Isn’t it always the way that you overlook what’s staring you in the face? It took me a while to try the babi guling at Sari Kembar in Seminyak, most likely because it’s the nearest joint to my own house. But I’ve now been back several times, and each time the serving has been really very good indeed.

Ready, set, go.

Sari Kembar is a very no-nonsense, open-to-the-street joint, with simple rickety tables and chairs — it’s your typical local babi guling warung. It’s certainly not the cleanest restaurant I’ve been in, but the turnover is fast, which is always a good sign.

The menu is short and sweet: nasi campur, nasi pisah, nasi spesial and nasi campur spesial — 12,000 to 25,000 rupiah. To be honest with you, I just say “babi spesial” and I’m not sure what the differences are.

Hello chilli sambal!

What you should get is a lovely piece of melt-in-the-mouth caramel crackling and some dried crackling over a stick of pork sate, fresh lawar, cassava-leaf stuffing, a bit of fatty — in a good way — sausage, a few sweetmeats and of course a mouthful or two of plain old pork, cooked to tender dreaminess. And rice, of course.

On another day: crackling, skin, heaven — call it what you like (um, hairy even).

A small bowl of soup comes on the side, and while the soup has been okay, and a good counterbalance to the spicy pork dishes, it still hasn’t blown me away the way the one at Warung Babi Buling Sanur once did. Overall? On the Travelfish.org Bali Babgul Scale, I give Sari Kembar a 3.5/5.

… and what lies beneath.

Sari Kembar is a little out of the way of the main area Seminyak hotels are located. The only time you’re likely to wander past it really is if you’re doing an enthusiastic bit of homewares shopping along Jalan Raya Kerobokan.

The pile of dirt has probably gone, so that’s not the landmark you’re after.

There is some excellent shopping to be had along here — think Moroccan-style lamps, lots of painted basketry, kids’ toys, knick-knacks and so on — but it’s hard going, so you’d do well to plan a stop here or for a teh tarik and roti at Warung Bunana along the way — or nearby Warisan, if you want a bit of a French-y splurge.

If you’re a babi guling enthusiast, I reckon this joint is just as good as Ibu Oka’s in Ubud — so no need to travel all the way up there for a meal specially when you can tuck in right here. If pork is your thing, try Pak Malen just down on Sunset Road as well.

Sari Kembar
Jalan Raya Kerobokan – close to Enchanted books, east side of the road

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Tags: babi guling, Sari Kembar