I know this blog will fall into the ‘well duh’ category for seasoned travelers, so this is for the rest of you.
In Ubud I did a comparison of ‘local’ food vs. tourist food. I ordered the same thing (Nasi Campur) for lunch two days in a row at two different restaurants.
Restaurant 1, Warung Makan Teges: $2.25, all other customers were Balinese when I was there.
Restaurant 2, Sari Organics: $5.50, all customers were westerners when I was there.
Can you tell from the photos which was which? Which would you rather eat?
Local version:
- Much more flavor / spices
- More meat
- Everything pre-cooked, and served room temperature
Westernized version:
- Healthier ingredients, less fatty
- Cooked up fresh
- Very mild spices / rather bland
Overall I preferred the local version, since I like spicy food. But both were good in their own way. And cheaper is always better, especially on a long trip.
Both restaurants had similar atmosphere and cleanliness. If anything the local restaurant might have been slightly nicer. You can also next this dish for around $1.50 at local places that are not as good and/or nice.
In general this difference between local and tourist food was the same everywhere we went, tho tourist food can be WAY more than 2x local food in many places.
