Tag: canggu

Taking it Slow at The Slow, Canggu

The Slow is one of a new breed of contemporary restaurants in Canggu that are setting the pace for modern dining in Bali. The venue itself has a light and airy feel with lots of greenery and hip art works creating a chilled but stylish vibe.

The menu is inspired by Chef Shannon Moran’s travels around the world and if the fish/soft shell crab tacos, fish of the day with Balinese sambas and Korean burnt broccoli are to go by…he has certainly nailed a whole of flavours very well.

The menu is designed for sharing and portions are generous. We stuck to “shit beers” as the menu humorously describes local Bintang beer on a scorching day, but the choice of wine and beers is good for those who want something a bit more refined.

We were there for a short lunch but the vibe and food would be very conducive to settling in for the afternoon of grazing or a big nosh up dinner.

The Slow also has an adjoining art gallery and very good looking accomodation if you want the full experience. It is about 15 minute walk from Canggu beach. Here’s a link to their website for more information https://theslow.id/eat-drink-at-the-slow/

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Lunching at The Lawn Canggu

A stunning day at Canggu yesterday so we headed to The Lawn Beach Club for lunch.

The club which is now 2 years old is beautifully appointed and maintained.

The menu offers an excellent range of cocktails, smoothies, and granitas as well as a range of small and large plates to share. Prices are mid-range to high by Bali standards with cocktails around IR120,000 and average price of meals about the same. However, the ambience and location make it pretty good value compared to similar beach clubs in Seminyak.

The vibe is also very relaxed with guests having the choice of lounging by or in the pool and pool bar, on the “fake” lawn or in the dining areas or in the beach itself under umbrellas.

We had a delicious grazing lunch of endamame, chicken karaage, split grilled prawns and a radicchio salad. The coconut mojito and pineapple granita were also tropical thirst quenching delights.

If you are staying in Canggu then this is definitely a great option for beachside dining and lounging.

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Ji “Terrific” Terrace by the Sea, Canggu

Three years ago we enjoyed cocktails and dinner at the then newly opened Ji Restaurant, part of the Tugu Hotel in Canggu, in their original wooden temple building imported from Mainland China. Last night we returned to experience their newly opened Terrace overlooking the ocean and the perfect spot in Canggu to enjoy the stunning sunset over the Indian Ocean. The entire restaurant, bars and Terrace are beautifully decorated with Asian antiques and the atmosphere is quite unique.

As their website describes: “Ji Terrace by THE SEA carries the spirit of Tugu properties, which celebrate the rich cultural heritage and ancient history & legends through romantic atmosphere, interior and beautiful arts from ancient Indonesia and Asia, but what is different here is that the bohemian spirit of Canggu is very much alive. Beautiful statue of goddess of Durga from Rajasthan, centuries old urn from the Babah Peranakan family in Lasem, Java, Tibetan Mahakala masks, intricate Balinese Barong heads and many more artworks transport guests to a magical world of ancient kingdoms and quixotic legends, while seducing through beautiful Indian lanterns and sensuous beats of the best DJs on the island.”

We started with delicious cocktails including the spectacular CoCo Sexo which is served in a coconut shell of dry ice and a tiki jar …with Sagatiba Cachaca, aromatic coconut, vanilla, passion fruit and a Timur with Tequila, Mango, Smoked Paprika, Beetroot shrub, lime, Cocktail syrup, Coriander.

Last time here we had enjoyed excellent sushi and our friends who had come for dinner the previous evening had once again recommended the freshness and creativity of the sushi and sashimi specialities of the Japanese fusion menu. We started with a selection of the chef’s choice Nigiri platter called Tic Tac Toe ..laid out like a noughts and crosses game. Every single offering was delicious and different with special toppings for each individual Nigiri including samples from the menu which can be ordered separately:

Tai Uzura – Seared snapper topping with breadcrumbs, parmesan and poached quail egg

Seared Gyuniku – Kobe style US beef with shoyu chimichurri sauce

Nihon Unagi – Grilled eel with grated ginger

Hotetaki – Scallion with seaweed & sambal matah

Sake Kyabia –Salmon with crème fraiche, green caviar & dill

It was the perfect way to try a wide range of the Nigiri on offer and at IR195 (about AUD20) extremely good value as well!

We added the Succulent Crispy Pork Belly with ginger, leek and scallion sauce and Amah’s Baby Back ribs served with Baby kalian, five spices and oriental molasses. Both of these were divine as well.

Great value, great atmosphere, great views, friendly and efficient service, and excellent food. Couldn’t ask for more and highly recommend a visit! So nice not to be disappointed on our second visit here.

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Review: Ji whizz in Canggu, Bali

We were recommended to try the newly opened  at Ji Restaurant at the Hotel Tugu in Canggu by a friend so took a taxi from Seminyak for the roughly 35 minute trip, depending on traffic for dinner.

Arriving at Hotel Tugu in Canggu, we were immediately impressed by the truly special setting created by the huge Garuda statue and furnishings in the hotel lobby. The restaurant and bar are situated next to the Hotel Tugu whose owners have an amazing collection of Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian antiques and collectibles which feature in their hotels and venues.

We started with cocktails on the rooftop bar overlooking the busy beachside bars of Canggu with glimpses of the ocean over the rooftops, watching the sun setting as we sipped on our literally smoking CoCo Sexo cocktails, a delicious mixture of pineapple, rum and coconut juice served in coconut jars over dry ice. The bar area is eclectically decorated with beautiful artisan lights and plantings with indoor and outdoor seating.

Ji restaurant itself is housed in a 300+ year old Chinese temple that the owners transported to Bali and rebuilt, filling it with an amazing collection of antique prints and photographs, sculptures and statues. The restaurant furnishings are also suitably matched to give an overall ambience that transports you to another era. Ji means temple in both Chinese and Japanese.

The menu features Japanese fusion cuisine, with beautifully presented fresh sashimi and sushi platters, tempura, noodles and soups. We loved the succulently crispy tempura prawns and the “melt in your mouth” Angus Kobe beef tenderloin served with tangerine. The seaweed salad with crab and thinly sliced fennel was a perefect balance of sweet and salty and was dressed for success!

This restaurant is definitely not a “try hard” in either the food or decore departments – it’s the real thing, good value for the experience and highly worth the visit to Canggu. The Hotel staff called us a car for the return trip and we were already dreaming of our next visit on the drive back to Seminyak.

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