Meat Free Monday Inspo: Bali Special
Updated: Apr 13, 2020
Our regular readers will have noticed that we haven't published any Meat Free Monday's for a few weeks.
This is because I am currently in Bali! We came for a holiday, and whilst Lee has returned, I've stayed on. This is because living standards on Malapascua are below a level that makes it very easy to work remotely. Bali, on the other hand is a digital nomad's paradise, and it's easy to see why.
This is my fifth visit to Bali. I know how things work here a little and knew that I could get the rest I needed here. You see, one of THE most important things to me, is food. I enjoy eating food, cooking food and learning about food.
The Philippines diet, is a direct contrast to a diet that I enjoy. When leaving The Philippines I felt lethargic and heading towards deficiencies due to lack of a nutrients.
So I am very very lucky that Bali, is my food heaven. There is a huge array of environmental restaurants, vegetarian and vegan restaurants here (to keep up with the yogi crowd). I honestly just love the Balinese food. Even the non environmental eating is an incredible base- with rich diverse declious flavours. This foundation of incredible flavour, has meant that it's been a pretty easy time for Balinese chefs to create something extraordinary with vegetables. Flavour artists they are indeed.
Bali is also incredibly lush and actually well developed. They have access to a huge amount of food variety, that grows in a lot of different climates that Bali is blessed with. Salad crops are abundant in the highlands. So, the food culture here is fully thriving. This abundance is something I am keen to learn more about in terms of development. Is a rich and delicious diet one of the reasons that Balinese people are so happy, so healthy? Balinese people are the happiest people on the planet. And there is research to suggest that food is linked to ability to be happy.
So, it's no wonder for somebody who loves food and adores environmental food/ diet that Bali is a mecca. And I've been fully taking advantage of this abundance of food and restaurants and cafes serving up incredible dishes.
I will follow up with a best of cafes that I have retreated to a lot in the past few weeks, watch this space.
In the mean time, here's a little snapshot of the food over the past few weeks. Click for descriptions. It's no wonder people rave about Balinese food, even the colour is a beautiful sight.
Even a few weeks into Balinese rest, I can feel a difference with eating such a varied and rich diet. You'll notice a small percentage of food I eat here in Bali will have animal products. Chicken salad, blue cheese at dinner and an accidental order of egg in noodles were the only animal products over a 2 week period. The vibrancy and abundance of the plant based food here, makes it not only easy, but delicious to eat veggies.
Alchemy is an amazing all vegan super health conscious restaurant just outside of Ubud. I chose a light mixed salad... A "salad" this was not, an incredible meal, it was. Even simple food, served direct from a warung (local restaurant) is sure to please... This was freshly made with heap of local spinach and flavour. Delicious! Yes, the green is natural! From the pandan, the flavour is very unique! One of my favourite warungs in Ubud- Dayu's. Vegan and raw burger, heaven! So much flavour. Tropical fruit is so abundant and delicious in Bali. Here, a typical "starter" for breakfast. Balinese Papaya is particularly delicious!! Coconut ice cream, served IN the coconut with coconut sugar, coconut flakes. YUM! A plant based banana smoothie, from The Earth Cafe. A little pricey for what you get, but delicious. A local dish of ferns mixed with shaved coconut! Very unique and worth trying. Coconut cake! Absolutely delicious local mango smoothie bowl, complete with homemade granola! Breakfast of champion- strawberry pancakes next to the pool! An absolutely divine date smoothie, on Lembongan. Lee's dinner, delicately presented and wrapped in banana leaves Another fruity breaky. Delicious! A local dish of pancakes. stuffed with candied coconut. Good for a sweet tooth! Nasi goring with tofu. Tofu has never been my jam, but the vegetables and spice in the rice is just amazing! On rare evenings when I don't feel like eating out, I buy from a supermarket and enjoy a cold dinner. Fruit is cheap and delicious. Dinners in, will often cost more than those out! Breakfast in the homestay is almost always delicious! Bali Buda is an absolutely INCREDIBLE restaurant. Not only is the food absolutely incredible, it's affordable, mostly veggie but with openness to all, but they are also very pro active with waste reduction on Bali. An absolutely vivid pink dragon fruit, that reminded me of it's consumption for a few days! A treat from the relatively expensive "Kynd" Vegan eatery. Absolutely delicious mix of pumpkin, pesto and sweet chilli! A delicious and light, rare meat dinner. From a local and ethical warung. Local avocados are incredibly rich and buttery, so straight on freshly made baguette is just divine! With next to no dairy in my diet in The Philippines, a very naughty but longed for treat of cheese. I won't have cheese again until England. Frozen bananas, coconut milk, oats and some dragon fruit creates an unbelievable colour and taste. Banana pancakes, Bali style. Flavoured with Pandan, the green is genuinely completely natural. The best coffee I have had in Bali, an cold drip with condensed milk (milk! A rare treat!!) in The Little Elephant cafe, one of my favourite cafes.
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