2016-04-26



Our recent visit to Bali left quite a great impression because we had the opportunities to visit some of the legendary cafés/restaurants that have been around for years. Beside our marvelous experience at bridges Ubud, we also visited this 10 years old bistro called Grocer & Grind located in the always-so-trendy Seminyak neighborhood.



Grocer & Grind is actually quite popular in Bali, and up to this day, they already have a total of 4 outlets, in Sanur, Seminyak (the one that we are going to write here), Jimbaran, and Echo Beach. Prior to this visit, we had never been to any of their outlets yet, so this was our first time experiencing what they have to offer.

Other than a bistro, Grocer & Grind can also be considered as a café, bakery and patisserie, or restaurant, whatever it is, you can find almost everything there. The place is quite spacious, with separated areas of smoking and non-smoking. Decorated with wooden furniture and blue color touch, the place looks humble yet classic, less pretentious that way.



As you can see, the addition of large glass windows really makes this bistro beautiful, in a simple way. You feel no necessity to dress up because this is a place where you can be yourself and just enjoy your time. Nevertheless, if you feel like you want to doll up, why don’t you take the chance to get some #OOTD shots in some of the beautiful spots here?

In term of dishes, we always appreciate when we know that a restaurant makes everything themselves rather than stocking them in from suppliers. It’s not that taking from suppliers is a bad thing, but we think that providing everything by themselves means putting A LOT more efforts, agree?

Apparently, Grocer & Grind has a concept of making everything themselves in their central kitchen, which is attached to their Sanur outlet. Not only for the dishes in the menu, they also make their exclusive range of cakes, biscuits, breads & grocer branded deli items, which we can enjoy at the outlets, purchase for take away or delivery 7 days a week.

In the main (non-smoking) area, there is this wall art mural that made my heart fluttered the moment I saw it. Apparently, this image is originated from a photography by Alfred Eisenstaedt, called V-J Day in Times Square. It portrays an American sailor kissing a woman in a white dress on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) in Times Square in New York City, on August 14, 1945. Arghh, this is very romantic somehow. *daydreaming*

Grocer & Grind has extensive selection of beverages, starting from tea, juices and tonics (including the infamous healthy wheat grass shot for IDR 28,000), juice extraction, smoothies, granita, frappe’, soda based drinks, soft drinks, even alcoholic beverages such as beers, cocktails, and wines. Don’t forget that they also offer signature organic blend coffee, which uses 100% Arabica beans.

Orange Granita IDR 40,000

This watery sorbet alike drink was definitely not to miss! Bali is a tropical island and most all the time, the weather is crazily hot and humid, what’s better to fight that beside this massive thirst quencher?

Watermelon, Mint, and Soda / Lemongrass Ginger & Lime Fizz @IDR 40,000

If you like soda based drinks, these two are highly recommended! My personal favorite was the second one, because it was super refreshing with extra fragrances.

Miracle Roots Juice / Djamu IDR 25,000

This Indonesian traditional health tonic is made from turmeric, bee pollen, ginger, and heaps of magic healing herbs. We were surprised to see this on the menu, it’s newly added and must try if you want a glimpse of traditional flavors. I must say djamu is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea (I also can only drink few ones, like beras kencur, not this one), but it’s worth trying especially if you want to get the health benefits!

For the food, Grocer & Grind is pretty serious with the selections. Starting from breakfast (served until midday), lunch and dinner menu, they offer many categories from salads bowls, grains, sandwiches, panini, burgers, even pizzas! Prices are also very affordable for a place like this in Seminyak, ranging from IDR 62,000 to 90,000 only.

Little Meatballs Pizza IDR 85,000

All the pizzas are 12″ size and made using wood fire oven. This pizza we tried used ingredients like roasted tomato sugo, spitfire peppers & bocconcini, was amazingly good. The pizza was not exactly thin crust but it had the crisp like one. The toppings were spread generously and the flavors really came out nicely altogether.

Look at the glistening surface, how I wish to go back there now and grab one (or more) slice of this pizza! T_T

Prawn Pad Thai IDR 85,000

Grocer & Grind also has category of Asian Bowls and this Pad Thai is one of them. Surprisingly, this was also good although we found the whole taste a bit lighter than a regular Pad Thai should be. With additions of tofu, peanuts, greens, sprouts, prawns, and fish sauce, the dish didn’t only look beautiful but also colorful in the mouth. Adding few bird chili or some drops of fish sauce can really enhance the authentic Thai flavors, though.

