Naughty-Nuris.com

I guess you could call me the type of "foodie" who loves to try small local out-of-the-way places. I first came across Naughty Nuri’s in Ubud (before it was an "in" meeting place for expats and the occasional celebrity, when I back packing through Indonesia with some friends. I returned every time I was in Bali on business or pleasure. Whenever I was planning a trip I would check out their website to make sure they were still around. The last time I was in Bali I was part of a data analytics team that also included a number of related consultants. When our initial work in Bali was finally completed, the team decided to take a week off and travel around Bali. Of course I suggested going to Ubud. I was so looking forward to just relaxing with one of Naughty Nuri's signature vintage drinks and eating some spare ribs. They never disappoint.

Anyway, when this site disappeared, I was concerned the restaurant had also met its demise. Fortunately the later wasn't true. And then recently I saw that the site's domain was available. I immediately bought it and decided to rebuild the site to it’s nostalgic self. By using archived content, I have attempted to bring back the spirit of the original Naughty Nuri's website. Please be indulgent, if it is not exactly as you remember it.

And do enjoy a bit of nostalgia as you take a look at their reconstructed site. If you are in the uplands of Bali, do drop by.

More Background on Naughty-Nuris.com

 

Naughty-Nuris.com is associated with one of the best-known casual restaurants to emerge from Bali’s tourism and expatriate culture: Naughty Nuri’s Warung and Grill in Ubud. What began in 1995 as a modest roadside warung became an internationally recognized name built around smoky barbecue pork ribs, unusually strong martinis, a decidedly informal atmosphere, and the personalities of its founders, Isnuri “Nuri” Suryatmi and her American husband, Brian Kenney Aldinger.

The restaurant occupies an unusual place in Bali’s culinary history. Naughty Nuri’s was never primarily a showcase for refined Balinese cuisine, nor did it attempt to become an elegant destination restaurant. Instead, it developed a reputation as a social gathering place where Balinese residents, expatriates, travelers, artists, writers and occasional celebrities could crowd around simple tables while ribs cooked over charcoal outside.

That formula proved remarkably durable. More than three decades after the original Ubud restaurant opened, Naughty Nuri’s remains in business, and its name has spread to other locations in Bali and through licensed restaurants elsewhere in Asia and beyond.

The Naughty-Nuris.com domain also has an interesting history of its own. The material preserved from the former website records the original Ubud location as being on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, across from the Neka Museum, and identifies the restaurant as a family establishment specializing in barbecue, fusion and Indonesian food. The domain later disappeared before being acquired and reconstructed as a nostalgic tribute to the earlier website.

The Founders: Nuri and Brian Aldinger

The story of Naughty Nuri’s revolves around Isnuri Suryatmi, commonly called Nuri, and Brian Kenney Aldinger.

Brian was an American who settled into life in Indonesia, while Nuri was Javanese. Together they created the kind of restaurant that was difficult to categorize. It had elements of an Indonesian roadside warung, an American barbecue joint, a neighborhood bar and an expatriate clubhouse.

The company’s current corporate history dates the founding to 1995 and describes Naughty Nuri’s Warung and Grill as a family business established by Brian and Nuri in Ubud.

Accounts from people who knew the couple describe the early restaurant as genuinely small and uncertain. When it opened on what was then a relatively quiet road on the north side of Ubud, the area received far fewer tourists than it does today. According to a remembrance of Aldinger published by Indonesia Expat, there were days when the fledgling business sold little more than a couple bottles of Sprite.

That gradually changed.

Local residents and expatriates discovered the warung, brought friends, and created the word-of-mouth reputation that became central to Naughty Nuri’s growth. The barbecue and drinks eventually turned the once-obscure roadside establishment into one of Ubud’s best-known restaurants.

Brian Aldinger died in August 2012. Contemporary tributes described Naughty Nuri’s by then not simply as a successful restaurant but as something approaching a Ubud cultural institution.

Nuri continued the business. According to Naughty Nuri’s corporate information, she subsequently became the independent owner of three Naughty Nuri’s restaurants in Bali.

Why It Was Called Naughty Nuri’s

Even the name helped establish the restaurant’s personality.

Nuri was the nickname of Isnuri Suryatmi, while various histories of the business explain the “Naughty” portion as a reference to Brian’s mischievous personality. The resulting Naughty Nuri’s name suited an establishment that never presented itself too seriously.

That sense of humor eventually became part of the larger brand. Strong cocktails, playful service, communal dining and an intentionally casual atmosphere distinguished Naughty Nuri’s from Bali’s growing collection of polished resort restaurants.

The restaurant essentially made informality part of its identity.

