Tag Archives: restaurant

Murni’s Valentine’s Rijsttafel (Murni’s Warung)

Our festive, fragrant, Valentine’s dining experience featuring a range of flavours, colours and textures.

A Balinese feast made and served with love.

4 – 28  February 2023

Murni's Valentine's Rijsttafel 

  Murni's Valentine's Rijsttafel Murni's Valentine's Rijsttafel

    

 

 

 

 

Murni's Valentine's Rijsttafel Murni's Valentine's Rijsttafel 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Click on the images for larger print.

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Available as well as our normal menus.

Fabulous Food at Local Prices  ❤️

Open every day
⏰ 9am – 10pm daily
Dine in, Takeaways, Deliveries

murni (at) murnis.com

📞 + 62 361 975233

☎️ WA + 62 81239169648

🛵 Available from Grab Food and Go Food also

📖 Menus

📍 At the Campuhan bridge

Map

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Heroines of Balinese Cuisine – Srikandi Kuliner Bali

Heroines of Balinese Cuisine – Srikandi Kuliner Bali

Peran Perempuan dalam Pembangunan Kepariwisataan

by Putu Sucita Yanthy

Cakra Media Uatama, 2021

Ni Wayan Murni

Heroines of Balinese Cusine - Srikandi Kuliner BaliWayan Murni adalah salah satu pioner kuliner Bali di Ubud. Dedikasinya diwali tahun 1974 dan usahnya yang terkenal dengan nama Murni’s Warung telah dan tetap menjadi bagian dari perkembangan pariwisata Ubud dalam hampir lima dekade. Sebagai mother of Ubud, Murni telah menunjukkan bahwa peempuan memliki kesempatan untuk mejadi seorang perimpin dan sosok yang menginspirasi. Sekitar tahun 1960-an berjualan kain dari Ubud ke Sanur dengan berspeda. Ia biasa berjualan di Sanur sektiar kawasan Bali Beach tidak setiap hari ia datang ke Sanur, hanya ketika ia mendapat kabar bahwa ada wisatawan yang datang begitupun di Ubud. Warung Murni pada awalnya menyajikan sandwich, nasi goreng, dan minuman dingin, untuk memperoleh bahan-bahan tersebut Bu Murni harus ke Denpasar berutama untuk memeli es Ketika listrik masuk Ubud pada tahun 1978, Warung Murni akhirnya bisa menyediakan beer dingin dan memikiki kulkas.

Informasi mengenai Wayan Murni sangat mudah ditemukan karena dalam website resmi Warung Murni tersedia berbagai info dari berbagai sumber tentang Murni. Pada saat penelitian ini berlangsung Bu Murni sedang menjalankan perawatan di Thailand menurut informasi yang didapat dari manajer dan staff di Warung Murni. Untuk tetap menampilkan biografi Wayan Murni maka informasi diperoleh dari para staff dan manajer Murni’s Warung.

Wayan Murni lahir di Penestanan, sebelum emiliki Murni’s Warung. Bu Murni hidup dalam kemiskinan. Bu Murni tidur dikandang babi, ayam, mencari kayu bakar, memanjat pohon kelapa, durian dan mangga. Bu Murni juga bekerja disawh seperti buruh panen padi, mangumpulkan keong sawah, sampai mangangkat pasir dan batu dari sungai Wos, dalam kutipan artikel Murni – A Tourism Pioner oleh Al Hickey pada majalah Bali Advertiser 2011 menceritakan seperti berikut.

During the poverty striken early years of Indonesia’s post was independence in the 1950s, Murni slept with the pigs and the chickens, cut firewood, and climbed trees for coconuts, durians and mangos. She trapped rice paddy eels, river shrimps and catfish and collected snails along the tiny dirt track that was later to becme Jalan Bisma. To help feed the family she helped her father sell a fruit flavoured ice drink (es hlm) from the back of his bicycle. There was also heavy labor, even for small girls, carrying sand and rocks on her head from the river to sell on the road to big trucks rumbling by. (Bali Advertiser, 2011).

Bu Murni sebelum menirikan warung Murni adalah seorang penjual kain di Sanur, tahun 1960-an Bu Murni memiliki tiga warung sekaligus yang menjual tekstile dan barang-barang antik. Bu Murni merintis usahanya tidak dimulai dari usaha kuliner yang sangat populer dikalangan wisatawan mananegara ini tetapi berawal dari menjual kain-kain sarung Bali dan benda-benda antik yang dikumpulkannya.

