Bali has a huge variety of cafes and restaurants, serving both Indonesian and international food; see Indonesia for a menu reader. For better or worse, some American chains have established a presence here, although almost exclusively confined to the southern tourist areas. You'll see KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Starbuck's Coffee. Interestingly, the menus are often highly adapted to the local tastes. The menu at Pizza Hut looks nothing like one you'll find in the U.S. Try the smaller local restaurants rather than touristy ones, the food is better — and cheaper. Be sure to try the ubiquitous Indonesian dishes nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles). These dishes should rarely cost more than Rp 25,000 (sometimes a bit more if you add chicken — ayam — or shrimp — udang), so their cost on a menu can be a good indicator of a restaurant's relative cost and value.

Some of the most authentic food can be found from roving vendors called kaki lima, which means "five legs." This comprises the three legs of the food cart and the vendor's own two legs. Go to the beaches of Seminyak at sunset and find steaming hot bakso, a delightful meatball and noodle soup, served up fresh for a very inexpensive Rp 5,000. You can season it yourself, but be forewarned: Indonesian spices can be ferociously hot. Go easy until you find your heat tolerance level!

Actual Balinese food is common on the island, but it has made few inroads in the rest of the country due to its emphasis on pork, which is anathema to the largely Muslim population in the rest of the country. Notable dishes include:

• babi guling — Roast suckling pig, a large ceremonial dish that must usually be ordered several days in advance.
• bebek betutu — Literally "darkened duck", topped with a herb paste and roasted in banana leaves. The same method can also be used for chicken, resulting in ayam betutu.
• lawar — Covers a range of Balinese salads, usually involving thinly chopped vegetables, minced meat, coconut and spices. Traditionally, blood is mixed into this dish, but it's often omitted for tourists' delicate constitutions. Green beans and chicken are a particularly common combination.
• sate lilit — Minced seafood satay, served wrapped around a twig of lemongrass.
• urutan — Balinese spicy sausage, made from pork.

• Grilled Chicken with Sliced Shallot Chilie and Lime (Ayam Panggang bumbu bawang mentah)
• Grilled Chicken with Red Chilie and Shrimp Paste Sauce (Ayam Panggang bumbu merah)
• Steam Chicken Cooked with Balinese Herb and Spicy (Ayam Tutu - Ala Kak Man Restaurant)
• Steam Duck Cooked with Balinese Herb and Spicy (Bebek Tutu - Ala Kak Man Restaurant)
• Mince Chicken with Shredded Rind combine with Spicy Sauce (Lawar Ayam, Klungah, Buah Kacang)
• Sliced Chicken mixed with Herbs and Spices Steam in Banana Leaf (Tum Ayam / Ketopot)
• Grilled Snaper (Ikan Bakar Bumbu Terasi)
• Special Balinese Salted Dry Fish (Sudang Lepet)
• Sliced Fish mixed with Herbs and Spices Wrap in Banana Leaf (Pepes Ikan Laut)
• Special Mixed Vegetables from Klungkung (Serombotan ala Klungkung)
• Water Cres with Shrimp Paste and Lime (Pelecing Kangkung)
• Fern Tip Vegetables with Shrimp Paste and Lime (Pelecing Paku)

Budget

A meal in a tourist-oriented restaurant will be around Rp. 20-40k per person. In a local restoran the same meal might be about Rp. 15k or less. On the road,and even in Kuta, simple warungs sell "nasi bunkus", a pyramid shaped parcel of about 400gm of rice with several tasty extras for as little as Rp. 5k. One very reliable option is nasi campur ( rice with several options, chosen by the purchaser) for about Rp. 10k or so. Note that rice is often served at ambient temperature.

Vegetarian

There are plenty of options for vegetarians in Bali - from indigenous Indonesian fare to international cuisine. A word of caution: the Indonesian spice paste "Sambal" is a hot paste of ground red chillies, spices and shrimp paste. Always check to see if the Sambal being served to you contains shrimp paste. You can even get Sambal without the shrimp paste at a few places.