Glass Noodle IDR 78,000

Probably inspired by Vietnamese dish, the glass noodle is mixed with marinated chicken, crispy Asian vegetables & herbs, chili, peanut, and tamarind lime dressing. I actually really liked this one, with hint of sweet and sour flavors, this dish was very refreshing and made me craving for more. The combination of the toppings gave the needed flavors without being overwhelming, and this can be enjoyed as salad as well.

Twice-Cooked Pork Belly IDR 80,000

Compared to the two dishes above, this left the least impression on me. Basically pork belly dish served with green papaya mango salad, peanut, chilli, master stock reduction, fried shallot, I didn’t know whether I should focus on the pork belly or the mango salad. The pork belly was very tender, a little bit too soft for my liking, but the taste was lacking of kick. The salad was well-seasoned, it became the dominant flavor that represented the bowl.

G Burger IDR 85,000

Here comes the BOSS! The signature G Burger is a definite attention-taker, thanks to its fabulous presentation and massive, thick size. Consists of beef patty, mayo, cheddar, tomato, caramelized onion, greens, and honey mustard, the burger is a dream-comes-true for every burgers loves out there.

The buns were soft, moist and pillowy, the veggies were super fresh (look at the beauties!), and the beef patty rocked my socks! It was like, super thick and solid, but once you bite, you can feel you are smiling automatically because the texture was just too good: juicy, moist, and believe it or not, the patty still retained a hint of pink. Amazing.

Chimichurri Steak Sandwich IDR 85,000

The sandwich is made from layers of toasted sourdough, grilled sirloin steak, tomato, rocket, chimichurri sauce, caramelised onion, served with thick cut chips.

What I like about this towering sandwich is that it can actually be separated into two pieces without ruining the fillings, and you won’t even feel you miss anything. The steak was done perfectly but still remained juicy, and it worked very well with the fragrant and tasty chimichurri sauce.

Enjoying a great lunch is not complete without one or two desserts, so we tried few ones from what were available on display.

Chocolate Fudge Cake IDR 30,000

This cake was crazily good, it’s silly! I don’t know but I think describing things from Grocer & Grind is getting difficult for me because clearly I am running of words. XD As seen on the picture, the cake was dense but incredibly moist, it almost melted in my mouth. The chocolate fudge was sticky yet smooth, the flavor really came out once it touched my tongue. Writing about this is actually making me suffer right now!

Salted Caramel Tart IDR 20,000

Another impressive creation, this salted caramel tart is one dessert that’s definitely not to miss if you happen to visit this place. I wish that the tart size can be improved, though. ;P

Berry Cheese Cake IDR 38,000

A literal attempt of cheese cake, this is something must order for cheese lovers. I myself am not really into cheese, so I always prefer not-too-cheesy cheesecake (if you know what I mean), but I must say this has an acceptable smell and flavor although it is like, literally cheese made into cake. The berry sauce was delicious as hell, though.

Rocky Road IDR 25,000

We were so happy to find that Grocer & Grind has this specific dessert on the menu! It’s not everyday thing to find Rocky Road here in Jakarta so we were thrilled to find this in Bali. The dessert is made from dark chocolate with marshmallows and gummy gums, which gives a combination of soft and chewy texture when eaten. I love how they managed to keep the cake to be not too sweet despite all the ingredients used, and to top it all, it was very fun to eat!

Nowadays, it’s NOT an easy task to maintain an F&B business eventhough it’s manage by big player, let alone some individuals. Grocer & Grind in particular, has been existing for 10 years and it’s something that can be considered as an achievement. A proof that they offer more than just a pretty place, but also high quality products that make people remember and want to come back.

Judging from our very first visit there, we were very impressed by the dishes -taste, portion, price, and selections-, like they say, there’s always something for everyone. Even if you come for a light meal, coffee or tea paired with some sweets and cakes, or heavier meal, you’ll find them there. What’s more to hope if you can have them all in a comfortable pretty place with friendly service and fast internet connection? We can picture ourselves returning again just to spend hours quietly with our laptops accompanied with their delicious dishes and drinks.

We are not by any means getting paid for writing this, but seriously, good restaurants are many, but great ones are rarely found. This falls into the later category, and we hope that more people can enjoy the greatness. If you happen to be in Bali, don’t miss this place!

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*All prices are subject to 6% service charge & 10% government tax

** This review is written based on our visit on 13 April 2016.

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GROCER & GRIND SEMINYAK

Jalan Kayu Jati 3X
Petitenget Beach, Seminyak
Bali
Ph. +62 361 730418
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun 7AM – 10PM

The post Grocer & Grind Seminyak, Bali appeared first on FOOD ESCAPE: INDONESIAN FOOD BLOG.

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