Kadek Santosa, manajer Murni’s Warung juga menyampaikan hal yang sama pada mulanya Bu Murni tidak secara khusus membuka warng makan seperti sekarang. Menurut caritanya, Bu Murni dulu mengontrak tanah di dekat jembatan, ia berjualan macam-macam di warungnya. Hingga akhirnya Bu Murni bertemu Patrick Moore Scanland yang kemudian menjadi suami kedua Bu Murni.  Bu Murni menbeli tanah yang dikontraknya dan membuka Murni’s Warung hingga sekarang ini. Warung menjadi sangat rami dan dikunjungi oleh orang-orang yang datang dari berbagai penjuru dunia,bahkan Janet de Neefe juga menulis Warung Murni adalah tempat di Ubud sering didatangi saat melakukan penelitian tentang makanan Bali.

The Jakarta Post tahun 2001 menyebut Ibu Murni sebagai ‘The Mother of Ubud’ dalam Artkel ini diungkap bahwa semua orang yang datang ke Ubud pasti kenal dengan Bu Murni dan tentu saja makanan yang disjikan di warung yang bagi wisatawan adalah obat bagi wisatawan yang mengalami home sick. Dalam artikel ini Rob Goodfellow menulis:

By the mid-1970s Murni had returned to Ubud where she created the first real restaurant in the area – Murni’s Warung. Ever since it has been one of the places to go in Bali. Today Murni’s Warung employs over 60 staff and continues to serve patrons from all over the world. It has been called the most romantic restaurant in Ubud.

Warung Murni adalah tempat berkumpulnya para wisawatan pada waktu inu, tidak hanya digemari oleh orang lokal warungnya juga dikunjungi oleh para seniman, penulis, pelukis yang diantaranya adalah Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, the Woolworths’ heiress, Colin McPhee, the ethno-musicologist, Jane Belo, anthrpologist, Vicki Baum novelist, Margaret Mead, Gregory Bateson anthropolgists. Pada buku yang berjudul Forty Delicious Years 1974-2014 tercatat 40 tokoh yang bebicara tentang Murni’s Warung dua di antaranya adalah Professor Michael Hitchcock dan Janet de Neefe yang mengungkapkan kesannya terhadap Ibu Murni dan Murni’s Warung.

Murni’s Warung

Warung Murni dibuka sejak tahun 1974 terletak tepat di timur Jembatan Campuhan dan dibanguntepat di atas Sungai Wos. Lokasi ini dulunya adalah tempat Warung Murni, pemilik Murni’s Warung semasa muda bekerja mengangkut pasir dan batu disungai untuk dibawa kedratan. Murni’s Warung dibangun oleh Wayan Murni yang kemudian diperluas dengan bantuan suaminya Pat, tamilan warung pada awalnya sangat sedrhana. Alat-alat seadanya behkan yang ada hanya meja tempat Wayan Murni meletakkan barang dagangannya.

Warung Murni memang diakui sebagai pelopo pariwisata Ubud menurut Anak Agung Brahmantya Kepala Dinas Pariwisata Gianyar.

Murni’s Warung adalah salah satu warung yang menginspirasi perkembangan warung makan dan restoran di Ubud, ada Warung Teges, dulu berlokasi di depan Puri Ubud, tapi yang banyak didatangi wistawan kala itu ya Murni’s Warung yang punya standar internasional.

Anak Agung Brahmantnya mengungkapkan kehadiran Murni’s Warung telah meninspirasi perkembangan kuliner di kawasan Ubud. Sebagai warung dengan standar internasional warung Murni telah berhasil mengharirkan kuliner-kuliner Bali yang disajikan lebih menarik dan kue-kue ala Barat. Janet de Neefe menuliskan dalam bukunya menu-menu Warung Murni mengingatkan masakan rumahnya bila pada waktu tertentu ia sangat ingin makan makanan dengan menu western dan hanya Murni yang dapat membuatkannya.

Kuliner yang disajikan beragam seperti kuliner khas Bali, yaitu ayam betutu Murni dan nasi campr Murni serta berberapa kuliner khas seperti Tomyam dan kreasi Ibu Murni sendiri yang enyajikan pilihan kuliner nusantara. Panorama Sungai Campuhan dapat langsung dinikmati karena warung ini yang semula hanya dibangun satu lantai untuk warung dan gallery kini bangunan tersebut terbagi menjadi tiga lantai lagi, yaitu Dining Bar dan Lounge serta satu bangunan Dining terpisah yang langsung menghadap ke sungai. Warung yang dibuka dari pukul 09.00 sampai 11.00 malam tampak sangat antik karena dihiasi oleh ornamne-ornmane yang membangkitkan kesan klasik. Berberapa patung antik juga menghiasi bengunan warung ini. Salah satunya patung Ganesha dengan tinggi mencapai 2 meter yang dipanjang di lounge menambah kesan klasik dan religius.

