A Day in the Village: Trekking, Cooking and Palm Wine Tasting

We had a wonderful experience gaining a fundamental insight into the ingredients so important for authentic Balinese & Indonesian food. We prepared, cooked & then ate Nasi Goreng..the best ever I’ve had in Asia. Thanks Penny and your wonderful staff for their hospitality. A must do event! At the very least, go and have lunch. You won’t be disappointed.

We booked a private cooking class as a couple. We were picked up at 6.30 am at our hotel in Ubud and had a wonderful 2 hour drive through fields of flowers and along the coast. Once we arrived to the restaurant, we were greeted one of the signature drinks (snakefruit and spices, you must give it a try!) which set the tone for a wonderful, unique experience. The view from the restaurant is breathtaking, by the way! We went to the market with Penny who was very patient to explain lots of useful knowledge about the ingredients. She is also very passionate about reducing plastic waste which I appreciate a lot! Once back at the restaurant, we learned how to make the little flower baskets you see as offerings at temples and were introduced to Balinese ways of praying. This was a wonderful way to mindfully start our cooking journey. We ate the treats we collected earlier at the market and then were taught a variety of dishes using traditional tools such as volcano stone and complex combinations of local ingredients. We really appreciated that the basic ingredients of the dishes were already prepared so that we could focus fully on the instructions and carrying them out. Penny is incredibly passionate and committed with her lesson so that it was one-of-a-kind-experience. Once all the work was done, we got to enjoy our lunch with the best view ever. Do not miss out on Penny's first class cooking and if you have the time, book the cooking class. We will come back!!!

Let’s be honest, I can’t cook to save my life. But along with my wife and 13 year old daughter I did the half day cooking course at the Bali Asli Restaurant. The day we did the course the restaurant owner, Penny, was unavailable, though she did come and introduce herself and apologize. Our course was taken by Dewa Ariawan, who must be the head chef. Dewa was an absolute delight and being a local only added to the experience. We started by learning how to make the baskets that are used for the various offering to the gods you see in every doorway, driveway, etc. across Bali. Dewa not only explained how to make the basket but the relevance of each piece of flower, etc. that goes into the basket. Nimble fingers are required to create these tiny baskets! Each piece having its own spot in the basket and signifying a particular offering to a specific god. After this Dewa went through a basked of herbs, vegetable and fruits. Explaining the role of each in Indonesian cooking and allowing us to feel and taste them all, a great experience for the uninitiated. Then we all took our positions – Masterchef style – and proceeded to make four separate courses. Initially we were shown how to make the underlying ingredient by grinding all the different spices and herbs in our volcanic stone pestle and mortar. We then made chicken satay, Nasi Goreng, a fish disk cooked in a banana leaf, and a pumpkin-based dessert, again cooked in a banana leaf. The fish dish and the satay are cooked on the tradition Indonesian BBQ, which all adds to the fun of the morning. At the end you sit down and eat your various courses. And as a nice souvenir you keep your apron. On top of all this the restaurant is in the most wonderful location, looking out across the valley to Mount Agung (the volcano) in the near distance – absolutely stunning.

It's a beautiful place with great food. The surroundings are amazing and so is the view. A very peaceful and enjoyable place. I was there on business with a couple of guests that were interested in taking a cooking class. We started in the morning with a relaxing welcome drink and had a short briefing. We took a ride to the market for some shopping and introduction in some herbs and other Balinese cooking ingredients. When we got back to Bali Asli, we went through our shopping and tasted and smelled different condiments and herbs. After this, we started our cooking class. It was very interesting, nice and we had a great time while cooking. When we were done with the cooking, we sat down together and had lunch. Our food was amazing, even though I'm normally not a great chef. We stayed there for a while afterwords and had a drink while continuing enjoying the view. My experience was great and I will definitely take my boyfriend there in the close future. I recommend Bali Asli to everyone. If possible, pay it a visit while you are in Bali. I'm sure you will enjoy your time there.

My review is about two years late, which makes it all the more meaningful because I am still cooking the dishes I learned at Bali Asli! It was an incredible experience. We learned how to make delicious meals! They are flavorful yet easy to make! I also learned how to crack an egg with one hand. I chose to learn something new on my birthday and Bali Asli was so wonderful they prepared a cake for me! It really was one of my favorite birthdays, thanks for a memorable day :)