Uncompromisingly Fresh

On my first day in Ubud, Bali, I was taken on a 20-minute walk out of town, along a winding path through bright-green rice paddies.

Our destination was Sari Organik, an organic café nestled in the middle of a lush rice field with a stunning view of mountains, coconut palms and chirping ducks foraging in the water channels. The food was so good that I found myself making that peaceful pilgrimage almost daily.

Sari Organik’s open-air dining room is filled with large bamboo tables and benches covered in pillows. The laid-back ambience encourages one to lounge, enjoy a rare cool breeze, and slow down. And you will need to, as the pace at Sari may be even slower than in the rest of Bali, but I guarantee you won’t mind. This truly is a “slow food” establishment and a locavore's paradise.

The founders, Odead and Nila, grow their own organic vegetables and rice right outside the restaurant. You can wander the gardens and pick your own vegetables if you like, and they’ll cook them for you to order (like everything else on the menu). I was never tempted to do that because the daily specials on the menu kept me inspired right up until my very last meal in Ubud.

The gado gado (tempeh and vegetables in peanut sauce) is light and flavorful from the freshly toasted and ground peanuts that comprise the sauce. The seemingly simple garden salad is a a luscious bowl of tender baby greens and edible flowers coated with a slightly emulsified dressing of juicy shavings of fresh coconut meat and lemon juice. The tempura, crisp and light, is made with a creative selection of fresh vegetables. My favorite dish is their version of Bali’s staple meal, nasi campur, a platter of rice (usually served with meat) with a selection of vegetables that changes according to the day’s pickings – most memorably green beans with chili and coconut and crisp sweetcorn fritters. It was hands down the best nasi campur I had on this trip to Bali.

Like many restaurants in Bali, the menu shows international influence. Nila, the owner/chef, makes pita bread with wheat that she and Odead grind themselves in an oven they brought back from Israel. What sets Sari Organik apart is the fact that their menu is driven by what they’re harvesting on a daily basis. That means, no matter the dish's origin, it will be absolutely, uncompromisingly fresh.

If you are feeling lazy and don’t want to make the 20-minute hike up to the café, call and they’ll pick you up on a motorbike; just don’t be surprised to discover that your driver is also your waiter and juice maker!