Warung dengan kapasitas 100-150 orang dilengkapi dengan fasilitas wifi, begitu juga beberapa lokasi untuk berfoto sehingga sering juga dijadikan sebagai tempat untuk pengambilan foto prewedding oleh berberapa pasangan yang meikah di Bali. Munurut Kadek Santosa, manajer Warung Murni, pengunjung yang datang sebagian besar adalah wisatawan yang merupakan sahabat atau kolega Ibu Murni sendiri yang berasal dari berbagai negera seperti Australia, Thailand, Ingris, dan China, pada buku yang ditulis untuk memperingati 40 tahun Warung Murni, 40 orang sahabat diantaranya Professor Michael Hitchcock dand Jero Asri Keryhyasa. Begitu juga pengungjung lokal terlihat tidak sedikit datang serta menikmati sajian kuliner dan tentunya gallery benda-benda antik koleksi Ibu Murni.

Ketika memasuki lantai satu Warung Murni, hal pertama yang dapat dinikmati adalah pemandangan Sungai Campuhan. Kue-kue khas Warung Murni juga tertata tentu sangat menggugah selera untuk dipesan sebagai hidangan penutup. Warung didekorasi dengan benda-benda seni koleksi Ibu Murni, patung-patung dan ukiran pada dinding. Lantai dua adalah lounge yang selasai direnovasi pada tahun 2002. Sebah patung Ganesha yang ukurannya settinggi orang dewasa dihiasa dengan kalung bunga seperti manyambut setiap pengunjung yang datang ke warung. Lantai 3 sering digunakan sebagai tempatuntuk mengadakan acara resepsi pernikahan, pesta ulang tahun dengan kapasitas 50-60 orang. Pada lantai 4, warung dibangun di atas sungai sehinggi suara gemericik air dan pemandangan yang eksotis dari hhijaunya tebing-tebing sungai dapat dinikmati dengan bebas oleh pengunjung yang datang. Sejak berdiri empat dekade. Murni’s Warung sudah berjasa dalam mendukung pariwista Ubud, sambil memperkenalkan jenis-jenis kuliner lokal yang bersanding dengan masakan Barat dan Asia.

Five Legendary Local Eateries in Bali

Five Legendary Local Eateries in Bali

 Andri Setya

Bali News

6 February 2021

Five Legendary Local Eateries in Bali

Located next to the old Campuhan Bridge, a five-minute ride from Ubud Central, Murni’s Warung sits peacefully on a river’s hillside, boasting the view of River Wos flowing water. Built from the ground up, the restaurant first opened in 1974 and has been serving food and hospitality for 47 years now.

Owned and run by a Balinese woman, Ni Wayan Murni, the warung has expanded to four open-air levels, complete with shop and lounge bar. However the atmosphere remains the same. Each guest will be immersed in its traditional interior design carefully decorated with exquisite antiques and artworks.

Similarly, the menu has also been expanded to cater to both local and international tastes where guests can find pasta, steak and a hot dog, for example. But you cannot miss the time tested signature dishes, such as Bebek Betutu (Balinese Duck), Murni’s Tutu Ayam, and Nasi Campur.

Five Legendary Local Eateries in Bali

Murni’s Warung Shop – Trip 101.com

Murni’s Warung Shop – Trip 101.com

 
Murni’s Warung Shop Introduction

Instead of settling for generic postcards and fridge magnets, head to Murni’s Warung Shop to purchase items unique to Bali and bring them back as gifts for friends and family. You don’t even have to go out of your way to find it, as you can simply stop by after having lunch at the restaurant. A purveyor of Balinese and Asian art, Murni’s own collection is displayed all around the hotel property in the form of sculptures and wall art. At the gift shop, you can purchase a number of quality items, including Asian antiques, Balinese puppets, rattan handbags, handmade fans, and ethnic jewellery. During your visit, you might even run into Murni herself, as she’s known to spend time either at the shop or the restaurant. From handpainted batik cards to authentic gold pieces, this is a great place to get your shopping done while visiting Ubud.

Murni’s Warung Shop – – Trip 101.com

Petit Futé 2020 Bali

 

Petit Futé 2019 Bali Recommended hotel

Murni’s Houses & Spa

Jalan Raya Ubud
✆ +62361975165
www.murnis.com

Le studio à partir de 475 000 Rp jusqu’à 2 500 000 Rp l’appartement pour 5 personnes. Petit déjeuner en option.

