Blissful Bali Day #2 : Surfin' Divin' and Grillin'

It ain't a normal day in Bali if you haven't get wet. Whatever that means, but I'm talking about spending the rest of the afternoon at the beach. It is time for some water fun!

We had our mates from Rip Curl School of Surf who speaks fluent Indonesian introducing us to these water sports. And a few minutes after the groups separated to try each different sport in turns. I was glad to finally have my time on a surf board and know how it feels to wear a wet suit and pack a four kilo oxygen tank on my back.

I have to say, it is a lot easier doing the instruction off water than actually paddling the water with your body on the board. Even trying to stand requires a silent 1-2-3 in my head to collect the courage. But after a while, you'll get used to it. Rodeo! The hard part now is now moving the board to the direction that I desire. That's gonna take a lot more than half an hour to master. Better luck next time.

Personally I'm really attracted to diving after giving it a 15 minutes shot. There's so many things to consider, the strings to pull you up and down the water, the breathing, the paddling with your fin, and this is only in the pool. However, once you're down there, it is sooo soothing. Weird, but I enjoyed the clean breathe of oxygen right into my lungs. I felt so light. If I imagine myself in the deep see looking at all the beautiful creatures and corals down under, I think I'm beginning to understand my friends who are so into this and make diving a regular trip.

With all the exercises, it is only natural to starve right after. Who would've thought that our instructors is actually pretty good behind the grill. Look at him BBQ-ing like its his own backyard down under. Oh, and his hot dog sandwich is not to be missed. It reminds me of the good ol' days in Bronte, Maroubra, & Bondi beach. All we need is a few tank of beer and we're good. However, to our own surprise, we got a lot more than that for dinner. Plecing kangkung, nasi putih, sambal matah, and grilled fish has never been this awesome. Eating right next to the beach listening to the waves and watching the sky turns yellowish purple does made a difference.

That beautifully wraps up our second day in Blissful Bali.

I miss travelling already.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & travel photographer / storyteller.

Munch on my livetweets and whatnots at @Wanderbites ;)

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Rip Curl School of Surf
Sanur, Legian, & Jimbaran Beach
http://www.ripcurlschoolofsurf.com
Ph: +62 (361) 735858

The Nest Grill : Less is More

Life has its own quirky way of mashing up people from different works of the world at the same place. Such is my meeting with Nest Grill and Arnold Poernomo, the general manager and the man behind the kitchen. A young, determined, and skillful chef with years of experience working his way up from the bottom in many kitchen in Australia before finally settling in Jakarta. While I've also spent a year in Sydney before returning in Jakarta as well.

Source: Nestgrill.com

Hidden inside the Lumina building in Kuningan, the food place is effectively a small dining area within a food hall named Nest. The Grill on the other hand present modern minimalist interior with open kitchen, brick wall, dimmed lighting, and wood populated color palate. Why and why such a delicate establishment is separated a tile away from a seemingly misplaced food hall is out of my mind, but hey, let's just keep an eye on the food instead.

As he spills out his Sydney tales, Arnold prepared some of his cookings. Coming out kitchen smart as opposed to culinary school smart, he surely mastered his craft around the kitchen and watching him cook is a feast on its own. It was as if I'm in a chef's table. Soon after, came the 'must-try' as he called it: Beef Burger and Pork Belly. Both are as delightful as it appears, especially the pork belly. The soft and tender texture resulted from hours of slow cooking has won my tongue. The saucing was complimentary to the pork. If only I could have extra chili (I know, please pardon me =p) to add some hotness just the way I like it, then it would be perfect.

Beef Burger

Pork Belly

Not stopping at the main courses, he continues to awe with his creation of Eight Texture Chocolate Cake. Chocolate praline, mousse, caramel creme, ganache, chocolate disc, chocolate sponge, and chocolate dacquise all in one taking. I couldn't ask for a better dessert. I finished with a wide grin from ear to ear. That is one sweet sinful delicacy.

Eight Texture Chocolate Cake

The Nest Grill is indeed an epitome of the credo less is more. I am looking forward to its new place opening in Kemang, hoping that they would expand its selection of menu with a grandeur ambiance. Expectant!

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Snack on my tweets @Wanderbites

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The Grill At The Nest FoodHall
Lumina Tower
The Kuningan Place
Jl. Kuningan Utama Lot 15
South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2555 4614