Vegan food in Bali, Indonesia, and the best yakitori and masala chai in Hong Kong – an Instagram cook’s food picks

Monica Bharwani of Divine Indulgence By Monica can’t wait to travel to Bali again for the vegan food options. Photo: courtesy of Monica Bharwani

Hong Kong-raised Monica Bharwani makes healthy but tasty gourmet snacks under the Instagram handle @DivineIndulgencebyMonica.

I love entertaining at home. The way I show love to friends is cooking, serving food that’s not only good for them but nourishing for the soul.

I love when they ask, “Do you have any of that left? I’ll take some home”.

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I started Divine Indulgence By Monica almost two years ago. It was never about money. I’ve always baked with a passion and wanted to share it.

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Bharwani loves everything about Samsen, a Thai restaurant in Wan Chai.

Eating out, I love everything about Samsen (68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 2234 0001 and G/F, 23 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 2234 0080) except the queues. I order the minced beef and Thai basil rice with a fried egg on top. All the salads and desserts are good, too.

I like Arirang (3/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2506 3298) for Korean. I’ve been going there for four decades, ever since they were in the old Hyatt Kowloon Hotel’s basement.

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The same waitress has been serving Bharwani for years at Hanagushi Yakitori Japanese Restaurant. Photo: SCMP

For bibimbap, I like MiMi2Go (15 Old Bailey Street, SoHo, tel: 2786 9228). It’s a one-woman show there. She serves, she’s in the kitchen, she gives you your change and she cleans the table. The food is so good. You feel at home.

Another good little place is Hanagushi Yakitori Japanese Restaurant (8/F, M88, Wellington Place, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2521 0868) for yakitori. The same waitress has been serving me for 26 years. I could have the whole menu – just tell them to bring me one of everything.

I love Indian food but I eat it a lot at home. I went to Chaat (5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 5239 9220) recently, and it was amazing. I loved the 24-hour lamb shank. The chef also had an off-menu turbot fish curry and it was lovely. That was a fun surprise. It’s a good special occasion restaurant.

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Butter chicken, lamb curry and biriani at Chaat. Photo: Alex Chan

I could also eat Chinese every day. I would say my favourite is Peking Garden (eight locations, including 3/F, Star House, 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2735 8211) for its consistency. Nothing ever goes wrong.

I also love Teakha (18B Tai Ping Shan Road, Sheung Wan, tel: 2858 9185) for the masala chai and little cakes.

In terms of travel, I know exactly where I would go back to – Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. They have all kinds of amazing vegan cafes. You wouldn’t miss eating meat there. Moksa Ubud (Ubud II Kutuh, Jl. Puskesmas, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, tel: +62 813 3977 4787) operates a farmer’s market and is a fantastic plant-based restaurant.

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Cold pressed juice from Alchemy Cafe in Ubud.

Also good is Yogabarn Garden Kafe (Jl. Hanoman, Pengosekan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, tel: +62 361 971 236), a mind-blowing vegan bakery. Mudra (Jl, Goutama Sel. 22, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80571, tel: +62 878 8868 8622) does an amazing avo gado gado, with steamed red rice, tempeh, cabbage and a peanut sauce with avocado. Alchemy Cafe (Jl, Penestanan Kelod 75, Penestanan Ubud, Bali, tel: +62 813 3945 7432) is another organic favourite that does wraps, salads, soups, desserts and juices.

A resort I often stay at is Fivelements (Banjar Baturning, Mambal, Abiansemal Badung, Bali, tel: +62 361 469 260). They have great breakfast bowls with raw granola and acai. It’s great for meditation and yoga, and it has only 12 suites.

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