COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Despite the humble settings, Warung Mak Beng has gotten away with having only one dish on their menu since 1941 without any shortage of inflowing hungry customers and outflowing glowing reviews. No fancy decor or jazzy ambiance music here, just a few long wooden tables and benches that serve their purpose. Warung Mak Beng is a no-fuss no-frill institution that focuses on what is important.
For a modest price of IDR34,000 (around USD3), you will be served a fried meaty piece of ikan laut (literally meaning saltwater fish, which could be either a snapper or a skipjack) with their signature smoked sambal and kaffir lime on the side, fish head (or vegetable) soup, and a plate of rice.
Their minimally seasoned fish just might be the best fried fish I’ve ever tasted. It is cooked to a tender bite that perfectly balanced the salty crunchy crusts and fresh fish flavors that simply begs to be dipped into the fiery sambal.
The sambal itself is a family recipe that Mak Beng—a fond nickname for Ni Ketut Tjuki—inherited from her Chinese mother-in-law. The fragrant spicy soup completes the addictive combo with a few slices of starfruit and cucumbers thrown in to perfectly round up the spicy and sour flavor.
Warung Mak Beng seats 40 and is open from 8:30am-5pm although food has been known to get sold out before closing time. So better get here early and be prepared to wait for a seat to be available or even have your meal sitting on the pavement.
In an unexplainable way, it feels good to know such an amazing establishment remains humble and consistent in delivering excellent taste and resists falling into the trap of modern-day franchises that unfortunately are notorious for being a down-grade.
FIND IT
Jl.Hang Tuah no.45
Sanur
8:30am-5pm
+62 361 282633
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