A stroll along the beachfront in Seminyak serves up the tropical views of palm trees and deep blue ocean, the site that draws Australian and other international tourists to the Hindu Island year after year. But the food, as well, has a reputation for impressing both those looking for traditional eats – the food that the Balinese eat – as well as a new breed of contemporary food that uses Bali’s produce and modern technique. We skipped over to the quaint Indonesian island in search of the best eats, from the cheap eats found in market stalls to much more Western tilts on Balinese classics. Here’s our pick of the top seven things to eat in Bali.

It’s all too easy to lay pool side with a fluorescent cocktail in hand in Bali. Break the daily grind of completely clocking off in the sun and go in search of authentic local flavours. In Seminyak, Pasar Taman Sari (Jl. Tangkuban Perahu No. 2) has stalls selling satay, ayam betutu (spiced chicken slow-roasted in banana leaf), and Balinese sweets, or head to a warung (small restaurant). Warung Murah (Jl. Petitenget) is a good option for a mix of Indo dishes with Balinese sambal.

Melbourne chef Geoff Lindsay is inspired by Bali with his roasted sticky pork dish. Roast pork belly with black pepper caramel

Gado-gado means medley or potpourri, which refers to all the different seasonal veggies and ingredients that are used, making it slightly different every time, but equally as healthy and tasty. Heres the recipe to make it yourself. Gado gado salad with peanut sauce

It’s been banned from airports across the world and is known to be the most shocking, terrible fruit in the world by many – smelling something akin to rotting meat or onions. But others swear that while it may smell like hell, durian tastes like heaven. Durian is a large, hulking thorny thing, with a strong aroma that makes it divisive. To durian lovers, the taste is mildly sweet, almondy and very creamy, not unlike a rich cheesecake. Eating it warms you up, as though you’ve had a shot of vodka. In the noisy, bustling food markets of Bali, the fruit is often available, and is a must try to any visitor wanting to know what Indonesia really tastes like.

Hard to miss and impossible to resist, satays are found everywhere in Bali and South -East Asia. Chicken, beef and even pork skewers of marinated meat are served on rice, often with cucumber and the essential peanut sauce.

Head to Saigon Street in Seminyak, where chef Geoff Lindsay of hatted restaurant Dandelion in Melbourne is now the executive chef. He says of the new Bali Saigon Street: “There was nothing like it here with that lighter, fresher style as well as being fresh produce driven, which is what Bali’s all about as well… It’s like Vietnamese izakaya-style dining where there’s a lot more protein, grilled stuff and things to nibble on.” This torched salmon rice paper roll is an example of that play.

In Bali “there’s a balance between raw and cooked, sweet and sour,” says chef Geoff Lindsay, whose restaurant Saigon Street is doing well in Seminyak. When in Bali, look for food that is crispy, fresh, light and using local ingredients. There are hundreds of stalls set up on beaches all over bali cooking fresh fish, prawns, the daily catch, and tourists and locals alike line up for it. Dishes such as these crispy rice fried prawns can be found in bars, in hawker-style street stalls, and modern restaurants everywhere.