Nobody in Pererenan eats quite like Álvaro. Hailing from Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, Álvaro Rosales Machado brings over 25 years of hospitality experience to everything he does,even when trying new foods in new places.
Together with his co-founder (also his wife and fellow food connoisseur), Cassandra, he opened Origen,a traditional Mexican restaurant in Pererenan that transports guests into a temple of all things Mexico: grandmother recipes, mezcal, cumbia, and everything in between.
And when they’re not running it, they’re eating their way across the island. Here’s where they go.
Coffee: Blacklist
For coffee, Álvaro doesn’t mess around. He goes straight to Blacklist. The Perth-born roastery has become a multi-award-winning name in the specialty coffee scene, with locations across the island. His order, wherever he lands: the Spiced Pear Iced Latte. “It’s delicious,” he says. “No cookies,it’s too sweet already,but it’s delicious,” he adds confidently.
Quick Bite: Roots, Pererenan
Post-workout and in need of something fast and filling, Alvaro heads to Roots on Jl. Pantai Pererenan. The plant-forward café on Jl. Pantai Pererenan prides itself on food with character, serving vegetarians, vegans, and anyone interested in eating a little less meat without sacrificing quality or fun. The bowls are exactly the kind of thing that hits after a session. Alvaro also rates the chicken wrap with chipotle mayo just as highly. "Really good bowls, very fulfilling," he says.
Romantic Lunch: La Lucciola, Seminyak
When Alvaro wants to take things up a notch, a proper lunch, something with occasion, he drives to Seminyak. La Lucciola has been delighting guests for 30 years at its beautiful beachside location next to the Petitenget Temple, with regional Italian cooking that keeps it as popular today as ever. "Few people know it," he says, with the quiet confidence of someone who's been in Bali long enough to know where the locals actually go. His order: soft-shell crab and eggs. "It's insane," he says.
Favourite Restaurant: Nusantara by Locavore, Ubud
Ask Alvaro for his favourite restaurant on the island and there's no hesitation. Nusantara, in Ubud, where he always goes with his wife. The restaurant is an ethno-culinary portrait of Indonesia, presenting traditional dishes from across the archipelago marked with their region of origin, with a focus on lesser-known recipes and lost techniques. "It's insane, the best Indonesian food you can try, and the best experience as well," he says. His must-order: the Moringa Soup, moringa leaves, base genep and torch ginger cooked in a young coconut over an open wood fire.
Hidden Gem: Okome, Seminyak
This one Alvaro hesitated before sharing. "It's a little secret, I don't know if I should give you this." But he did. Okome is a small Japanese tonkatsu restaurant on Jl. Dewi Saraswati in Seminyak, run by a couple who are always there. "It's one of the best porks I've ever eaten in Bali," he says. "They're always there, and it's so good." The kind of place that earns fierce loyalty through sheer consistency.
Dinner: Meimei, Canggu
For dinner, Alvaro goes to Meimei on Batu Bolong, and he's firm on what to order. The Southeast Asian BBQ restaurant is a proudly Balinese-owned gem, with an open kitchen where charcoal and wood-fired grills take centre stage. His picks are the line-caught fish and the pepes, a grandmother's family recipe of mackerel and roe wrapped in banana leaves, kissed with smoke over charcoal and served with crisp rice crackers. "The entire menu is insane," he says, "but please order the fresh-caught fish. The pepes, it's really, really good."
Drinks: Origen (of Course)
And for the margarita? There was only ever going to be one answer. Origen runs a full margarita menu, classic versions alongside a dedicated spicy selection featuring habanero and jalapeño, plus what's said to be the largest range of mezcal varieties in Bali, spanning ten different agave species. "The best margaritas," Alvaro says, "always at Origen." He's biased, obviously. But he's also probably right.