A seulement trois minutes de la rue principale d’Ubud, vous pouvez profiter du calme de ce lieu devenu une institution. Cet établissement possède 12 maisons confortables à la décoration traditionnelle balinaise. Certaines maisons comportent deux chambres, un salon, une véranda et deux baignoires. Le salon possède également un lit. Murni’s Houses and Spa appartenait au célèbre pionnier local Murni qui a fondé Murni’s Warung, le premier restaurant international d’Ubud en 1974, ainsi que le magasin Murni’s shop, le premier magasin d’arts tribaux et d’antiquités à Ubud. Les objets d’art ornent les murs et font du Murni’s Houses un véritable musée. Aux maisons, au restaurant et à la boutique s’ajoute un spa où le personnel qualifié vous accueille dans une ambiance propice à la détente.

Just three minutes from the main street of Ubud, you can enjoy the calm of this place becoming an institution. The hotel has twelve comfortable houses with traditional Balinese decoration. Some have two bedrooms, a living room, a veranda and two bathrooms. The lounge also has a bed. Murni’s Houses and Spa belongs to the famous local pioneer Murni who founded Murni’s Warung, Ubud’s first international restaurant in 1974, as well as the Murni’s shop, the first tribal arts and antiques store in Ubud. Art objects adorn walls and make Murni’s Houses a real museum. As well as the houses, the restaurant and the shop, there is  Tamarind Spa where qualified staff welcomes you in an atmosphere conducive to relaxation.

Petit Futé 2020 Bali

Romantic Honeymoon Package

Fall in love all over again!

Murni's Romantic Honeymoon PackageMurni's Romantic Honeymoon PackageMurni's Romantic Honeymoon PackageMurni’s Romantic Honeymoon Package

 

 

Murni has created a special Romantic Honeymoon Package at Murni’s Houses & Spa.

Murni's Houses The SuiteStay at Murni’s Houses & Spa with its lovely garden full of sculptures and tribal art objects, which the New York Times said is one of the best small hotels in the world and that was even before Murni improved it!

Tamarind Spa at Murni's HousesRelax in one of our new luxurious couple’s rooms at the popular Tamarind Spa at Murni’s Houses, which many say is the best spa in Bali, and a spa enthusiast even said was the best spa in the world (and she should know). En suite baths and showers, subdued lighting, individually controlled music, air conditioned.

Murni's WarungDine at the historic Murni’s Warung which was first real international restaurant in Ubud, now celebrating over 45 years, in a stunning, riverside gorge, a real photogenic location, and try Bali’s most famous local dishes.

Murni’s Romantic Honeymoon Package inludes:

  • Pick Up at the Airport.
  • Tropical Welcome Drink.
  • 3 Nights in The Suite at Murni’s Houses.
  • Murni’s Big Breakfast.
  • Honeymoon Package at the Award Winning Tamarind Spa (3.5 hours).
  • All Day Tour (up to 8 hours).
  • Our Ebook: Murni’s Bali Tours, Where to Go, What to do and How to do it.
  • Romantic Candlelit Dinner at Murni’s Warung.
  • Honeymoon Cake.
  • Drop at the Airport.

IDR 9,900,000 per couple.

NOTE:

We can change the type of room (if you wish) and add nights at Murni’s Houses (subject to availability).

Reviews for Murni’s Houses in Magazines, Papers and Books

To book

Book Nowand please mention the Romantic Honeymoon Package

or

Email: murni (at) murnis.com

Romantic Honeymoon Package

Ubud is Officially a Foodie Paradise

Ubud is Officially a Foodie ParadiseEveryone knows that Ubud is the cultural capital, but in the last decade it’s also become the foodie capital of Bali , so much so that it could become a United Nations World Tourism Organization Global Gastronomy Destination.

It would be the first in Indonesia, so I was honoured a few days ago, as owner of the first restaurant in Ubud, to be invited to meet the representatives from the WTO and entertain them on the lowest and most romantic level of Murni’s Warung.

They were on a fact finding mission and carrying out interviews with “gastronomy stakeholders, hotels, restaurants, cooks, food festival initiators, local administration, academics, transportation service providers and tourists.” We had a great chat about gastronomy tourism and they stayed more than double their allotted time.

They now have to analyse what they’ve learnt from their visit and make an official recommendation.

If it’s positive, Ubud should receive its title as a Global Gastronomy Destination in 2020.

