Comfort Food from the Heart
It was not easy, but we have found the best pho in Bali. This elusive classic Vietnamese beef noodle soup is a signature of Bo & Bun, a new Asian eatery specializing in Vietnamese comfort food and Southeast Asian cuisines, well-worth the parking hassle on the busiest street of Seminyak.
Co-founded in September 2014 by Balinese beauty queen Ines Putri Tjiptadi Chandra (formerly crowned Miss Indonesia 2012) and her partner, Bo & Bun is a full-blown love-in-action: the love of eating, the love of cooking, the love of experimenting and the love between two beautiful young talents. As they took us on a narrative journey through how they fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine in Australia, it became clear that food is at the very heart of their cultures and that cooking and eating are their shared passions.
“Our menu is small, only 20 to 25 dishes. We are not trying to be authentic because we are not. These are foods that we like to cook and eat ourselves,” Ines readily admitted. “This restaurant is built for locals living in Seminyak; it’s not a tourist trap. We want them to come here regularly for their weekday meals.” A brief scan around the French-inspired interior confirmed that they were right on target. Bo & Bun has become the talk of the expat town and attracted a steady local following.
Reading the menu left us licking our lips in anticipation. Stimulate your appetite with a nice cup of iced Vietnamese drip coffee while you wait. To start with, take your taste buds on a trip to Vietnam, China, South Korea and Thailand all in one course.
Co-founded in September 2014 by Balinese beauty queen Ines Putri Tjiptadi Chandra (formerly crowned Miss Indonesia 2012) and her partner, Bo & Bun is a full-blown love-in-action: the love of eating, the love of cooking, the love of experimenting and the love between two beautiful young talents. As they took us on a narrative journey through how they fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine in Australia, it became clear that food is at the very heart of their cultures and that cooking and eating are their shared passions.
“Our menu is small, only 20 to 25 dishes. We are not trying to be authentic because we are not. These are foods that we like to cook and eat ourselves,” Ines readily admitted. “This restaurant is built for locals living in Seminyak; it’s not a tourist trap. We want them to come here regularly for their weekday meals.” A brief scan around the French-inspired interior confirmed that they were right on target. Bo & Bun has become the talk of the expat town and attracted a steady local following.
Reading the menu left us licking our lips in anticipation. Stimulate your appetite with a nice cup of iced Vietnamese drip coffee while you wait. To start with, take your taste buds on a trip to Vietnam, China, South Korea and Thailand all in one course.
For a quick bite on the run, try the Banh Mi Thit, which is essentially a French-inspired Vietnamese baguette of lemongrass chicken or pork, pickled carrots and jicama, cucumber, pate, mayonnaise, coriander, sliced chilli and fried wonton skins. A vegetarian option is available as well.
Other notable mains, which we will return to sample, are the lemongrass marinated and grilled pork chop with broken rice, and authentic Thai dishes such as the Thai green curry and pad Thai.
The owners of Bo & Bun have chosen to focus on the art of making good, simple, fresh food, respecting the original flavours of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, yet they are not afraid to challenge them and inject their own innovative touches. With its simple concept, honest-to-goodness comfort fare, friendly service and cosy ambience, this hole-in-the-wall is a new force to be reckoned with!
