Savoring tasty 'nasi campur' a la Bali

Wahyuni Kamah, Contributor, Denpasar, Bali

Bali has long been famous for its nasi campur, a mixture of steamed rice and various other side dishes offering sweet, hot and spicy sensations that is a feast for the tastebuds.

However, despite being famous for this dish, one can only find a few restaurants in Bali that serve real Balinese nasi campur.

Since the 1970s, Warung Wardani in Denpasar has been famous for its tasty nasi campur. The restaurant is named after the owner, Wardani, who now acts as the restaurant's cashier.

Locals and out-of-towners have attested to the taste and quality of its dishes, and the warung's reputation has spread far and wide by word of mouth. Even President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband, Taufik Kiemas, has been known to drop by at the restaurant for lunch whenever he visits the island.

Location: The warung is situated in downtown Denpasar. It stands on the one-way Jl. Yudhistira 2. If you are coming to the restaurant for the first time, make sure you know its precise location because if you pass it you have to turn into another street to get back to the restaurant. But at lunchtime, the small warung's yard and its adjoining street are full of visitors' cars.

Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except on national holidays and Balinese holidays. Tel: (0361) 224398

Look: The warung looks just like an ordinary house and is simply identified by a sign at the side of the street.

The dining room is not spacious but simple and clean. It might make diners sweat though because it's not air conditioned and only fans are available to cool the room.

Since there are only about eight tables, visitors who come to dine must wait their turn.

The warung seems to highlight its traditional woodstove cooking style. From the glass window in the dining room, diners can see piles of firewood placed in the corner of the yard.

What's it got: This warung specializes in nasi campur a la Bali, which is free of pork and pork derivatives.

But it also offers Balinese and non-Balinese snacks such as chips, cakes, cookies and beverages that are displayed on racks.

A selection of nasi campur biasa (plain) and nasi campur spesial (special) are on offer.

Nasi campur biasa comprises seven side dishes like sate sampi (beef satay), sayur nangka (stewed young jackfruit in coconut milk), rempeyek udang (shrimp crackers), sayur kacang panjang (vegetables in thick coconut milk), urap (grated coconut with spices mixed with cooked vegetables), dendeng sapi (jerked beef), telur pindang (sweeten boiled egg) and ayam suwir (shredded chicken with chilies and lime). Nasi campur spesial has more assortments of side dishes.

The drinks include dawet (traditional sweet drink made from palm sugar), lemonade and several soft drinks.

Taste factor: The use of firewood in the cooking process gives a distinctive taste to the food. Like its name, nasi campur, the taste is really a mixture of several tastes and flavors such as sweet, spicy, hot, salty - real Balinese flavors.

Its beef satay is spicy. Sayur nangka is a bit hot but tasty, rempeyek udang is crispy though a little bit salty.

The distinct Balinese taste -- distinguished for its tangy kencur (Kaemferia galangal) flavor -- can be found in the sayur kacang panjang and urap. Ayam suwir is hot while dendeng sapi is sweet and spicy.

Price Points: Compared to the price of nasi campur at side- walk foodstalls, Warung Wardani is a bit expensive. But the taste makes up for the price.

A serving of nasi campur biasa is Rp 12,500 while nasi campur spesial costs Rp 17,500. Beverages start at Rp 5,000.

Minus Points: Each serving of nasi campur is small, and at lunchtime it might get a bit crowded because it sits on a busy street (meaning it's difficult to park your car). And the dining room is cooled by fans, making your lunch a little uncomfortable.

Verdict: Warung Wardani features a typical Indonesian dining atmosphere where you should come just to enjoy the food. Since many people have to wait their turn to dine, this is not the place to hang out or discuss business with your partners. But you will be rewarded with their undeniably tasty Balinese nasi campur.