Get your fix of Vietnamese, Indian and the South East’s best dishes from Seminyak’s Asian foodie hot spots
Fancying noodles, pho bo, dumplings or a good curry in Bali’s poshest dining district? No tuk-tuks (or black Amex cards!) are required here as Seminyak meets Saigon, Shanghai and Delhi with these little gems everyone keeps talking about.
We all love a fancy champers or designer chandelier to dine beneath in Seminyak, but some of the island’s top notch restaurants serving high Asian cuisine are also here. Some also showing off great chandeliers! We’re a bit hooked on these casual but elegant cafes where food tastes even better than it does on the streets of South East Asia – spicy, fragrant, and mouthwatering. And let’s be frank, replacing fine dining with these little golden discoveries is also a nicely affordable change within Bali’s posh postcode.
Bo & Bun
All good things Vietnamese and more are under Bo & Bun’s roof.
From their house specialty ‘12 Hour Pho’ (a giant bowl of goodness, cooked pho bo over twelve hours!), right through to our favorite strong nutty coffee (with a thick layer of sweet condensed milk at the bottom), it’s not quite how they serve it in the streets of Saigon and that’s exactly the point. Their legendary Vietnamese comfort food menu comes with a French touch and always with a modern twist: think of rolling your own spring rolls, stuffing them with lemongrass chicken or prawns, peanut sauce and herbs… just the way you personally like it!
Bo & Bun, Jalan Basangkasa 26, Seminyak Bali, p. +62 859 3549 3484, Open 10am–1030pm.
Fat Gajah
A contemporary bistro, originally opened as a ‘ Noodle & Dumpling Lab’, and serving “creative” noodles and dim sums – how good does it already sound? As good as it tastes!
The latest brainchild of the team behind CHANDI Restaurant (also in Seminyak), Fat Gajah is an organic twist and not-so-traditional mash up of dumplings, noodles and more. Get ready to challenge your perceptions of a noodle bowl, as everything is shaken up in here and we love it. Take their gingery broth or artsy food presentation, all combined with fresh foods sourced locally through organic farmers of the Bedugul Hills – it’s all too good. Dim sums testing plates are available, which is a big relief as it’s absolutely impossible to pick just one!
Fat Gajah, Jalan Raya Seminyak 21, Seminyak Bali, p. +62 361 868 8212, Open 830am-11pm.
Petite India
An extension to the uber-popular gelateria Lello Lello (opposite The Samaya), this tiny open kitchen works wonders, serving the bestselling classics of Indian cuisine: roti, chapatti and curry. Breads come fluffy and steaming hot, ready to be devoured solo or dipped into the creamy gravy. When the spicy, heartwarming meal is finished, gelato is a must – try the Snoop Dog, it’s a local favorite, named after the rapper’s gig in Bali a year ago. Who are you fooling – two scoops and the waffle cone, please!
Petite India, Jalan Kaya Aya 21, Seminyak Bali, p. +62 812 4607 6662.
Top image: Bo and Bun.
This article was contributed by the wonderful Masha Mozolevskaya, travel and lifestyle journalist, and founder of the Canggu Chronicles blog.
