It was about time to share with you my incredible experience in Indonesia this summer right?!

This summer was pretty intense for me. I first got to spend time in one of my fav place in this world, Ubud in Bali. I was then extremely lucky to be invited by the Wonderful Indonesia team to discover what this incredible country has to offer in terms of Gastronomy. This trip was also designed to give us the opportunity to experience the fascinating beauty and diversity of the country. Well… let me tell you that this country has a lot to offer !

I’ve never imagined that the Indonesian Gastronomy was so rich and so diverse. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes! We did not try it all but those of you who have been watching my stories know that we’ve been eating A LOT during those 10 days … like … A LOT! From rendang, to nasi goreng/campur/padang/gudeg, to our beloved martabak and much more , we had an incredible culinary experience while there and I’m excited to share with you my fav food spots!

We got to explore 4 parts of the country: Jakarta, West Sumatra ( Bukittingi ) , Yogyakarta and Bali.  I was already in love with Indonesia after exploring Bali and Lombok but that trip made me love that country even more! One of my favorite thing on top of the incredible landscapes and the exquisite cuisine ? The people! I’ve been traveling a lot and I can say that Indonesian people are some of my fav people on Earth! They are so kind and friendly! Crazy how writing about this country right now makes me want to go back asap!

One of the best part of the trip was also the team itself.  We were such a wonderful team! From the tourism board people to my fellow instagramers …What a team!!!! I miss them so so much! It was so much fun and I will never ever forget this incredible experience. A huge thanx to the Wonderful Indonesia team for making this experience happen!

You’ll find my recommendations at the end of the article ♥

Jakarta

As the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta has a lot to offer, from the various mouth watering street food to the luxurious fine dining. Located on the northwest coast of Java, Jakarta is the center of economics, culture and politics of Indonesia.

Places I recomend:

• Giyanti Coffee Roastery : great coffee and pastries / very unique decor 
• Shop Haus: unicorn bowl
• Beau HQ : some of the best patries in Jakarta! 
• Beets & Bouts : best healthy bowls in town and home-made Kombucha by Happy Kombucha 
• Harum Manis:  fine dining 
• Namaaz Dining: fine dining/ one of Indonesia’s first molecular gastronomy restaurant. Crazy experience that I definitely recommend !

Padang

Padang was my fav part of the trip. It is the capital of West Sumatra. Padang’s regional food is the most globally famous of indonesian culinary offerings, which makes a perfect reason to visit the home of padang cuisine.

Places I recommend:

• Sate Mak Syukur
• RM Gumarang : This place was very interesting ! Make sure to stop there if you have a sweat tooth as they offer some authentic local dessert! My favorites ? Pocket Ketan ( avocado sticky rice ) and katan sarkayo (sticky rice with egg and coconut milk custard). My least favorite the one I hated ?!  Ampiang dadiah (buffalo fermented milk with sticky rice and palm sugar syrup)!
• Martabak Bandung:  favorite Martabak place ever/ right across the street from RM Gumarang . This was my first time trying martabak and it was love at first sight!!! Martabak is basically a super fluffy pancake filled with A TON OF BUTTER and condensed milk. You can order it with a bunch of different fillings including chocolate, cheese, fruit, nutella, and more, and more, and more! The one I first tried was filled with corn, cheese and banana! This stuff is so delicious!! But watch out!! It’s incredibly addictive!
• RM Family Benteng : local restaurant serving Nasi Padang 
• Uni Emi: this one will have a blog post for itself as this was my fav experience ever!

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta ( or Jogja ) is the second most visited destination in Indonesia after Bali. It is a cultural hub known for it’s traditional craft and perfoming arts. I was actually very frustrated not to be able to spend more time there as it seems that this city has so much to offer. I got very surprised by all the cool places we discovered there!

Places I recommend:

•  Martabak Kota Baru: second best Martabak we had on the trip 
• Gudeg Yu Djum: When in Jogja you have to try Gudeg as it’s a traditional Javanese jackfruit curry dish mainly found in there and Central Java.
• Sasanti Restaurant: Food was absolutely delicious there! A place you don’t want to miss while in Jogja!
• Royal Ambarrukmo: Royal Tea ceremony or Patehan is a Kraton Tradition in which the Sultan of Yogyakarta takes a special kind of tea. We had the chance to experience this ceremony! We also had an archery lesson which I really enjoyed! I nailed it ( must have been an archer in an other life ahah )
• Lulu Lutfi Labibi: That stunning striped outfit I’m wearing on the photo ? That’s where I got it from! Lulu is a talented local designer based in Jogja. You can see more of it’s work on Instagram.
• Yats Colony:  coolest and super instagramable  boutique hotel in town.
• Greenhost Hotel : eco friendly hotel with a very lush, green and impressive entrance!

Bali:

No need to introduce this one I guess ahah! Bali is definitely the most visited Island in Indonesia! It’s also, as mentioned at the beginning of this post,  one of my fav place on Earth! I’ve been going to Bali since 2011 et I’m never get tired of this incredible Island.

Places I recommend:

• Seniman Coffee : great coffee , yummy and healthy acai bowls, avocado toasts!
• Pison Coffee: great brunch/breakfast.
• Monsieur Spoon: French breakfast Alert! You got to try those croissants and pastries to believe it! And I’m French, so when it comes to croissants you can trust me! Make sure to also try the Avocado toast as it’s the best I ever had!
• Hujan Local: probably one of my fav restaurant in Ubud. You gotta love spicy food though as it’s suuuuper spicy!
• Warung Sopa : one of my fav vegetarian food places in Ubud!
• Blanco by Mandif : fine dining in Ubud known for its modern interpretation of Indonesian cuisine.
• Locavore  & Nusantara by Locavore : We first had a cooking class at Nusantara, which just opened up recently in Ubud. We learned how to do sambal ( one of my fav thing ever, especially the sambal matah you find in Bali ) and coconut milk! We then had lunch at Locavore which has been recognized as one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ( no. 22. ). Locavore uses sustainable locally sourced ingredients. We had an amazing 7 courses lunch ( not to mention the incredible amuse-bouches + petits fours ) and I can surely say thats this place is now on top of my fav restaurant list in Bali. Make sure to try the tomato consommé with a freshly sliced tomato and tomato sorbet as it’s to die for! This place is definitely a must do if you’re in Ubud!

Stay tuned for part two where I’ll be sharing one of my fav experience, a cooking class with locals and Uni Emi in Padang!

Sending you lots of Love from France

Sincerely yours ♥

Lily

First photo by the talented Kurt Dacheng / Other photos of me by the talented Jelito De Leon.