5 best restaurants for vegans in Ubud – the heart of Bali

If Bali were the gastronomic capital of Indonesia, then the town of Ubud – at its heart – is where you want to indulge in its lush offerings.

Yes, even as vegans, your choices have never been better.

While the area is awash with vegan cafes, most chefs in gastronomic restaurants can whip-up a tasting menu free of animal products that will make non-vegans look on with envy.

Check out where to look:

Aperitif 

A new-to-Ubud restaurant and bar with chequered black-and-white marble flooring and whitewashed French windows, Aperitif at Viceroy Bali serves an eclectically modern European tasting menu with varied influences showcasing the heritage as well as the locale of the chefs.

Belgian executive chef Nic Vanderbeeken spent six years in Bali – on the grounds of Viceroy Bali – before the hotel decided to venture into fine-dining last October, and he has conceived a series of tasting menus that also cater to vegetarians and vegans.

For vegans, an eight-course tasting menu starts with snacks such as tempura of hoja santa leaf (grown in the restaurant’s greenhouse) dotted with teriyaki emulsion, tofu cream and seaweed powder.

It builds up towards an inspired main course of jackfruit braised in coconut water served with tempe bacem (Javanese braised tempe) alongside a “tasty paste” constructed with kimchi, miso, koji, fermented black carrot and vegetable trimmings.