Warung Mak Beng

First thing I wanted- local food by way of fish and sambal. Bring on those awesome spices! Got 'em both at Warung Mak Beng in Sanur. Dunno why it's such a popular spot. It's crazy crowded at all times of the day with big groups of locals and domestic tourists.

The man and I squeezed in to the counter at the wall and plonked ourselves in the corner. SCORE. Ordering was easy. The eatery hired sufficient staff. I think they speak basic English since it's off the Sanur beachfront. But I speak passable Indonesian. Works fine especially when ordering food. Anyway, there's only ONE SET MENU. RP45,000 each (~ S$5). No choices. It can't be that difficult to politely gesture or something. And honestly, at this age, if we didn't learn it as children, we ought to have picked up basic bahasa melayu or indonesian.

Warung Mak Beng only does one thing- fish. Fried and in soup. Ikan laut goreng and sup kepala ikan dan sayur. Food comes as one set. I don't think they even have a menu. You get fish head soup, fried fish with sambal and a plate of steamed white rice. Drinks are separate.

The eatery uses whatever fish they caught that morning. As long as it's fresh. At RP45,000 for a set, we can't complain. (Yup, prices have increased since two years ago.) Go to the toilet, because you'll pass by the kitchen on the way. Use it as an excuse like I did. The kitchen is the exciting portion! I wanted to see what sort of fish are in the pots and woks, and how the kitchen works. Heh. They use different fish. I spied giant trevally, beltfish, pickhandle barracuda, and leatherjacket. Wheeeee.

My gawwd. Lunch hit every spot. I was totally craving for spices. Most of Bali isn't air-conditioned. The heat and humidity was unbelievable. In dri-fit and was still soaked through. Smelt like grease after. Totally worth it.

Warung Mak Beng
Jl Hang Tuah, No. 45, Sanur
Bali, Indonesia
Hours for now: 8am to 8pm-ish.