Badung
The Center of Tourism
Made’s Warung
(Speciality Dished of the 50s)
Have you ever come
by to Made’s Warung? The warung or
food stall is located at Pande Mas Hamlet,
precisely on Jalan Pantai Kuta and some
300 meters from the beach. This warung
provides varying international and local
foods such as breakfast, appetizer, soup,
sandwiches, cakes/desserts, Indonesian,
Japanese, western and Balinese foods.
This
warung is never slack of customers as
it provides particular foods that are
not owned by other warungs or restaurants.
Uniquely, Made’s Warung has menus
that have existed since 1950s. Menus that
belong to the bygone time comprising tipat
cantok (boiled rice in plaited palm leaf
dressing with peanut sauce), mixed rice,
green seaweed, assorted slices fruit with
sauce and pepesan or fresh fish grilled
in a banana leaf.
In addition, the most wanted menus by
visitors are gado-gado (a classic Indonesian
dish consisting of vegetables, tempeh
and tofu) and unique food of fruit salad
black rice, namely fruit refreshment constituting
a combination of foreign and Balinese
food. The other is seaweed dressing with
pepesan tlengis (pepesan made of coco
paste) that come to be guests’ favourite.
Made’s Warung indeed constitutes
the first of its kind since Kuta Beach
is known as pristine surfing site. This
warung belongs to Ni Made Masih, the wife
of Peter Steenbergen from the Netherlands.
Originally, this modest warung belonged
to the late I Wayang Madri (father) and
Ni Nengah Roti, parents of Ni Made Masih.
While studying, Made Masih on all occasions
lent a hand to her parents to do selling
for a living. Having completed her elementary
school in 1967, she did not continue her
study due financial problem. On that account,
she continued her parents’ line of
work. Menus offered at that time were
tipat cantok, assorted fruit slices with
sauce and seaweed blended with the spice
of pepesan tlengis.
In 1969, the wandering Hawaiian guests
set about to come in great numbers by
bringing surfing board. Even, these guests
may be said to have discovered the long
white sand. They stayed here for months.
At that time, there were only three inns
at Kuta Beach area, namely the Kompiang,
Mandara and another has now become the
Kuta Beach. It is at these inns where
they stayed, while for eating and drinking
they came to warung of Made Masih.
Excluding eating, they also many times
crowded around while chatting with friends.
At times, they sang and played music together.
This activity was carried out while waiting
for the marvellous waves to surf. Through
the years, visit of foreign tourists to
her warung increased. She accordingly
refurbished her warung gradually as in
1974, 1978 and 2000. “Every time
we do refurbishment, our regular customers
made a protest. They did not want my warung
too exceptional. They liked it as previous
Made’s Warung. Aside from this reason,
I did not refurbish it entirely, either.
I am afraid that it will fail to keep
its taksu (divine inspiration),”
said Ni Made Masih.
According to Made Masih, in managing this
warung she did not set special target
market. Nevertheless, Made’s Warung
continues to be looked for by multicultural
customers. They are mostly from Australia,
Asia and Europe, including the locals
of Bali. The warung is open from 10:00
to 24:00 Local Time. They mainly come
for dinner. Not only ordinary guests,
but many celebrities and high officials
also like to eat here.
It is said that Made’s Warung has
regular customers that nearly come every
year. Every time they make a visit to
the warung, they always come with more
family members like children and grand
children. Consequentially, there has been
something like word of mouth promotion.
“When coming, they without delay
order their favourite food. I am afraid
that I take no account of their favourite.
Seemingly, Made Warung is theirs,”
she said proudly.
Repeated guests that favour the local
food best like tipat cantok, fish pepesan,
spicy pork satay, ribs in young papaya,
crab in Balinese sauce and steamed duck.
In the meantime, newly guests prefer to
choose steak or other international menus.
Similarly, many order fried rice or steamed
duck for present to bring home. “Not
long ago, we consigned fried rice to Germany.
They ordered tipat cantok then, however
we refused, as it immediately turned spoiled,”
she asserted.
So, what’s the secret? “For
local food, it is habitually made in Balinese
traditional manner, either ingredients
or its method. By nature, I just maintain
what I have on hand. I dare not change
it,” she remarked.
On account of the outburst of her customers,
till resulted in long queue and excessive
parking, so started late in 1996, Made
Masih opened a branch on Jalan Raya Seminyak,
Kuta. Menus on offer are the same, but
she puts more emphasis on western food
that prepared by 50 employees.
However, many ‘warung mades’
appeared in numbers lately that are similar
to Made’s Warung. So, how to distinguish
them? made said that they were distinguished
by their logotype and distinctive taste.
“They are all legal. But, I will
never worry about as every one has his
different fortune. It does not matter
for me,” she explained. (BTN/015)
