I do like a good book. Preferably lying somewhere comfortable, with no interruptions and interspersed with naps.
Have you read Pomegranate Soup?
I’m loving it. Thanks to Helen and Gill for recommending it, you are right its foodie romance genre makes it the perfect book for me!
Breakfast each day is made for us by Eka. A lovely local girl who we are already getting to know and love. She is willing to take my hints on board for cooking scrambled eggs, quietly goes about cooking and cleaning and also shares her hints on all things local. The eggs were served with toast, a decent cup of tea and a platter of fresh fruit. Dave is even loving the pawpaw, rather than the usual standard of banana, orange and pineapple he mostly wants.
Yesterday we managed two massages in one day. (Makes it sound like a chore, haha!) I am unashamedly keen on anything that gives you a reason to lie still for a while. The first massage was at a local ‘spa’ only 50m from our front door. 60 minutes of massaging my feet and lower legs did the trick to sort the swollen ankles I had from the flight over. I have no idea why on a six-hour flight you can get swollen feet, even when doing the suggested ‘light exercise’! $6 well spent 😉
The second massage was pre-arranged at the villa. Full body massages for both of us and finally that knot in my shoulder is sorted.
I had pre-booked about seven meals before we arrived in Bali. Mostly this was because I love researching for holidays and every few days for some weeks before we left, I researched the best restaurants of the area. Bali has an amazingly high standard of restaurants, many with Michelin stars or equivalent reputable rating. However I hadn’t booked anything for yesterday, knowing we would want an opportunity to try something close by.
For lunch, we hopped on the scooter and rode down to Jalan Kayu Aya, the road that runs beside Seminyak Square. Dave hasn’t dinked me on a bike for about 10 years, but even on the low powered scooter he managed well.
We choose Sisterfields Café for lunch, despite the 10 minute wait for a table. Sisterfields calls itself an ‘Australian Café’ which is an amusing option for our second meal out in Bali! The café is extremely well reviewed and had also been recommended by a couple of friends, so given it has a no booking policy it was worth a visit early in the holiday.
The menu is pretty large, but the Asian Chilli Crab and XO pasta took my fancy immediately.
Thick ribbons of roughly cut pasta were cooked perfectly with just the right bite. The finely shredded long red chilli gave the dish a big punch without overwhelming the delicate crab. The XO sauce added that familiar and salty fishy flavour that I love and the bean sprout and fried shallots the extra texture and crunch. I could have eaten two bowls it was so delicious!
The menu was full of healthy and light options, but Dave managed to find something he liked and it seems they make a pretty mean hamburger. He particularly liked the battered onion rings wedged between the thick patty and a generous dollop of spicy mayo. Dave tends to only eat the bottom half of a hamburger bun if he is eating it with a knife and fork (I still cant get a straight answer on why that is) so I devoured the top of the warm brioche roll. A mineral water for me, and a decent sized freshly squeezed orange juice for Dave and we were done for less than $40. Actually expensive by Bali standards thanks to the hip vibes that keep the trend-setters coming and the prices rising, but by Aussie standards a real bargain. 8/10.
An afternoon of massages, swimming and reading went quickly and it was time to decide on dinner. Bookings at nearly all the restaurants are easily available on line, which I really like to do. The concept of looking at a menu, choosing the right time that suits you and not having to speak to someone makes it ideal for me. I choose Batik, which is less than 100m from our villa.
The setting was quite lovely and the staff, while dressed in very unusual matchy-matchy suits were polite and efficient. The cocktail list was extensive, but finding one low in sugar was a challenge. I decided on a frozen margarita, without the syrup. The passionfruit gave it more sugar than I’ve had all year, but it was fun to have a cocktail that looked this impressive!
To eat we had a flavoursome Vietnamese-style coriander chicken cake and noodle soup to start, and for main course I had a seafood risotto, while Dave had a Moroccan-style grilled meat and couscous plate. No dessert. About $50 all up including drinks. Nothing wrong with anything, but nothing amazing about it either. 6.5/10.
We walked the long way back to the villa with a quick stop off for another drink, this time just alcohol plus soda 😉 A quick pre-bed swim to cool down and another great nights sleep. Loving this ‘boring’ holiday I can tell you!