Wantilan Bali | Hawthorn

We decided to try Wantilan Bali because we had a voucher from our Entertainment Guide book. Eating good food is reward enough, so having a discount coupon makes it just that little bit more fun. Why? because you can order more! :)

Main dining room for Wantilan Bali

We decided to go for lunch, instead of dinner, since we were going to be in the area around that time. Although we weren't greeted when we first stepped in, as a matter of fact, we wondered if we'd stumbled upon an unintentionally unlocked door, but within moments an adorable chef ran out of the kitchen to show us to our seats. Clearly the hostess/waitress had just stepped out. The pint-sized chef's lovely smile and eagerness to please made it all good.

Okay, while we looked at the lunch menu, Shawn sipped on a Bintang Beer and I fell in love with my generous glass of McGuigan Black Label Chardonnay. Ahhh, how very nice...okay, let's look at this lunch menu.

Vegetarian Nasi Goreng - Lunch ($11)

Order up! One Beef Rendang Sampi for Shawn, a Jukut Tuung Misi Tahu Tempe (no, I didn't even try to say it, I just pointed), and nasi goreng (vegetarian) to share please.

As we enjoyed our drinks and listened to the lovely noises of wok-tossing in the kitchen, another couple came in to enjoy the lunch menu. Yay. Even though we hadn't eaten yet, we really liked the feel of Wantilan, and were pleased that others were supporting their lunch-time endeavors.

The first to arrive was the vegetarian nasi goreng - a Balinese fried rice dish served with scrummy-yummy satay skewers of tofu & some other nutty-type of thing, and colourful prawn crackers. The rice itself was pretty good, a little bit too sweet for our taste, but we ate it all, so no harm done.

Beef Rendang Sampi Lunch ($11)

Shawn's Beef Rendang Sampi lunch was dished up next. The beef pieces were thick and plentiful. The dish was nicely presented, and after the first mouthful Shawn claimed,

This is the best beef rendang I've ever had. The meat falls apart, and the curry is bold with flavour

I believed it, because he didn't say much else inbetween bites! ha!

My dish arrived moments after Shawn's was served, and although I had no idea what a Jukut Tuung Misi Tahu Tempe lunch would entail, I was pleasantly surprised!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ($12.50)

I noticed on the menu it said this dish is "vegan", not sure if it was, but I thought of it no more.  The curry colour & consistency was reminiscent of an Indian lentil or dahl, but it tasted nothing like that. Subtle, yet exotic spices made the eggplant taste unbelievable. Not a bold dish, but a yummy one. I ate it all, and that's really all that matters here!

These great-valued little lunch dishes have teased us enough to want to return. Granted, there will be no Entertainment voucher next time, but that doesn't matter. This place is worth paying full price.

If you haven't tried Balinese food before, like us, giving a lunch menu a try is a great way to go.