Warung Nikmat Masakan Khas Jawa @ Kuta, Bali

A large population of Indonesia is Muslim and this often leaves us an impression that pork and beer are scarcely consumed in the republic. Well, that’s not the case for Bali because the majority of this province is Hindu. Babi guling, sate babi and their locally brewed Bintang beer are widely available at every nook and corner. Certified Halal food choices are quite limited unless you don’t mind having vegetarian or fast food for all your meals.

One of the halal eateries we went is Warung Nikmat – and like the name says, the food here is really enjoyable and affordably priced too. Warung Nikmat is definitely not a tourist restaurant because you could see droves of locals having their meals here. The restaurant has a “chap fan” (known as nasi campur locally) concept paired with Javanese dishes displayed in a glass cabinet. A la carte orders are also available here but they are really popular for their nasi campur.

Just pick the dishes you fancy (I chose based on the server’s recommendation) and you will receive some pricing cards that will be used for payment later.

My plate of nasi campur had a grilled chicken thigh, a beef satay, Javanese vegetable salad and stir fried bean curd. All of this cost only RP27,000 which is about RM8. I think it’s a reasonable price considering every dish had a generous serving. I am not going to elaborate on each of them but I can assure you they were delicious. However, it was the dollop of spicy sambal that made the experience great, it was the ‘oomph’ factor alright.

If you’re craving for genuine local flavors which is otherwise quite elusive in Kuta, Warung Makan “Nikmat” is an ideal place to satisfy that crave. To get here, simply look for Hotel Bakung Sari as the warung is located just behind it. If the warung happens to run out of food, you could also try the noodle stall next to it. The bakso and mee ayam special there are sublime but you shouldn’t push your luck if it’s later than 8.30pm.

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