I think there is a story behind most of the names of restaurant in Bali. Whether true or false, who cares? The designation of the Ubud Bebek Bengil is stranger than most. Built 12 years ago, when the town of Tegal, at the southern end Ubud, is nothing more than rice paddi's, the restaurant is almost completed when it was invaded by a flock of ducks, tired of chasing worms in water and mud Adjacent to the rice paddy. The mess they have made to this invasion early morning gave birth to his name, Bebek Bengil [Dirty Duck], and a restaurant that seems to have become an institution Ubud!
Bebek Bengil attracts an unusual mixture of rich tourists and the local population. Both seem very comfortable in the garden relaxed. A new extension, which opened recently, the restaurant takes even further in the rice fields. Popular local dishes, reasonably priced and international, are prepared in the kitchen spotless, and served with a pleasant smile. Throw in the price reasonable, and you may be the reason for the popularity that constant Bebek Bengil enjoys.
The menu is vast, to try to answer them all. A work they are doing very well. A pleasant change is that the menu is not just a copy of all those seen everywhere in Bali, but uniquely different.
A good range of hydrants, driveways and snack choices at any time, exist. That the Middle East mashed chickpeas, humus, is served with warm pita bread. As is refreshing sandwich cream cheese, pepper, smoked ham, avocado and cucumber.
A steeply dipping spicy Guacamole melinjo nut comes with crackers. Snails can be ordered with the miso-bread or garlic in mushrooms stuffed with a garlic sauce chile. Chicken wings are marinated Thai style, and then grilled until crispy. Simple Fish & Chips are fingers or breaded fish, good chips and the usual tartar sauce. Good finger food!
A salad of seafood spicy Thai is a generous mixture of seafood, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette peppers. A little warmer, a little sour, combining classic Thai. The papaya salad shrimp these ingredients are combined with avocado and roasted peppers and orange vinaigrette. A salad of grilled tuna served with a dressing of lemon, cumin and garlic grilled.
Many soups, mainly hearty vegetarian, pasta and selections are offered. The Bebek Special spicy; tuna spaghetti, sausage, mushrooms and peppers. The Gnocchi is spinach dumplings with spinach and parmesan cheese, served with a sauce of saffron cream and a salad of tomatoes and basil.
Bali, the famous Crispy Duck features of this menu, as you may well have guessed. It's a bit flatter, and available almost everywhere in Ubud. This is a dish that you generally either love or hate, depending on your personal tastes! The duck was steamed with a multitude of spices and the island of Bali, it is then quickly fried at high temperatures to produce a portion of duck very crisp. Ubud to most other places that I have tried this dish was not much crunching bones. Here in Bebek Bengil, quite plump flesh was left on the pieces to understand why it is a local favorite. Certainly to be eaten with the fingers, and is worth!
Talking finger food, pork BBQ Spare Ribs are among the best I have ever had in Bali. There are no similarities with the American original, as it is nice and spicy as appropriate to Asia. Well trimmed of excess fat, they are nothing more than long pieces of meat hanging off the coast bones. Wonderful!
Chicken Breasts Stuffed were filled with shitake mushrooms, cabbage and spinach, and are served with a hood vegetable roll, and fried rice. The Fried Chicken, it proceeds as traditional Balinese, and served with vegetables and yellow rice Balinese. Or you can ask your Japanese style chicken, teriyaki [wine and soy], or the style of Thai basil.
A plateau becomes a chicken breast Steak sauce with mushrooms and fries. That old favorite Chicken Kiev is a roll of meat encasing a mixture of garlic butter and parsley, then breaded and sauteed in butter. More Asia is the excellent chicken with ginger, stir-fried mixture of sliced chicken, mushrooms, cashew nuts, green pepper, mint and pepper.
Drunken Chicken was cooked in white wine, capers, olives, cashews, ham and raisins. Another unusual dish is the chicken was sauteed and served with a dill sauce and mushroom. Or you can ask your plain and tender chicken, lemon chicken is boneless breasts gently sauteed in butter with lemon sauce bitter.
The Nasi Campur [rice mixed] offers the opportunity to enjoy the variety of specialties Balinese surrounding the cooked rice. Pillar Indonesian, Nasi Goreng, fried rice with chicken sate on the side and a fried egg on top. A dish of seafood Fried Rice combines fried rice with shrimp, squid and fish, a fish stick sate and topped with a fried egg.
Steaks are a good value at Bebek Bengil! The beef is imported, the kitchen produces a result of competitive tendering, but the price is not inflated! Both the T-Bone and Sirloin served with a mushroom sauce. Although you can have your sirloin sliced and stir-fried with shitake mushrooms, asparagus and snowpeas in an orange sauce, and served on a plate of crispy noodles.
You can order from a selection of fresh seafood [shrimp, squid, snapper and tuna], which were subsequently served with a roasted garlic butter sauce or chili. Bacon shrimp, shrimp wrapped in bacon, are something different. Chilli sauteed shrimp were then served with hot pepper sauce. The Red Snapper is grilled, and comes with a sauce of lemon, capers and garlic potatoes.
While I visited Bebek Bengil usually for lunch, dinner on a recent visit I was surprised with the rustic charm of the place, the sidewalk along all the lights ponds and rivers, covering almost in the rice fields. The new extension is almost in the rice fields. This is a very nice place. The desserts are mostly normal cakes, pies and ice cream. Although Russia Pie Noire [a mixture of vodka and Kahlua, topped with chocolate], not seduce me!
The wine list is limited. Wines premises, plus the excellent local wine of Western Australia Wine of the Gods [both their non-wooded Chardonnay and the new light peppery Shiraz]. Like food prices, those wines are quite reasonable. No wonder that everyone keeps going back to Bebek!
Address: Padang Tegal, Ubud.
Telephone: 975.489
Opens: 8.00 am to 11.00 pm daily.
Reservations: No.
Parking: Valet parking, with private parking.
Credit cards: Amex, Master Maestro, VISA.
Food: International.
Wine: Limited, bottle or glass.
Service: Friendly, but effective.
Atmosphere: Wonderful garden atmosphere, the rice field.
