POTATO HEAD | Bali

KU DE TA | Bali

Ku De Ta always seems to make it on the "list" when people ask what to do/where to go in Bali... For good reason, too! Ku De Ta is the perfect place to relax and enjoy your vacation. This beach club in hip spot Seminyak is a restaurant/lounge/bar all rolled into one (in my opinion, they are lacking a pool, i hope they get one). Jon and I went during the day, we were lucky and snagged the cabana lounge chairs right as a couple was leaving. We ordered some drinks and a pizza from their grazing menu. Our Romeo & Juliet pizza -grilled zucchini, white anchovy, dried chili, candied lemon parmesan- was served on a wooden board, we didn't have to move an inch from our perfect sunspot. Ahhhh, vacation :)

METIS | Bali

METIS :: My favorite meal from Bali 6.0

If you get the chance visit Bali, please please dine at Metis. I only have the best words for this restaurant... It's a place for elegant dining in a romantic setting with of course, superb food, which they classify as French Mediterranean. This might have been the biggest meal Jon and I have ever shared. We started with warm bread, ordered our own appetizers and shared the cote de boeuf and everything that came with it. Mind you, the portion on the menu said it would be good for 2-3 people! If you know me, I was still able to make room for dessert - I chose from their signature kinds of souffle. To be honest, we could have skipped appetizers and just done the meat with dessert... What can I say, we like to eat, and we like to eat a lot :) Alfresco dining made for a lengthy dinner chatting over all kinds of things, we were certainly in no rush to get out of there. The sublime beauty and ambience lit up the evening and we just took it all in - note the surrounding rice fields in the photos below! I can't wait to go back to Bali, and will for sure visit Metis again.

Red & White

Jon's: Yellow Fin Tuna Sashimi, Ginger Coriander Soy Sauce, Ginger Tempura, Crispy Garlic

Mine: Trio of Tartare, Yellow Fin Tuna, Tasmanian Salmon, Chilled Steam Alaskan King Crab

Ours: La Cote de Boeuf {this came with garlic parsley cottage fries, shimeji mushrooms, tomato provancal x2, green salad x2}

Green Salad

Ours: Pista Choc Souffle {caribe chocolate souffle, pistachio parfait, grapefruit confit, vanilla cream}

STAR FISH BLOO | Bali

I can start my Bali posts! Can I just say I had the best (mini) vacation... I say 'mini' because it was too short, I would have loved to stay longer to see more and explore different areas of the island. Our hotel was the bomb so it was hard to leave knowing we only had a short time to soak it all in. We stayed at the *uber-chic* and laid-back W Hotel Retreat & Spa. Click on the link and check it out!

Dinner on the first night was at Star Fish Bloo, the signature restaurant of the hotel. Its beachfront location, fun aquamarine tones, over-sized lobster pot booths and excellent food make it a beach-chic dining spot you don't want to miss! The menu is inspired from the sea -duh- and everything else is built around that. There are other items on the menu which are more telling of the Pan Asian region (like the Korean fried chicken we ordered and also the shrimp-stuffed chicken wings) but I'd say it's heavy on the seafood at Star Fish Bloo; as it should be! Amazing first meal to welcome in the anniversary celebrations.

Simpang Asia - Indonesian Cafe and Marketplace

The Rambla International Krew -I just made that up and that is what I've decided to call ourselves- went out for Indo night a couple days back. Kezia, our Indonesian representative, shared with us a secret spot, Simpang Asia. (Props to them, they have a website!)

I take that back. Maybe not so secret. Every Indonesian Kezia knows in LA was there... Ok, everyone except for her boyfriend. It seems to be a popular hang out spot for the Indonesian community - which makes sense as they provide great local dishes [Cafe] alongside a complete selection of familiar groceries [Marketplace]. The food is a cross between home-cooked meals and traditional "street food." If flavor is your thing, you will not be disappointed!

Whether you are going for dinner, or maybe buying ingredients to make dinner - why not try a completely new cuisine! We went family style... Check.It.Out.

Becca & Stephanie

Gago Gado - spinach, long beans, bean sprouts, carrots, tofu, peanut dressing

Nasi Bungkus - banana leaf wrap, steamed rice, chicken curry, beef rendang, egg, spiced potato, vegetable curry

Ayam Goreng Kuning - tumeric fried chicken

Nasi Goreng - traditional Indonesian fried rice (my favorite)

While Stephanie, Kezia and Becca stocked up on noodles...

... I bought some fun snacks