Pork ribs at Naughty Nuri’s. Author photo.
Bali is a wonderland for food lovers. And Naughty Nuri’s is one of the best.
It can be hard, in other parts of Indonesia, to find proper Western food - especially pork. But Bali’s Hindu majority population has always been more accommodating of Western tastes, and Naughty Nuri’s does not fail to deliver to goods.
According to my wife, this place was started back in the 90s by a husband-wife team and the husband was an American. Possibly a cowboy, though confirmation of that fact is still pending and will never be confirmed because it’s probably not true. Whoever he was, he obviously loved good ol’ American BBQ. The original location, I think, is up in Ubud. It’s a humble affair with the old wooden tables and warung atmosphere. But it’s always busy. The Seminyak outlet is much more updated and looks like any kind of mid to upscale restaurant you’d find in Los Angeles or Sydney. Also always busy. The menu is pretty extensive, moreso I think in Seminyak, but listen - you come to Naughty Nuri’s you get the pork spare ribs. They won’t let you down.
Fall off the bone tender. The sauce is bang on. Cold beer comes fast, and you can get nachos and some killer mac and cheese on the sides. It’s not cheap. But it’s a good business model, and they sell awesome food. Try to Ubud outlet if you want to imagine what it was like in 1995 selling pork spare ribs in Ubud. Try the Seminyak outlet if you don’t want to get bit to death by mosquitoes. Either way, the quality never flags and I cannot recommend Naughty Nuri’s enough if you are in Bali and have a craving for ribs.
