My Time Capsule: Indonesia: Babi Guling, The Famous Balinese Food

10.5.13

Indonesia: Babi Guling, The Famous Balinese Food

When you're in Bali and ask the local what's the special food of Bali, I bet most of them will answer "Babi Guling" or suckling pig. The pig is typically stuffed with a spicy concoction which is made from finely chopped of shallot, garlic, turmeric, cloves, ginger, chillies, coriander, pepper and salt. It's then mixed with coconut oil and sometimes added with cassava leaves. The method of cooking is traditionally spit-roasted over a fire charcoal until perfection, for about 2 hours. In my opinion the young suckling pig tastes the best because the meat is tender and not too much layers of fat.

traditional Babi Guling warung (stall)

Normally one portion babi guling consisting of slices of meat, skin, fried intestine, urutan (Balinese style pork sausage), pork satay, rice and lawar. Lawar made from chopped green beans and boiled young jack fruit then mixed with grated coconut and some spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, shallot, pepper, galangal and salt. There are 2 types of lawar which are lawar merah or red lawar (mixed with pig blood) and lawar putih or white lawar (without blood).

Babi guling can be found easily almost in every part of Bali from warung style (Indonesian traditional stall) to restaurant establishment. I won't say that I'm a babi guling expert but until now I think I have tried more than 30 babi guling warungs in Bali. I like to explore new babi guling warung so I can taste the difference from one to another.

Here's some review of babi guling warungs that I've tasted. All the opinion and scores are based on my picky and fussy taste buds. What I find delicious does not mean you will like it. And vice versa.



Babi guling Ratni
Babi Guling Ratni [3 / 5]

At Pasar Senggol Gianyar, you might have a hard time to choose which babi guling stall to eat in, since there are more than 10 babi guling stalls there. Babi guling Ratni seems like always has more customer than others. The pork skin is crunchy with a thin layer of fat, while the sliced pork is tasty. It’s accompanied with blood sausage, tum (chicken in Balinese spices and shredded coconut steamed in banana leaf) and pork crackers. Sate lilit (satay which is made from minced fish) is a bit bland. The soup is very spicy and a bit oily.



Babi guling Ibu Oka
Babi Guling Ibu Oka [2.5 / 5]

Babi guling Oka in Ubud is the most famous babi guling in Bali specially among tourist. Unfortunately I don’t find the authentic taste of Balinese babi guling here. It used to be my fave babi guling for quite long. But few weeks ago when I eat here with some of my Balinese friends, I noticed that the quality has drop significantly. I'm not sure if it was not my lucky day or they have changed the standard to fit the tourists preference. I even asked my local friends if the taste has changed or is it my taste buds suddenly went numb, and they said they were actually disappointed too. I sadly think it has lost its originality and became a crowd pleaser instead.

The meat are quite thick but a bit dry and tastes bland. The seasoning sauce is tasteless. I was expecting to get lawar but instead the babi guling is accompanied with big chunks of green chayote which is cooked in curry like yellowish sauce and also urap (vegetables mixed with grated coconut). The crackling is well seasoned and crispy. Best part would be the fried pork intestine which is crunchy and tasty.



Babi guling Sanur
Babi Guling Sanur [3.5 / 5]


Unlike other warungs, the lawar in babi guling Sanur consisting of ample chopped meat and has a zesty smell from lime. I love it. Generous portion of pork with some layers of fat, topped with quite strong seasoning. The pork skin is crunchy but a bit thick compares to other warung, with a layer of fat that melt on your tongue. Tasty sate with tender meat which tastes sweet and peppery in the same time. The broth based soup is thick and spicy but a bit oily




Babi guling Bundaran Renon
Babi Guling Bundaran Renon [3 / 5]


Been on business since 1988, Babi Guling Bundaran Renon is quite popular and have their loyal customers.  The pork is juicy but slightly tough while the seasoning has quite strong taste of herbs and salty.  Sate lilit (sate made from minced fish and chicken) is tasty. Tum ayam (chicken in Balinese spices and shredded coconut steamed in banana leaf) is a bit bland. The soup is clear and mild with some pork meatballs.  Lawar tastes mild and sweet




Babi guling Chandra
Babi Guling Chandra [2 / 5]


Babi guling Chandra is the second most famous babi guling in Bali after babi guling Ibu Oka, its quite well known among Asian tourist. Unfortunately I don't understand what the hype is about. Slices of pork are quite thick but tastes bland and dry. In the other hand the seasoning sauce is too salty. Lawar is a bit too greasy and taste mild. Soup is clear and salty. The only think that I find good would be the sate lilit (made from minced chicken and fish) and sate babi merah (reddish pork satay) which are well seasoned, tender and tasty.




