Meal #1 - Bali

Bali, famous for its beaches, nightlife, and unique take on Hinduism, was an obvious first stop in our culinary tour around the world. Bali is a popular holiday destination for young Australians, and when they aren’t busy being arrested for smuggling drugs in and out of Bali, they can often be found…actually…what do young Australians do in Bali besides smuggle drugs?

MELATI
Indonesian Restaurant
B.Y.O. & Take Away
Dinners: Tues – Sun, 6 – 11pm
629 Camberwell Rd. Camberwell VIC 3124
(Near cnr Camberwell & Toorak Rds)

This week we went to Melati Indonesian Restaurant, which is known for its authentic Balinese cuisine. The décor was convincingly Balinese – loud, colourful and just a bit tacky. Masks and gigantic souvenir spoons hung on walls, lights flashed in the window and a tasseled umbrella and plastic banana plant provided ample shade for the cash register. In true Balinese style, too, the service was attentive, friendly and provided by a guy almost as cheerful as his shirt.


On this leg of our journey we were joined by Caroline, Rami, Nick, Paul, Deb, Imogene and Sai, a group with several different dietary restrictions – vegetarian, kosher (no pork or shellfish) and various food allergies: wheat, onion and dairy; so finding dishes to share was challenging.

Entrée:

Sosis Bali – Balinese sausages
Matabak – Beef and spring onion in special home-made pastry
Ikan Bekido – Fried fish fillet in spicy chilli paste
Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Main Course:

Ayam Bumbu Bali – Balinese styled chicken pieces cooked with a red capsicum base, sprinkled with roasted coconut and onion
Babi Guling – Balinese roast pork served with salad or vegetables
Sate Sapi – Beef satay with home-made peanut sauce
Ketopak – Fried tofu with vegetables in sweet soya peanut sauce
Nasi Goreng Istimewa – Vegetarian special fried rice with bean curd satay
Janganan Bali – Balinese style vegetables cooked in coconut milk

Dessert:

Balinese pancakes with ice cream
Rambutan with ice cream
Fruit Salad
Black rice pudding

Entrée:
The meat entrees were very light and lean, in contrast with strong sauces like the powerful and very tasty sweet chili. The stand out was the fish, with its delicate batter and lime marinade. The vegetarian spring rolls, with the unexpected but applauded addition of tofu, were also very popular, as were the complimentary peanut crackers.

Mains:
Satay played a big role in the menu: the satay was subtle and slightly smokey with a hint of lime. A couple of Balinese specials included the slow-cooked chicken with capsicum, coconut and onion and the Balinese roast pork. These were two of the favourite dishes. The menu had a large range of vegetarian meals. The fried tofu in satay and vegetarian nasi goreng were both good options, though the Balinese vegetables were definitely for coconut fans only, as they were overpowered by a strong coconut milk sauce. The host was also very accommodating of dietary requirements, and brought out gluten free versions of the sausages and satay for our resident celiac.

Desserts:
There was a range of fruit based dishes (eg mango, rambutan, banana) served with ice-cream. The fruit salad with palm sugar sauce was beautiful! On the list of specialties were black rice pudding – which was very well received – and green Balinese pancakes stuffed with coconut and palm sugar filling. The pancakes were stunning and came accompanied with a mound of “traditional” Neapolitan icecream and a couple of slightly disappointing sides– including a chewy fruit of unknown origin and bland agar jelly.

Overall:
The Balinese food served at Melati was a refreshing change to the westernised Asian fare found in many Australian restaurants. The meals were reasonably priced (we had three courses for under $20 each) and the exuberant décor and friendly service provided the right atmosphere for a casual meal with friends.