Location in Ubud

The original Naughty Nuri’s is on Jalan Raya Sanggingan in Ubud, in Bali’s Gianyar Regency. Modern listings generally give the address as Jalan Raya Sanggingan No. 88X, Kedewatan, Ubud.

One of the most useful landmarks is directly across the road: the Neka Art Museum.

That location matters historically. Ubud developed an international reputation as an artistic and cultural center long before mass tourism transformed Bali. Artists, collectors, writers and expatriates were drawn to the town, helping create an unusually cosmopolitan community in Bali’s interior.

Naughty Nuri’s emerged within that environment.

A 2001 South China Morning Post feature already described the restaurant in relation to the Neka museum and Ubud’s artistic community. At the time, the publication noted that Indonesians came in groups for local dishes while foreign visitors could also find barbecue and other familiar foods.

The original restaurant therefore sat at a literal and cultural crossroads: an Indonesian warung serving local customers while simultaneously becoming a meeting place for Ubud’s international community.

The Original Warung Experience

Anyone expecting a conventional fine-dining establishment could easily have misunderstood Naughty Nuri’s appeal.

Its rustic appearance was part of the experience.

The barbecue was visible from the road. Smoke drifted into the surrounding area. Diners sat close together. The atmosphere could be crowded, noisy and chaotic.

The Guardian captured this character when it included Naughty Nuri’s among its top places to eat in Ubud in 2011. The newspaper described travelers encountering the smoke and smell of the barbecue before reaching the restaurant and characterized it as a favorite expatriate gathering place.

This physical experience became almost inseparable from the food.

Modern customer reviews still repeatedly mention the open grill, smoky atmosphere and simple surroundings. Even reviewers who question whether the restaurant still lives up to its enormous reputation tend to recognize that the original Ubud location has retained much of its casual warung character.

The Famous Barbecue Pork Ribs

If one dish transformed Naughty Nuri’s into a destination, it was the barbecue pork ribs.

The ribs combine pork with Indonesian and Balinese-influenced seasoning, barbecue sauce and charcoal grilling. They are cooked over an open grill, creating the smoke and char that became part of the restaurant’s sensory identity.

Over time, the ribs became so closely associated with Naughty Nuri’s that travelers began visiting Ubud specifically to try them.

Food writers have described the ribs as smoky, sticky, tender and intensely seasoned. Burpple reviewers have particularly noted the charcoal grilling and savory marinade, while contemporary travel and restaurant sources continue to identify pork ribs as the signature order.

Their importance extends beyond the recipe itself. The grill became theater.

Customers arriving at the restaurant could see and smell the meat cooking. Instead of hiding food preparation in a distant kitchen, Naughty Nuri’s effectively advertised itself with smoke.

The restaurant consequently demonstrated an old principle of street food exceptionally well: aroma can be marketing.

More Than Ribs: The Menu

Although ribs dominate Naughty Nuri’s reputation, the menu has historically been broader.

Pork chops, satay, grilled chicken, sausages, tuna, nasi goreng and other Indonesian and international dishes have appeared over the years. Current restaurant listings categorize the cuisine as barbecue, Asian, fusion and Indonesian.

Historically, Thursday became associated with sushi and sashimi. Older accounts describe Thursday sushi nights becoming sufficiently popular that the restaurant could fill with customers specifically for the occasion.

That eclecticism reveals something important about Naughty Nuri’s. It was never intended to provide a museum-like interpretation of traditional Balinese cuisine.

Instead, it reflected the people who gathered there.

American barbecue techniques, Indonesian flavors, pork ribs, martinis, sushi and local dishes could coexist because Naughty Nuri’s developed as a social restaurant rather than one organized around strict culinary authenticity.

The Martinis That Became Almost as Famous as the Ribs

The other half of the Naughty Nuri’s legend is liquid.

Its martinis became internationally famous, helped enormously by Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain’s association with Naughty Nuri’s has been repeated in restaurant histories and travel coverage for years. The most commonly reported version is that he regarded the establishment’s martinis as among the best he had encountered outside New York.

The Guardian repeated the Bourdain connection in its 2011 Ubud dining guide. Time Out also highlighted Naughty Nuri’s martinis when recommending Bali experiences.

The cocktails eventually became part performance as well as beverage. At some Naughty Nuri’s locations, servers developed a playful “shake” routine when preparing them.

The martini reputation helped turn Naughty Nuri’s from merely a barbecue restaurant into a nightlife and social destination.

People could come for ribs and stay for drinks, conversation and the atmosphere.

Anthony Bourdain and the Celebrity Connection

Anthony Bourdain is the celebrity most closely associated with Naughty Nuri’s, but he was far from the only recognizable visitor.

Published accounts have connected the restaurant with fashion designer Donna Karan, actress Julia Roberts and author Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert, whose association with Bali became internationally famous through Eat, Pray, Love, has been described in Bali coverage as a regular during her years around Ubud.