Ubud is Officially a Foodie Paradise

Murni’s Warung, Ubud – 100 Best Foods of Bali

Murni's Warung, Ubud - 100 Best Foods of BaliMurni’s Warung, Ubud – 100 Best Foods of Bali

Murni’s Warung is a trailblazing modern restaurant in Ubud, and the name Murni is taken from the owner, Ibu Ni Wayan Murni. Where Murni’s Warung now stands, 41 years ago there were just four tables and a batik shop. Ibu Murni offered a simple menu, of coffee, toast, and customer favorite, bubuh injin, which she made herself.

Through persistence, hard work, and hospitality this small warung expanded. Together with her American husband, Pat, Ibu Murni opened a larger restaurant and enlarged the menu. Now there is not only traditional Balinese fare but also a number of international items to satisfy her customers, most of whom are foreigners. Ayam betutu is served with nasi kuning, and babi guling and bubuh injin remain favorites. To satisfy a sweet tooth, the Balinese Caramel Cake (created by Ibu Murni) and the apple pie are the most popular.

Because the restaurant is on the edge of a cliff next to the Campuhan River, it was built on four levels. Aside from the dining area, on the second floor there is a lounge bar where customers can enjoy snacks and drinks while listening to music. Choose whatever you want from the menu, then choose a great view to accompany your meal.

Murni’s Warung, Ubud – 100 Best Foods of Bali

by Bondon Winaro, Lidia Tanod and Harry Nazarudin, Penerbit Jalansutra, 2015

10 delicious Ubud restaurants with stunning views

You know Ubud is the creative heart of Bali – it’s bustling, busy and unbelievably beautiful. And while people might visit for the unique and vibrant local art, the scenery at Ubud is just as amazing as any masterpiece.

10 delicious Ubud restaurants with stunning views

Why bother to take a sightseeing tour when you can enjoy the amazing scenery over a leisurely lunch or a romantic dinner?

Ubud has it all – jungle, valleys, waterfalls and paddy fields. Fortunately it isn’t just a feast for your eyes – the food is equally divine!

These are the dining experiences that you, and your photo album, will remember forever!

The Queen of Ubud – Murni’s Warung

Everyone in Ubud knows Murni’s – ask any taxi driver and they will take you to her fantastic hillside restaurant.

10 delicious Ubud restaurants with stunning views

Murni’s Warung is iconic; it’s almost as well known and popular as Ubud itself.

Murni opened her little Warung with just 1 table, 2 chairs and an icebox in 1974, and her devoted and ever growing number of satisfied customers has been increasing ever since.

The restaurant now sprawls over four levels down the side of a steep valley – land that used to be farmed by Murni’s father.

Murni’s Warung by the roadside on level 1, and immediately look out on to the luscious hillside greenery. If you want to be by the river, then descend down to level 4 and find a table on the terrace. The lazy river snakes past below you, and in front of you is a sprawling wall of foliage.

The only reminder of modern day life is the bridge above you; which makes the valley haven look and feel even more precious.

Murni’s serves a wide variety of homemade dishes with plenty of external influences from travellers that Murni has met over the years. Daily specials ensure that you never get bored of the menu – no matter how many times you go back!

The best thing? You can order as many desserts as you want and be guilt-free as a good workout is available via the steep stairs down to the river.

If you love Murni’s Warung, make sure to check out her guesthouse and craft shop for a truly authentic Balinese experience.

We love Ubud and we definitely love Murni’s!

By Kim Wilson, Trip Canvas

10 delicious Ubud restaurants with stunning views

Bali – Green Utopia – Ubud

ubud, bali, murni, murni's warung, tamarind spa, massage, eat, restaurantBali – Green Utopia – Ubud

Stephanie Brookes

iFly – KLM in flight magazine

July 2016

The ultimate palms and paradise destination? There are many, and Bali is definitely on the shortlist. But there’s more to the Indonesian island besides white-sand beaches and clear blue water…

For me, the town of Ubud is the best place to base myself. I find myself among the tranquil, terraced rice fields and beautiful mountain scenery …  my adventurous week … aimed at exploring and experiencing Bali’s local way of life.

Rejuvenation treatment 

The next day, my body tells me it is time to take a rest. I book a three-hour relaxation and rejuvenation treatment at Murni’s Tamarind Spa in Ubud. Locally, Murni is affectionately known as ‘the Mother of Ubud’. She pioneered tourism in Ubud in the 1970s by setting up her legendary restaurant, Murni’s Warung, where artists, adventurers and academics hung out, drinking mango lassies. 42 years later, Murni still lovingly presides over her dream creation on the jungle-clad Campuan Gorge above the Wos River. The stellar-rated Tamarind Spa is the latest addition to Murni’s business. Under a beautiful tamarind tree, I find out that my massage therapist, Kartini, was the former personal therapist of the President of the Seychelles.

