Kuta

With pristine beaches, endless shopping and hedonistic nightlife it’s not hard to see why Kuta is a tourist magnet. Think Patong Beach, but with more zipping motorbikes and narrow alleyways lined with touts selling everything from ‘exotic’ tours and lottery tickets to weed and magic mushrooms.

Kuta Beach

Kuta Beach

Judging by the number of ‘Learn to Surf’ schools around, surfing is big business in Kuta. At any given time (rains included) you can spot up to thirty to forty surfers paddling out waiting to catch the next crashing wave.

Surfing Kuta Beach

Surfing Kuta Beach

Shopping at Kuta Square

Pronounced [rahys-tah-fuhl], this Indonesian dish has its origins in the Dutch colonial era where it would be served as a representation of the various ethnic cuisines found across Indonesia. Literally translating to ‘rice table’, Rijsttafel generally consists of various side dishes (as little as 10 or as many as 40+) served with portions of rice… not unlike your everyday Thali.

Rijsttafel

We decided to try out the Rijsttafel at Poppies Restaurant, a popular Bali institution on Kuta Beach. Our Rijsttafel came on a revolving tray and was, thankfully, a more manageable 12 side dishes – one beef, one fish, one lamb, two chicken, three vegetable and seafood, chicken, beef satay along with some plain and nasi goreng.

Though Rijsttafel is not considered ‘traditional’ Indonesian cuisine, I’d highly recommend anyone visiting Indonesia to give this dish a ‘whirl’. Terima kasi!