Colette in Bali
Lingering at breakfast in Bali is one of my favorite things to do. With a view of the lush greeen rice fields, delicate sarong clad women serve us fruit shakes made with aloe vera, banana and papaya. Platters of exotic fruit abound with descriptive names like "snake fruit" for its reptilian skin; it looks like elephant garlic once peeled and is slightly crunchy and has a mildly sweet nutty/apple flavor. Mangosteen is one of my favorite fruits. It has a thick dark purple cork-like skin that cracks open with the pinch of three fingers. Inside white sections of soft citrus or lychee-like flavored pieces hydrate my mouth. The sweetest fruit ever is the "savo". It tastes like pure brown sugar and looks like a small brown skinned potato.
Chili pepers are a staple in Indonesian cuisine and is used in many creative ways, even for breakfast. Following all the fruit we were presented with a thin crepe style omelette; made with chopped shallots and thinly sliced chili pepers, so delicately scattered that they teased the palette with just enough spice to contrast the denser flavor of the eggs. It was neatly folded and quickly devoured with a local multi grain bread from our favorite market "Bali Buddha".
With breakfast running into midday we skipped lunch but could not resist a road side snack called "klepon". Wrapped in a pouch shaped banana leaf, bite sized balls made of sticky rice and aloe vera are covered in shredded coconut. Each chewy bite is mildly sweet with a little burst of liquid palm sugar. At fifty cents for five pouches I was scooping them all up, ending the day for the vendor.
I don't recommend road side food (exception "klepon") but strongly recommend going to the Aman Kila hotel in Ubud for the "ric rac" or any Indonesian meal. With the breath taking views and the exquisite traditional decor a meal at this premier hotel is a must. Here is where I had my favorite meal that I now crave every day; the "ric rac". The Balinese make an amazing red chili sauce that is not too spicy and is slightly sweet. It has shallots and tomatoes and can be a bit dense. In this dish a fillet of mahimahi was grilled and stacked on top of buttery green beans and spinach and topped with the red chili sauce. It was a heavenly combination with each flavor so separate yet wonderful when together in one mouthful.
From fine hotel cuisine to home cooked omelettes, my taste buds are asking to go back to Bali. Not only a tastey voyage but a cultural experience that fills all the senses with its beautiful rice fields and graceful people. "Try it, you'll like it!"
