Noshes & Sploshes.
We had magnificent haute cuisine meals at Fontana 4*, where the evening meals were in the 75 to RP120,000 range and worth every Rupe. The cuisine was really high class and nothing was spared. Marie fell in love with their Frutti di Mare Pasta and their Egg-Plant dish, forget the name, which consisted of layered length-wise slices filled with Italian cheese and topped up with more, cooked in the pizza oven;yummissimo. I'm on a sea-food diet, see it and eat it, trying out a few Italian favourites and finishing up with a great Lobster Ravioli to die for RP115,000. Home-made Ravioli stuffed with Lobster, in a thick creamy leek sauce with scampi here and there; my outh waters in memory.
We went to old favourite Bali Bakery which seemed to have gone from extra good to average but it has to be said their pour of wine, very generous was was exemplary in quantity..
Another old favourite we had a great meal at was Gateway To India, IMHO the best Indian Food in Bali onDyana Pura (named differently now)
Where you can witness the sweaty Balnese lad working the live Tandoor, which turns out great breads as well as the usual Tikkas etc. You'd be advised not to eat too many of the breads, gorgeous but divinely filling. Not as posh as Queen's Tandoor up the road but the cooking is better, without the style of Q.T..
Another fave re-visited twice was Joni Beach who brought me undone with their Large Heineken, frosty handle with each new Large bottle and I must admit to having quite a few over the two occasions we dropped in. My food was the ever-popular Chicken in a Basket which had the disadvantage of Herself nicking my chips, while she had a sea-food platter, which included non-rubbery squid, hard to find.
Went solo twice to S & S where the family are now also working hard, even a grand-child is scurrying around followed by the adoring glances by the Grandies who spoil him rotten never to be seen without a gobfull.At this rate he'll be Suzy's size by the age of 10, much to the disgust of her daughter,patiently at her manicure and paddycure while watching as a despairing mother; a nice family scene to witness. Sammy now gives out plates of salted pea-nuts and I noticed that each time he passed with a plate he put a few pea-nuts in a notch in one of the palm-trees. Some Religious Ritual though I, but eventuslly saw a big fat 40cm squirrel dash down for the nosh on offer and just as quickly disappear up to his roost, waiting for the next feed from Sammy.
Didn't meet Sumudge or othe BTF people only one long-time acquaintance, the mother of Deanne Cameron, an habitual Bali person for a long time; at one time conned badly by "lover" named after an ice-cream who was in 'luurve' with more than one Bali-loving lady, at the same time. It came to a head one night, when accused by Deanne, hit her and received a swift knee in the nuts in reply, delivered with sufficient force to put him off bongking for quite a while, to the supportive cheers of all on-lookers. Just another memory among thousands which flick through my mind from time to time.
The stubbies@25,000 were all ice-cold and Sammy of the long memory remembered that I don't drink using a used 'condom bottol' on the grounds that you never know who spat in it last;oopsnya!
That's it for now readers and I hope I have managed to share some of my Bali joy along the way. In answer to your next question, it's planned for 10 days from Oct 26th, health and finance all being well.
Om Santi-Santi.
Pete.