One of my most surprising discoveries about Bali, many years ago, was its almost total lack of quality Indonesian restaurants. Small warungs by the thousand, each selling the specialties of their home area and restaurants serving an Indonesian version of Chinese food abounded, but no high quality good value Indonesian, served in clean premises that a tourist would visit, the food having been prepared in a modern hygienic kitchen.

Stop looking! Warung Enak has arrived. It is housed in a most imposing building, one that could only have evolved from one of designer Made Wijaya's dreams. Wantilans and courtyards of Bali are combined with the pastel shades and mild erotica found adorning many Hindu temples outside of Indonesia. Enak is in Pengosekan, at the southern approach to Ubud, overlooking verdant rice paddies.

There are no entrees and mains at Enak, just small and large plates from which you can choose your spread of the day. Enjoy them progressively or all together.

Amongst the small plates the Asinan Jakarta (Batavia) stands out. It is a mixture of yam bean, carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts and tofu, tossed with Carambola vinaigrette and served in a crunchy little bird's nest of fried egg noodles. I am certainly no vegetarian but I cannot visit Enak without ordering this dish. From Bali comes that old favourite, Sate Lilit - grilled minced fish that has been blended with lemongrass, galangal, shallot, chilli, palm sugar, Kaffir lime and coconut milk. Accompanying is a real Balinese seaweed salad, guaranteed to warm you on a cold day.

Lumpia Semarang (Central Java, right) is a vegetarian spring roll but with a thin crisp coating, the dipping sauce made from fermented soya beans. Sate Kakul is pure Balinese, snails that have been marinated in sweet soy, ginger, chilli and Kaffir lime leaf, served with a rice cake. Batagor (below, left) combines a deep-fried ball of minced mackerel with tofu and vegetables.

The Rawon Soup is from East Java, beef in a broth made from the black rawon nut, combined with lemongrass and the leaf of Kaffir lime. Empek-Empek Palembang is almost a soup, and one of my favourite dishes here. Deep-fried fish dumplings filled with egg float in a broth made from palm sugar blended with dried shrimps. Coming from South Sumatra there is quite a bit of fire in those final spoonfuls.

There are noodle and rice dishes, perfect for those mid afternoon snack attacks. A separate Vegetarian menu includes Bergedel Jagung (corn fritters) and a Tempe Menduan from East Java, bean cake fritters with a hot sambal and many other choices.

Overall, the large plates confound you with a myriad of choices, particularly if spice is your way of life. Sumatran Pangek Sapi is a beef dish cooked with sweet basil. It sits on a serve of rice, crunchy wing beans on the side. Ayam Panggang Bumbu Rujak is an East Javan chicken dish, the half spring chicken having been marinated before grilling. The resultant flesh is so soft and tasty.

Woku Blanka Cakai, Putri is a perfectly poached fillet of Trevally that sits in a spicy herbed broth of lemongrass, ginger, chilli and pandan and Kaffir lime leaves, all the way from Manado. Udang Goreng Sambal Kemangi is deep-fried prawns, prepared Bali style, having been tossed in a tomato sambal with sweet basil added.

The great value Vegetarian menu has an amazing top price of $4.50! Some of the previously mentioned dishes are combined in a Vegetarian Nasi Campur, five small serves around steamed rice. There is even a Vegetarian Laksa (bean cake and bean curd with vermicelli) from Sumatra. Asian sweets I usually avoid but the Kue Lumpur from Kalimantan is interesting. A pancake of sultanas and young coconut is served with a sauce of vanilla and chocolate. Aga-Agar Karang is an unusual Balinese seaweed jelly.

But the real highlight at Warung Enak is their Rijsttafel (a rice table, from the days of the Dutch occupation). Many places offer their own versions but none are quite like this. 19 small tastes, plus rice of course. 4 starters and a soup followed by 8 mains and a taste of 6 desserts. All this for only $50 for two persons. A most sensible order for your initial visit! Then order your favourites from the Rijsttafel, upon your return.

A better-than-average wine list, even by international standards, is another bonus at this high quality, great value, Indonesian eatery.

Warung Enak also offers a very hands-on cooking class, three days a week. They only accept small groups so an early booking is essential. Start at the markets with the chef, chop and cook, sit down to eat and enjoy the results of your labours. Take away all the recipes and a certificate with you and then surprise your friends back home with your new skills.

This is not really a warung, it is a fine restaurant!

Warung Enak
Jln. Raya Pengosekan,
Ubud, Bali
Tel: (62-361) 972.911
Opening hours: 11.00am - 11.00pm, daily, for lunch, dinner and in between.
Price: a la carte $30; Rijsttafel $50 (for two persons, + drinks)

This is an abridged version of the full review that appears on the BaliEats web site, Bali's comprehensive restaurant guide: www.balieats.com