” Uncle Soon Guan (SG) became a Chartered Accountant to avoid inheriting his father’s business as a noodle vendor which gives only a tough life.
He grew up with operators of all kind of street food (his father’s friends), which has given him an extensive knowledge and love for the subject. ”
There are two traditional Balinese dishes one should not miss when in Bali – one is Babi Guling, roast pork and the other Bebek Betutu, smoked duck. The word Guling comes from the way the pig is being barbecued, by rotating it “ guling” over the fire. Many types of Balinese spices are stuffed inside of the pig to roast. They include chopped garlic, ginger, candlenut, turmeric, coriander seeds, chilli padi and shallots.
The Menu
In many Internet write-ups and the menu of Ibu Oka Warung Babi Guling, the most famous in all of Bali, the dish has been described as suckling pig. This is not correct description as it is the adult pig being roasted not the baby one we see at expensive Chinese wedding dinners. Wonder if the wrong use of the word “suckling“ is due to confusion with word “succulent”, which rhymes alike?
In Ubud, one of the most touristy townships in Bali we found this 100 years old roast pork restaurant. Bali, unlike most of Indonesia is Hindu and this explains why this dish thrives on the island. Ibu Oka, a 62 year old grandmother took over from her father-in law the family business. Her two warung are found at Jl Tegal Sari No.2 ( Tel 0361 976345 ) and Jl Raya Teges ( Mobile 081 338 265706 ). The former outlet is Ibu Oka’s residence, a sprawling palace like complex of separate brick huts, dwelling houses for all her 6 children and grandchildren.
The restaurant dining areas are the open corridors of these brick huts with low tables quite similar to Japanese dining setting. The Jln Raya Tegas branch, currently being renovated is at the busier section of the road about 100m away. The kitchen is at the back of the complex which has sections for the roasting, dressing the pig and even a pen for pigs awaiting slaughter. The roasting is very traditional where the pig is rotated manually over wood fire. In an average day about six pigs are roasted. When there are take away orders from dinner functions and religious ceremonies the number can go up to ten pigs.
In the front of the restaurant female workers carve the pork meat western style and serve them on a plate. If you are looking for the Chinese roast pork cuts with skin, fat and lean layers, you will not find it in Babi Guling because the meat is carved out. Each portion gets a piece of the barbecued skin. You can also order hust the skin, priced the same as the roasted meat. The spicy stuffing used to roast the pig is added over the meat. Unlike the Chinese roast pork, the skin of Babi Guling is not punctured for roasting. Thus it is hard and not as crispy.
One can order just the meat or shredded meat with rice. We opted to have the meat separate. We ordered two different types of the meat, one belly meat, the other, meat from the cheek. We were delighted that we could choose our cuts, a customer’s freedom seldom exercised, we think. The meat is well cooked, sweet and juicy. We also ordered a barbecued trotter, not a menu item. The small trotter cost us only 10,000 Ruppiah ( about RM3 ). Each portion of the roast pork cost 30,000 Ruppiah ( about RM10 ). On the table are deep fried crispy pieces of pig skin eaten as an appetizer, an optional item.
For the size of the portion it is neither pricy nor cheap for this Balinese culinary experience. We found out that this dish is very common in streets. I believe the prices at the street vendors would be cheaper. As an ending remark, I would say, roast pork at Wong Kee in Pudu, anytime !
Frank D Law, 2 months ago
Stopped by Bali on our way back from Shanghai. Loved Bali, especially Ubud which is a place we would come back to again and again.
This is our third visit to Bali so we decided to give Ibu Oka one last chance, in view of the many superlative reviews in guide books, travel channels and magazines. Reasoning: So many cannot be wrong.
But it looks like they can be. Although the meat itself which was served piping hot, was generally underwhelming, gamy but flavorful enough, the crackling was still as tough as old leather shoes! It really made my DW and me wonder whether those folks who write glowing reviews of Ibu Oka and their babi guling, including Anthony Bourdain and the food critic from The Guardian have ever tasted suckling pig in a Chinese restaurant? If they have, they would have tasted exactly how good suckling pig should taste like with crackling so crispy thin that every bite is to be savored! It is highly unlikely that after that, they would ever venture to describe babi guling as amazing”, “fantastic”, “best ever” and all the silly hyperbole that have come to dominate this debate and given Ibu Oka an undeserved reputation. I have nothing against Ibu Oka per se. It is the integrity of reviews that I’m concerned about!
To draw an analogy, if you live in a small outpost, say in the far reaches of Siberia, you may describe your local football outfit as “amazing”, “best in the world” or whatever superlative terms you may wish to employ, not out of intellectual dishonesty, but only because you have never been exposed to the silky skills of the likes of Barcelona or Manchester United.
That is probably how it is with this “amazing babi guling” nonsense! We were in Shanghai for 9 days and tried Peking Duck and suckling pig IN SEVERAL RESTAURANTS and the stuff that they served up were slices of culinary heaven!
As we live in San Francisco, we have developed an affinity for the dish. We know that everyone is entitled to their opinion. But how do you judge a dish when you haven’t tasted even remotely the best? It is really like the uncultured and the philistine trying to pontificate on high-brow literature and classical music!
I’m a fan of Anthony Bourdain and look forward to his witty presentations but on this occasion he has dropped the baton big time! I certainly hope that Bourdain will wise up and realize that he has to remain totally objective. At the rate that he’s going, I fear that his credibility will soon be shot!
Finally, we remain baffled over these superlative reviews, because when we compare Ibu Oka’s babi guling to the suckling pig we have tasted in Chinese Restaurants from this side of San Francisco to Melbourne to Hong Kong to Singapore and Bayswater in London, we have to say that if the Chinese version and Ibu Oka’s babi guling are compared and placed on a scale of 1-100, the Chinese version would easily place near a hundred and Ibu Oka’s would limp in below minus 10. That is the difference between a culture with 2,000 plus years of culinary development and a rank amateur!
Uncle SG, 1 month ago
Frank, I like your frank remarks. I agree with you absolutely. I have been back to Bali a few times but did not feel the urge to try their roast pork. I guess the best way to evaluate their Babi Guling is to say that theirs is the Baliness version and in an Islamic country like Indonesia we are thankful we have this Hindu island Bali where eating pork is freely available.
Though Indonesia is Islamic it is much more liberal compared with Malaysia. The dwindling Chinese population in Malaysia, stricter Islamic religious belief and the media publicity of microscopic worms in pork have cause demand to drop and pig rearing business to contract. Hence price of pork meat has spiralled up over the years.
The roast pork in Malaysia is as delicious as in Singapore, HK and China. Do come to Kuala Lumpur aka KL when you next pass through the region. It’s a food paradise at affordable prices, 2.5 times lower than Singapore!
Recently, I tried the roast belly pork at Noble House, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. Its five layered, not just three layered. Each price is cut like a mahjong tile, just right size to slip into the mouth and it slowly melted with gentle nibbling awesome fragrant oiliness into your mouth. Just cannot describe it any better. If you like pork rib herbal soup, in Klang near KL this heavenly pork dish, a Malaysian invention is world famous. Singapore also has it but they are a copy cat at best.
I like Anthony Bourdain and like Bobby Chinn and others their reviews are crappy sometimes. Anthony Bourdain’s incessant chattiness bore me. I prefer Andrew Zimmerman though you may not because he reviews extreme foods.
Eat well, stay well too. From Uncle SG.