A lovely holiday lunch with BB, Balinese duck fried rice (nasi goreng bebek) at a warung on the trip. 🦆😋

What we had:

Duck fried rice: nasi goreng topped with shredded fried duck and bean sprouts, with prawn crackers, an acar pickle and sambal matah on the side

This was the Indonesian take on fried rice, and so different from our local version. The nasi goreng was wok-fried dark and savoury, with that distinctive sweet-soy (kecap manis) depth and a little chilli warmth, then crowned with a generous heap of shredded fried duck and fresh bean sprouts.

The duck was the star: crispy, well-seasoned shreds that had clearly been fried until fragrant, salty and golden, mixed through the rice so every spoonful had a bit. Around the plate were all the lovely sides that make a Balinese rice plate special: crunchy prawn crackers (krupuk), a bowl of tangy acar (pickled cucumber and carrot) to keep things fresh, and a little dish of sambal matah, that raw Balinese relish of sliced shallot, lemongrass and chilli that adds a bright, zingy, aromatic kick.

Eaten together with a squeeze and a dab of sambal, it was fragrant, spicy and full of flavour, holiday food that tasted of the place. A simple plate done really well.

Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Savoury kecap-manis fried rice with crispy shredded duck and zingy sambal matah. Would re-order.

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