Black House Burgers - Top 10 (Out of 871 Restaurants in Kuta) @ Bali [Indonesia] #blackhouseburgers

Befitting its label as touristy area, Kuta has a ton of restaurants serving a wide variety of cuisines for travellers to choose from. I am confused given the sheer number and relied heavily on the recommendations from Trip Advisor.

I wasn't seeking specifically for burgers but 900 over reviews for the Black House Burgers appeared rather legit and the pricing wasn't a total ripoff (at least compared to what we have in Singapore). 

Literally a hole in the wall and for that good of a review score; the restaurant was empty except for two customers who coincidentally were Alex's colleagues! 

Non-air-conditioned setting even though it wasn't that bad when we visited as the sky was overcast. Well, to be frankly, the weather had not been great in the past few days we were in Bali.

Display of camera models over the past few decades; due to the bounced lighting, the painted-on pictures didn't look too realistic in the above photograph. 

Tables and chairs made from disused oil drums! 

Quirky design aside, i was most impressed with the staff members; they served with a smile and even willingly passed me the WiFi password without me asking for it!

There were so many things i wanted to try beside the burgers; there were the awesome fries (potapork, hot jack, beefy bucks) and the 100% real fruit juices (less than S$2 a cup)! Pity my tummy was still digesting the nasi campur i had at Made's Warung three hours before. :( 

Serviettes, cutlery, pepper and salt were placed on an aluminum tin on every table; i only realised later that it was baking tin and the eatery was using them as serving trays too! That's blasphemous for anyone who enjoys baking! 

Need more sauces (mustard, tomato, chilli, BBQ, thousand island dressing, mayo etc)? Get them from the sauce station at the corner. Long term stayers can consider getting the loyalty-stamp card for extra freebies! 

The A-Bomb - sometimes, i don't really get the names of dishes on the menu. I presume that the A-Bomb refers to Atomic Bomb and there's absolutely nothing terrifying from the burger. And we didn't explode too after taking a bite.

I can hardly taste the chicken with the generous layer of caramelised onions. Don't get me wrong, i love caramelised onions and hope they could be included in every burger; simply to enhance the sweetness! However, the chicken patty failed to surprise and the toughness didn't help. 

Bonnie & Clyde - Alex's colleagues recommended this with a footnote; be careful of the bits of bones which had the potential to get stuck in between your teeth. An advice worth taking as they are dentists and we all know how expensive dental work is. p.s. Alex loves the crispy crinkle-cut French fries! 

So what's between the soft charcoal burger bun with a touch of sweetness (and could have benefited from more butter)? Braised pork ribs, crispy wanton skin (imagine the cackling sound as you chomp down the burger), caramelised onions, button mushrooms, sliced tomatoes and a sunny side up with a runny yolk that drools when you bite through. 

Don't be afraid of the bones as the braised pork ribs were impossibly tender and the ribs broke into tiny pieces without any resistance. I love the taste of the braised pork ribs as it's like digging into a slab of juicy BBQ pork ribs! Absolutely delish! 

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Location

Jl. Patimura No.1, Kuta, 

Kabupaten Badung, 

Bali 80361, Indonesia

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

1.30 pm to 10.45 pm

Closed on Sundays.

Website

http://blackhouseburgers.com

Menu

As above.

Pricing

The A-Bomb - 58,000 rupiahs

Bonnie & Clyde - 85,000 rupiahs

Additional Information

Have vegan or vegetarian friends? There's something for them too! 

Jinjja Chicken - A Korean Fast Food Restaurant (Halal) @ Yishun's Northpoint City [Singapore]

This would be, once again, another posting on a new food outlet in the rejuvenating Northpoint City (used to be known as Northpoint shopping centre) for the benefit of my fellow Yishunites! 

Jinjja Chicken isn't the first Korean fast food restaurant in the mall as there's already 4Fingers; although some would argue that 4Fingers is more a fusion eatery. Oh well, doesn't matter to laymen like myself. 

As with normal fast food restaurants, order has to be taken at the ordering counter with payment made before your food can be cooked. And once that's done at Jinjja Chicken, do keep in mind the queue number on your receipt! 

Once that same queue number shows up on the TV screen at the collection counter; you may then proceed to pick up your food. 

At the same pick up counter was a section where you can your cutlery, straws, serviettes, plastic gloves and a metal pot for the chicken bones! Since there's no sink for diners to wash their hands, i would strongly recommend taking the plastic gloves.

1332 - this was the 4D number i bought. Just kidding of course as that's my queue number for the food i ordered! I went again recently and the above was missing a bibimbap that i would be reviewing as well in this post. 

Sikhye Drink - a rice-based beverage that tasted a bit like barley tea and was a bit bland. On my second visit, we had the same thing and mum commented it was too sweet for her. Yuzu was better, in my opinion.

Tteokbokki Fries - literally French fries and Korean rice cakes mixed together with no blended amalgamation! I felt cheated, especially when there were only two pieces of Tteokbokki!

Jinjja Wings - we opted for the 6-piece mix which consisted of 3 soy garlic and 3 yangnyeom. Surprisingly, they weren't served piping hot (unlike the Oppa Chicken at AMK); taste wise, however, we enjoyed the soy garlic wings with a higher affection reserved for the yangnyeom which had a hot and sweet marinade that were both numbing and shiok.