Celebrity visits should not obscure the more important reason Naughty Nuri’s became successful. Famous people came after the restaurant had already developed a compelling local identity.

Its attraction was precisely that it did not feel designed for celebrities.

A well-known actor, a backpacker, an expatriate resident and a local customer could potentially be seated in essentially the same rustic environment eating the same sticky ribs.

Press and Media Recognition

Naughty Nuri’s received substantial travel and food coverage as its reputation grew.

One particularly early example came from the South China Morning Post in July 2001, only about six years after the restaurant opened. The article discussed Naughty Nuri’s in the broader context of Ubud’s changing food scene and its mixture of Indonesian and international influences.

The Guardian subsequently selected Naughty Nuri’s for its 2011 guide to top places to eat in Ubud, emphasizing the ribs, chops, tuna, martinis and lively atmosphere.

Time Out later highlighted its martinis in Bali travel coverage.

Numerous food blogs, regional publications and travel sites followed. This accumulation of coverage was important because Naughty Nuri’s grew during an era when personal travel blogs, TripAdvisor and online food communities increasingly influenced where international travelers ate.

Its reputation therefore bridged two periods: old-fashioned word-of-mouth travel and the internet-driven restaurant-discovery era.

Popularity and Customer Reviews

One measure of Naughty Nuri’s enduring popularity is the extraordinary quantity of customer commentary accumulated online.

As of current TripAdvisor listings, Naughty Nuri’s Warung and Grill in Ubud has approximately 3,500 reviews and an overall rating around four out of five. TripAdvisor also identifies it as a Travelers’ Choice restaurant, an acknowledgment associated with establishments consistently receiving strong traveler feedback.

That is substantially more feedback than the roughly 1,700 reviews recorded in the reconstructed historical material, illustrating how the restaurant continued attracting customers after the period represented by the older site.

The reviews also reveal the inevitable consequences of fame.

Positive customers praise smoky ribs, generous portions, strong martinis, quick service and the lively warung atmosphere. Repeat visitors sometimes describe returning after many years and finding much of the experience unchanged.

Other diners are less enthusiastic. Complaints include inconsistent tenderness of the ribs, prices that seem high relative to a traditional warung, crowds and the feeling that the restaurant’s reputation now exceeds the food itself.

These disagreements are themselves evidence of Naughty Nuri’s status. Once a small restaurant becomes an internationally known attraction, diners no longer arrive with neutral expectations. They arrive expecting legendary ribs.

Meeting a legend is harder than serving dinner.

Awards and Recognition

Naughty Nuri’s significance is better demonstrated by sustained media attention and traveler recognition than by formal fine-dining awards.

The restaurant has appeared in major travel recommendations, including The Guardian’s Ubud dining coverage, and its TripAdvisor listing carries Travelers’ Choice recognition. The latter designation is given to establishments that consistently receive strong traveler reviews and rank highly within their category.

More broadly, Naughty Nuri’s greatest accolade may be its longevity.

Surviving more than 30 years in an intensely competitive tourism market while remaining strongly associated with its original signature dishes is a substantial achievement for a restaurant that began as a roadside warung.

From Ubud Warung to International Brand

Naughty Nuri’s eventually expanded far beyond its original roadside location.

The company says its first outside licensing arrangement began in 2010 with a restaurant at Batu Belig in South Bali. That location later closed.

A more organized international expansion followed.

PT Sinar Surya Terus Gemilang, or SSTG, was created to handle international intellectual-property rights, trademarks, logos and licensing. The corporation is privately owned by Isnuri Suryatmi and Nari Asmiati and operates under Indonesian law.

According to the company, significant international licensing began around 2015, with agreements involving Malaysia, Macau, Australia, Thailand and additional Indonesian locations.

By 2017, Asia Times reported that the Naughty Nuri’s network had grown to approximately 14 outlets, with locations extending to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Macau and Melbourne and additional expansion being planned.

Not every branch survived, and the exact international footprint has changed repeatedly. That is common with restaurant licensing. What is more significant is that a tiny Ubud warung created a sufficiently recognizable identity to be exported internationally.

Naughty Nuri’s and Malaysia

Malaysia became particularly important in the brand’s international expansion.

Naughty Nuri’s outlets appeared in locations including Kuala Lumpur and Penang, introducing the Bali-born barbecue concept to a large urban audience.

The expansion was culturally interesting because the restaurant’s defining dish is pork. Malaysia has a Muslim-majority population, making location and target audience especially important for a pork-centered restaurant.

The Malaysian restaurants therefore illustrated how the brand could operate outside Bali by targeting particular urban dining markets rather than attempting to become a universally positioned chain.

