Tropics Refreshing (Bali Trip Day 2, 2010/11/03)

Second day in Bali, the humidity and heat has kept me in a trying-to-wake-up mode for the whole morning, coffee helps a bit, yet my eyes are still half sleeping. Staying in Panaroma hotel, down at the main street to Ubud centre area. Great location for such a city girl who can’t either drive or ride on bike/scooter like me, “Eat, Pray, Love” travelling with mobility scene is not going to happen on my case.

Sun in rain season in Ubud is still killing, tanned in one morning. Almost melted.

The very best thing for this moment, of course a good meal. Well, maybe for every moment.

Met friends, J & W, right at a restaurant which is just next to the hotel. “Surprisingly good” is J’s comment of the restaurant, Meme’s.

Going through the menu like Alice in the wonderland, wish myself can have more than one stomach to taste them all at a time. Suddenly a word catches my eye, Sambal.

Around 10 years ago, I tasted this amazing spicy sauce in Malaysia, whilst visiting my good friend, W, there. A common spicy sauce is made with shredded dry shrimp paste, garlic, chili, salt and burning hot oil. Can’t never get tired of it, W’s mom even made me a jar of Sambal and sent it to me all the way from Malaysia to Taipei, and that moment when I received an oily package of Sambal sauce and photos and a hand written note from W still remains unbelievably vivid after 10 years, vivid with strong smell.

Back to now, I immediately ordered that chicken dish with Sambal sauce without a second thought, wish I could ever have had such a clear mind when facing numerous dilemmas in life. Dish is served, roasted chicken leg with crispy skin and tender texture inside which is cut into thick slice and stirred with my dream Sambal sauce.

The light version, though.  

Simply made with purple baby onion thin slice, a bit garlic, loads chili, some lemon juice and a dash of salt and sugar, maybe some shallot too. I told the waitress that I tasted Sambal before in Malaysia and love it ever since, she came back to me with another small bowl of Sambal as extra surprise, I personally rated her as a 5-star waitress right away, also due to her shy yet shining smile.

Sambal this time I tasted in Bali is very different from the strong sea-flavoured one in Malaysia. This Balinese Sambal sauce goes perfectly with chicken (2 days after, I found out it also goes extremely well with fish too), a mix of distinguishing spicy flavour made of chili and garlic, yet softened with sugar seasoning, and never forget that lemon juice which brings out every refreshing fine points.

What’s to beat the unbeatable humidity and heat in the tropics? Coffee in the morning, and spicy sauce for every meal!