I try to get to a feed or three of Babi Guling each time I'm in Bali and much debate has been had on here and other forums that I'd thought I'd put in my 200rp worth in. I'm no expert but I consider myself a foodie. Not your toffee nose pomegranate red wine reduction or Balsamic Jus foodie but good honest tasty street food foodie.
The first time I tasted Babi Guling was at Ibu Oka, it was outstanding, the crackling was like a sheet of glass, the pork just melted apart like an American slow cooked pulled pork and the flavours of the spiced stuffing together with the pork was amazing.
I've been to Ibu Oka several times since (both pre & post Stein and Bodain) and even had a hand at spinning that swine whilst trying to get the roasters to disclose what spices and aromatics are used to stuff it, didn't do me any good as I haven't been able to replicate it at home.
It's never been the same since its popularity explosion, portions are smaller ( I order extra pork side) and crackling wasn't as good this time round, but I still consider it one of the better Babi Gulings in Bali when it comes to flavour.
Can't say the new location at the family compound where they cook the pigs has done it any favours, the pig sty is a level below the restaurant where you eat and the occasion waft of the piggery taints the air whilst you're eating. Notice the old site was still serving patrons even though they waived us onto the new location, will go back to the old location next time.
If I cant get to Ubud then a close second to Ibu Oka's is Pak Malen on Sunset before you get to Raya Kerobokan . The spice mix is a little dryer but I think that due to the lack coconut cream that Ibu Oka uses in its stuffing but still very tasty. You also get served a bowl of soup which is quite good and the whole lot at 25k helps a junkie to fix.
One place that I won't be going back to is Warung Babi Guling Sanur, across the road from Maccas. It was awful, a few strands of pork, several over cooked offal pieces of which only one I recognised as liver that tasted like wood and the soup was quite bland.
This time round we tried the Sunday night Babi Guling at Linga Longa in Sanur and whist it is a very good spit roast pork , It aint Babi Guiling ( sorry Ron) , it has none of the aromatics or spices associated with Babi Guling and it is like a roast pork you would do at home.
One thing that I find funny is that if you have a look at some of the signage you see for Babi Gulings is that the picture of the pig always looks like a well fed rat :0
Onik onik