Babi guling Handayani
Babi Guling Handayani [4 / 5]

Despite of located on the main road of By Pass Ngurah Rai, Tohpati, babi guling Handayani seems like out from tourist radar. Everyday it’s packed with locals who queue to savour the roasted pork. At a first glance, the meat looks quite pale compares to other babi guling. But it’s actually tasty and tender with not too much fat. The best part would be the crackling pork skin. The lawar (mix of vegetable, coconut and meat) is a bit oily and spicy with a hint of lime juice. Unfortunately the jukut ares (soup made from young banana tree) is a bit too salty and hot for my taste buds.  Sate lilit (made from minced fish) is smooth and tastes mild.



Babi guling Pak Dobil
Babi Guling Pak Dobil [4.5 / 5]


Opened since 1980, warung Pak Dobil is another well known babi guling in Bali, worth to try. Well marinated slices pork which are tender and juicy topped with a crispy tasty skin. The sauce is not overly spicy but the sambal mbeh (fried garlic chili) is quite mean for the taste buds.  The lawar tastes mild and succulent.  Compare to other babi guling eatery, warung pak Dobil serves bigger portion of jukut ares (soup made from young banana tree) with generous chunks of pork ribs. The sate babi (pork sate) is mellow and flavorful. Babi guling Pak Dobil has won my heart (or my taste buds) and now is my most favourite babi guling in Bali.


Updated! Babi Guling Bu Suci in Slingsing [5 / 5]

Babi guling bu Suci, Slingsing

I have found my soulmate! Errr...I mean my perfect match in babi guling world. So I've been curious about this babi guling since 2012 I think. I've heard so many people raved about how delicious  it is but also how hard to find this warung. They used to open their warung only in wee hours started around 3 freaking am and sold out around 6 am. Only in 2015 that I finally found this warung and taste their famous babi guling. Yes! It's worth the long winding journey to their warung because it's so soooo delicious that I always order a second serving on every visit. The star of course that crispy skin with thin layer of fat under. After the sound of crackling when you bite the skin, you will then taste the savoury melting fat on your tongue. Oh God, so sinful! Also the meat is very well marinated even without the sauce it's already flavourful. Warung babi guling bu Suci in Slingsing also serve more side items than other warung. Such as Oret (pig blood sausage), Be Genyol (pork belly and trotter which is slow cooked in Base Genep or traditional Balinese spices broth), Lawar with or without pig blood and many more. The good news is, they now open in normal hour from 6 pm to 4 am! Just forget about your diet when you are there, lol!. Until now, this is Babi Guling paling enak di Bali (the most delicious babi guling in Bali) that I ever tasted. And my babi guling adventure will be still rolling. I will update this post again when I find another contender 😁



One rainy morning I arrived too early at a babi guling warung. I was waiting outside the closing doors when the owner was kind enough to invite me in, asking me to wait inside their house. I was lead to the backyard where they were doing the last preparation before serving the babi guling
Please enjoy my amateur video :)






Have you ever tried babi guling in Bali ? Which one is your favourite ?

67 comments:

  1. Saya protes keras !!!!!
    karena wisata kuliner gak ngajak2 !!!
    mata dan mulut jadi berair lihat artikel + photonya huhuhuhuhuhuhu.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dirimu jarang di Denpasar sih, gimana mau ajak hayooooo :p

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  2. aku paling ga bisa makan babi guling di resto nya Deb, kudu harus take away...aroma sekitar suka bikin eneg, apalagi kl masih ada kepala babi nya di meja..omg serem:p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bisa nightmare ya Kak, kalo makan sambil dipelototin kepala babi, hihihi :p
      Aku juga sering take away sih. Apalagi kalo tempatnya crowded banget

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  3. astagaaaa baru juga kunjungan pertama udah disuguhi postingan 'kurang ajar' ini. aku mau semua babinyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa *hilang akal* *beli tiket*

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    Replies
    1. udah berangkat aja, babi guling menunggumu, kakakaka :p

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  4. ohh noooo i can't eat that hahhahah

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  5. I've never heard of Babi Guling although I read some posts on food treats in Bali. This dish really looks appealing to me and I bet it tastes so awesome. Once I make it to Bali, I'll go for a plate of Babi guling Pak Dobil for my lunch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you love spicy food then you should try babi guling. It's delicious with strong taste from the spices. Let me know if you plan any trip to Bali :D

