Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

Omg!! Am sitting in warung italia in seminyak.. How the heck have I never been to this place before!!

Oh god, how I wish it wasn't going back to Surabaya tomorrow..

Ct

Take photos and send, please! What do they have that blows your mind, it seems...
Oh, and give us the address, thank you...

oops, sorry didn't get any pics, but the menu was fantastic - not overly complicated like you find in so many places.

I can't remember everything we nibbled on as a 'starter', but included was rosemary roasted chicken, chicken al funghi and calamari.. All delicious, but the star was tagliatelle pesto.. The basil was so fresh it was pungent, with amazing quality olove oil.. Simple flavours, not watered down by cream..

The best pesto I've ever had... Anywhere!!

Ct

Warung Italia has been a favorite of mine for several years. Tony, the owner, does a great job and also has a joint venture with the owners of the Kumala Pantai hotel in Legian where his second restaurant, Restoran Italia, is located beachfront.

Warung Italia is inexpensive, great quality, decent service and delicious. You must try the dessert made of a very thin pancake which forms a bubble and is smothered in fresh honey. Absolutely to die for!

Back in bali for the day..

Landed last night at 10.55pm - called Peninsula and asked for Fish and Chips to be ready by 11.30pm.. Left there at 2pm - dropped my villa key there, but only realized halfway back to villa so had to turn around. Got back to villa at 2.30.. Watched the last hour of 'there will be blood' (sensational movie - love the ending).. Woke up at 10'ish, watched Silence of the Lambs (for the first time)... It's 12.30 now and heading off to...

...

WARUNG ITALIA!!!

Fly out tonight to singapore (mmmm lamb curry for breakfast, lunch and tea), back on monday, only briefly before going back to surabaya..

Ct

milan wrote:Take photos and send, please! What do they have that blows your mind, it seems...
Oh, and give us the address, thank you...

OK here is a Google Earth map (click on it for detail):

In 2005 it got an award:http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/message.asp?Id=2863

Here is a review with address and map: http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/bali/reviews/restaurant-warung_italia_italian_cuisine_at_an_affordable_price-159.php

They are also in the Carrefour on Lantai Tiga.

Great food, really well priced. I'm also a huge fan of Trattoria and their new Jimbaran place is superb although they just put the prices up. They were in-expensive but have most definitely made the jump into mid priced, although I think Bali in general is leaping price wise following the food and oil hikes.

Wow, ronb! That's more than I asked for and am delighted to get all the info you put out here. It's fantastic, thank you!

And the additional info from you, too, SG. Thanks!

Hubby and I are restaurant lovers in that everywhere we happen to be, we always seek which restaurant to go. It's a case of "eat to live" than "live to eat". Luckily though, even him being an Italian, he loves all food be it Indonesian, Japanese, Thai, etc. In Jakarta, we'd go to the best French restaurant or to this particular place which is an uncomfortable without air-condition Menadonese Restaurant which has the best Menadonese food in my opinion. All easy which makes it fun for me to cook at home as I can prepare all my favourites Indonesian food or International ones and he'd just eat them with "gusto". And through him that I picked up my sense of appreciation in food and not just eating for the sake of eating.

So, thanks ronb, for your complete description of the place. I appreciate it.

It's a case of "eat to live" than "live to eat"

Other way around I think you intended Milan.. "Eat to live" implies just eating for basic survival, "live to eat" implies you're passionate about experiencing the best of food.. I think you meant that your husband and yourself "live to eat"..

Ct

Oops!. You're right, that's what I meant. Grazie!.

lol ..too funne

GEEEZ , I hate reading this section when im hungry, guess I will run acreooss the street and get a freaking burger and fries,AGAIN!

The former Tratoria in surabaya has 'broken' off and is now called Laruccola. I never tried it as Tratoria - not due to any particular reason, but apparently Laruccola has basically kept all the same, except for the name. Very good food, but I still miss Warung Italia - that pesto was SENSATIONAL!! And this place isn't really priced as a place you'd go to for lunch and dinner every day, it's not expensive - but is by Indonesian standards. Most pastas are 50,000+, compared to less than 25,000 in Warung Italia. And I'm convinced Warung Italia's pasta (I mean the noodles) is prepared fresh, you really get that in the texture and flavour.

Ct

Whats your best Pesto recipe Balilife.. I loooove pasta al pesto..

ill tell you mine..

Ohhh, that's a tricky one, as it's been so long since I've made pasto myself..

If I were making it today, I'd get around 2 cups of basil leafs, 1/2 cup of pine nuts, 2/3 cup of green-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, then grind it in a pistol (spell check needed) and mortar.. Then once a liquified emulsion, I'd stir in about 3/4 of a cup of parmegano regiano (again, spell check needed).. Cook the pasta al'dente, then after straining, in the same pot throw in the pesto mix and toss it round for a minute or so - if you cook the basil too much, it loses it's flavour.. Served with lemmon & thyme roasted chicken..

that would be how I'd do it off the top of my head.. Would love to hear your recipe - am sure it'd be more authentic..

As a twist, I've in the past thrown in some italian dried chillis (peccoroncini is it?) And sone nice fresh fennel flavoured italian sausage (seared first).. If I were to use sundried tomatoes (which I confess I've only done once), I'd use semi-sundried..

But I must admit, I usually like it without the chillis, tomatos and sausage - it's the simple flavours in pesto that I like..

Ok, let me hear yours!!

Ct

If I were making it today, I'd get around 2 cups of basil leafs, 1/2 cup of pine nuts, 2/3 cup of green-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, then grind it in a pistol (spell check needed) and mortar.. Then once a liquified emulsion, I'd stir in about 3/4 of a cup of parmegano regiano (again, spell check needed).. Cook the pasta al'dente, then after straining, in the same pot throw in the pesto mix and toss it round for a minute or so - if you cook the basil too much, it loses it's flavour..

This is excellent! Very basic, simple and authentic.

Please don't add saugsage, pepperoncini and all that. Should never mix the two.

Now, I too want to hear Chilli's. Mine is more or less as Balilife's.