Going the whole hog in Bali

12/8/2012

Golden porky goodness awaits at this Ubud institution

There are few things in life that get me more excited than food, and fewer foods that get me more excited than roasted suckling pig!

So it comes as no surprise that my entire Bali itinerary has been fashioned to ensure that I make it to the legendary Warung Ibu Oka in Ubud in time to gorge on a plateful of their specialty - babi guling - roasted pork that’s so soft it just eases off the fleshy body of a whole-roasted hog and is paired with red-gold crackling, mealy offal, a shallot, lemon grass and spice stuffing and the famous secret sauce that’s ladled over the entire dish to tie it all together. Mmmm… this is what I expect to be the gastronomic highlight of my three day trip to Bali.

Which brings me back to why Warung Ibu Oka has somehow managed to dictate my entire island itinerary…

The plan for Bali was simple. Sea, spa, sundowners and shopping … lots of chatter in between. Two stops – chic Seminyak and the emerald green heart of Bali, Ubud. And it is here that the plan got derailed ever so slightly, with the discovery of the little warung or restaurant that serves (arguably) Bali’s best version of babi guling. There may be other contenders but I’m quite happy to take Anthony Bourdain’s word that this is the best.

The thing is Warung Ibu Oka, for all its fame, believes in the magic relationship between supply and demand. Keep the product quantity fixed and the demand will always outstrip supply. Which is why those 10 or so freshly roasted pigs that make their way to the restaurant everyday need to be snapped up and swallowed before anyone else gets to them. And people get to them very quickly, I’m told!

And so my Bali itinerary came to be carefully planned to make sure we have a whole morning in Ubud dedicated to doing nothing... cough, cough, that is having nothing to do that might prevent us from reaching Ibu Oka early enough to cut through the hungry hoards and cut straight to the chase – the oh-so-succulent slices of spicy roasted pork :) I can't wait!

Has anyone tried Ibu Oka’s famous roasted suckling pig and was it worth the hype? I'm hoping it is... but then again, it's spicy roasted pork. In my world that can hardly ever be a disappointment :)

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