning from Bali. I'm starting out basic, and maybe I'll expand later. This is just a simple beef red curry that you can make with virtually any meat and/or vegetable. My mom bought me a new wok over christmas that came in handy with this. It allows you to saute the veggies and meat super fast. This dish is incredibly easy and very quick to make on a weeknight after work.
Hope everyone's enjoying the scorching HOT weather...I for one love it!!!
I love steak, but I loathe steakhouses. They are stuffy, pretentious, and just boring. Ray's the Steaks is the only steakhouse I enjoy, due largely to the laid back attitude there. I believe that good food is meant to be eaten in a fun, relaxing environment. So, I equally enjoy making steaks at home. Steak aupoivre with mushrooms is my favorite and so incredibly easy. Just be careful not to overcook it, and bring the steaks to room temperature before it hits the hot skillet. Also, be sure to develop a nice char on both sides through high heat. Doing so will be the difference between a great steak and a mediocre one. Neil wanted me to point out that this charring is called "Pittsburgh Style" (his hometown), although I haven't confirmed the truth in that :)
A lot of grocery stores now sell prime grade steaks. The steak pictured is an Omaha steak that my cousin sent to us for Christmas. We were so surprised when we got a huge delivery of filetmignons, ribeyes, NY strips, burgers etc. Very cool gift!! The steaks from Omaha are very consistent, and the variety works out for us, because I like filetmignons while Neil likes ribeyes and NY strip.
Anyways, I served the filet pictured with potato gratin and creamed spinach. I posted the potato recipe, but the creamed spinach doesn't really have a recipe. I just use whatever creaming agents I have on hand. I believe for the one pictured, I had mascarpone lying around, so I creamed wilted spinach, garlic and shallots with mascarpone, milk, and parmesan. Cream cheese, heavy cream, evaporated milk, etc all work great for creamed spinach too.
Anyways, I hope you use this recipe to enjoy a fancy steak night at home.
I love tarts and I love goat cheese! I rarely ever get to make this because of Neil's strong aversion to goat cheese. It's all in his head! I've snuck in goat cheese on occasion, and he never noticed. Little by little I'm weening him in. But, he's not ready for this tart yet. Anyways, when I was asked to bring an item to my friend's party, I jumped at the opportunity. This is incredible for goat cheese lovers, and the presentation is really pretty for a spring party. Speaking of, the winter is still lingering way longer than it should be :( I had to bust out my winter gloves last week!
Going to Bali has got me craving Asian food. It's not my favorite cuisine, but Bali has given me a fresh, new perspective. I think the exotic ingredients and the fusion of Asian cuisine there is the what made it so incredible...far superior than anything we get here. Anyways, I'm willing to start experimenting some. We had these delicious corn fritters in Bali. I was searching through my Thai cookbook when I came back, and actually found a corn fritter recipe in it. I added a few extra ingredients based on what I remember in Bali. These are an excellent appetizer. Double the recipe, because they go quick. I easily eat 3-4 without even knowing it.
We had a blast this past weekend with my cousins visiting from NY. The first day of Spring proved to be a beautiful beginning to a great weekend....sunshine all around, and noticeably warmer temperatures!! In celebration, we thought it would be the perfect time to fire up the grill. On Saturday evening, we treated them to the Turkish feast that we've been enjoying since our return from Turkey last July. So, I'm posting this Turkish nut dip, Muhammara, that I became obsessed with in Turkey. This recipe comes the closest to what I had there. It's great with pita wedges, and even better slathered on grilled meats. Happy Spring!!
Spring was definitely in the air after returning from Bali...the days are getting longer, the clocks moved forward. However, this last weekend things took a bad turn with the nasty rain and frigid temperatures :( I'm not discouraged just yet. It looks like the weather will be improving very nicely this week. I've noticed the tulips starting to peek out in my backyard too, a true sign of beautiful days to come. The brief preview of spring had me craving bruschetta and crostinis. I don't know why my mind relates those to nice weather. I love this particular white bean bruschetta. I first had it at Po restaurant in NY, and immediately looked up Mario Batali's recipe. This is absolutely delicious, light, and very healthy too. It just screams "Spring" to me :) See Recipe!
We spent the last two weeks in the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia. Bali is very small in size. It's easy enough to drive around the entire coast in one day. We stayed in the areas of Kuta/Legian, Ubud and Seminyak. The Balinese culture is very rich and from my observation is defined in large part by religion. They are predominately Hindu, while Indonesia as a whole is Muslim. The Balinese practice of Hinduism is can be seen in their temple ceremonies, dance performances, and daily prayers/offerings to the Gods. Every Balinese native we met throughout our trip made a mention of their rituals and ceremonies.
