Return to Mowie’s: Gili Air, Indonesia

As much as I love trying new things, sometimes it’s nice to return to old digs for your favourite dish or in this case, multiple favourites. I’ve returned to paradise island Gili Air to visit friends at Mowie’s who I met last year when I was backpacking through South East Asia.

In 2014 I got “stuck” on the Gili Islands for two months, one of which on helping set up the island’s first eco hostel. I spent my weekends off at Mowie’s on Gili Air eating my way through the menu which now includes many new items for me to try. The beachfront bar was relatively new back then and there’s been heaps of changes, most for the better I must say.

Cold crisp wine and cocktails make a pleasant addition to the menu alone with a selection of healthy hearty smoothies. Sadly the freshly baked pastries have disappeared to ensure only goodness goes out.

The man behind it all, Rdk and his wife Martusia want to provide a healthy option for holiday makers, far different from the usual western-style burger and chips served at the other places along the front. Who wants to eat heavy greasy grub whilst in a bikini on a beach anyway?

We all love to treat ourselves on holiday but I for one would much rather indulge in something healthy and tasty rather than your bog standard western-style feed.

Even the curry here is good for you, made up of over ten fresh herbs and spices, a generous portion of protein-rich chicken and a homemade roti replacing white rice. Along with the curry, the tuna burger is another favourite of mine.

It involves a huge juicy homemade tuna patty sandwiched between Mowie’s infamous charcoal-infused bun with a good slab of Asian slaw which adds both texture and slop. You know when it’s a good burger when juice runs down your arm with each bite. That’s how I determine a good burger anyway!

As well as working my way through the new items on the menu, I also revisited some old favourites from my previous blog post about Mowie’s On The Beach. This time round the blue cheese in the Happy Salmon dish was more of a sauce and wasn’t as overpowering as it once was which was a good thing. I have to admit the amount of filling in the sandwhich has somewhat disminished over the past 14 months which seems to be the case with most places I revisit.

I guess people learn that by leaving out just a smidgen of salmon in each bun can cut costs considerably over time, this is a business after all. Luckily the taste wasn’t affected and the change in bun:filling rato filling could have just been in the sandwich I happened to be served although my friend Lauren left some of her bun too. 

I may be slightly upset about the disappearance of baked treats on the menu but you’ll be glad to know that you can still indulge, we are after all on paradise island! Two raw desserts, a dragon fruit chocolate cheesecake and coconut berry tart make a fantastic end to the meal or in my case, a great mid-afternoon snack. What’s more they are totally free from refined sugar and all the nasties you’d usually find in a dessert. Not surprisingly they aren’t as tasty as Scallywag’s calorific chocolate brownie but are a pretty awesome guilt-free treat.

The team at Mowie’s has doubled since my last visit but remain a real asset. It’s good to see some old faces like young Henry and Grace and make new friends too. This time I was lucky enough to nab one of the bungalows out back, staying in both the luxury double bungalow and the smaller twin. Just steps from the beach with all the little touches to make a holiday special, you’ll have to be quick to snap up one of these babies.

I’ve had a fantastic ten days at Mowie’s, chilling out on the beach and enjoying plenty of cold beers during the stunning sunset that takes place centre stage each night.

Good people, good vibes, not much has changed at Mowie’s apart from new menu options, greater selection of drinks and more people to chat to. Rad and Mowie have big plans for the future and already I am counting down the days until my next visit to Mowie’s.

Living life, loving Mowie’s,

H x