The Samara, Ubud, Bali
May 2012
This has got to be one of the most amazing spaghetti experiences I've ever had. The Samara guesthouse in Ubud has literally been placed onto rice patties in the middle of a rural area. You can't drive there, you have to get a scooter or walk along a narrow little path through the fields (they are working on getting golf buggies). It's completely open plan and to my delight, is run by a friendly italian man who has created an authentic cucina right there in the middle of Ubud. After a few meals that 'sort of taste alright but not really', I felt like I had won the lottery. We ate there for lunch two days running and I hopped straight from the pool to be eating bruchetta and amazing spaghetti. Ducks help the rice farmers get the patties into good shape so there must have been 60 ducks next door mucking around doing their thing. The meal was outstanding, I gave it a 9 but it's really a 9.5 (pasta could have been harder) and well over a 10 for ambience. I'll definitely be back to Bali now that I realise it's just Kuta that's overrun with bogans and the rest of the island is amazing. The Samara will be at the top of my list!
