If you’ve spent any time in Ubud, Bali, you’ll quickly notice that there is no shortage of solid places to eat. There are seemingly hundreds of small restaurants called ‘warungs’ that serve the typical local Balinese cuisine of curry and a variety of noodle dishes. While I highly recommend that you sample the local fare wherever you travel, in Ubud, I would especially recommend diving into the health food culture.
Whether you are mildly curious or are already obsessed with buzz words like raw vegan or gluten-free and plant-based diet, Ubud seems like the epicenter of the health food universe. How this came to be is somewhat of a mystery to me, but I’m sure it has something to do with all the yogi and meditation practicing healers and healees flocking to Bali in search of Spiritual Breakthroughs.
But musing about Ubud’s historical come-up is of no importance in this post – so on to some healthy food Recs!
The Herb Library is the culinary arm of the Adiwana Resort and Spa but you don’t need to be staying there to check out the restaurant. The menu is rich with soups, salads, sandwiches and noodle dishes to warm the soul. And with names like Carrot & Healing Roots Bisque, it’s easy to see why! Go for a relaxing massage and bring yourself back to life with a reinvigorating infused tea or smoothie.
Namaskara is located right off the main road in Ubud, a few minutes scooter ride from the Monkey Forest, and is the perfect place for brunch! The space itself is small but well decorated and there is WiFi if you need to get some work done. The menu is not that deep, but you couldn’t make a bad pick if you tried (unless you have some food allergy). Keep it simple and try the Turmeric Latte with Smashed Avo & Eggs on Toast.
Although Akasha is not in the main part of town of Ubud, its worth the 20 minute scooter ride to get there. If this place was right in the heart of town, it would be constantly crowded and it would totally kill the vibe! The atmosphere here is really what sets it apart. Set right in a rice field, Akasha takes a different approach to food. Every bite is full of nourishment and leaves you appreciating Mother Earth and the process of photosynthesis, without which, none of this heavenly goodness would be possible. The menu is bulging with hard-to-choose detox juices, electrolyte cocktails, hearty bowls, and vegan appetizers like Jackfruit BBQ Tacos. The beer menu also boasts some of Bali’s most unique beers that are otherwise hard to get your hands on. The combination of atmosphere, freshness of food, and variety of drink make Akasha a truly enlightening experience!
As someone who has watched their fair share of travel shows, I’ve come to regard Peru as a country in the midst of a culinary renaissance. I’m not sure exactly where this notion originated but my opinion was formed and largely influenced by Anthony Bourdain and other travel shows. Having finally traveled to Peru myself, I can say from experience that Peruvian cuisine deserves to be recognized.
Even while visiting neighboring Chile, it seemed that we encountered more Peruvian restaurants than Chilean ones! Beyond the ubiquitous empanadas and rice and beans, which can be found all over South and Central America, the Peruvian culinary experience extends to dishes where the secret lies in the sauce. So before we all get lost in it, let me cover some of the basics that are a must try when you visit.
Lomo Saltado
This dish translates literally to ‘sautéed tenderloin’. It is offered almost everywhere. Every street vendor, hole-in-the-wall bar, 5-star restaurant, and Peruvian grandma has this dish available on stand-by. You can even buy pre-made meal kits with sauce at some grocery stores. In the most basic form, it is made of thinly sliced strips of beef tenderloin, no bigger than your pinky, and some seasoned rice. But the sauce is what really makes this dish arguably the most popular food choice in the country.
Lomo saltado served with french fries and rice. Photo Credit: Kirsty Tsalyuk.
The way the sauce is prepared varies depending on availability of ingredients and the customs in a particular province, but generally consists of Peruvian ají pepper, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Sometimes served with a small salad of greens and tomatoes, this simple yet savory dish is filling enough to get you through most of the day! I particularly enjoy this dish because of the ease of consuming it – you need only a fork. When I envision a typical steak dish, a knife is required for cutting the meat. The Lomo saltado removes the need for other utensils from the transaction between plate and mouth.
Flavor: juicy
Spiciness: low 🌶
Consistency: tender
Ají De Gallina
Another dish that is virtually inescapable in Peru is the Ají de Gallina. In English, this dish means ‘chicken chili stew’, or something of the sorts. It was originally brought to Peru by African slaves in the 16th century and has become a sort of comfort food ever since. As you might have guessed, the main ingredient here is chicken. Which by itself isn’t extraordinary, but the way it is prepared most definitely is! The chicken is pulled into thin, short, almost twizzler-like pieces and mixed with a yellow sauce made of ground yellow chili pepper, walnuts, garlic, and a judicious dose of turmeric. The sauce itself is rather thick and not at all spicy. It has an almost creamy consistency.
Ají de gallina (I did not take this picture and don’t own the rights to it.)
The saucy-chickeny mix is served on top of a gloop of rice, so you can mix all that goodness together before you chomp down. Frequently, you’ll find the dish served with a baked potato, which is intended to also be mixed with the rice and chicken mix. As with the Lomo saltado, no bones or knives are needed to enjoy this delightful and filling dish.
Flavor: tender and hearty
Spiciness: low 🌶
Consistency: creamy
Ceviche
Those familiar with geography will quickly realize that the Peruvian coastline stretches for hundreds of miles along the Pacific. Put 2 and 2 together and you’ll also realize that fresh seafood ought to be a staple of the Peruvian diet. Enter the Ceviche, a silvery cocktail of corvina (sea bass), squid and other seafood garnished with chili peppers, garlic, and lime juice. The origins of this mouth-watering mixture are hotly debated but Peruvians will tell you that ceviche definitely originated there. Recent studies have shown that the ceviche was consumed in Peru as far back as the Inca days.
The best ceviche’s are typically found near coastal towns and cities, for obvious reasons. As with most food, the fresher the better – no one wants to eat calamari that had to travel through 400 miles of desert to make it onto their plate! While perfect for sharing, we found that this dish was not filling enough by itself so I’d recommend ordering it as an appetizer/starter.
Ceviche served with corn on cob and potato slices
Flavor: tangy & refreshing
Spiciness: low 🌶
Consistency: chewy
A Peruvian Sampler
The dishes above are just the tip of the iceberg of the Peruvian culinary experience. Although the Lomo saltado, Ají de gallina, and Ceviche are the most common and popular local foods, there are other favorites out there that we highly recommend. Digging a bit deeper into the menu, you’ll find options such as Papas a la Huacaína, a vegetarian starter dish made of baked potato doused in a yellow chili pepper sauce, similar to the Ají de gallina. You are also likely to come across the Receto Relleno, a ground-beef stuffed, red pepper with a bit of a kick to it. Another one of our favorites is called Palta a la Reina, which is a salad-like starter made of corn, peas, mayonnaise and diced carrots, all sandwiched between 2 halves of an avocado.
Birth of a Renaissance
All in all we found the Peruvian cuisine to be much more sophisticated and flavorful than the stereotypical corn-based, jalapeño infused empanadas you might be envisioning in your head. While it is true that the Inca’s and their ancestors relied heavily on various types of corn as a basic staple, we found that modern Peruvian cuisine has expanded far beyond that. For instance Lima has several Michelin starred restaurants, which require reservations months in advance just to get a table. For those looking for an exclusive dining experience, Lima boasts 2 of the Top 10 restaurants in the world! You can have your pick of Michelin starred restaurants such as:
Lima boasts 2 of the Top 10 restaurants in the world, and several more in the Top 50. And in the trendy neighborhood of Miraflores, we encountered dozens of Japanese inspired fusion restaurants that blend traditional Peruvian dishes with sushi and other Japanese creations to pump out dishes that are visually dazzling as they are tasty.
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