With a plentiful supply of exotic goodies and no shortage of creative interpretations on traditional cuisine right at your fingertips,It’s not hard to have a wildly healthy life in Bali. The small town of Canggu lies about 20 minutes from the bustling streets of glittering Seminyak, and while it’s harmoniously inhabited by tourists and locals alike, it’s beautifully padded by fields of green rice padi’s and fringed with coconut and frangipani trees. If Bondi and Byron Bay had a bronzed love child, Canggu would be it.
Almost unbelievably, it’s easier to eat in Canggu if you’re vegan, meat free, dairy free, gluten free, or have any other type of dietary requirement. And the most prominent trend in Bali right now? the superfood bowl. On a recent trip to Bali we got up close and personal with the best bowls on the island. Our favourite spots for blissful bowling below:
Betelnut Cafe - 60 Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu
Being one of the pioneer western eateries in Canggu, Betelnut has been getting it right for a long time. Their menu is a tapestry of dishes, offering wraps, burritos, rice paper rolls and curries. A local favourite is the Raw Gado Gado Bowl. Gado Gado is a traditional Indonesian dish which is usually comprised of green veggies, some tempeh, a boiled egg and satay sauce to taste. Betelut’s interpretation of the dish honours its healthy simplicity by providing lots of veggies both cooked and crunchy in a warm Indonesian style salad.
Shady Shack - 57 Jalan Tanah Barak, Canggu
Shady Shack doesn’t actually sell meat on their menu, making it a firm favourite amongst vegetarians and vegans alike. The menu is abundant in healthy and creative food options including a Vegan Cheeseburger, Raw Cakes and Zucchini Lasagna. Our favourite bowl on the menu: The Nori Bowl . If you love Japanese food then this is a great reminder of the otherwise elusive (in Bali) grab-and-go hand roll. Packed with Coconut Rice, Edamame, Seaweed, Tofu, Ginger and Purple Cabbage with a Miso dressing it’s very unique, yet satisfying pairing.
Sprout Cafe - 18A Jalan Raya Semat,Canggu
Sprout Cafe is the pick of the bunch for it’s perfect symmetry in familiarity, wholesomeness and execution. Choose from any three salads like; Stir Fried Tofu & Broccoli, Lentil & Haloumi Salad, Kale & Chickpea Salad, Couscous Salad and they come combined in a bowl that I’m pretty sure would be better reserved for a family size salad at dinner. Speaking of dinner, you won’t need any after this bowl.
Nalu Bowls - 88 Jalan Batu Mejan, Canggu
You probably can’t visit Indonesia without diving into the colourful, fruity bliss of a Nalu Bowl. Inspired by the surf culture of Hawaii a Nalu Bowl is a smoothie bowl using tropical fruits as it’s key ingredients, usually topped with more of the same. In Bali, smoothie bowls in all their creative, rainbow beauty are everywhere. My favourite Nalu is The Uluwatu for its bold combination of Dragon Fruit, Banana and Papaya but others feature the ubiquitous super berry Acai berry or the hate-to-love Kale.
Feature image: halfbakedharvest.com