Wah Wah Burger and Wine Bar Bali

Wah Wah Burger and Wine Bar Bali

The Oxford dictionary defines it as a flat round cake of minced meat often eaten in a bread roll! The world now thinks of it as a saturated fat-infused piece of highly seasoned [added salt does great things for your arteries] minced beef patty, made from the remnants of some old cow no longer able to give milk, with who knows what added for 'taste', stuffed between two halves of a soft fibre-less bread roll.

The French avoided the hamburger invasion from the yellow arches for many years, after all they had their Hache, prime beef coarsely minced, by hand not machine. This was no doubt the originator of the humble hamburger before it became so commercialized. I used to regularly enjoy a Swiss version of Alpler Toast; a slice of multigrain toast topped with a hache that was covered with creamed spinach and melted emmental cheese at the Swiss Restaurant in London, a Swiss Cheeseburger in fact.

Now Bali gets a Hamburger that borders on gourmet cuisine. The preparation has already begun one week before you eat! Chilled [not frozen] mid-marbled Wagyu beef tenderloin is trimmed of all surface fat, leaving only that wonderful marbling, then hung for a week. You can already tell that this is not going to be a $2 special from Macca's. In fact you are at the Wah Wah Burger and Wine Bar in lower Jln. Laksmana, Kerobokan, between Ku de Ta and The Legian.

Mr. Wah, Ubud's famous artist and painter, loves to cook, and eat healthy food. The food served at his restaurant reflects incredible attention to detail, and his love of the end product. Whilst there are many other attractions it is the hamburgers that are so uniquely different.

Wagyu mince grilled over flame accompanied by the most unusual of toppings. The basic Classic is just with a tomato reduction and a mustard mayonnaise. A Triple Cheese version is topped with a combination of mozzarella, parmigiano and gorgonzola. The Works is my favourite; with small crisp pieces of prosciutto, mozzarella and parmigiano cheeses and a delicate little fried quail egg sitting on top. The Porcini Burger is the favourite of Mr. Wah himself, porcini mushrooms and black truffles are combined in a red wine sauce, topped with parmigiano shavings. Top of the range is their Foie Gras Burger, topped with seared foie gras in a berry reduction.

However for your first visit, and maybe all other subsequent ones as well, the best choice is either their 3 in 1, or 4 in 1, Burger Orgy! Select any three [or four] of the gourmet hamburgers and you will be served them in of mini-burger form. Each, when split in half, provides a full mouthful that includes all the individual segments of the whole. Each ingredient plays a part but the overall shock is the incredible taste and tenderness of that Wagyu mince.

All Burgers, and most other dishes as well, are offered in two sizes, the Large one includes Crisp Skinned Potato Wedges [in truffle oil with Himalayan pink salt] or black truffle tinted Mashed Potatoes with extra virgin olive oil, chopped chives and rock salt, on the side. Other Burgers include a Vegetarian version plus a Breast of Chicken. If you prefer your Wagyu whole, not chopped, then it is available as a Tenderloin Steak, with a black pepper crust and black truffle shiitake mushrooms.

Wah Wah has other than burgers. Their Baby Pork Ribs are unbelievable. A multi spiced marinade and very slow cooking produce almost fat-less chunks of meat that just slide off the bone, the tangy taste of the glazing lingering pleasantly. They are so different from the overly-sweet American BBQ style. Almost as good is the Rack of Lamb [New Zealand origin]. It has been simply basted with wild honey whilst being grilled over the flame. Tender and juicy, nice and pink as it should be, never over-cooked.

Also open for breakfast and snacks, Wah Wah is quite an amazing place. Breakfast can be many variations of Fried Rice; with egg, totally organic with zucchini and herbs, topped with slices of cold smoked marlin or the grand daddy Fried Rice with diced aged Wagyu beef and basil.

All day snacks include Triple Cheese on Toast [mozzarella, parmigiano and gorgonzola], Prosciutto & Cheese on Toast or Foie Gras on Toast.

However which way you begin a finish with their Death by Chocolate is a must. A black chocolate truffle floats on a sea of white and black chocolate.

The dramatic art of the talented owner is displayed on the walls, in fact everything about Wah Wah is individual and classy. A quality place to visit for those who are able to appreciate the very best, without falling into comparisons with other places that may be similar in name only!

It has a stylish cocktail bar, and a cocktail list that includes all the standards and many wild creations, smart friendly young staff eager to please, food that is so good to eat that the flavours linger forever after. Wah Wah is a quality addition to the Bali dining scene, and a fun place to visit, but only for those with an adult mentality!

Source: balieats.com