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Who doesn’t love Bali right? The beaches, picturesque view, lovely people, just everything! Of all, I’ve always missed the babi guling. The crispy, crackling pork coupled with the spicy sambal and vege was what made a trip to Bali complete. Considering the economy, I haven’t been to Bali in a while and missed the babi guling. A quick Internet search showed that Warung Babi Guling Jenny located in Pasar Seni has been serving authentic babi guling for years!
Also known as Crispy Pork Noodles Soup, this restaurant has recently moved from its previous location to a bigger place just 3 minutes away — with a new name as well!
It’s located on the 1st floor of a shophouse, right on top of Domino’s pizza. With their signs and menu spotted even before stepping in, you’re guaranteed to never get lost.
What I tried at Warung Babi Guling Jenny
When we went around 3pm, the shop was empty except for its owners. Upon checking the menu, I found to my delight, that they not only served authentic Balinese food, but also dishes from the Philippines.
We ordered the Signature Balinese Style Bali Guling Rice – Normal (RM20.80) and Traditional Filipino Chicken Adobo – Rice Set (RM17.80) as they were both best sellers here.
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After a while, the babi guling arrived and what a sight it was. The crackling pork looked extra crispy and the dollop of sambal on the pork meat just took it to a whole new level, visually. For context, I LOVE MY SAMBAL, if it’s possible, I would have every dish with sambal. Thus, to see this dish with not only sambal on top but also sambal on the side was a blessing indeed!
The crispy outer layer of the pork was yummy and salted to perfection albeit a little tough to crunch. The pork meat itself was sweet and complemented the spicy sambal perfectly. The dish came with a side of long beans for a “complete meal” illusion but it did its job, nothing to shout about. My only gripe with the dish was the pork crackers that tasted a little stale. It did not provide the necessary crunch required for the dish and it did hurt the roof of my mouth a little.
Next was the Chicken Adobo which to the untrained eye may just look like soy sauce chicken. Chicken adobo is a Filipino chicken stew made with garlicky, soy vinegar sauce. I’ve always liked adobo based on my previous encounters so I was excited to try this dish as well.
Much to my delight, the sauce was light and salty, just hitting the right spots. The chicken itself was falling off the bone and matched the sauce. I did wish that there were meatier chicken pieces to justify the price. While the bok choy may not have appeared fresh or aesthetically pleasing, the crunch of freshness was exactly what was needed to bring down the overall saltiness of the dish.
Final thoughts
Is the restaurant or its surrounding area Balinese core? No. Is the food Balinese core? Yes! After a long day of hanging out around Petaling Street, this babi guling is the perfect place for your lunch stop. Going beyond Balinese food, this restaurant’s selection of Filipino food is commendable and even Filipino- approved!
If you’re missing Bali and can’t afford to fly over, make sure to check out Warung Babi Guling Jenny hidden in Pasar Seni!
Pro tip: The restaurant is cashless friendly but to avoid overspending, bring your own water bottle!
Expected damage: RM17.80 to RM20.80 per pax
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