A chopped Balinese salad of green beans or young jackfruit, grated coconut and minced pork or chicken in basa genep, eaten with rice, red when blood is mixed in and white when not.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Lawar has roots in ritual food, and Balinese families make it for ceremonies; on Penampahan, the day before Galungan, it is cooked from the pigs and chickens killed that morning, with satay and soup. Groups of men traditionally chop the meat and spices together, a task called mebat. Red lawar has blood mixed in and white lawar has none. Because of its coconut and fat, lawar spoils easily and keeps about half a day, which is why warungs sell it in the morning, beside babi guling or on its own as nasi lawar.
Common allergens: Shellfish
Tip from the editors. Lawar spoils within about half a day, so make it the day you eat it; a chicken or green bean version uses the same paste.
Why locals goA simple warung on Jalan Gunung Agung in central Denpasar serving nasi lawar, soto and bakso balung; Bali Post says its lawar tastes authentic and the portions are good.
TipThe menu is nasi lawar, soto and bakso balung; the warung opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00, a simple stop for lunch.
Babi Guling Dodo serves babi guling plates with lawar, urutan sausage and sate lilit opposite Pasar Satria on Jalan Abimanyu in Denpasar, Bali, until 14:00.
OrderOrder the babi guling lengkap with lawar, urutan sausage, sate lilit and jukut ares soup.
TipThe warung faces Pasar Satria and is a lunch stop that closes at 14:00. A second branch is on Jalan Gatot Subroto Tengah.
Why locals goA pork nasi campur warung in Benoa near the ITDC area, serving lawar, urutan sausage and pork rib broth from 08:00 to 14:00, with plates from about IDR 25,000.
TipThe warung runs from 08:00 to 14:00, so go for breakfast or an early lunch; a full plate starts from about IDR 25,000.
More cities are in research. Want lawar covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.
