locavore to go - ubud, bali

Rating:  8 / 10

Home comforts are not only for travellers with a fear of coriander, they also apply to those that spend more than half the year away from home, and therefore have cravings of normalcy that creep in. My life has always been about spending the summer months in Europe and winter months (as many snowbirds do) trapped in the constant rays of a tormenting sun. 

My favourite thing on earth is sleuthing my way around finding the best local eats as well as places that stand out for whatever reason. I first popped into Locavore To Go (Yes, I went twice) randomly as my guesthouse was at the end of the road, and it was the first place I stopped outside, considered, and acquiesced.  ​

From the outset it was very trendy looking. You wouldn't notice if a heavy accented brooklyn-ite popped over with their Strokes T-shirt and asked to take your order. Luckily for me, it was a smiling local and during my two visits I sampled their burger and the Reuben.

What sets any burger (and reuben) apart from the crowd is naturally the quality of the meat. Having a butcher shop right next door was setting off saliva bells. I sat outside which went against my natural habits at midday, the sun being at it's hottest and the scooters making an infernal racket, but having just arrived in Ubud I wanted to spy on the foot traffic and catch a glimpse of the vibe.

The burger came surrounded by it's cult of chips. I picked a crispy fry up and took it's head off with one clean bite. The burger next, packing a serious punch of flavour. The meat had texture but was succulent and had been seasoned well. The cheese was melted perfectly and they didn't shy away from the pickles. 

My reuben sandwich a week later was just as professionally assembled and the meat was delicious and the bread, panini-like as it was, tasted bang on. This time I opted for the AC since i'd had my fill of bored American housewives trying to jump start their new life by copying the footsteps of a writer.

Eat Pray Groan.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively