When I was in Bali, there were two things that I must eat. One is the Babi Guling Ibu Oka which I found to be so-so only. The other one is the Bebek Bengil which is also found in Ubud Bali. Like most foods in Bali, this is not halal too. In fact, I think our Muslim friends will find it hard get any certified halal foods in Bali.
When I was in Bali, we stayed for one night in Kuta which is located near the beach and two nights in Ubud which is at the northern side. Ubud’s weather is cooling and it is generally a paddy fields, forest and villages place.
Bebek Bengil means Dirty Ducks. According to the story, when they open a restaurant there, they do not know what to name it and a flock of ducks walked in and dirtied their floor with duck prints. So, it is called Bebek Bengil.
I love the atmosphere at Bebek Bengil. We were there for dinner and the sun was setting. I didn’t bring my camera along and took all these photos with my iPhone. It gets dark really fast in Bali and by 5.30 pm, the place is depressingly dark.
We ordered a few dishes, both western and ducks. The bebek bengil is their speciality. It is duck steamed till tender and then, deep fried till crispy. The price for half a duck is about RM24 which is rather reasonable. I believe these are free range ducks as there are plenty of ducks running around the paddy fields in Bali.
As with most Bali’s dishes, rice is always served with a platter of several small dishes like the sambal, kerabu onions and the long beans.
There are many duck dishes but some have be to pre-ordered. My sons ordered duck fried rice and another the pasta.
Bebek Bengil is an upper class dining place with nice desserts and cocktails. This coconut pie caught my eyes and I ordered one slice. It is about RM12. My son ordered a banana pie with icecream.
The banana pie comes with orange compote and it is absolutely heavenly.
The Bebek Bengil is definitely a nice place to visit if you are in Bali. It is in Ubud and not very hard to find. Just ask, and Ubud seems to have only one road so you won’t miss it. Bebek Bengil is one of the few places that I love in Bali.
As for the Babi Guling Ibu Oka, I still find the charm missing as all the rice and meat were cut and ready to be served. It is like a soup kitchen where everyone is immediately given a plate and expected to finish and scram so that others can take our place. But for Bebek Bengil, it is one place where you want to stay longer and enjoy. That is if you can stand the mozzie bites. 🙂