PUBLISHED October 3rd, 2016 06:00 am | UPDATED July 28th, 2024 01:39 am
Throw a stone in any direction in Bali, and it’s likely that you’ll hit a café of some sort. In Ubud, where the organic, clean eating game is really strong, even the unhealthiest of food (we’re talking deep fried and the like) don’t really feel as artery clogging as compared to say, Singapore.
One of these places is six-month old Folk Kitchen and Espresso along Jalan Monkey Forest, one of the trendy, main strips in Ubud’s town centre. Owned by the same folks as Bisma Eight, a gorgeous boutique hotel not far from the café, it’s no wonder that the ingredients used are really fresh because the hotel has it’s own herb and veggie garden.
In fact, Chef Duncan picked the avocados the same morning we had the Avocado, feta, herbs, poached eggs (Rp. 80k). Chopped with herbs and cheese, the avocado was served on Folk’s signature sourdough and two poached eggs. The fresh avocado mix balanced the richness of the runny yolks perfectly.
Another dish that piqued our interest was the Fried duck egg, black pudding, kale (Rp. 70k). Duck eggs served during brunch are pretty much a revelation for us – the yolks are larger and creamier than chicken egg yolks, with a brilliant orange hue – and we can’t wait to try this at home. The black pudding was sliced and fried in thicker pieces then it usually is in the UK so it remained quite moist and textural inside while being crisp on the outside. However, this time the sourdough was overly toasted, so we didn’t get a nice springiness with the bread.
If you’re not in the mood for eggs, opt for the Ham hock, green beans, sprouted grain, omelette with rosti (Rp. 70k). Rosti (actually, anything made with potato) is one of my favourite things in the world and served with tender, juicy ham hock, what else can a girl ask for? The crackling was a little stale, but to be honest, it was superfluous enough to not matter.
For something more substantial, there’s the hearty Soft shell crab burger (Rp. 80k). The fluffy brioche bun was able to hold on to everything sandwiched in between and the soft shell crab with juicy and chunky. Our only complaint would be that the wasabi mayo was too subtle to play any part in the flavours – perhaps an increase in the amount of wasabi or switching up to sriracha mayo might do the dish more justice.
Coffee fiends would be glad to know that Folk uses beans from Ubud bedfellow Seniman Coffee Studio. White or black, your wake-up brew is available at a flat price of Rp. 30k. Those avoiding caffeine can have their pick of Folk’s fruity smoothies and juices. The Blueberry, milk, vanilla ice cream, honey, and mint (35k) makes a pretty good dessert!
FYI: if you like your cocktails too, come back at night at head upstairs for No Mas. Great music, excellent fried chicken, and a list of yummy tipples for a night of revelry in Ubud.
Folk Kitchen & Espresso is located at Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud 80571, Bali, p. +62 361 9080880. Open 8am-10pm daily.
Top Image: Avocado, feta, herbs, poached eggs
All images courtesy of Sylvester Thang Fedor.