After a welcome drink, cold towel and foot ritual, Kartini starts to weave her therapeutic magic on me. She begins with an hour-long traditional massage, deeply relaxing, mind- soothing and muscle-relieving. A full-body exfoliation follows, with a fragrant green-tea scrub and a yoghurt rub down. After that heavenly treatment, my skin feels softer than that of a baby. I end up soaking in a warm bath with multi-coloured flower petals floating on the water’s surface. Finally, after a pot of organic herbal tea and fresh tropical fruit, I leave feeling relaxed as can be.

Places to eat 

Murni’s Warung

This four-level open-air restaurant overlooks a jungle- clad ravine and raging river. Not only does the restaurant serve excellent Indonesian and western dishes, it also houses a shop with textiles, jewellery, tribal artefacts and collectables. Try their famous apple pie.

Things to do 

Murni’s Tamarind Spa

Located in the heart of Ubud, this beautiful spa in quiet tropical gardens offers aromatherapy massages, traditional Balinese boreh herbal scrubs and more.

Bali – Green Utopia – Ubud

The Natural Guide to Bali

The Natural Guide to Bali
Eat in the Gorge at Murni’s

“In 1974, Ni Wayan Murni opened Ubud’s first restaurant, where she served a mix of Western and Balnese food. Since then, generations of travellers have enjoyed the quality of her cuisine. Despite increasing road traffic, the four open-air levels facing the splendid river gorge offer absolute tranquility in a totally out-of-this-world atmosphere. It’s a most pleasant place for a great healthy breakfast (Rp 45,000) or dinner (Rp 75,000). Vegetarian meals, home-made yoghurts, fantastic fruit juices, cakes, and pies are also on the MSG-free menu.”

The Natural Guide to Bali, 2005

 

Murni’s Warung, Ubud, Bali

“The story of my life is a long and complicated one” she said softly. And thus began my interview with the legendary Murni of Murni’s Warung in Ubud.

Many of my fondest memories of Ubud in the eighties are wrapped up in the walls of this multi-levelled eatery that is perched beside the Tjampuhan suspension bridge overlooking the Tjampuhan River. I remember spending oh-so-many lazy afternoons there when Ubud was a sleepy village, reclining in that tropical let-the-world-float-past way on creaky bamboo furniture. We’d sip on freshly squeezed lime drinks brimming with crushed ice eating Nasi Campur or Nasi Goreng. Lunchtimes drifted into dinner and it didn’t matter. There was nothing urgent to be done except chat about life, love and cosmic heroes – no mobile phones, internet, emails, reality TV, not even Facebook! Life was suspended between our daily routine and fairy tales.

The ground floor pavilion of Murni’s Warung was our preferred haven. Like the inner sanctum of a temple, this cosy space inspired discussions on all things sacred and profound. Ketut, my husband, any number of friends and I would gather at our favourite table and listen to never-ending tales of Ken Arok, one of the most powerful rulers of Indonesia in ancient times, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The tales would almost lull me to sleep as I listened to the ongoing treacheries, tragedies and majesty of Ken Arok, the extraordinary beauty of his wife Ken Dedes and Hindu epics of family betrayal and bravery.

The seething jungle around us and the surging sound of the Tjampuhan River below enhanced the dramas. Nature seemed to grow before my eyes. I absorbed all that I could in what became a crash-course in Indonesian history and Bali-Hinduism.

Sitting with Murni in the downstairs Lounge Bar at Murni’s Warung that has now replaced our favourite retreat. Murni chatted about her life, treading delicately through sad memories of her childhood that have laid deeply buried in her heart for so many years. But on this breezy day, they bobbed to the surface and floated around us as if we were in a time warp. In those days, life in Bali was often arduous, unforgiving and heartbreaking for many.

 

Murni’s Warung, Ubud, Bali

Murni touched on the tragedy of 1965: the communist coup that saw more people slaughtered in Bali than any other part of Indonesia. She spoke of the nightmares that continued to haunt her for such a long time and the many wounds that have been patched superficially but not healed. The tale of being taken from her mother at the age at seven left us silent.

After three hours of emotional chatter we dried our eyes and steered the conversation back to the incarnation of Murni’s Warung.

“I wanted my own business in Ubud so I rented this small Warung from Pak Munut. Victor Mason, who, believe it or not, is still alive and well in Ubud, gave it the name, The Black Stump. He said, just call it that and I did. But I had no idea what it meant!” she said.

