Indonesia: Babi Guling, The Famous Balinese Food

When you're in Bali and ask the local what's the special food of Bali, I bet most of them will answer "Babi Guling" or suckling pig. The pig is typically stuffed with a spicy concoction which is made from finely chopped of shallot, garlic, turmeric, cloves, ginger, chillies, coriander, pepper and salt. It's then mixed with coconut oil and sometimes added with cassava leaves. The method of cooking is traditionally spit-roasted over a fire charcoal until perfection, for about 2 hours. In my opinion the young suckling pig tastes the best because the meat is tender and not too much layers of fat.

traditional Babi Guling warung (stall)

Normally one portion babi guling consisting of slices of meat, skin, fried intestine, urutan (Balinese style pork sausage), pork satay, rice and lawar. Lawar made from chopped green beans and boiled young jack fruit then mixed with grated coconut and some spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, shallot, pepper, galangal and salt. There are 2 types of lawar which are lawar merah or red lawar (mixed with pig blood) and lawar putih or white lawar (without blood).

Babi guling can be found easily almost in every part of Bali from warung style (Indonesian traditional stall) to restaurant establishment. I won't say that I'm a babi guling expert but until now I think I have tried more than 30 babi guling warungs in Bali. I like to explore new babi guling warung so I can taste the difference from one to another.

Here's some review of babi guling warungs that I've tasted. All the opinion and scores are based on my picky and fussy taste buds. What I find delicious does not mean you will like it. And vice versa.

Babi guling Ratni

Babi Guling Ratni [3 / 5]

At Pasar Senggol Gianyar, you might have a hard time to choose which babi guling stall to eat in, since there are more than 10 babi guling stalls there. Babi guling Ratni seems like always has more customer than others. The pork skin is crunchy with a thin layer of fat, while the sliced pork is tasty. It’s accompanied with blood sausage, tum (chicken in Balinese spices and shredded coconut steamed in banana leaf) and pork crackers. Sate lilit (satay which is made from minced fish) is a bit bland. The soup is very spicy and a bit oily.

Babi guling Ibu Oka

Babi Guling Ibu Oka [2.5 / 5]

Babi guling Oka in Ubud is the most famous babi guling in Bali specially among tourist. Unfortunately I don’t find the authentic taste of Balinese babi guling here. It used to be my fave babi guling for quite long. But few weeks ago when I eat here with some of my Balinese friends, I noticed that the quality has drop significantly. I'm not sure if it was not my lucky day or they have changed the standard to fit the tourists preference. I even asked my local friends if the taste has changed or is it my taste buds suddenly went numb, and they said they were actually disappointed too. I sadly think it has lost its originality and became a crowd pleaser instead.

The meat are quite thick but a bit dry and tastes bland. The seasoning sauce is tasteless. I was expecting to get lawar but instead the babi guling is accompanied with big chunks of green chayote which is cooked in curry like yellowish sauce and also urap (vegetables mixed with grated coconut). The crackling is well seasoned and crispy. Best part would be the fried pork intestine which is crunchy and tasty.

Babi guling Sanur

Babi Guling Sanur [3.5 / 5]

Unlike other warungs, the lawar in babi guling Sanur consisting of ample chopped meat and has a zesty smell from lime. I love it. Generous portion of pork with some layers of fat, topped with quite strong seasoning. The pork skin is crunchy but a bit thick compares to other warung, with a layer of fat that melt on your tongue. Tasty sate with tender meat which tastes sweet and peppery in the same time. The broth based soup is thick and spicy but a bit oily

Babi guling Bundaran Renon

Babi Guling Bundaran Renon [3 / 5]

Been on business since 1988, Babi Guling Bundaran Renon is quite popular and have their loyal customers.  The pork is juicy but slightly tough while the seasoning has quite strong taste of herbs and salty.  Sate lilit (sate made from minced fish and chicken) is tasty. Tum ayam (chicken in Balinese spices and shredded coconut steamed in banana leaf) is a bit bland. The soup is clear and mild with some pork meatballs.  Lawar tastes mild and sweet

Babi guling Chandra

Babi Guling Chandra [2 / 5]

Babi guling Chandra is the second most famous babi guling in Bali after babi guling Ibu Oka, its quite well known among Asian tourist. Unfortunately I don't understand what the hype is about. Slices of pork are quite thick but tastes bland and dry. In the other hand the seasoning sauce is too salty. Lawar is a bit too greasy and taste mild. Soup is clear and salty. The only think that I find good would be the sate lilit (made from minced chicken and fish) and sate babi merah (reddish pork satay) which are well seasoned, tender and tasty.

Babi guling Handayani

Babi Guling Handayani [4 / 5]

Despite of located on the main road of By Pass Ngurah Rai, Tohpati, babi guling Handayani seems like out from tourist radar. Everyday it’s packed with locals who queue to savour the roasted pork. At a first glance, the meat looks quite pale compares to other babi guling. But it’s actually tasty and tender with not too much fat. The best part would be the crackling pork skin. The lawar (mix of vegetable, coconut and meat) is a bit oily and spicy with a hint of lime juice. Unfortunately the jukut ares (soup made from young banana tree) is a bit too salty and hot for my taste buds.  Sate lilit (made from minced fish) is smooth and tastes mild.

Babi guling Pak Dobil

Babi Guling Pak Dobil [4.5 / 5]

Opened since 1980, warung Pak Dobil is another well known babi guling in Bali, worth to try. Well marinated slices pork which are tender and juicy topped with a crispy tasty skin. The sauce is not overly spicy but the sambal mbeh (fried garlic chili) is quite mean for the taste buds.  The lawar tastes mild and succulent.  Compare to other babi guling eatery, warung pak Dobil serves bigger portion of jukut ares (soup made from young banana tree) with generous chunks of pork ribs. The sate babi (pork sate) is mellow and flavorful. Babi guling Pak Dobil has won my heart (or my taste buds) and now is my most favourite babi guling in Bali.


Updated! Babi Guling Bu Suci in Slingsing [5 / 5]

Babi guling bu Suci, Slingsing

I have found my soulmate! Errr...I mean my perfect match in babi guling world. So I've been curious about this babi guling since 2012 I think. I've heard so many people raved about how delicious  it is but also how hard to find this warung. They used to open their warung only in wee hours started around 3 freaking am and sold out around 6 am. Only in 2015 that I finally found this warung and taste their famous babi guling. Yes! It's worth the long winding journey to their warung because it's so soooo delicious that I always order a second serving on every visit. The star of course that crispy skin with thin layer of fat under. After the sound of crackling when you bite the skin, you will then taste the savoury melting fat on your tongue. Oh God, so sinful! Also the meat is very well marinated even without the sauce it's already flavourful. Warung babi guling bu Suci in Slingsing also serve more side items than other warung. Such as Oret (pig blood sausage), Be Genyol (pork belly and trotter which is slow cooked in Base Genep or traditional Balinese spices broth), Lawar with or without pig blood and many more. The good news is, they now open in normal hour from 6 pm to 4 am! Just forget about your diet when you are there, lol!. Until now, this is Babi Guling paling enak di Bali (the most delicious babi guling in Bali) that I ever tasted. And my babi guling adventure will be still rolling. I will update this post again when I find another contender 😁



One rainy morning I arrived too early at a babi guling warung. I was waiting outside the closing doors when the owner was kind enough to invite me in, asking me to wait inside their house. I was lead to the backyard where they were doing the last preparation before serving the babi guling
Please enjoy my amateur video :)

Have you ever tried babi guling in Bali ? Which one is your favourite ?