Peppers Latino Grill & Bar: Meat, Fruits & Peppers

Food: Central & Southern America – Price: moderate
The cuisine at Peppers is a blend of Central and Southern American, whilst never leaving their original Iberian background too far behind. The Hotel Sanur Beach is going through a massive re-furbishing process, as are many of Bali’s larger hotels. The 1st stage of that development has produced an interesting range of new restaurants. Peppers Latino Grill & Bar is certainly something very different for Bali.

From Cuba, we have Empanadas de Fruta Bomba y Queso. Thick crunchy pastry houses a mix of papaya and cheese. A roasted tomato relish and a banana garlic dip completes the offering. Ruedas de Pina Asadas a la Parilla is an unusual and yet refreshing entrée, grilled pineapple rings sit atop a salad of minced pork Fritas Cubana con Tucineta is nothing more than a Cuban hamburger. Ground beef and chorizo sausage garnished with bell peppers and served with corn tamales makes them different from those at the golden arches.

Cerdo Asado Glaceado con Naranja, Pina y Miel is Cuban roasted pork loin [glazed with a mixture of orange, pineapple and honey] served on a papaya gratin & yucca-chive roesti. Pargu con Salsa de Cilantro y Limon Verde is a snapper fillet with a coriander lime sauce.

Tostada de Pollo is a very crisp Mexican corn tortilla topped with refried beans, shredded chicken and cheese. Nachos con Quesco y Frijoles are those internationally known crisp tortillas, covered with ground beef, refried beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Garbanzos Compuestos are Mexican garbanzo beans roasted in olive oil and surrounded by warm slices of marinated beef.

Also from Mexico is the Pollo Adobado a la Parilla con Salsa de Chiputle. It is Grilled Chicken but it has been marinated in orange. Refreshingly different! Manchamanteles de Pez Espada con Salsa de Frutas y Chiles is a lightly seared swordfish in a spicy fruit salsa with creamed potatoes and a bell pepper mosaik.

Two of the most traditional Spanish dishes are Gazpacho and Paella. Gazpacho in Bali is usually rather disappointing. Everything chucked in the blender, then iced. Whilst it still makes a pleasant cool starter in the local climate, the basic ingredients should have been sieved and re-sieved. The only lumps are those that you add yourself, diced tomato, onions, etc., with garlic croutons. At Peppers it gets close to that ideal.

The Paella a la Valenciana arrives in the proper iron pan. A base of saffron rice to which chorizo sausage, chicken, shrimps, mussels, squid, peas, tomato, chilli peppers and garlic have been added.

Argentina provides the inspiration for Croquetas de Langusta. Lobster croquettes, served on a banana lentil salad. From Paraguay, Costiillas Ahugadas, grilled beef ribs with a green curry tapenade on a sweet corn soufflee with broccoli flakes.

A chilled avocado soup, Supa de Aguacate, originates in Chile. It is served with roasted coconut flakes and crisp tortillas. A totally different soup is the Mexican Supa de Frijol Negro con Camarones. This is a black bean soup with shrimps, and a touch of sherry! From Honduras, Supa de Hombre, a fish soup in coconut milk. It arrives in a half coconut shell, toasted corn bread on the side.

Being South American, beef is aplenty, and in many different forms. If you want your steaks plain, then they also serve slabs of Sirloin, Tenderloin and Rib Eye all barbecued.

It is not often that Puerto Rican food is seen outside of the Americas. Puerco con Cana de Azucar is barbecued pork on skewers of sugarcane, and is served with a tequila chilli relish and hazelnut mashed potatoes. Atun a la Cana y Coco is coconut glazed medallions of tuna, served on a black bean munena with a latino-shrimp salsa.

Chillo a la San Juan is a fillet of Snapper in a very piquant tomato-based sauce, with caramelized sweet potatoes. For dessert, try a Helado de Mango. Mango ice cream topped with Pina Colada pulp, and a coconut crisp.

From Brazil comes Franco con Bananas. Chicken breast that has been simmered in white wine and tomatoes, then topped with fried bananas. Rudizio a Gaucha is a long iron skewer containing chunks of grilled sausage, chicken wings, pork, lamb, beef and more beef. For dessert, you can try a Moussee de Castanhas de Cajue Chocolate. Nothing more than a chocolate and cashew nut mousse.

Certainly a night out with a difference! If the food doesn’t make you think that you are really somewhere in Latin America, then the roving band surely will!

Address: Hotel Sanur Beach, Jl. Danau Tamblingan, Sanur.
Tel:  288.011
Email: info@sanurbeach.aerowisata.com
Open: dinner from 7.00 PM daily
Credit cards: Amex, Dinners, JCB, Master, Visa
Wine: good list