Heaven hidden away in rice fields

Heaven hidden away in rice fields

Josh Kreger, Contributor, Ubud, Bali

Hidden away from beaches and surfers, the point between sunrise
and sunset is the town of Ubud. Surrounding it are dozens of
townships: Mas, Peliatan, Tegallantang and more.

If one were to look behind the rows of houses and furniture,
amid what appears to be a chaotic cluster of woodcarving shops,
temples and galleries, one could see the rice paddies. Locals
raking and collecting the rice, mending the terraces, palm trees
and blue sky. And a big white building smack in the middle of
it. Behold, Stiff Chili restaurant.

I stumbled upon this by mistake while trying to be adventurous
and "get lost" in Bali on a motorbike.

A small sign reads "Stiff Chili 100 meters" over the entrance
to what attempts to be a lane off the main road. What the hell, I
thought, nothing to lose. So I proceed to signal (waste of time)
and turn into the cobblestone alley, to the delight of the
honking drivers behind me (who were not sympathetic to my "casual
touring" pace). The little road goes on and on and just when I
thought I might be lost for real, it appeared before me like a
mirage. Pure white, crystal sky above, lush green surroundings.
Fantastic. Stiff Chili is an Italian restaurant and more.

Located in the heart of the Ubud rice paddies, it beams of
esthetic taste, style and relaxation. Mellow music greets you and
a breeze can be seen playing with the white drapes, hanging
within the tiers.

A quick tour with our host/bartender reveals the following:
The place is seven months old (brave attempt for a new business),
beautiful, and provides good food, service and atmosphere -- all
anyone has to know.

A look at the menu reveals surprisingly low prices for a place
so stunning -- around Rp 10,000 to Rp 20,000 for starters, and Rp
25,000 to Rp 35,000 for mains, vegetarian and meat dishes
available.

Italian rural cooking, but with modern class and style, and
(most importantly as far as I'm concerned) well-sized portions.

One thing that ruins a meal for me is the empty, white space
between the two mushrooms you get on your huge plate at many, so-
called, upscale Jakarta restaurants. Fresh juice and shakes, ice-
cold beer and white wine, freshly squeezed, homegrown lemon tea
and juice. Spectacular.

It took me about 20 minutes to sit down due to my amazement at
the place. We chose the upstairs seating (the middle level is
surrounded by a white bar and booth-like tables) and as we arrive
at the top, yet another mirage formulates before my eyes:
Following the scenic terraces and paddies, my eyes rest on a
lightning-blue swimming pool. On the lower ground level, a
beautiful pool exists for the guests of the restaurant, or simply
swimmers or loungers who want to hang out at the pool. In the
middle of the rice paddies!

It is not so big you think it ruins the environment and
surroundings, not so small you say: "what were they thinking of?"
Simply and elegantly done like the rest of the restaurant, with
shaded areas, lounge chairs and pool beds.

If you fancy a quick dip or long lounge before or after your
meal, you are welcome; included are free towels, soft drinks, tea
or coffee. If you just want to swim and not eat, you can pay Rp
12,000/6,000 per adult/child, towels and drinks included. This
whole place keeps on getting better.

The food -- very, very good. Mixed brochettes, veggie salad
and pumpkin soup for starters, with pasta and chicken salad for
mains. I would tell you about the drinks but it was such a
ridiculous amount of juices and cold teas, I simply can't
remember it all. All delicious, all simply presented.

Price -- very reasonable. The whole affair cost under Rp
150,000 for two. But we ate enough for three. Crowd -- mix of
people who were lost (as we), searching and curious souls, laid-
back expats and a couple of locals. There were 10 people there,
including us at the time. The place is still yet to be
discovered, luckily. Free parking, great service. Might as well
be heaven.

The only downside is, I tried to explain to six people how to
get there, with a success rate of only one of the six, and even
he found it only because he rented a motorbike specifically for
that, and it still took him a couple of hours of wandering around
Ubud.

So it's still a secret (except to the expats living in Bali
and the "in-the-know" people). Go there while it lasts, heaven
knows there will be tests, whether financial hardships in these
difficult times for Bali, or mass discovery and backpacker
takeover. Better hurry!

I-BOX:

Stiff Chili is located on a cobblestone alley off the main road
between Ubud and Mas. From the Mas-Ubud-Gianyar intersection
about 500 meters north towards Ubud is the alley, turning East.
It can be reached by car, taxi, motorbike or foot.