Opened in 2012, Canteen Cafe is the collaborative project of two couples, Made and Dave Lewis and Monty and Janine Montell. The story of Canteen's inception, menu, and unbelievable surf memorabilia collection was told by Monty, a man who has had a life journey worthy of a wonderful story.
Canteen Cafe is a 'Warung of Good Food.' After a few bites it certainly lives up to this promise and left us with smiling full bellies. We started with fresh local fruits and in-house baked granola. Made Lewis, the superstar in the kitchen, worked closely with Janine Montell to create a menu that would appeal to Indonesians and westerners alike.
This blend of east and west comes together on many signature dishes, including the Lemongrass Rendang Wrap and the Vietnamese Rice Noodle with Marinated Pork Salad. Beef Rendang is of Indonesian origin and a much celebrated delicacy, flavored with coconut milk, tamarind, lime leaves, cardamon, and cinnamon to name a few local spices and takes many hours to cook.
All of the ingredients used at Canteen are locally sourced. As Monty shared during the Foods.tv interview, Made grew up in the kitchen of her family's warung in Bali. Her local knowledge provided an inside scoop for the taste tantalizing success of Canteen. At times, putting the menu together was a labor of love, including rigorous taste testing to get the 'veggie burger' just right, including a Skype call to a veteran vegetarian in Dave's homeland of England.
While the menu's offerings tell a delicious tale of east meets west, the story continues when you look around the surroundings of Canteen Cafe. Indisputably this warung has one of the most comprehensive surf collections in Bali. Sourced mostly from Australia and Indonesia, surfboards and surf-inspired memorabilia dons every square inch of Canteen Cafe.
Monty regaled us with many stories of his surf collection turned Canteen memorabilia showplace, mostly 60's-70's gems, including the newest acquisition, THE Lightening Bolt. The true pride of his collection included his 40+ miniature surf spoons, Mike Doyle original 60's surf wax, and his surfer signed Big Wednesday movie poster.
Canteen Cafe truly brings you back to the times of style, grace, and beach blanket bingo.
Check them out at:
www.facebook.com/canteencafecanggu
www.instagram.com/canteencafe