[Bali] Indonesia is home to various kinds of sate (satay) ranging from chicken, beef, lamb to seafood.
As much as sate dominates in every corner of Indonesia, one particular type that is available in more limited quantities is Sate Babi or Pork Satay.
However, it is pretty common to Sate Babi in Bali itself, as the majority of Balinese is Hindu.
Sate Babi Bawah Pohon literally translated to “Pork Satay Under the Tree”, and located in the middle of Kuta/Legian, is popular among both locals and tourists alike.
Not so long ago, the stall used to grill their pork satay under a tree in Legian, thus its name.
As their popularity increased, they moved to a new location in Kuta which is bigger and cleaner. The downside? There are no trees for them to grill the satay under.
I had been hearing about how tasty and famous they were, to the point that many tourists (local and domestic pre-order days before and da bao (takeaway) hundreds of sticks back home.
Curious enough, I ordered the Sate Babi + Nasi (IDR 30k, SGD3.00) consisting of eight sticks with the option of rice or lontong (rice cake).
Have your first stick plain without additional sauces, so that you can taste the original flavour.
The meat was surprisingly soft, well-seasoned with a hint of chili and lemongrass, and the highlight was the smokiness and good charring.
Though the meat was slightly on the sweet side.
I couldn’t help but to order another 10 sticks of Sate Babi (IDR 30k, SGD3.00).
This time I tried the recommended way, by adding a hint of salt, dipped into the sambal. The sweetness from the seasoning and the saltiness from the salt blended really well.
For accompaniment, you could eat it with the raw green chili if you need more kick; or get some pork crackers and fruits as a top-up.
Overall, I think it was quite good and enjoyable but not to the point that I will deliberately da bao 50-100 sticks back home.
Portions for example, could be improved.
Although some say that the standard has dropped, many still regard this as the best pork satay you can find in Bali.
Sate Babi Bawah Pohon
Jl. Dewi Sri IV Jl. Campuhan I – Dewi Sri, Legian, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Tel: +6281 9362 53567
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm
Google Maps – Sate Babi Bawah Pohon
* Written by DFD͛’s Jakarta Food Correspondent @iknowhowtoeat who loves exploring NEW food places in both Indonesia and Singapore. DFD pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