Bali was the most relaxing of all of our vacations. Everything there is designed around R&R....abundance of spas, beautiful villas with private pools, and beaches. We definitely did our share of relaxing, but I can only relax so much before I get "antsy". So, everyday we did a long walk in the city, making little discoveries along the way. Shopping in Bali is endless!! Often we would end our city walks with a massage/facial at a spa. Neil got totally addicted to the spas, that we would sometimes spend part of our day going "spa shopping". Yes, there are that many, and SUPER cheap. After walking/spa, we'd go back to the villa for a dip in the pool and light reading before getting ready for dinner. Of course, dinner was the highlight of my night :) Bali has an abundance of phenomenal restaurants, catering mostly to tourist population. One interesting tidbit we found out is that the Balinese typically do not go out to dinner, nor do they have the tradition of eating at defined times during the day, or as a family. This is not indicative of Indonesia as a whole (just Bali). Several locals we spoke to said that they usually cook food in the morning, and eat that same food throughout the day whenever they feel hungry. The only times they actually make a production out of eating is during ceremonial events. Due to this, you can find virtually every type of cuisine in Bali for the tourist population. We ate everything from traditional Indonesian food to even Spanish food, often prepared by top chefs.
Of all the countries that we have visited, Neil and I both agree that the Balinese are the friendliest. We felt special at every establishment...at hotels, spas, restaurants, even taxis...they go out of their way to conversate with you and make you feel welcomed to their island. This island thrives on tourists, and only now are they finally starting to get the tourist livelihood back.
Below is the breakdown of the different areas we stayed within Bali:
KUTA (3 days)
- Kuta is one of the main areas and is only about 5 minutes from Legian. It's a bustling city with a good amount of shopping/boutiques in both Kuta and Legian. Also, this area has the most options for nightlife/clubs. Kuta beach is very popular, and Legian Beach is right nearby too. Looking back, I don't think it's necessary to stay in Kuta. It's only 15-20 minutes from Seminyak, which we enjoyed much more. So, taking a taxi to Kuta for a day is more than enough.
Accomodations:
- We stayed at Villa De Daun. Our villa had a private pool and full kitchen. Minibar is complimentary. The decor of the villa was very simplistic, modern, and very clean. Breakfast served in the villa every morning. We definitely recommend this place, and it is walking distance to everything. Even though it's in the heart of the city, the villa provided complete privacy. We also got an amazing complimentary welcome "foot massage" in their spa.
Eating:
- We did lunches along Legain Beach. We enjoyed eating at Lanai, that had a great rooftop and veiw of the beach.
- We had dinner one night in Jimbaran Bay (about 20 minutes from Kuta). There are an abundance of fresh seafood restaurants along the bay, all having a gorgeous view of the sunset. We ended up at restaurant "AMC", but all along the bay appear to be the same.
- We also did dinner at Ku De Ta. This is actually located in Seminyak. Like I mentioned before, the cities are all very close by. Ku De Ta is one of the more upscale/ritzy restaurants. The menu is good, but it's a lot pricier than other even better restaurants in Bali. I don't recommend this for dinner. However, it's great for drinks and catching the sunset at Seminyak beach. We did this while in Seminyak, and the scene was really cool, and the sunset, breathtaking.
UBUD (2 days)
- Ubud, located about 45 minutes from Kuta, is known as Bali's centre for arts, dance, and music. This is where you would come to by art, fabrics, and wood carvings. There's a huge outdoor market for shopping, which is great for gifts to take home. Ubud is a very quaint town, and very different from the bustling of Kuta and ritz of Seminyak. It has a very strong character, and draws in those individual that are active in art, nature, anthropology, environmentalism, etc. You'll find a vast difference in the tourists that exist in Ubud versus the other cities. One local told us that many writers come to write their books in the environment that Ubud offers. Also, Ubud is very culturally scenic, with it's rice paddies, small villages, arts/craft communities, and temples.
We spent one day taking a bike tour along many villages near Ubud. I highly recommend doing a bike tour, as you will be able to see amazing views of the picturesque rice paddies along the way. Some of the views were breathtaking. Also, our tour guide provided us with so much information on the culture of Bali. During the bike tour, we also got to visit a coffee plantation. There, they have this animal called a Luwak, known as the "coffee cat". We were told that this cat serves the purpose of eating the coffee beans and then the droppings are used to make the actual coffee. The coffee itself is very expensive. Check out this website: http://www.animalcoffee.com/
We also spent at day at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud. It is a small nature preservation having lush surroundings, a temple, and hundreds of monkeys (Balinese macaques). The monkeys are very tolerant of people, but you have to be careful around them. We were allowed to feed them, which was a blast but a little scary. One of the monkeys patted my behind and another even jumped on my head!!!
