Cindiot, girl wanderer

ninagarcia:

Sketch by Valentino

(via yobopaints)

This post was originally written for Herb & Lace.

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One of my all time favorite Indonesian dishes happens to be one that is served only when night falls and one that can cause major artery clogs. I’ve known it my whole life as martabak manis as it is commonly known in Jakarta, but in Bali it goes by the name terang bulan—it took me four months to discover that both names refer to the same exact dish.

It can easily be found in one of the vendors that line the streets at night, in seemingly every corner. The hub of vendors closest to my house is modestly sized and serves a decent variety of foods that’s just enough to satiate the neighborhood’s cravings without encouraging people to loiter the night away smoking cigarettes (this is the typical place to do just that in cities). Most of these vendors will serve one or more dishes from the 40 that Indonesians can’t live without.

In Bali, you will always find terang bulan in the same stall that offers martabak telor. These two dishes are wildly different from each other, and yet are always sold side by side. Terang bulan is a sweet, rich pancake-like dish with toppings that you can pick and choose from a selection: chocolate, cheese, coarsely ground peanuts, sesame seeds, and even bananas. I always go for the chocolate, cheese, and peanut combination, which is known as komplit, or the “complete”, in Jakarta. On the other hand, martabak telor is more like a thin crepe filled with eggs, scallions, and other savory ingredients and heavily doused in oil.

Unfortunately, terang bulan contains more lard, margarine and condensed milk than most people should consume in a year. Its appearance is not the most enticing either, so it’s extremely difficult to convince other people to try it for their first time after they know its key ingredients. Just take a look:

Nevertheless, I love it so much that there is no guilt in this pleasure of mine. I’ve grown up with it and cannot resist it. And judging by its ubiquity all throughout Indonesia, I am not alone. Plus, as long as there are people like the ones in Epic Meal Time to compare to, I don’t feel so bad indulging in a couple pieces at a time.

Each portion of terang bulan in Bali typically contains about 8 slider-sized pieces whereas the martabak manis in Jakarta contains double of that. In Jakarta there are many established chains that operate multiple stalls around the city, but I don’t see this at all in Bali; seems like every terang bulan vendor here operates independently of each other without ever taking that next step of establishing a brand. So even though I highly recommend the Martabak Top Bandung chain in Jakarta out of the plenty that I’ve tried, I don’t have enough knowledge or experience to make one stellar recommendation in Bali—though I will say that the one near my house on Jl. Raya Lungsiakan is pretty darn similar to the Martabak Top Bandung chain. You can find the hub of stalls on the north side of the street, near the only bridge that exists on this street and thus hard to miss. 

-C

(Source: chowdownbali)

chowdownbali:

I originally wrote this entry for Herb & Lace, a lifestyle blog of women based all over the world sharing things we love most. But it’s also relevant here, so enjoy:

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This time I am writing about roast suckling pig from Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population. Unexpected, perhaps? In case you didn’t know, Bali is home to the majority of Indonesia’s Hindu minority. In fact, more than 90% of Bali’s population adhere to Balinese Hinduism, a sect that is not found elsewhere. I wouldn’t do the religion justice if I were to write about it, so I’ll just stick with what I know and what I like: eating pork.

Bali is a haven in Indonesia for pork eaters. Many domestic non-Muslims travel here and make a point of eating as much pork as they can before returning home, where most restaurants are halal and don’t serve pork. The influence of Islam is so strong that in my hometown, Jakarta, even Din Tai Fung serves only chicken xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Ridiculous, no!? However thankfully, in Bali, there is a wide option of dishes for the pork-hungry, from barbeque baby back ribs to char siu.

What makes Bali an even more porky destination is babi guling, the signature dish of Bali that has captured the hearts and stomachs of many, even Anthony Bourdain:

OK. No question about it. This is the best pig I’ve ever had. Absolutely, the best. I mean is there anything more beautiful? Do you think that even the finest French chef could ever come up with anything as delicious or as beautiful as this? I think not. It’s the mountain-top of pork. And I am there.

I am not much of a cook, so in my amateur tongue I will describe it as baby pig stuffed with a blend of spices (most of which I do not know how to say in English) and spit-roasted. The spices are the magic. It is these unique flavors that make Bali’s roast stand out from other roast pig dishes elsewhere. Indonesia is, after all, the country of former Spice Islands.

The restaurant where Anthony Bourdain made the above comment, which, not surprisingly, became instantaneously famous is Warung Ibu Oka, located just fifteen or twenty minutes motorbike ride from my house. Unfortunately, it shares the same fate as other establishments overcrowded by tourists: price rises while quality declines. I’d still go there from time to time, especially when I have friends or family visiting who want to try it for the first time. But I feel pretty lucky that a new babi guling joint just opened up on my street that is gaining steadfast popularity in the neighborhood:

I say joint because it is not exactly a restaurant; it still has no name, no fancy store front, just several tables and a place for three ladies to prepare the dish and drinks. The building is not even wired for electricity yet. But the steady stream of people getting their babi guling to-go and/or for dining in is impressive for only its third week in operation. Every morning I assume the ladies spit-roast the pig at home and then come to this place to set up shop for lunch. I see them setting up on my way to work before 9, and when they run out of meat, they call it a day. This gives me confidence that their pork is always fresh.  It’s basically the bare minimum of a pop-up restaurant, without the hype and indie cred of the West.

The meat is so tender and flavorful that my co-workers and I find ourselves back here more than once a week for lunch. At only 12,000 IDR a plate (that’s roughly 1.50 USD), how could you say no? I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures of the dish itself, but each plate consists of rice, tender meat, crispy pork skin, blood sausage, and fried intestines. I am sure at least one of the above will gross out most people, so you could always just request to have certain items excluded from your plate.

GETTING THERE:

This anonymous babi guling joint is located on Jl. Raya Lungsiakan in Ubud, just slightly west of Fly Cafe and Sakanaya. They only open for lunch, so better that you come early before everyone else finishes the entire pig. Parking is difficult around this area so I advise renting a motorbike instead to come here—Ubud is best experienced on a scooter anyway!

-C