Bali Restaurant Review

By Kedar Deshpande

Bali Restaurant is the latest trendy arrival to an area of Nicollet Avenue that is thankfully undergoing a revitalization. This is great because it's a connecting area between downtown and uptown and a neighborhood sorely in need of more vegan-friendly restaurants.

The current menu (which will soon be revamped and expanded) features two labeled vegan dishes, though their fried rice can be veganized, as can their soup. They also have one vegan dessert.

We tried all of the vegan food they had to offer, except for the soup. I found their "Tumis Kecang Panjang (bean sprouts with tofu)" ($6.00) had an unusual sweet, peanut flavor. While the sauce was good, I think it's a dish that could have used more vegetables and more color to be a more filling, substantial meal. Also, the tofu didn't seem marinated in the sauce so it came across as a bit bland. The "Tumis Buncis Wortel (long green beans)" ($7.00) was a tasty dish of stir-fried green beans with shallots in a soy-based sauce; while it was good, I think the simplicity of the dish makes it better fitted to being an appetizer or a snack to go with beer or cocktails. The specially-made vegan fried rice ($7.00) was my favorite dish of the night-it was spicy, but in a way that didn't linger heavily on your tongue. It felt hearty and had a good savory flavor, balanced by neutral pieces of tofu. Finally our lychee-mangosteen-coconut milk-chili dessert ($5.00) was wonderful. The fruits were fresh and the delicate sweetness of the coconut milk mixed well with the hint of spicy chili. It sounds unusual, and it was, which is why I liked it even more-you don't see desserts of this creative, challenging style often. It's more of a liquid than anything else, so I wouldn't mind seeing it in a vegan custard form, just to make it easier to dig into.

The service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The chef also came to speak with us to let us know what else he could make vegan.

The decor and ambiance of Bali are upscale, but not pretentious and prices for vegan dishes are unusually low given their quality and novelty. This is a good place to take a date or to just have a drink at the bar. I'll definitely be coming back to see their updated menu which promises to have even more vegan options.

Bali is located at 1410 Nicollet Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55403.