Maybe it was honeymooners’ luck that led us to book a villa in a quiet part of Seminyak, away from the main road where all the famous restaurants are. From where we were staying, we were just a hop, skip, and jump away from what became our favorite restaurant in Seminyak: Warung Kultur!
Warung Kultur is a family-owned restaurant that specializes in Indonesian and Western Cuisine. Located in Jalan Pangkung Sari in Seminyak, just behind the main strip of Jalan Kayu Aya, it is a little further away from the busier Jalan Oberoi (or what is more known as “Eat Street“), a street lined with many of Seminyak and Bali’s most popular restaurants. Although it is not located in the most visited part of Seminyak, locals, tourists, and expats still make their way to Warung Kultur for scrumptious yet affordable food. It is a modest little café, nothing fancy like the more famous restaurants you’ll see in “The Best Restaurants in Seminyak” lists, but is often full, so it is advisable to make reservations or come early when planning to eat here.
It’s evident that the restaurant’s owners take pride in their Balinese culture, based on their collection of Indonesian antiques displayed around the warung. Customers can also look at the Balinese art pieces including a wayang kulit puppet. A ship’s wheel, three oars on the wall, and a musical instrument called Kacapi Parahu (boat kacapi) somewhat gives the restaurant the look of an Indonesian sailing boat. The furniture and decors are mostly made of wood. In contrast to the traditional look and feel of the place, you’ll find some edgier elements like a wall scrawled with the words “Pink Floyd The Wall” and a painting of what looks like Bob Marley behind the counter. (Where did those come from?!) They seem a bit out of place but they do give the restaurant a more modern appearance.
Our favorite spot in this open-air restaurant this corner next to the rice fields:
Aside from being the breeziest spot in the restaurant (you have to remember that it’s not air conditioned!), it also has the best view! When I say “best view,” don’t expect a picturesque expanse of lush green rice paddies. It’s really just a small piece of land, but enjoying lunch while gazing out the window with this view can sure be relaxing! Also, I just found it so charming to eat while watching the little kids munching on grass.
And when I say “kids,” I don’t mean children. I mean baby goats!
Prior to this trip, Mike and I had no idea about Warung Kultur. We had not read about it and no one had recommended it to us. One random day, we were lazing around in our villa, hungry, and wondering where to go for dinner. I just opened the TripAdvisor app and did a search for “Restaurants Nearby” and Warung Kultur came up. After reading all the praises about this restaurant, we walked straight over there at around 9:30 in the evening, only to be greeted by the owner with the words, “I’m so sorry, we’re closing!.” 🙁 We ended up eating at the warung right next to it (Warung Rumpis) and vowed to make sure that we don’t leave Bali without trying Warung Kultur at least once!
Well, we did come back and finally tried it, not once but twice! If we had more time in Bali, we probably would have come back a few more times!
On our first visit, we ordered some of their bestsellers: Corn Fritters, Beef Rendang, and Kung Pao Chicken.
Corn Fritters (IDR 30K / PHP 106 / USD 2.3) – Deep fried corn kernels in batter with traditional spices
Corn is in my “Happy Food List” and Warung Kultur’s Corn Fritters made me a very happy girl. It also made Mike a happy boy (though probably not as happy as me because I’m a bigger corn freak than he is). It’s such a simple dish and I bet anyone can make this at home, but Warung Kultur was able to turn this simple dish into something extraordinary. I’m not sure if it’s the spices they used, but whatever it is, it’s enough to make this a bestseller!
Beef Rendang (IDR 50K / PHP 176 / USD 3.7) – Slow-cooked beef in rich coconut milk and exotic spices
Now THIS is what authentic Beef Rendang tastes like! You’re probably going to eat a lot of Beef Rendang dishes if you go on a Bali trip, especially if it’s a long one. I would suggest saving the Beef Rendang at Warung Kultur for last because after trying their version, other Beef Rendang dishes might not be able to measure up. The meat was tender, moist, delicious, and garlicky, with a sensational and exotic flavor and just the perfect level of heat. I wouldn’t mind ordering the same thing over and over again!
Kung Pao Chicken (IDR 45K / PHP 158 / USD 3.4) – Spicy stir-fried chicken with dried chili, ginger, szechuan peppercorns, peanut, leek, and soy sauce
This is not really a Balinese dish but it was certainly one of the best dishes we had in Bali! The chicken was so soft! The vibrant colors and flavors of the Kung Pao Chicken make it an unforgettable dish. It’s just really good, period.
When the bill came, we were flabbergasted! IDR 160K (PHP 563 / USD 12) for everything including a Coke (IDR 15K) and a glass of iced tea (IDR 10K). How can a meal that satisfying be so cheap?! At that moment, Mike and I agreed: we HAVE TO come back to this place!
One trip to Warung Kultur was not enough, so we tried having dinner there too!
Lime Squash (IDR 25K / PHP 88 / USD 1.9) – I ordered this drink out of curiosity and found out that it was like a citrusy version of Sprite. It was a nice refreshment on a hot night.
Balado Eggplants (IDR 30K / PHP 106 /USD 2.3) – grilled eggplants in traditional spicy sauce
Mike and I don’t really eat eggplants that much. To us, it’s one of those things that need to be cooked right and in a special way for us to appreciate it. Warung Kultur turned us into “eggplant believers” with their fresh twist on the aubergine! As I write this now, I can still taste it. Bathed in rich and aromatic tomato sauce and blended with spring onions, chilies, garlic, and other spices, the Baldo Eggplants are really bursting with strong and enticing flavors! Surprise, surprise! Who knew eggplants could be this exciting?
