In Indonesia, there is one type of small food stall (Warung) that is famous among the locals. It is called Warung Tunjuk. This Warung sells variety of Indonesian home cooking on big display tray. And if you would like to order one, you just point (tunjuk) the food that you want, and the seller will scoop a serving to your plate. Warung Tunjuk can be found operating from shophouse, or just from the back of the car parked on street side.
The original Warung Tunjuk can be gruesome for those who are uninitiated. So, in Canggu, Bali, Warung Local open of what I call as proper restaurant, while maintaining the style of Warung Tunjuk, and of hopefully also the delicacy that come with it.
While traditional Warung Tunjuk has no separator between the food and patron, Warung Local placed a glass pane to maintain hygiene. This is also more important during COVID 19 pandemic. Patron come, make sure they are healthy through body temperature check, then point to the food they wanted. At the end of the line, patron will add drinks of their choice, and pay. Simple, no fuss.
Warung Local even offer the food in sets. Mine with 1 meat and 3 vegetables which I can choose from the menu. I asked for noodle instead of rice. And don’t forget the famous sambal chili. If you see me eating the chili tempe with another chili, yes you see it right.
Overall taste is a tone down compared to the one that I eat in Jakarta. This is understandable and expected, as not everyone like a strong taste of spice.
I like this place. It reminds me of home in Jakarta. The cleanliness is something that I also appreciate. Plus that they have more fancy selection of drinks, like Kombucha, that you won’t find in original Warung Tunjuk in Jakarta.
Warung Local can be reached at Instagram @warunglocal.