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  6. Gileee Deb lo udah nyobain banyak amaaat!
    Not actually a fan of babi guling, went to the one at Bu Oka like 3 years ago, I honestly don't think it was that delicious. I really should hire you as my foodie guide in Bali :D

    ReplyDelete
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    1. aku suka random makan di warung yang aku belum pernah coba, hihihi. Babi guling kalo yang touristy banget cenderung udah hilang cita rasa aslinya. Bumbu dibikin mild supaya bisa diterima lidah turis. Yuk, sini makanya ke Bali. Tapi aku taunya street food ya. Kalo resto aku jarang banget tau :p

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    2. Justru gw sukanya street food Deb,kalo resto food eymmm I think I'll pass :P

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    3. klop dech kalo gitu. YAY ! :D

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  7. :P dulu pernah makan disalah satu warung babi guling dekat rumah karena teman2 yang datang ke Bali pengennya makan itu dan disela mengunyah, suara babi nangis terdengar dari dapur. Sejak itu langsung memutuskan ngga makan daging lagi :(( - padahal rasanya ciamik, tapi trauma dengar suara nangis babi :((

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    1. ihhhh.....sedih banget donk yang denger suara babi nangis. Aku juga sangat suka binatang, tapi belum bisa berhenti makan daging :(

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    2. memang sulit lho apalagi kalau suka travel, namanya juga dibesarkan bukan dengan lingkungan yang makan semuanya ya, merubah kebiasaaan itu yang sulit. Kita sih masih tolerant kalau dimasakin keluarga / teman ya kita makan (ngajeni kalo org jawa bilang).
      Ada lagi kita ambil photo di Bedugul, deket bali botanical garden babinya masih putih sebelum digiling :D - udah lama mau posting soal babi guling, tp ngeliat photo2 yg kita ambil takut sendiri.

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    3. sorry, salah nulis - namanya juga dibesarkan dengan lingkungan yang makan semuanya :D

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    4. bener tuh, aku dari keluarga Chinese yang dari kecil dibiasain ga bole pilih2 makanan. Tapi ya daging yang normal lah, ayam, sapi, babi. Kalo daging anjing amit2 dech. Sedih di Bali sini makin menjamur tempat makan daging anjing *nangis*

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  8. kalau di Jawa banyak warung Kambing Guling, di Bali yang populer Babi Guling, hahaha. Apa harga babi di sana murah-murah ya karena banyak yang suka?

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    1. iyah, babi guling makanan khas dari Bali. Setau aku sih memang harga daging babi lebih murah dari daging sapi :)

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  9. mbk.. buat ngileeeerrrr >.<
    makanan ini makanan yang nda pernah buat aku bosen dan selalu membuatku ingin pulang ke kmpung hlmanku di Bali.. miss home..hiks :(
    kpan2 klo aku d bali kita jalan2 bareng ya mbk.. hahaha.. sesama traveler..:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yukkk, makanya sini mudik ke Bali. Nanti kita hunting babi guling bareng :)

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  10. Anonymous13/5/13 16:36

    kalo pork chop itu beda ya sama babi guling, deb?

    gua suka Wahaha :9

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    Replies
    1. Beda, kalo babi guling ini pake bumbu ala Bali. Jadi rasanya keras di rempah dan pedes. Yukkk....sini, cobain babi guling :D

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    2. Anonymous14/5/13 18:32

      hooo. i see...

      kalo gitu lain kali nyobain babi guling ah. thank you rekomendasinya, Deb :D

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    3. you're welcome :)

      Kalo pengen cobain yang rasanya bener2 masih authentic, mending di tempat yang ga banyak turis

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    4. daerah mana nih yang bumbunya masih authentic??
      kemarin ada nyoba yang pasar kuta.. sedapat2nya aja sih karna cm sekedar mampir mau ke lombok :)

      nexy time pengen coba lagi.. hahaaa

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    5. yang rasanya authentic dimana ya??
      kemarin ada nyoba yang di apsar kuta.. lumayan nih 23 rb udah sama minum.. cuma sedapatnya aja tuh warung.. gak nyangka akan ada yang bener2 punya rasa mantap seperti ulasan diatas.. hahaaa..

