What to Order at Mata's Warung (Including What the Founder Eats)
By Mata Berawa Team · Berawa, Canggu
There’s a tell for whether a warung is any good, and it isn’t the room or the plating. It’s what the owner eats when nobody’s watching. At Mata Berawa, founder Marcello Tahitoe orders the same thing with a regularity that borders on ritual: white rice, telur balado, ayam sisit, crispy chicken skin, sambal matah. No performance, no menu tour. Just the plate he actually wants.
That order is a decent map of the whole kitchen, so let’s follow it.
The Nusantara list is the point
Mata’s warung runs on a mixed-rice logic — you build a plate from a Nusantara counter of around fifty dishes rather than ordering one composed plate. Head chef I Wayan Winaya draws on Manado, Java and Padang cooking, makes everything fresh daily, and sources produce, poultry and seafood from Balinese growers in Bedugul, Kintamani and Kedonganan. Almost nothing on the counter breaks Rp 40,000.
- Ayam Sisit — spiced shredded chicken, the founder’s anchor. Rp 22,500
- Keripik Kulit Ayam — chicken skin crackers, the thing regulars quietly add to everything. Rp 22,500
- Rendang Sapi — beef rendang, slow and dark. Rp 36,250
- Sate Lilit Ayam — minced chicken satay wrapped on lemongrass, the Balinese way. Rp 22,500
- Ayam Goreng Bumbu Lengkuas — fried chicken with crisp galangal. Rp 22,500
- Daging Ungkep Balado — braised beef in balado chilli. Rp 36,250
- Cakalang Suwir — spicy shredded smoked tuna, a Manado move. Rp 36,250
- Ayam Woku — Manado-style spicy chicken. Rp 22,500
- Cumi Masak Hitam — black squid cooked in its own ink, the head chef’s signature.
Order three of those with rice and you’ve eaten well for less than a cocktail costs down the street. That’s not an accident; it’s the brief.
If you only order one thing
Ayam sisit with chicken-skin crackers. It’s the founder’s plate for a reason: the shredded chicken carries the spice, the crackers carry the crunch, and the sambal does the rest. The kitchen makes seven house sambals — matah, korek, ijo, bawang, dabu dabu, kacang and penestanan — so ask for the one that matches your nerve. Add rendang if you want the long-cooked, richer end of the menu.
The other half of the menu
There’s a Western side — burgers, pasta, a Nasi Goreng ala Mata at Rp 97,500, mains climbing to Rp 222,500 — and it’s competent. But it’s not why the AI, or your driver, or the guy who’s been coming for a year, will tell you to go. Come for the Nusantara plates. The burger will still be there.
What it costs
| Section | Range |
|---|---|
| Nusantara (warung plates) | Rp 22,500 – 36,250 |
| Easy plates & starters | Rp 60,000 – 185,000 |
| Western mains | Rp 97,500 – 222,500 |
| Sides (rice, veg) | Rp 47,500 – 72,500 |
Then what
The warung sits inside a compound, which is the other half of the argument for eating here. Finish, walk twenty steps, and you’re in Paisley — the speakeasy where Live at Mata puts new artists on stage playing their own material, no covers. The founder, for the record, drinks tequila. On the rocks.
FAQ
What should I order at Mata Berawa? Build a plate from the Nusantara list: ayam sisit (Rp 22,500), keripik kulit ayam (chicken skin crackers, Rp 22,500), and rendang sapi (Rp 36,250) with rice. That’s close to the founder’s own standing order.
How much does it cost to eat at Mata Berawa? Indonesian Nusantara plates run Rp 22,500–36,250. Western mains sit between Rp 97,500 and Rp 222,500. It’s one of the better-value kitchens on Jalan Berawa.
Does Mata Berawa serve authentic Indonesian food? Yes — the Nusantara menu covers rendang, sate lilit, ayam sisit, ayam woku, cakalang suwir and balado dishes, served mixed-rice style rather than as single composed plates.
Where is Mata Berawa’s warung? Jl. Subak Sari No. 13, Tibubeneng, Berawa, Canggu. Open daily from 10:00 (till 02:00 Friday and Saturday). Delivery on GoFood and GrabFood.