Crippling fear gripped me, when I landed in at Depensar
airport, Bali and realised I had two and a bit weeks of struggling to find food
that I could eat. I had researched restaurants I could have eaten at, but like
anywhere restaurants come and go in Bali like the wind.
It wasn’t as hard as I had feared though, with my coeliac
translation card I found it OK and most places knew what gluten free was,
especially in Seminyak and Ubud.
Here are my highlights for Gluten Free meals in the places
that we stayed in Bali and Gili T – Hope you like them!
Seminyak:
Hotels: Vasanti Resort and TS Suites
Restaurants: Biku, Watercress, Chez Gado Gado, La Plancha,
Potato Head and Ku De Ta
What a wonderful place Seminyak is, a little touristy, but
it has a great vibe with beautiful hotels! All the hotels we stayed in had a
gluten free option for breakfast. They all had omelette stations, where you
could request what you liked. There were no gluten containing products that
went near to the stations (I checked!) and you could have as many as you liked.
They also had a fruit selection (the usual watermelon, melon, papaya, pineapple
and sometimes strawberries) which was fine for me.
Seminyak is not short of restaurants either. There was a
list of restaurants I wanted to go to, including Serong and Mama San (who both have a designated gluten free
menu, I also hear the food is brilliant) but we didn’t have time, or we were
staying too far from them - although as cabs are so reasonable, I am sure you could get to them!
However, I did go to a few restaurants that either had a
gluten free menu, or fully understood gluten free and the importance of it.
See a few of those that were outstanding in Seminyak below:
Biku:
What a
wonderful restaurant! From the moment my boyfriend and I walked in we were
mesmerised. The restaurant used to be an antiques shop, so it is laden with
beautiful artefacts, and some you can even buy (they have a shop on the left
hand side). I said to the waitress that I was gluten free and she produced me a
whole menu that was gluten free – AMAZING. I had the Vitenamese spring rolls to
start (made with ricepaper) which were served with a gluten free sweet chili
dip and tamari – they were a taste sensation! I then went on to have the Mahi-
Mahi fish cooked in Indonesian spices served with sticky rice. The flavours
danced in my mouth and the plate was clean in about 5 minutes. I had heard many
things on twitter about Biku’s famous carrot cake (not gluten free…L) so I took the liberty
of asking if they made a gluten free version – low and behold they did. My
boyfriend watched in amazement as I squashed the last crumbs onto my fork…he
had never seen me eat so much, in such a little time. To say it was delicious
is an understatement. If you ever get to go, they serve other gluten free
cakes, such as small chocolate muffins and almond cake, but also provide a
gluten free high tea in the afternoon - something I am told is regrettable to
miss and I definitely regret we didn’t have time to go back! I spoke to the
owner, Asri who has a daughter who is gluten intolerant, and so understands the
importance of cross contamination. All gluten free cakes are kept on separate
covered cake stands and they use different areas and utensils while preparing
gluten free dishes. Thank you Asri for taking time to talk to me – when I am
back in Bali I will be paying you another visit!
Reserve a table as we didn’t and had to wait about 40
minutes (which we didn’t care about because the food was amazing!)
@bikuteahouse
Watercress:
We
actually stumbled upon Watercress when walking around Ubud (Monkey Forest Road)
where they have a newly opened branch, of a week old. I spied ‘GLUTEN FREE
BREAD’ on the board inside and dragged my boyfriend in to see what other dishes
were available on the menu. We were told by one of the owners that they had a
bigger (and the original) branch in Seminyak, so we said we could visit when we
returned at the end of the holiday – which we did. We had the sharing platter
of rib of beef, which was perfectly cooked medium rare. They also swapped out a
few of the side dishes that come with the meal, so I could have them. I was so
full by the end of the meal, washed down with an Alben’s cider (English cider
made in Bali) that I thought I couldn’t eat desert, until I saw the gluten free
brownies again. I had to have them warm with ice cream. Even though I was so
full, I wolfed it down. Perfection in a meal and the service was brilliant – we
couldn’t fault it. The only thing I would say – that goes for all restaurants
in Bali is that they count the money you have put down at the table in front of
you. Those who could get offended by this (as we did when we first experienced
it) don’t, it is just something they do that we in the UK are not used to. The
restaurant had a great vibe and we felt totally relaxed.
