We spent last weekend with friends at Life in Amed, in one of our favourite houses in Bali and decided to take a scenic route home via Sidemen (home to another of our favourite places to stay in Bali). A friend had mentioned stumbling upon Warung Organic on a similar trip, so we kept an eye out for it and sure enough, about a kilometre out of Sidemen proper it was poised and waiting, overlooking the stunning paddy you’ll find all around Sidemen.

Well that's a promising start.

The simple bamboo-and-thatch warung really is in the middle of nowhere, but seems to get a reasonable amount of passing traffic thanks to its roadside location. Upstairs are around a dozen tables, with fantastic sweeping paddy views. On a cloudy day, as when we were there, the light shifts with some drama, and the panorama is a kaleidoscope of changing greens.

Look to the left...

The menu is basic, with the usual warung suspects on offer: nasi goreng, satay, noodles, Bali kopi (cowboy style coffee — don’t drink that last mouthful), pisang goreng (fried banana) and Bintang. We tried the pandan crepe, too, filled with grated coconut and slightly caramelised palm sugar, and it was much better than we were expecting — better than the kopi, actually, on which front you should not get to excited. While I definitely appreciate the difficulties of running a warung in a location like this, the lumpy milk on the side (charged extra for) was a downer — but in the scheme of things, not a big deal and by far eclipsed by the views. Perhaps just have a Bintang and a plate of satay, and savour this:

Look to the right...

While you’re waiting for your meal or snack — if they are busy it will take a little while — do head downstairs, past the no-nonsense kitchen where the staff will be doing the cooking — and take a wander through the paddy.

Or just gaze straight out ahead.

You’ll stumble across all those things you’re used to seeing from a distance on the road, such as shrines, some with their glory fading photogenically, and colourful floral and food offerings, always a cheerful contrast from the surrounding greens.

You're welcome to walk through the paddy...

This isn’t a gourmet stopover by any means — it’s no Sari Organic, where the food is worth the destination and the views are similar — but if you’re travelling to or from Sidemen on the Amed side, this is where you’ll want to stop for your (black) coffee break or lunch. Prices are a little higher than your average warung, but it’s well worth it. This is exactly the Bali everyone should see.

... but watch out for the rice monsters.

Warung Organik
Br. Iseh, Sinduwati, Sidemen, Bali
T: (0858) 5701 3416
n.selamet@yahoo.com

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Tags: Sidemen, warung, Warung Bodag Maliah, Warung Organic