Jiajang Myeon - had been watching running man (the popular Korean variety show) and i was craving for the black bean noodles! Frankly, it didn't taste that amazing and i would be better off with our local fish ball noodles. Nevertheless, it was quite pleasurable to loudly slurp in the black, saucy noodles and the taste did get better after a while. 

Bulgogi Beef Kimbap - this would be suitable for picnics or when friends visit as the kimbap (Korean sushi) was served in an attractive box!

Furthermore, that was a lot of beef in the middle; mildly sweet yet satisfying with cheese and pieces of crunchy lettuce and carrots! This would be one item i will seriously consider for dinner when i am too lazy to cook! 

Chicken Bibimbap - this was one item i failed to try on my first visit as there were too much food for three of us. Hence, i eagerly ticked this off the menu when my mom said i can order anything i want so long it doesn't contain beef.

For just S$7.90, this was definitely decent tasting and wasn't overly spicy. Thanks to the runny egg, the mixed up rice with vegetables and meat had a moist texture that i personally prefer for bibimbap! Next time, i shall opt for the beef bibimbap! 

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Location

930 Yishun Avenue 2, 

#01-45, Northpoint City 

Singapore 769098

Website

http://www.jinjjachicken.com

Menu

As above

Pricing

Sikhye Drink (S) - S$2.50

Tteokbokki Fries (S) - S$3.50

Jinjja Wings (6 pieces) - S$7.90

Jiajang Myeon - S$7.90

Bulgogi Beef Kimbap - S$8.90

Chicken Bibimbap - S$7.90

(inclusive of GST)

Additional Information

Jinjja Chicken is Halal-certified.

Surfers Surfing on Choppy Waters at Tanah Lot in Bali [Indonesia]

Bali is said to be a surfer's paradise and i can understand why when the water was continuously choppy with rolling waves in the short four days i was there. 

I am not interested in surfing given my lack of hand-foot-mind coordination, the unknown factors in the water and my preference to be under the water rather than above it. I mean, which right minded individual would surf in the above conditions?! 

There were two in the water that day and i was inherently curious as i have never seen surfing for real before; i prepared my camera and held it in position as i waited for next wave to envelop them. 

It was exciting and i can so imagine the adrenaline high that the surfer felt when he successfully conquered the waves! Key question is; would i want to try?

Maybe, maybe. Never try, never know although the older i get, the more i am scared of death. Not so much about the after-death but more like there are so many things i have yet to do when i am alive, the numerous loans that i am servicing and the fear of losing my loved ones (from the perspective of someone who is passing on). 

For the itinerary of my short 4 days, 3 nights' trip to Bali, please click here.

Made's Warung - Balinese Nasi Campur Special @ Kuta [Bali Island, Indonesia]

I planned to try local food in Bali and though i had managed to check out the babi guling, there's another item on my list; Nasi Campur (mixed rice)! 

There were a few famous restaurants but for ease of travelling given the limited time i had on the Indonesian island, i needed one nearer to Grand Istana Rama Hotel. Thankfully, the hotel is located in a touristy area and Made's Warung, a 15--minute walk away, seemed like a great fit for my schedule.

Decor was traditionally Indonesian with two levels to choose from. It's non-air-conditioned; hence, do pray that the weather wasn't too hot / humid when you visit. 

My initial impression assumed that Made's Warung was a dining establishment serving authentic traditional Balinese / Indonesian cuisine. I believe it is but Western desserts, breakfast, salads, pasta, pancakes and even Japanese dishes! 

Well, i am still sticking to the local delights.

Mineral Water - a bottle of plain water for me as there's another round of food at a burger place in two to three hours' time and i had to control the amount of trash that would be going into my body!

Avocado Juice - managed to steal a sip from Alex and it was so creamy and refreshing! Definitely welcome in the hot weather and not as sweet as some other versions that included chocolate sauce / gula melaka. 

Black Rice Pudding - this came recommended and was served warm! Looked a bit like the Singapore's Or Bi Beh (black glutinous rice) and taste wise; similar to eating watery red bean paste. Flavour was weak though and the sweetness could be reduced, in my opinion.

Nasi Campur Special - i chose this over Nasi Campur as it's not every month i would be in Bali and i might as well for the special version. 

There's a variety of ingredients surrounding the bowl-shaped rice; satay, vegetables, sardine, prawns, chicken. Don't they remind us of our local mixed vegetables rice or Nasi Padang? Except that we get to pick and choose the ingredients back home.

A familiar experience and one i enjoyed very much as the mish-mash of ingredients in every spoonful was delicious! The only negative feedback was maybe the satay which could have been more tender. 

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Location

Jl. Pantai Kuta, Banjar Pande Mas,

Kuta, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung,

Bali 80361, Indonesia

Map

As above

Website
http://madeswarung.com

Menu

As above. Made's Warung served Rijst Tafel (Rice Table and you may read more in the menu). If you have a minimum of 4 persons, you can order one day in advance at 200,000 rupiahs per person.  

Pricing

Mineral Water - 13,000 rupiahs

Avocado Juice - 25,000 rupiahs

Black Rice Pudding - 25,000 rupiahs

Nasi Campur Special - 68,000 rupiahs

For the itinerary of my short 4 days, 3 nights' itinerary to Bali, please click here.