JI RESTAURANT | BRUNCH AND BEACH VIEWS IN BALI
Kahala Castillo
On our first day in Canggu, we were very excited to visit Ji Restaurant to experience their Sunday brunch and hear the story behind the establishment. Situated right next to Tugu Hotel, Ji is a Japanese contemporary fusion restaurant that is housed in a reconstructed 312 year old temple with a terrace to a 180 degree ocean view. The temple itself is from 1706, and was rescued from Java by the founder/designer himself, Anhar Setjadibrata.
We were immediately impressed with the surroundings, deeply rooted in history with a modern touch. After walking through the temple, we were brought upstairs to a breathtaking view of the sea. Balinese sculptures lined the terrace, along with cozy chill areas to have some drinks in and we could see why this is a popular sunset happy hour destination.
The Sunday brunch menu is extensive, with tons of options for both carnivores and herbivores alike. They are also known for their sushi and huge Japanese inspired cocktail list. We were seated at a bar table with an epic view of the waves and windsurfers.
We started our meal with a few salads, pear and lychee, and the cranberry spinach. Both were fresh and flavorful. We ordered a large variety of dishes including the vegetable tempura, hibachi vegetables, red snapper mango salad poke, toro chanan (Japanese fried rice with tuna tartar) and a few different sushi rolls. As you may already know, I follow a vegan diet and Patrick eats a vegeterian/pescatarian diet (the only meat he eats is fish), so our choices in dishes reflect this. They are also well known for their meat dishes and we actually ordered a few to have a lovely couple taste test them for us and they had nothing but positive reviews.
Some of our favorite dishes were the Japanese eggs Benedict, which has white mirin and shimeji mushrooms with a classic hollandaise sauce. My favorite dish was the vegan pumpkin shitake miso ramen. The flavor was unique and on point. I also recommend trying the quinoa roll that is vegetarian. Patrick tried a few different sushi rolls including the Hanako with eel, the dragon of Ji, tuna sashimi and red snapper mango salad poke, all of which he loved.
For dessert, we recommend the torch ginger flower sorbet and banana flambé to put the ‘cherry on top’ of an epic meal by the sea.
If you’re in Canggu and searching for the next perfect spot to grab a nice meal that everyone in your party can enjoy regardless of their eating preferences, look no further! Enjoy the gorgeous views with a few signature cocktails at Ji, and you will not be disappointed.
We want to thank our lovely waitress Susi for the hospitality, Vera the Pr Manager and Maria the Executive Manager of Ji Restaurant for having us. We will definitely be back again!
To learn more about JI Restaurant please visit their website or their Instagram
Much love,
Patrick & Kahala