“At first I had one bamboo table. I had started to sell sarongs, paintings and carvings. I didn’t plan to have a warung and I am not at all a chef. My future husband Pat would sit in the shop with me. He wanted to drink beer and eat sandwiches so I made these for him. Guests who came into the shop would ask if they could buy some too. “

“I eventually opened a little kitchen and began to sell beer and sandwiches. Every morning I caught the bemo to Denpasar to buy tomatoes, cheese, ham and bread and would come straight back home to run the business. I borrowed beer from my mother who had a shop in the market. We made ice boxes from cement and filled it with ice.”

The following year in 1975, Murni bought the property and changed the name to Murni’s Warung. Slowly the business expanded. Murni had clearly acquired the business acumen of her mother and years of a Cinderella-type childhood living with her father’s family in Denpasar (before the handsome Prince) had prepared her for an around-the-clock shop-keeping routine.

My guests taught me how to make everything. They taught me how to make guacamole because I had an avocado tree. But when they made it I couldn’t eat it because it reminded me of a Balinese poultice they make here for pregnant women. We were the first in Ubud to make yoghurt. The culture was brought from Holland for us. I eventually bought a fridge and made jackfruit and white mango ice cream,” Murni reminisced.

But it was Murni’s cakes that I loved to the most. She was and still is famous for them. In the eighties you were lucky to find anything more than fried bananas on local menus. Murni’s Warung was one of the first to serve a selection of international sweet dishes to appease cake eating, chocolate-craving gluttons like me. Her chocolate brownies and home-made pies saved many a home-sick traveller.

Murni’s Warung quickly became an institution and remains so to this day. It is an Ubud icon. Back then, I remember that one of the greatest joys about visiting Murni’s Warung was simply Murni. She used to sit at the front desk and invariably wander up to your table and have a chat. When Murni wasn’t there holding the fort, Nyoman, the head cashier, was there taking her place. Now there was a girl with her own brand of dry humour but she’s another story!

There is so much about Murni to love. Whether it be her heart that’s as big as the moon, her gentle nature, grace or soft humour ….or the combination of these matched by her lovely soft round face…whatever it is, it’s infectious.

Murni’s moving tale of longing, separation and hardship stays with me. Her struggles and subsequent battles laid the foundations of her success. Here is a woman who has learnt to straddle two cultures, for better or for worse. She created an iconic business, single-handedly, that helped put Ubud on the map. And for all these reasons, and many more, she is and will always be one of my favourite mothers in town.

Murni’s Warung, Ubud, Bali

Ubud Icon Murni’s Warung Turns Forty

Murni’s Warung remains an Ubud icon 40 years since it was established, with fans crediting its founder as the heart of the place and even of Ubud.
Murni’s Warung remains an Ubud icon 40 years since it was established, with fans crediting its founder as the heart of the place and even of Ubud.

She is often referred to as the “mother of Ubud,” and her restaurant has been a longtime favorite among both travelers and locals: Ni Wayan Murni, a Bali native who recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of Murni’s Warung with the launch of a book that includes personal memories and anecdotes of people who have accompanied her on her journey from the 1970s until today.

 
Author and photographer Jonathan Copeland, co-editor of “Forty Delicious Years,” as well as a good friend of Murni, said that it felt right to celebrate this milestone “in a more tangible way than simply a T-shirt and party.”
 
“We didn’t want a book blowing our own trumpet — there are enough of those vanity publications around — but instead a book focussing on the times and life of Murni’s Warung as seen through the eyes of its guests over 40 years,” he said. It is an approach that gives readers the chance to learn more about Murni and also about Ubud and Bali in general, and particularly how significantly it has changed over the years.
 

The first thing that needed to be done was to decide on the number of contributors; 40 contributor for 40 years was the logical solution.

“We then compiled a list of colorful, engaging and interesting characters whom we thought we could contact,” Copeland said. “We went through the time-consuming process of trying to track them down. Some were easy to locate but some were impossible to find. We were delighted with the final list as they comprised a wide range of nationalities, occupations and ages which cover the life of Murni’s Warung from day one until the present. They are all busy people with big jobs and we are very grateful for the time they spent on this.”

Murni, who was born in Penestanan, just a few minutes away from Ubud, began selling breakfast snacks before going to school in the 1950s. Less than 20 years later, Murni already owned four shops on Sanur Beach and established Murni’s Warung in Campuhan-Ubud.

Besides traveling the world and collecting Asian antiques and textiles, Murni built Murni’s Houses and Murni’s Villas catering to the growing number of tourists, and recently opened the Tamarind Spa at Murni’s Houses.

In the book, Murni writes that she still finds it incredible to look back at how she started Murni’s Warung — with no more than a bowl of soup and a sandwich.