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    6. Benernya selera masing-masing aja sih. Ada yang suka rasa bumbu yang keras, ada yang sukanya bumbu mild. Aku cenderung hunting di tempat yang jarang ada turis. Biasanya rasa bumbu lebih authentic dan harga ga mahal, 10 ribu-15 ribu udah porsi lengkap.
      Di pasar Kreneng, Denpasar ada satu yang enak. Namanya warung KD :D

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  11. Anonymous14/5/13 20:10

    Wahhh penting banget ini informasi Pak Dobil ama Handayani...
    Dulu cuma terkesima sama babi guling Pak Candra aja, dan pernah makan di pinggir jalan malah rasanya lebih ciamik tapi harga juga nggak kalah ciamik hiks...

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Emang babi guling sekarang harganya pada heboh, bu Oka, pak Dobil, Chandra kisaran 40 ribu ke atas. Kalo harga merakyat di pasar senggol Gianyar atau pasar Kreneng Denpasar. Ada beberapa warung yang rasanya ga kalah ciamik dibanding yang terkenal :D

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    2. Anonymous14/5/13 23:04

      Kenapa ya mahal...pdhl kan pulau Bali gampang cari dagingnya, hiks...
      Deb, kamu nggak tertarik bikin warung Babi Guling harga anak kost? Ntar aku jadi langganan nomer satu deh huahahhaa

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    3. karena kebanyakan udah komersil gitu kali ya, harga disesuaikan kantong turis luar negeri. Padahal kalo di warung babi guling lain, normal 15 ribu udah kenyang banget.
      Waduh kalo aku jual babi guling....bisa2 belum dijual udah habis duluan, kakakaka *gembul*

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  12. Cobain deh yg didalem pasar kapal, badung..., atau babi guling penatih. Babi guling dodo, yg deket pasar satria, denpasar jg enak, bisa jg babi guling jln supratman, deket polda bali ( cuman tempatnya kecil dan biasanya ramai)....Nyam5x....hehehehe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Asikkkk, dapet bocoran warung babi guling enak. Makasih ya :D

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  13. Anonymous5/9/13 22:03

    huwaaah aku tidak makan babi, tapi paling suka melihat kulit babi yang garing itu dipotek-potekin, hehehe..

    btw, ada babi guling di kawasan danau tempe gak, kak? ;) #eh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. uhhh yeahhhh, kulit babi guling is the best part buatku, hihihi.
      Ehhh maksudnya di danau tempe mau cari babi guling atau "babi guling" ? :p

      Delete
  14. Hello Debbzie, salam kenal. Aku jg pecinta be guling. Tiap ke Bali, ga pernah jalan2 ke obyek wisata tp hunting be guling enak. Dr penuturanmu, sptnya kualifikasi enak kita sama. Kl ku bilang Chandra n Bu Oka ga terlalu enak n mahal doang.
    Trus yg sedih, kl lg hunting tempat baru, tnyata mereka ga ada jukut ares. Wah sedih betul...
    So far yg be guling plg enak menurutku sih: Babi Guling Pak Malen di Sunset Rd & Babi Guling Gianyar di Patih Jelantik Rd (lurusan Majapahit/Sriwijaya dpn Pura).
    Kmrn Selasa ada kesempatan ke Ps.Kreneng, tp sayang warungnya sdh tutup. Thanks info yg lain, kebetulan blm coba Babi Guling Pak Dobil n Handayani. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wah boleh nih lain kali kita hunting be guling bareng :D
      Aku sampe sekarang blum sempat nyoba di Pak Malen. Kalo pasar Kreneng ada satu yang aku suka namanya warung KD.

      Delete
  15. Gak tau knapa aku kurang bgitu suka sama babi guling bali mbak...
    kulitnya chewy n gak garing trus bumbunya juga bland, lbh pilih yg versi chinese crackling atau berbumbu kayak babi panggang karo....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. actually harusnya kulit babi guling itu crunchy tapi banyak warung yang ga bikin babi guling sendiri. Jadinya kulit udah lembek gitu. Aku juga sukanya yang kriuk kalo digigit.
      Aku blum pernah nyoba nih babi panggang karo, jadi penasaran

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    2. kmrn kbetulan ada saudara yg sukses smuggling 1/2 ekor babi guling lgs dr bali, eh ternyata klo dipanasin dia cracklingnya jd crunchy juga loh, hehehe
      aku lapisin bagian dagingnya pake aluminium foil, jd ttp juicy..
      mau posting resepnya tp agak kurang etis krn bkn bikinan sendiri......hehehe

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    3. hahaha....aku juga beberapa kali smuggling si babay ke Malang. Sampe mesti bayar biaya over weight :p
      coba dunks bikin babi guling sendiri, pake babi yang kecil aja. Kulitnya renyah banget biasanya :D

      Delete
  16. hey im actually planning a trip to bali..
    i am wondering where is the warung pak dobil?
    cuz im thinking to stay in either kuta or seminyak..
    will appreciate it if u can help me~ haha.. thanks thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thanks for stopping by :)
      Warung Pak Dobil is in Nusa Dua area, Jalan Srikandi no 9.
      Please visit my FB page if you need more info about food in Bali >>> https://www.facebook.com/kulinerbali.
      Or just simply send me an email. Cheers!

