Go Green or Go Home

If you have Instagram, or live in the world, you will know that the latest trend in the food realm is to go green. It’s all wheatgrass shots and chi seed pudding these days. The mantra is ‘you are what you eat’ and if you’re not chowing down of a raw vegan diet and waking up at the crack of dawn to contort your body into unimaginable shapes, then you my friend are not living.

I’m all for a healthy lifestyle, but for me balance is key. I enjoy some leafy greens and the odd sit-up, but ask me to forfeit my steak and we’re gonna have a problem. That being said when in Bali, the home of wellness and meditation, I decided to try and embrace this go green philosophy to see what all the fuss was about. After some quick research it seemed the place to head for the hippest variety of vegan fare was, Alchemy.

Alchemy in Ubud attracts Bali’s trendy artsy crowd by offering up their own zesty brand of green living, coupled with the obligatory yogi zen vibe. The second we arrived the stereotypes were everywhere, but in the spirit of peace and love I decided to go with it and made my way inside.

We ordered a salad bowl, a pineapple juice, the tapas taster board and a raw chocolate chewy bar and to my surprise I enjoyed them all. Some slices of rare beef or some succulent chicken strips wouldn’t of gone a miss but as they say, when in Rome. Don’t expect the usual Bali prices here though, you’re gonna have to cough up some extra cash in the name of healthy eating and while I had a good enough lunch, the service was a little on the hostile side. It seems that unless you’re a Alchemy regular and know their unique ordering system down to a tee, then you might receive your share of vegan snobbery from the staff.

Stereotypes aside you can’t deny that Alchemy is impressive. With their salad counter, fresh squeezed juice bar, and healthy dessert station it’s a culinary delight. Plenty of colour and choice means a vegan lunch at Alchemy is anything but boring.