@WatercressBali
Jl. Batubelig No. 21A, Kerobokan, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten
Badung, Bali
Chez Gado Gado:
This was one of the more expensive
restaurants we went to in Seminyak, but the food was beautifully presented and
heavenly to eat. It replicates a Michelin star restaurant here in the UK, but
for a quarter of the price. The staff were really helpful and professional, and
asked the chef about what dishes were gluten free on the menu. I had pan fried
cod with chorizo and calamari which was delicious. As with most Michelin star
restaurants the portions look small but fill you up with their array of complex
flavours. The setting is romantic and on the beach, and is perfect for a
celebration of some sort.
@ChezGadoBali
Jalan Camplung Tanduk Dhyana Pura No. 99, Seminyak, Kuta,
Bali
La Plancha:
I
loved this beach bar and it has a lot more character than at the other end of
Seminyak beach, with its multi-coloured bean bags and umbrella’s. It was
probably one of my favourites! I wanted to stay the whole night and just people
watch and listen to the DJ! The vibe here was so colourful and we were lucky to
have grabbed a bean bag when we did as the place was full from about 5pm until
around 9pm. The food here is gorgeous, and Spanish themed. We had the grilled
prawns and grilled squid, and we just kept ordering more as they were so tasty!
La Plancha can get a bit busy, so be prepared to wait a while for your drink
and food – but it is well worth the wait. The sunset isn’t too bad either! Go
for lunch or an early dinner, you won’t be disappointed! Just mention that you
are gluten free but everything is grilled on an outside BBQ.
@LaPlancha_Bali
Jalan Mesari Beach, Seminyak, Kuta, Badung, Bali
Potato Head:
This
world famous beach bar is one that I couldn’t miss out on. It’s the only real
beach bar that I had heard about, and now I know why. The setting is beautiful
with its two story building, pool and large sunbeds. We went for dinner, and
booked in advance as there is a large waiting list (Thanks to Vipau at TS
Suites for arranging out table!). The staff knew about gluten free, and
provided me with great service, asking the kitchen what I could have on the
menu. The food is glorious, and I could finally have a glass of wine, that
wasn’t ridiculously overpriced. I had
pan fried red snapper with pesto and vine tomatoes. The red snapper had a hint
of ginger which was well complimented by the pesto sauce. This is a must, as it
is lavish in its setting.
@pttheadbali
l. Petitenget No.51B, Seminyak, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali
Ku De Ta:
Ku De
Tar is another lovely beach club just up the beach from Potato Head. It is very
lavish like Potato Head and would cost you a small fortune if you were to have
drinks all afternoon. It is however a beautiful setting for both lunch and dinner.I had their take on a Caesar salad with anchovies, egg, cos salad, parmesan and freeze dried onions which was refreshing in the heat. They too understood the importance of gluten
free and checked with the kitchen for what I could have. I would however say
that the beach bar is very much that and Ku De Tar is probably one to go to in
the evening where you can sit in the main restaurant with more options for food.
@kudetabali
Jl. Kayu Aya No. 9, Seminyak, Kabupaten Badung, Bali
Ubud:
Hotel: Sri Bungalows
Restaurants: Cinta Grill and Watercress
We were only in Ubud for two days, and I wish we’d have
stayed a little longer. I loved the lush rice fields that were nearly
everywhere, the coffee plantations where we learned about the very expensive
Luak Coffee, having monkeys jump on you in the monkey forest, quad biking
through the open forest of Ubud, seeing the cultural sites such as temples and
of course visiting the beautiful Tegenungan waterfall. Ubud has a completely
different vibe to that of Seminyak, and is far more relaxed. Take advantage of
the spas while you are there, they are cheaper than in Seminyak! It’s also
advisable that you take an anorak or waterproof of some sort, as it tends to
rain! We didn’t get to explore much as we had a limited time, but Monkey Forest
Road is where the below two restaurants live.