      Delete
  17. sesama pecinta babi guling bp. dobil.... toss dulu hahahaha... bu oka emang ga gitu enak ya... kemaren itu pertama kali aku makan disana... koq ga seenak yg orang2 bilang...

    ReplyDelete
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    1. *toss* :D
      Bu Oka duluuu waktu masih pertama2 buka memang enak. Tapi belakangan ntah ada perubahan resep atau gimana, rasanya jadi ga enak :(
      Yukkk....kapan mau hunting babi guling bareng ? hihihi

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  18. Ups... pemandangan seperti ini menjadi santapan harian untuk mata kita yang tinggal di Bali, kebetulan gue ga bisa makan babi, jadi gue lebih tertarik ama Gulingnya aja, hahaha. Just Kidding... Inilah keanekaragaman kuliner Indonesia.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. hahahaha, aku suka banget blusukan ke pasar-pasar di Bali buat wisata kuliner. Ga cuma babi guling aja sih :D

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  19. Anonymous8/1/14 00:01

    Seru banget yaaa bahas si bagul... Sayang dirikyu ga suka babi, kcuali babi dibikin bakso goreng ato dibikin siomay ųg uda d-mix ama udang jd bau babinya uda ga berasa lg... Pdhl liatnya seru bgt tuh nascam, tp serem kl uda aϑa ųg ngmg intestine, lemak, layer, blood lawar etc ... Hu hu hu...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yup, aku suka hunting n nyobain warung-warung babi guling di Bali. Seru! Happy kalo bisa temuin warung yang rasanya cocok ama seleraku :D

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  20. Heard from a few friends that Bali Guling is not up to their expectation, as the suckling pig, which is available in Malaysia tastes better than this. My friend as well as my driver recommended me to try the Naughty Nuri’s Pork Ribs. Yes, this pork ribs is a must eat food when you are in Bali. My review and photos are posted here

    http://www.gourmetsharing.com/view/99/Naughty-Nuri's-Pork-Ribs

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wuuiiiihhhh kagak takut kebanyakan makan B2 GULING????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ga tiap hari makan B2 juga kaleeee, hahahaha. Aku suka cobain warung baru ama bandingin rasa aja :D

      Delete
  22. Anonymous23/2/14 18:06

    2 minggu lalu aku makan di Gianyar yg depan pura sama Pak Malen. Lebih enak yang di Gianyar sih soalnya dagingnya lebih utuh ngga disuwir seperti di Pak Malen. Pas balik lagi ke Gianyar sekitar jam 2 udah tutup. Hiksssss
    Ke Naughty Nuri juga, menurutku ngga begitu enak. Sauce nya manis saja rasanya dan harga juga lumayan mahal seporsi 95 ribu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yupppp.....konon katanya babi guling Gianyar memang paling enak. Tapi ya balik lagi soal selera sih. Ada yang suka bumbu rasa kuat ada yang sukanya mild :)

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  23. wow...wow..wow sayang bgt di jakarta agak susah cari babi guling yg enak

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. di Jakarta kayaknya jarang ya jual babi guling khas Bali

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  24. Great blog - I'm heading to Bali next month and looking forward to it. Safe travels. Jonny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Johnny. I hope you'll have a great time in Bali. Cheers :)

      Delete
  25. Indonesia salah satu negara yang memiliki banyak makanan khas daerah, salah satunya yang di bahas di website ini tentang Babi Guling, saya juga membahas makanan khas indonesia juga seperti
    Pancake Durian Medan asli khas sumatera utara ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yum! pancake durian juga enak banget tuh :)

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  26. Ih., PorkNography!, kayaknya enak nih.. cuma sayangnya gak bisa makan menu ini, cukup baca ceritanya aja deh hehe..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahahaha. ya udah, liat foto ama baca ceritanya aja lah :p

      Delete
  27. Found this blog post on one of your popular posts, and I regret it! Now I'm hungry!

    True, that it's best to go where the local goes lols.

    Take me to Handayani and Pak Dobil, puhlesssss ... :9

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    Replies
    1. I found another super yummy babi guling in a very discreet place. Let's eat! :D

      Delete

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