Soto Ayam (IDR 40K / PHP 141 /USD 3) – a hearty and healthy traditional chicken soup
The Soto Ayam was not my favorite dish in Warung Kultur, but it’s still good. This soul-satisfying Indonesian chicken soup with fresh herbs, soft noodles, and a boiled egg makes for a great meal anytime of the day. Warung Kultur serves rice with this soup, so I got full on this right away.
Honey Chicken (IDR 45K / PHP 58 / USD 3.4) – Crispy batter-coated chicken glazed with tangy honey
There were plenty of positive reviews about the Honey Chicken but it wasn’t that remarkable to us, compared to the Kung Pao Chicken, which was fantastic. The Honey Chicken basically just tasted like fried chicken nuggets with light honey sauce and sesame seeds. It was okay but I would probably order something else next time. The servings were generous, though, as were all of the dishes we tried at Warung Kultur.
Our total bill for dinner, including 1 rice (IDR 10K), Sprite (IDR 15K), Lime Squash (IDR 25K), and a small bottle of Bintang (IDR 22K) amounted to just IDR 187K (PHP 658 / USD 14)!
Now you know why Warung Kultur was our favorite restaurant in Seminyak! In fact, it was our second favorite restaurant in Bali (the first one being the Kepitu Restaurant at The Kayon Resort). You really can’t go wrong with the superb food and amazing value! According to the owners of Warung Kultur, the ingredients used in their food are guaranteed fresh because they are personally handpicked everyday from the markets. Aside from that, the Wi-Fi was decently fast, the ambiance was quiet and relaxed, and the service was good. The staff at Warung Kultur were always warm and friendly. The only thing that we didn’t like was the long waiting time for our orders. Our food took forever to arrive! The Warung Kultur team is quite small, and the place is always packed, so that explains the long serving time. The owners themselves are very much involved in the business. If I’m not mistaken, I think the dad is the chef while his wife and daughter help in the operations. The upside to this is that the high standards are retained, and though it can take up to 30 minutes for your orders to come, once you taste them, you’ll agree that they were worth the wait.
If you want to enjoy a belly-filling yet budget-friendly meal, do yourself, your stomach, and your wallet a favor and JUST GO TO WARUNG KULTUR ALREADY! You might be tempted to stop exploring other restaurants in Bali after eating here!
Warung Kultur
Address: Jl. Pangkung Sari No. 30, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten, Badung, Bali, 80361
Phone: +62 811 335 411
Website: https://warungkulturbali.wordpress.com/
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 11AM – 9PM / Sunday 4-9PM
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
For all stories related to our Bali honeymoon trip, visit the link below:
Looks like a very good place to wine and dine! Also, to discover the culture of Indonesia with those furnitures and food. Thanks for giving tips on your fave resto in Seminyak! Will keep this in mind when I get there 😀
It’s the cute interior and good food that gets me every time. Hayyy, how I wish we had something like this in the Philippines 🙂 But if I find myself in Bali, I now know where to eat. Thank you!
It is such a charming place.. i live all the wood furnitures and decorations around. Its so adorable and elegant! That place is something worth to try!
My family and I lived in Indonesia for around 3 or 4 years but it’s kinda saddening that we weren’t able to visit Bali but I think even though we did I won’t remember since I was just 5-6 yrs old then. Happy your enjoying Indonesia & your Balimoon!
Mica de Leon recently posted…Nailaholics: Stress-Away! On #NationalPamperingDay
Wow, the place looks nice! Plus the baby goats too 🙂 By the way TripAdvisor also helps me to find great places to eat. I love the beef rendang it looks yummy! And to think it cost you not so much! The place looks welcoming and affordable.
The place looks like home, and I like restaurants that has that vibe. The interiors are great too. I guess the food tastes good as well. Im imagining the Asian cuisines now and I’m getting hungry. Haha!
This place looks very nice. Loved to see pink Floyd – the Wall on the wall haha, Makes me think of this song ‘Another brick in the Wall’ from Pink Floyd. I always loved to listen that song. The restaurant has a great view! I can imagine that it’s a very nice experience to be there. The food pictures also look great.
Carola recently posted…In the spotlight: Norman Reedus!
This post makes me hungry!
I love the simplicity and price too. I believe in your discerning taste mate as it goes a picture tells a thousand words, your photos are enough to make me hungry!
I really would want to visit Bali soon.
http://www.truebluecebuano.wordpress.com
Ram Kuizon recently posted…Temple of Leah: Love Immortalized
I like Nasi Goreng and Beef Rendang! 🙂 I’d probably order these if I go to this place. The grilled eggplants look good also. I like the ambiance of the place as well.
When compared to pesos, it really is affordable. As a foodie, I also consider the ambiance of the place next to the food taste. It’s my first time also to see a restaurant with baby animals in it. It really looks relaxing I hope I can visit this place too!
For me, I thought it was a gallery. The cultural vibe was somehow overflowing (for me, I guess). But seeing your photos makes me hungrier than ever! Now, I wish I could go here sometime and try it out for myself!
Maria recently posted…Calligraphy and Watercolor