Places of Ubud: Putri Minang. Have you tried Padang food yet?

Doesn't look like much from the
outside. But just like with your stomach,
what counts is in the inside.

Our dear and beloved Ubud is home of such a tremendous variety of culinary curiosities that, sometimes, it makes it had for me to decide what to eat.

Organic, vegetarian, vegan, Thai, Japanese, Italian, French, burgers, sandwiches, soups… mostly everything is available, from the healthiest to the most sinful. 

Only sometimes, I just want to fill my hungry stomach with generous, cheap and tasty local food. I won't talk to you if you've been here more than a week and haven't tried a Balinese warung. Close this page, go eat and come back later, happy and ready to continue reading.

If you already know everything about betutu, kolobak, sambal matah and the 372 variations on anything babi, you might want to try some Padang food.

There is quite a lot of Padang eateries scattered all over Ubud (and about a billion scattered over Indonesia), but my place of choice is definitely Putri Minang, on Jalan Raya Ubud. 

As in all respectable warung padang, the food is displayed on shelves, in stacked dishes, behind the from window. You'll have enter the place and queue-up to order. You can point and say "this" if you don't know the dishes' name (you can go on an adventure here, everything tastes good).
After doing so, just sit and enjoy, you won't regret it.



Here, some photos:

Tempe goreng at its very best. Portions are large, too.

Not everything in a Padang is made of cholesterol.
From left to right: Daun Singkong, Kol and Urap.

Syaiful is not edible, but like the rest of the staff, he's very friendly.

4 tips to better enjoy Padang food

1. Wash your hands and eat with your fingers. Trust me it's priceless.
2. If it's your first time, go for Urap, Rendang and Perkedel. Rendang is officially one of the best foods in the world, urap and perkedel are its perfect mates.
3. PADANG FOOD IS SPICY, as in DAMN IT'S HOT. Ask for non spicy dishes if you're angry at capsaicin.
4. Prefer going for lunch. The food is always fresher then.
If you're going for lunch, don't plan on a huge dinner. You'll know what I mean when you're done eating.

There, a light hearted food article for your salivating eyes (or similar). I'll do more of these, so keep in touch.

By the way, you know some good Padang around Ubud? Tell me in the comments, I'd love to try it.

Bon appetit!

PS: If you want to contribute to this blog, drop me a message here: http://www.facebook.com/brutal.opinions

Places of Ubud: Seniman Cafe!

Caffeine smile? 

I'm everything but a coffee buff. No, seriously. The stuff I ingest in the morning has nothing to do with organic premium triple pick and relates much better to bitter alarm clock juice.

It doesn't prevent me from knowing when something tastes good in my mouth. And the coffee from Seniman does. Especially their caffeine loaded cold drip, which must be the second most addictive thing I've ever drank (the first one being Jus Pinang Muda, and you won't find it around. Hello, withdrawal!).

I don't just go there for the beans though. Here is a list of why:

• They give out free kue pasar along with every beverage, and I am a dire sucker for these things. 
• The ambiance is fantastic and you're always up for an interesting encounter.
• Their Internet connection is pretty good
• Their rocking-chairs (yes) are awesome (keep your feet on the outside though). 

• Their staff is very friendly
• Although it's a non-smoking cafe, you can huff and puff on their terrace without anybody complaining
• It's right in the center of Ubud

And now, pictures!

That's the cold drop.It's cold, and it drops. It takes a day to make a full cup.

You can take it home. The coffee, I mean. They told me the shelves aren't for sale.

The wares. I like the colors. A shame I took the pics after dark. Or not.

So there. Note that no, this isn't a sponsored post or anything, I just like the place and you totally should go there, like, right now.

If you know of a place with a similarly good ambiance, let me know in the comment, I might review it too :)

Enjo-jo-joy the caffeine!

PS: If you want to contribute to this blog, drop me a message here: http://www.facebook.com/brutal.opinions