“I wasn’t a cook and had no knowledge of what Western food was. I had no business plan, no mission statement, and no spreadsheets. I didn’t have electricity or a fridge or an electric oven. I didn’t have staff or suppliers or a car,” she said. “But I did have passion and drive and energy. And I had friends and customers and hard work. Luckily, Murni’s Warung grew and prospered and has been able to serve food and drinks to thousands of people these 40 years.”

Murni also has a very special connection to the restaurant’s location on a gorge above the river Wos, which is sacred to the Balinese people.

“It has been part of my life, going back more than 40 years,” she said. “When I was a very young child I played and bathed down there at the river and among the rocks. When I was older, I helped carry rocks up from the river bed to the road for construction use. Later still, after my parents split up, I secretly met my mother below the bridge. I never dreamed that I would be able to buy part of the gorge, live there and go to sleep to the sound of the sacred river crashing over the rocks.”

Copeland, who has worked with Murni on three previous publications, said that not many people can survive in the highly competitive F&B industry, especially these days, when new restaurants pop up everywhere in Bali.

“Restaurants often start out as flavor of the month and fizzle out,” he said. “It is not an easy business and diners are demanding and unforgiving customers who don’t give you a second chance.

“I think it’s easy, in retrospect, to see how Murni’s early success came about,” he added. “In the early days there simply wasn’t a place in Ubud to get good food. Murni’s Warung was a beacon for early travelers to hang out. They spread the word and they still do. But obviously there had to be substance to it. I think the substance is what has made Murni’s Warung remain a favorite for so long. Murni is a perfectionist. She is very concerned about the comfort and happiness of her guests. And she is a traditionalist concerned about the preservation of Balinese culture. Murni’s Warung is a Balinese building with Balinese food served by Balinese waitresses in Balinese dress.”

Dr. Lawrence Blair, an anthropologist, author and filmmaker who has been based in Bali for almost 40 years, was among the warung’s earliest customers and still vividly remembers a quiet Ubud.

“Instead of tourists, there were only a few ‘travelers’ and barely a handful of eccentric resident expats,” he writes in his section in the book. “And the place to meet them was Murni’s Warung. But the first real draw to Murni’s was the discovery that hers was the sole place in Ubud to have mastered that most rare and esoteric art of producing a sunny-side up properly fried egg. Further cause for enthusiasm was when she also became the first person in Ubud to provide natural yoghurt and wild honey with one’s tropical fruit.”

Blair was also witness to some of the illustrious figures who have visited Murni’s Warung over the years, including Richard Branson, Mick Jagger, Richard Gere and Diane Von Furstenberg.

“My only regret is that they weren’t all there at the same time,” Blair wrote.

Australian-born Janet de Neefe, founder of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, has also been a regular to Murni’s since the 1980s.

“Many of my fondest memories of Ubud in the Eighties are wrapped up in the walls of this multi-leveled eatery,” she writes in the book. “We’d sip on freshly squeezed lime drinks brimming with crushed ice while slowly eating nasi campur or nasi goreng . Lunchtimes drifted into dinner and it didn’t matter. There was nothing urgent to be done except chat about life, love and cosmic heroes — there were no mobile phones, Internet, e-mails, reality TV, not even Facebook.”

De Neefe, like the other contributors, have always enjoyed the peaceful surroundings as much as the delicious food. But they also all agree that Murni, the heart and the soul of the restaurant — some might even argue, of Ubud — has always been the real draw and the secret of the restaurant’s lasting success.

“Back then, I remember that one of the greatest joys about visiting Murni’s Warung was simply Murni,” de Neefe said. “She used to sit at the front desk and invariably wander up to your table and have a chat. There is so much to love about Murni. Whether it be her heart that’s as big as the moon, her gentle nature, grace or soft humor.”

Ubud Icon Murni’s Warung Turns Forty

Katrin Figge, Jakarta Globe

4 April 2014

Bali, The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical Island

Bali, The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical IslandBali, The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical Island

“West of Central Ubud. Murni’s Warung, Campuan. An old favorite, on the Ubud side of the Campuan bridge overlooking the stunning rainforest and Wos River. This multi-storied restaurant, decorated with Asian antiques from Murni’s collection, is where the eclectic mix of Western, Indonesian, and Balinese favorites got its start in 1974. Murni’s menu and dishes have stood the test of time and the satay, gado-gado, and grilled fish are delectable. The Lounge Bar, loved by expats, plays soft jazz. The lower dining areas offer tranquility with only the sound of the river accompanying the peace. Outstanding desserts and freshly-squeezed fruit juices.”

Bali, The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Spectacular Tropical Island
Linda Hoffman
Tuttle Publishing, 2012