Warung Sasak Gili Air

Warung Sasak is one of those rare places on the Gili Islands where you can eat genuinely local food at genuinely local prices. Tucked away on Gili Air's quieter east coast, this family-run warung is operated by Ibu Rina and her two daughters, who cook everything fresh to order using recipes passed down through three generations of Sasak women. The ayam taliwang is the star — whole young chicken marinated in a paste of bird's-eye chili, shrimp paste, garlic, and shallots, then grilled over coconut husks until the skin is charred and smoky while the meat stays juicy. It arrives with a mountain of steamed rice, plecing kangkung (blanched water spinach in a raw tomato-chili sambal), and a small bowl of fragrant soto ayam on the side. The sate pusut — minced fish blended with grated coconut and Sasak spices, molded onto lemongrass sticks and grilled — is another must-order that you rarely find outside of Lombok itself. For something milder, the nasi campur lets you sample four or five dishes at once: fried tempeh, egg balado, urap vegetables, and a choice of chicken or fish. Everything is halal. Prices are almost unbelievably low for the Gilis: most dishes IDR 20,000-35,000. The setting is simple — a few wooden tables under a thatched roof with a view of the ocean through the palm trees — but the food punches so far above its weight that regular visitors to Gili Air make this their first stop upon arrival. No alcohol is served, but they make excellent es kelapa muda (young coconut ice) and fresh lime juice. Cash only. Open from 11am to 9pm daily.