Local culinary art
In Bali, you have various choices concerning culinary tastes and places to eat. You can find a lot of local varieties from the simplest “nasi goreng” (fried rice with vegetables) or “satay” (chicken or pork with peanut sauce) to refined cuisines with natural spices like the “bebek betutu” (duck cooked on the grill) or “Ikan pepes” (grilled fish in a banana leaf). Balinese food is principally made with rice, fresh vegetables, peanuts, chicken and of course chili. Spices are frequently used in Indonesian cuisine in general, and this country is well known for its rice. Indeed, Indonesia owns the best rice growers in the world.
Concerning the meat, local people prefer poultry, seafood, and eggs. Red meat is not the specialty in Bali, and in the other parts of the country also. You can eat red meat in Bali anyway, but it will be difficult to find the same quality as in European countries.
You can even find some other dishes made with dogs, monkeys, mice, lizards, and bats. It is not common, but if you are looking for new culinary experiences you can find that in Indonesia.
Concerning the places to eat, there are restaurants in almost every street, mostly the typical Balinese restaurants called “warung”, a cheap place where you can eat local specialties. There are many kinds of warung, with more or less choices. It is the perfect place to eat in a typical atmosphere and to familiarize yourself with the Balinese lifestyle.
Of course, touristic areas are also part of the island, especially in the South. You won’t have any difficulties finding places such as sophisticated restaurants with tastes from all over the world.