The largest tasting menu I've ever eaten

I must have looked like someone who could really eat a whole cow, or maybe the waitress was too polite to tell me NO, but anyway, I ordered the Rijstafel tasting menu at Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua, Bali last weekend, and lived to regret it. Don't get me wrong, the food was fantastic, and with tasting portions that represented a large portion of the restaurant menu items, but there was simply too much food for one person to finish.

For starters, there were 4 different types of skewered meat, a very delicious and unusual green papaya salad, a tuna salad and a rice cake dish with 2 accompanying dips. The main dishes arrived on a large platter with various types of meat - marinated chicken, sweet pork stew, various types of grilled meat in wrapped in banana leaf, a spicy vegetable dish, beef rendang, another chicken stew and a final met dish that I couldn't remember (and barely tasted).

A barely made a dent, only managing to taste tiny morsels of meat while having some of the white, yellow and red rice varieties. Anyway, finally on to dessert, there was a mixed tropical fruit platter, a black rice pudding, a palm sugar rice pudding and some local glutinous rice pastries. There was definitely enough food for two, but it was just a pity I was dining alone that night.

Bumbu Bali also has cooking classes during the day, and will arrange to take students to the local market to shop for ingredients before the lessons start. The open air kitchen is a great place to watch the experts cook up a feast, and there are cookbooks on sale for those really keen on trying their hand at Balinese cuisine.

The restaurant is located at Jalan Pratama, Tanjung Benoa, P.O.Box 132 Nusa Dua 80363, Bali - Indonesia. Tel: 62 361 774502, 772299

Back to the Macaroni Club

Ah, my favorite joint along the Kuta stretch is still around. It's been two years since I had a meal at the Macaroni Club, lots of fond memories and good food. It still looks pretty much the same, except maybe they've spiffed it up a bit. The three-storey high skylight that covers the entire club was what drew me to this place many years ago when I first stumbled upon it during a walk down Kuta one afternoon. Love the drinks, love the music and the food. If you happen to get the front row tables by the roadside, you get a great view of the street scene in front of the restaurant, like watching a music video that loops endlessly, while the hanging TVs play more MTV fare.

Today, as I finished my morning surfing session, I was on the lookout for a quick bite before heading back to my hotel to get some work and emails done. Saw a couple of new Italian bistros by Kuta Beach, a couple of new bars serving lunch, and passed TJ's the old Mexican cantina in Poppies Lane II. As I emerged from the side lane onto the main thoroughfare, I saw the Macaroni Club right in front of me, and knew that was the answer. I ordered the set lunch, a really good deal at Rp59,000 - choice of pizza or pasta, a drink and a coffee. I ordered ice cream for dessert as well. The macaroni alla matriciana was very tasty, and well done. Thank goodness they also had free wifi! I was able to shoot out a few emails while waiting for my food, and so everyone back at the office probably had no idea I was goofing off in Bali and sending out emails at a club in Kuta. Well, that's modern technology. It will enrich our lives in many ways, and eventually enslave us to our virtual desks wherever we may flee to.