Warung Brazil at Kuta - Cheap Foods!!

Love it or Hate it, Kuta is still one of the most popular destination in Bali. And consequently, the prices there is sky rocket high. Well, not as pricey as Nusa Dua, but still most of the time you got to pay more than what you get. This is not true at Warung Brazil in Kuta :)

The first impression that you'll have when you see this place is probably: "God!". It can be "God, this place's hideous!" or "God, it's so old-fashioned comfy!" Either way, it's good enough to visit or at least stroll to. I came to this place on my official second-day-of-holiday. After a very disappointing moment in Kuta Beach, where my intention to swim was severely washed away by the high pile of trash. So off I go to have breakfast here.



A glass of milk for IDR 5k and Ham-Cheese-Onion-Garlic-Tomato Jaffle for IDR 8K



Don't expect a superb taste. It is pretty normal yet pretty decent :D. Pretty much according to its price. But quite ok, considered my budget was tight LOL. Surely visit this place again, unless I can find something nicer with the same price.

Update April 2011: See more affordable ( a.k.a cheap :p ) foods here. Totemo just undergo renovation, and it's great! Need to try the rest, though ;)

Galungan Dec 2010 Part 2: Food, Glorious Food...

After the flower business (which is a treat for the eye), I'm gonna take you to indulge the glorious food we had at Galungan (yes, a treat for the tummy!).


A day before Galungan is called Penampahan Galungan, which the Balinese menampah/butchered and prepared the meat (usually pig's). As our family is quite small we don't need to really butcher a whole pig, we just buy the meat at the market.
Among other dish, the things that was prepared are some fried pork cutlet, lindung (small fresh water eel), fried chicken eggs, boiled duck eggs (serve whole as a part of the offering), urutan (balinese sausage), and calon (javanese: dendeng ragi, which is coconut shred and mince meat fried together). We also made crispy fried shallot and the all time must: Sambal Matah.


We also make some lawar and other vegetable dish. However for offering Mum opt to dye the lawar with red dye instead of using fresh blood. Again, this is because there's just so few of us at home. In various communities, especially ones with large families, Galungan is a very big event and every one take part of it. This rings the bell especially in villages, but not really so in the city area. A bit too bad actually, tradition may sounds painfully hellish but it is always good to have a special day for get-together.


Thankfully the food preparation ends well, which means the offering was made in proper amount and not ending up in our tummy. This is of course due to Mum's strict gaze every time we pass the table (sorry mum hehehehe). And our reward for being such good children is the ultimate Mum's specialty: smoked fish in sambal matah, accompanied with raw (round) eggplant. Yummy yum yum!!! Next up: The Praying trip :)

Galungan Dec 2010 Part 1: Flower Power!

My long awaited holiday is over.. Sigh... But I still need to tell you how it goes ;).

As you have probably read in my previous Galungan and Kuningan post, Galungan is a celebration of the Dharma (good) victory against Adharma (not good). Balinese Hindu celebrate it with various offerings and prayers, and all family (commonly) gathered to prepare the big day: the feast, the offering, and so on. It's almost like Christmas or Thanksgiving (but minus the presents and the turkeys) or Ied-ul Fitri (minus the fasting - thank God!).

For women, the preparation starts with preparing the offerings, which consists of flowers, fruits, dainty cakes, and various types of offering complementer made from young coconut frond (which is a piece of art itself). Making the frond arrangement is quite a task for me, but not shopping ;)

As I reside in Denpasar, the best place to shop all the flowers we need is at Pasar (market) Badung. This market is currently undergo renovation, but it still fabulously fantastic to visit especially days berfore a Bali Holy Day. The flowers are just everywhere! The sack that you see on the right below is flower petals of Rose Balsam or Bunga Pacah. Can't believe how many flowers needed for one sack, and there they trade it by tons. They also have shredded pandan leaves, all by sacks.



Also selling lotus flowers, hydrangea, ylang ylang, and sweet smelling champaka. You are welcome to buy it, even just for giving scent in your room. The price is about IDR 1000 per champaka, but it may fluctuates during (or near) Holy days.



Pasar Badung also have various food stalls, fruit stalls, anything you need for your praying and also daily cooking. Imagine going to farm market and multiply it to 10, that would sum it up, and it's only the seller on the outside of the building (Pasar Badung also have a solid building for Balinese Clothes seller, souvenirs and such). The surrounding, however, was well maintained as "old town" complex.



Back to business, I took a shot of what one of the offering complementer will be (Canangs). The case is made from young coconut frond, and it was filled with flowers, pandan leaves, sugar cane, banana, and stuff I'm not sure what it called in English (or even in Indonesia!). It's rich in meaning, rich in color, rich in everything. Balinese did a fine work for God ;).



Shopping for Galungan at Pasar Badung is really fun. I enjoy the sight of the old buildings and shops around, which combine really well with the noise and the sweet flower smell. What can I say, I'm a sensualist hehehe... If you haven't been there, go, and enjoy yourself :). Gajah Mada Town Festival is also a great way to get to know more about this fabulous place, and it is usually held on December 28-30. Who said shopping in traditional places is a nuisance?