A Day in Ubud

This morning started at Warung Bu Ade.

Every time I’m back in Ubud, I end up here sooner or later. It has been years since my first visit, and while a few things have changed, it still feels very much the same.

The family has expanded the place since I was last here. The small building now also houses a grill restaurant, and there’s an open terrace upstairs where you can sit and eat. It’s a really lovely spot, tucked away from the road with views over the neighborhood.

What hasn’t changed is the food.

Bu Ade still makes what I think is the best nasi campur on Bali.

A few years ago, she invited me to come by before opening hours and cook with her in the kitchen. I spent the morning chopping, grinding spices, and trying to keep up while she prepared the dishes for the day. It remains one of my favorite food memories from Bali, and several of the recipes ended up on my blog.

After lunch, Steve and I stopped by Arcane, a new cafe in Ubud where everything revolves around color. The interior is organized by color, the menu is organized by color, and even the drinks feel like they belong in a paint chart.

I ordered the Orange Pulp Elixir, a fresh, fruity smoothie from the orange section of the menu, while Steve went for something called Inner Child Ceremonial Cacao, which sounds exactly like the kind of thing Steve would order.

Before heading to Yoga Barn, Steve announced that we needed to make a stop at Dough Darlings.

He had been talking about their donuts for several days, so there was really no point arguing.

We shared a cruller filled with tiramisu cream and a peanut butter donut. Both were good, but the peanut butter donut was excellent. The kind of donut that makes you immediately start thinking about whether you should buy another one for later.

At Yoga Barn, we joined a Qi Gong class.

The only other time I’ve tried Qi Gong was years ago with my mom, and for reasons I still don’t fully understand, I ended up feeling nauseous afterwards. That experience had not exactly left me eager to try again.

This class was completely different.

We spent much of the session simply walking slowly around the room, paying attention to our breathing and how our bodies moved. It felt a little strange at first, but after a while it became surprisingly calming. By the end, both Steve and I agreed that it had been a really good class.

Dinner was at Citrus Berry.

I used to come here years ago when the restaurant had a different name and sat right next to the rice fields. Back then, you felt completely surrounded by the greenery. Today there’s a small plaza between the restaurant and the fields, so the setting has changed a little, but it’s still a nice place to spend an evening.

We ordered nasi campur with beef rendang, which was fantastic. The rendang was tender, richly spiced, and packed with flavor.

We also ordered gado gado.

I always forget that I’m not actually a huge fan of gado gado. Every time I see it on a menu, I think it sounds delicious, and every time I end up with the same feeling that something is missing.

The staff noticed that we hadn’t finished everything and came over to ask if there was a problem with the food.

We immediately assured them that everything was fine and that we were simply full.

I think most Scandinavians know exactly how that conversation goes. Even if you don’t particularly like something, you’ll somehow find a way to make it sound as though the problem lies with you rather than the food.

When that’s said, the gado gado wasn’t bad. It just confirmed, once again, that I’m apparently not a gado gado person.

Another great day in Ubud.

My Bali Blog