Heading off to Bali for the first time, slightly naive with visions of drinking dirt cheap cocktails from kitschy westernised establishments overlooking the beach and wearing a fluorescent hibiscus sun dress... But my dream was quickly squished with the realisation of the ultra uber chic; bar, cafe and restaurant culture that is on the rise in this famous Aussie getaway.
Steering clear of the Bintang singlet and Billabong short wearing strip shopping that screams Kuta. We perused another side of Bali where the cocktails flow freely and people dress like super stars. We found class and a nice credit debt to boot! The cheap and nasty cocktails in my dreams seemed like a distant memory and rather quickly I was jolted back to reality when the first cocktail cost $20 a pop! Pinching myself, was I still in Australia or had I bypassed the cheap cocktails of my Bali dreams and given them up cowardly to taste the familiarity of home and drink in a new hip bar and of course pay for it.
Ku De Ta is this fresh and delicious establishment on Seminyak's beachfront, a larger than life style bar that bubbles with pretentious ego's. It is a fantastic place to people watch and if you enjoy good food and wine, the menu is divine. New Zealand, Australian (Hugo's) trained chef has yanked Bali's dining scene to even higher heights. In the humid heat opt for a salad or two and the truffle and champagne linguine for main. There is a healthy wine list so make sure you have a bank balance to match as you won't be leaving this fine establishment for less than $100 per head for a main with a shared salad and a bottle of vino.
Most foodies will agree that you visit a place like this for the dining experience and that is what you receive; good enough service, fabulous food, worthy wine and an atmosphere to match.
For something slightly less pretentious the view from the front cushioned lined wooden bench seats is breathtaking and this is a cheaper way to experience the bar scene. Our second food visit was a choice from the bar menu; delicious gourmet pizzas, crispy calamari and yummy sharing plates all served atop wooden chopping boards. The gentle hub bub of foreigners chit chat is meditating as you watch the sun set slowly changing into a million different hues of yellow orange and pink.
The irony of sipping $20 cocktails whilst Balinese beggars in front are negotiating prices for their 'hand made' ware with the patrons who give them the time of day is uncanny. My tummy started to squirm and not just from the slight excess of alcohol being consumed. Perhaps I am more like my mother than I thought, a slight push over when it comes to beggars and especially when they are children. They chatted to us in hope of a quick and satisfying sale and one guy purchased a carved wooden box for 10,000 rupiah.
That is the Bali my folks talk of and the Bali I see today, they thrive on people like us, tourists to sell their ornate wooden boxes or whatever their expertise, its for their livelihood so we tell ourselves.
love amie x
www.kudeta.net/
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