Bali: Nasi Campur Men Weti

“One munch out of this Nasi Campur, and you’ll have your mind blown, as you’ll be able to taste the savoury shredded chicken, the spicy egg, and a slightly bitter flavour that comes from the vegetables.”

Before my trip to Bali, almost everybody whom I encountered recommended me to make a beeline to Nasi Campur Men Weti. Heck, even the managing director of Good Indonesian Food herself told me to do so. So during my stay there, I forced myself to wake up early one morning and made my way to the place, which is located in the Sanur Beach area. The establishment opens up shop from 8am, and as I approached the small warung, the sidewalk nearby Nasi Campur Men Weti was already lined up with its customers sitting nonchalantly on plastic chairs enjoying their meal. It was packed, I tell you.

A woman who looked like she was in her thirties was running around taking orders and preparing the Nasi Campur at the same time with her bare hands – a huge no-no for germophobes, I’d reckon. As I bided my time for my food, I could see Men Weti sitting behind the stall putting together a few dishes. Queues here could take up to 30 minutes, so I already expected the long wait. However, as luck would have it, it took mine only about ten minutes to be ready.

Despite the unhygienic serving method, I assure you that this place is worth a visit. A serving of Nasi Campur Men Weti contains shredded ayam betutu (Balinese steamed chicken), lawar (Balinese mixed vegetables), spicy hard-boiled egg, fried peanuts, and sambal matah (shredded shallot and chilli mixed with coconut oil). One munch out of this Nasi Campur, and you’ll have your mind blown, as you’ll be able to taste the savoury shredded chicken, the spicy egg, and a slightly bitter flavour that comes from the vegetables. The fried chicken skin is such a sinful delight, with its crispy salty texture making it irresistible. There goes my diet.

With the warung overflowing with punters, I didn’t have a chance to confabulate with Men Weti and probe her about her food and her business. The only piece of information that I could prise from her was that Nasi Campur Men Weti has been running for more than 30 years. No worries, as I will definitely make a return visit to this fine establishment, and perhaps then I could finally have a nice chat with the genial lady.

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By Jessicha Valentina