Accomodations:
- We stated at the Greenfield Bungalows. This wasn't as lush as where we stayed in Kuta or Seminyak, but it complimented the overall feel of Ubud. The bungalow was decorated in traditional Indonesian style, with traditional wood carvings and furniture throughout. Our deck overlooked rice paddies. The environment was very serene...again, very different from the other two cities. Breakfast in the villa is complimentary.
Eating:
- We enjoyed eating lunch at Tutmak Cafe in Ubud. The cafe had a continental menu, and was packing with a lot of interesting people. I noticed that a lot of "ex-pats" frequented this spot
- For dinners we went to Nomad and Cafe Wayan. Nomad did a modern take on Indonesian cuisine. It was quite good. If you go, the Indonesian Beef Kebab is mind blowing...everything else was just good. Cafe Wayan serves traditional Indonesian fare. The setting at the restaurant is gorgeous. The tables are situated in a beautifully lit, lush garden. There are some low tables too where you sit on pillows to eat. Traditional Indonesian food is typically served on a big plate with small offerings of different items all in little banana leaf bowls. The overall look is very pleasing, as is the variety. We enjoyed trying this, but we didn't love the traditional Indonesian. We found that we enjoy the "fusion" take that a lot of other restaurants did (i.e. mixing Thai, Indian, Indonesian cuisines)
SEMINYAK (5 days)
Seminyak is considered the swanky/ritzy city of Bali. You will find some of the best villas, spas, restaurants, and shopping in this area. All are in abudance! We enjoyed Seminyak the most of the 3 cities, so I'm glad we spent most of our time here. This is where we did most of our spa visits. We enjoyed the Bodyworks spa there, but you can't go wrong with many of the spas there. Just do your research and check out the rooms before reserving it. We ( I mean "I") did a lot of shopping here too! There are dress boutiques galore! We enjoyed eating here the most also :)
Accomodations:
- We stated at the Villa Kubu. This was even more beautiful than the villa in Kuta. Again, it was modern decor villa with a living room, full kitchen, eating area, bedroom, private pool, and a beautiful outdoor bathroom. Had it not been for all the spas/shopping in Villa Kubu, I could have hung out in the villa all day. Breakfast is cooked and served in the villa too!
Drinks/Afterhours:
- Seminyak has a lot of great restaurants along the beach where you can go for drinks and catch the sunset. Ku De Ta and La Luciola are both very popular for sunset drinks.
- After hours, people gravitate to the bars at Hu'u bar, Gado Gado, and the Living Room. JL. Diana Pura Street (aka "Drink Street") is also a popular street for bars.
- There are also some afterhours bars along Seminyak beach.
Eating:
- We did our lunches on the go. We enjoyed the Junction (for fresh/healthy food and drink), the Corner (freshly made sandwiches), and Lanai for beach views. We also frequented Bali Deli, which is their version of a Whole Foods/Balduccis. You can find virtually everything there. Also, you can do your shopping here if you wish to cook in your villa.
- Dinner in Seminyak is truly an experience. The options are endless as is the cuisine! Being in Bali, I tried to stick mostly to Asian cuisine. There are excellent Italian restaurants too (Ultimo and Trattoria are popular), but I didn't bother. Our favorite restaurant was Sarong, specializing in Asian fusion cuisine. The restaurant itself is absolutely stunning, and the food was so delicious, and very reasonably priced. They serve dishes like red Indonesian matarbak with paneer and chutney, red curry duck, southern indian fish curry, tandoori chicken, etc. We loved it so much that we went there twice. Ask them to make your food spicy if you prefer. We also enjoyed Antique restaurant, specializing in modern Indonesian. The curry dishes there were excellent, and very affordable. We deviated from Asian one night and tried La Salfor Spanish tapas...another great find in a fabulous, upscale setting. Our last night, we went to Chandirestaurant for modern Indonesian food. The chef there is a former chef of Nobu. The food was excellent, and again cheap. The black pepper crab dumplings are to die for!! There are so many other restaurants we would have liked to go to but did not have the time. We found a lot of our information on restaurants from Tripadvisor.com. The following tripadvisor contributors were extremely helpful: jade_du and BrigidE.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bali. It's an island rich of beauty and culture, and I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it. I hope that I've convinced someone out there to take a trip to Bali. If I can handle the flight time, literally anyone can.
Hey there! I'm Sonal, and currently reside in Northern Va. with my husband Neil. Food is my life...along, w/ my family of course :) I'm officially in the 30-something world, and desperately felt the need to start expressing my passion. I'll be writing about eating, cooking, baking, and posting recipes that I’ve tested myself. I'll also include my food experiences in the area and those on my travels.
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