Ibu Oka, Bali

Just google ‘Bali babi guling’ and you can see Ibu Oka hogging the limelight.

Bali usually exudes a “chillout, take it slow, what’s the rush” aura but there isn’t an ounce of truth of that notion at Ibu Oka. By 11am, the dingy eatery takes on the frenzy of rush hour on top of year-end seasonal sale, which greats you as soon as you enter its confines.



Most recently featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations TV show (can I just say this guy is in serious trouble of overexposure), Ibu Oka is so confident of its appeal, it doesn’t even provide chairs for its diners A meal at Ibu Oka could be physically challenging to non-Lilliputians, which accidentally includes Ibu-Oka -regulars as well as people above 1.20 meters. It was almost as if someone said, “You want babi guling? Hang on, please go through our obstacle course first.”


Start by locating a space to squeeze yourself into. Once you have located target, tip top over and at all cost, try not to trample over or fall on fellow patrons. After which, gently ease yourself onto the floor, acrobatically fold in your legs and tucked them in Cirque du Soleil style.



For such a busy place, there seemed to be only two people running around. No worries, someone will eventually comes over to take your order- once she’s done delivering the drinks, replenishing the cutlery and tissue box, and attending to a dozen others.

All this for babi guling.

All this for a plate of rice, topped with slices of roast pork, deep fried blood sausage, crackable skin and vegetable relish, slathered with spice-enriched gravy that coated every fibrous shred of roast pork.



It is heart-stoppingly good, in every sense of the word.