Antique Bar Restaurant: A New Antique!

Food: SE Asia - Price: cheap
One of the initial oddities the first time tourist to Bali always notices, with amazement, are the constant signs advertising ‘antiques made to order’. Well this new antique is in fact a restaurant. The décor and furniture are mostly made from artistic forms of wrought iron, but I would hardly call them antique! Yet another new restaurant is to be found in Jl. Abimanyu, Seminyak. Three previous tenants of the same arcade strip have already closed their doors within twelve months of opening, yet Q Bar and Antique seem to be thriving.

Originally advertised as a Vietnamese restaurant, I think Antique is far more comfortable with that all-purpose South East Asian tag! There is a little bit from everywhere, and even a few combinations of all. The most important thing is that this fresh innovative food really works!

A Thai Sate on Sugarcane Stick is anything but Thai! But it is wonderful all the same. A mixture of minced chicken and shrimp is wrapped around sugar cane sticks and smothered with a tangy, sweet mustard and chilli sauce. Now define the origins of that one, just for a start! Who cares, they are great!

By contrast, the Thai Fried Prawn Cakes are the real thing. Light and tasty, they are accompanied by a julienne of cucumber that has been marinated in sweet vinegar, instead of the traditional accompaniment, for me an improvement on the original. Deep Fried Chicken Wings and Froglegs are served with a very spicy dipping sauce.

Poh Piah are spring rolls stuffed with a mixture of chicken and shrimp and served with a pineapple sauce.

The Vietnamese Stuffed Crab comes with an interesting Vietnamese salad. Couldn’t really find the stuffing, and as always I found the effort of locating the pieces of meat, as nice as they were, not really worth the trouble. The Pamelo Salad [jeruk bali] is bankuang and cucumber served with tamarind, palm sugar and fish flakes. Whilst That fabulous Urutan [Balinese pork sausage] is cut in slices and served hot amongst a salad of greens, penne, grilled tomato and a pesto dressing.

A Crispy Calamari Salad, or Fresh Water Eel, on a salad of watercress comes with that Thai fish sauce. All in all, Antique offers a very wide, and varied, array of entrees.

The pick of the mains, for my money, is the Ayam Bumbu Rujak! It is a large chunk of chicken that has been cooked with chilli, candlenuts, tomatoes, coconut milk and lemon grass. It is served with sauteed pumpkin and corn rice. The Chilli Prawns are just that, and come with steamed rice. Don’t be afraid of the mild or hot tag as, unless you are very new to Asian food, then the hot is rather mild! The little basket of prawns are firm but juicy and can also be had as Garlic Pepper Prawns with a green chilli dipping sauce.

That wonderful Balinese creation, Sate Lilit, is available but surpisingly is listed a main course. Mee Burmese are noodles topped with sliced chicken and prawn meat, and that Vietnamese staple, Beef Pho, is a soup of Vietnamese noodles, sliced beef, bean sprouts and plenty of basil.

The Mushroom and Tempe Pepes is one for the vegetarians. It’s ingredients are wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled over the fire. The more normal Pepesan is a banana leaf containing fish in that spicy Balinese sauce. Grilled Squid is in a mild green chilli sauce, and although a little chewy still had a great flavour.

The unusual Vietnamese Yam-Yam is a savoury eggplant dish with minced prawns and chicken. The Roasted Red Curry Chicken is served with mashed potatoes and a Laotian salad…what a mix of cuisines!

There is a choice of light desserts to finish off your evening! The Mango Delight is a mango flambee with caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream. Pear Shan-Dong has been simmered with wines, ginger, starseed and herbs, then is also served with ice cream. As is the Pisang Bakar Flambee. Flambeed banana that has been topped with grated cheese and icing sugar.

Wine is limited, but some is available by the glass, even though the red wine arrives chilled. Everything else here is so good that you do not even notice it!

Antique is one of the finds of 2001! Pleasant clean premises with air-conditioning that works perfectly. The staff are pleasant, attentive and knowledgeable. It has excellent fresh food that is so innovative, and all that at a reasonable price. What more could you ask for?

Address: Jl. Abimanyu, Abimanyu Arcade, Seminyak.
Phone: 730.907
Email: antiquebali@dps.centrin.net.id
Open: 18.00 onward
Credit card: Visa, Master
Wine: Limited