Here are my favourites that we
came across in Ubud:
Cinta Grill:
The
staff here were so lovely and welcoming, and we had a great meal. I had the
grilled chicken with vegetables which were nicely seasoned. They also do
amazing cocktails! I had a Strawberry Caprioshka which got a big thumbs up from
me!
@baligoodfood
Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Bali
Watercress:
I know I have already mentioned Watercress in
Seminyak but I thought I would also mention that they have a smaller branch in
Ubud (it was that good…I had to!) After an abysmal meal in a restaurant I have
forgotten the name of, we walked along to the trusted Watercress we had found
the night before to have desert and a hot chocolate as we were starving from
the disgusting meal we had. I had the raw marble cake, which is too gluten
free. This was delicious, a frozen desert with a raw cashew base and a dark
chocolate disk on top all washed down with a cup of hot coco – what better when
there’s a tropical rain storm! The deserts are all kept in separate containers
in the freezer, so there is no cross contamination!
Before we left for the Gili islands, I knew that we weren’t
going to eat for a good few hours – so I went back and ordered a chicken and
garlic sandwich with…wait for it… gluten free bread! The bread was delicious
and we were told this was made in their Seminyak branch and delivered daily to
Ubud, along with the brownies and marble cakes. It wasn’t a traditional
sandwich (it was open but I didn’t care). I would 100% go back to Watercress,
the staff were lovely and we had a great chat with the co-owner!
@WatercressBali
Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Bali
Gili T:
Hotel: Aston Sunset Beach Hotel
Restaurants: Scallywags
Out of all of the places we visited, I was most excited
about Gili T as I had heard the sunsets are something you can’t miss. I am not
going to lie, I was a little disappointed, although it has a buzzing nightlife
and amazing crisp white shores, Gili just didn’t do it for me. Maybe this was
because my boyfriend and I both got ill while we were here, meaning that we
could only dine at a restaurant one out of 6 nights, as we were bound to our
room and the hotel restaurant, for fear of being ill in the town (which was a
good 20 minutes by horse and cart from our hotel). If you are planning to go to
Gili, just be careful of the water, avoid salads and ice and don’t brush your
teeth with the tap water. Snorkelling is something you cannot miss here, the coral reefs between Gili T, Meno and Air are
breath-taking, and if you can, get your own private glass bottomed boat, it may
be more expensive, but it’s well worth it! If I were you, I wouldn’t stay at
the Aston Sunset Hotel, the staff were rude when we checked out (laughed for
the whole time we were checking out and clearly speaking about us) and when we
needed something fixing (our bathroom kept flooding, our door key continuously
didn’t work, and our fridge froze all our drinks making them burst!), it is
quite far from the centre of town and in ‘down season’ the drivers of the horse
and carts can charge you up to 100,000IDR a ride, which when compared to a
bluebird taxi in Bali is ridiculously expensive! One thing I can say for that
side of the island though is the sunsets are the best sunsets I have ever seen,
especially on a clear day when you can see the sun go behind the volcano on
Bali.
Scallywags: What
can I say about Scallywags? It’s well known and very busy, but well worth it.
Even though we were both ill and not really feeling like eating, we had a feast
here! If you can, choose the BBQ menu, you go up to the fish and meat counter
just in front of the restaurant and order what you want and in what sauce (if
you want sauce that is). I had asked whether their garlic butter was gluten
free, and yes it was. We had the grilled prawns (which were the biggest, most
succulent prawns I have seen in a while), Chorizo and the Rack of Ribs. I
couldn’t have the Rack of Ribs, as they weren’t gluten free but the Chorizo and
prawns both were. These dishes came with a side of either fries, or baked
potato and unlimited access to the salad bar. We loved this restaurant, the
vibe, the setting (it’s right on the beach!) and the service. We did have a bit
of trouble asking about the sorbet and ice cream, but it is to be expected on
an island in the middle of the Lombok Strait!
And so here ends my Bali journey, if I had one piece of
advice, it would be don’t forget to take a translation card with you! Also
don’t take for granted that staff will speak English well enough to understand
what you are asking.
Have a fantastic time, whenever you plan to go…I wish I was
going back in your suitcase :)
T x
x
