In Oomba Beach House, you will be taken by the calm view of the beach and the shallow water just steps away from the restaurant’s patio.
There are cozy sofas and cushions, a safe shade from the trees around, and just generally the kind of chill we were hoping to find — a welcome respite from the more hyped areas in town.
Oomba offers a pretty wide selection of food, which tells us there should be something for everyone.
A quick look at their menu shows Indonesian options like Sate Babi (IDR30k/US$2.19), as well as classic Western dishes like BBQ Chicken Wings (IDR30k/US$2.19), Molten Mozzarella Croquette (IDR30k/US$2.19) and Mexican, Pulled Pork Tacos (IDR50k/US$3.65), both of which were decent but not quite exceptional.
The croquette was served with arrabbiata sauce, whereas the crispy tacos came with mango salsa-lathered pulled pork. Both dishes gave a surprising yet pleasant sensation to taste buds, which felt like the sort of twist that could give Oomba an edge, but we found that neither transcended other takes on the dishes one would find elsewhere.
For the main course, you can try the El Mexicano (IDR65k/US$4.74), a burrito wrap with chicken, white rice, avocado, tomato, and black beans – a classic Mexican dish served with chips, sour cream, and guacamole. As fans of Mexican cuisine, you were pleased with the dish and found the tortilla – which was firm with a crisp on it – to be more of a highlight than the dish as a whole, the contents of which were too dry. Perhaps more than a little salsa would help.
The classic options of Roasted & Chicken Avocado Salad (IDR70k/US$5.10) and Margherita Pizza (IDR70k/US$5.10) were again on the okay plane. The salad came in quite a filling portion and with barley, mixed lettuce, cherry tomato, and pomelo, drizzled with honey mustard dressing (they also have the option of lemon and soya sauce dressing or evo and balsamic vinegar dressing).
Oomba’s Bikini Smoothie (IDR45k/US$3.28), a mix of honey, dragon fruit, strawberry and kecicang flower, topped with sliced almonds and a small jelly, is a refreshing option at least, and they notably have a number of offerings in the juice and smoothies department.
Meanwhile, Oomba’s Kintamani Gin & Tonic (IDR85k/US$6.20), consisting of butterfly pea flowers, dried orange ring, elderflower syrup mixed with the classic dry gin and tonic water, is a little on the strong side, but with a distinct kick that might just become a signature of the restaurant.
The restaurant itself might not be too big, but the space was cozy nonetheless – quite the spot to spend a quiet afternoon, be it by yourself, or with friends and family.
Furthermore, there’s all that colorful jukung fishing boats and beautiful beach in view, with tunes from a live DJ (which they have every Monday from 5 pm to 8 pm).
Oomba Beach House opens pretty early, too, for breakfast — perhaps an option for those looking for a nice, relaxing ambiance to start off their day.
Oomba Beach House is at Jl. Duyung No.9,
Sanur, South Denpasar
8 am to 10 pm, every day