Cultural and Social Significance

Naughty Nuri’s is significant because it represents a particular period in Ubud’s transformation.

Ubud was once primarily known internationally for painting, dance, temples and its expatriate artistic community. As tourism expanded, its culinary scene became increasingly sophisticated and international.

Naughty Nuri’s developed between those worlds.

It was local without being traditionally Balinese, international without becoming generic, and famous without abandoning the appearance of a roadside warung.

Its communal tables were important as well. Restaurants can function as social infrastructure, particularly within expatriate communities where newcomers seek informal gathering places. Naughty Nuri’s became precisely that kind of institution.

People did not simply eat there. They met there.

That helps explain why personal accounts of Naughty Nuri’s so often emphasize memories, friends and atmosphere rather than simply evaluating the ribs.

The Importance of the Neka Art Museum Location

Being opposite the Neka Art Museum reinforces the restaurant’s connection to Ubud’s cultural geography.

The museum is one of Ubud’s important art institutions, known for collections documenting Balinese painting and the interaction between Indonesian and foreign artists.

Visitors exploring Ubud’s museums and galleries could therefore encounter Naughty Nuri’s almost accidentally.

The contrast was striking: fine Balinese art on one side of the road and smoke rising from a casual barbecue warung on the other.

In its own way, that juxtaposition summarizes modern Ubud—a place where traditional art, global tourism, expatriate culture, Indonesian everyday life and international food influences continually overlap.

What the Original Naughty-Nuris.com Represented

The historical Naughty-Nuris.com website functioned differently from the sophisticated restaurant websites common today.

Its significance was partly practical. Travelers could verify that the restaurant still existed, obtain the address and telephone number, check opening information and learn what made the place famous.

But the website also preserved the restaurant’s personality.

The surviving material identifies the location through informal landmarks—across from the Neka Museum, down the road from one establishment and up the road from another—rather than presenting the restaurant as an anonymous corporate property.

That style suited Naughty Nuri’s.

The later reconstructed version of Naughty-Nuris.com explicitly explains that the domain had disappeared and was subsequently acquired by a longtime admirer who attempted to recreate the spirit of the earlier website using archived material. It should therefore be understood as a nostalgic reconstruction rather than necessarily the current official corporate website.

This distinction is important when researching the domain. Naughty-Nuris.com documents the history and character of the original restaurant, while the Naughty Nuri’s business itself has continued evolving through separate corporate and individual location websites.

Naughty Nuri’s Today

More than 30 years after its creation, the original Ubud Naughty Nuri’s remains remarkably recognizable.

Current listings continue to place it on Jalan Raya Sanggingan opposite the Neka area, and the restaurant remains overwhelmingly associated with pork ribs, charcoal smoke and martinis.

TripAdvisor currently lists barbecue, Asian, fusion and Indonesian cuisine, with lunch and dinner service and thousands of traveler reviews. Other restaurant directories continue to emphasize the same roadside-warung atmosphere that made Naughty Nuri’s famous decades ago.

There are inevitable differences between the Naughty Nuri’s experienced by early expatriates in the 1990s and the restaurant encountered by modern tourists armed with smartphones, online reviews and expectations created by celebrity endorsements.

Yet that evolution is part of the story.

Naughty Nuri’s began when very few tourists ventured to its side of Ubud. Today, visitors may arrive specifically because they have already read about it.

Why Naughty Nuri’s Endures

The success of Naughty Nuri’s cannot be explained solely by a barbecue sauce recipe.

Its longevity comes from the combination of food, personality, place and storytelling.

There are the ribs cooking over charcoal. There are oversized martinis and the Anthony Bourdain story. There is Nuri herself and the memory of Brian Aldinger. There is the roadside setting opposite an important art museum. There are expatriates, Balinese customers, travelers and celebrities sharing the same informal environment.

And there is nostalgia.

Longtime visitors frequently describe returning to Naughty Nuri’s years later. That repeat pilgrimage transforms a restaurant from somewhere people once ate into part of their personal history of Bali.

Naughty-Nuris.com ultimately reflects that phenomenon. Its reconstruction was motivated by nostalgia for a restaurant and website remembered from earlier visits. The continuing interest in the domain demonstrates how deeply the original establishment became embedded in the memories of people who traveled through Ubud.

Naughty Nuri’s started as a small roadside warung that could barely sell a few drinks. It became a gathering place, then a destination, then an internationally licensed restaurant name.

Through all those changes, its identity has remained remarkably simple: smoke from the grill, sticky pork ribs, strong martinis, crowded tables and the expectation that dinner should be fun.

That combination turned Naughty Nuri’s from an obscure Ubud warung into one of Bali’s most recognizable culinary institutions.

Naughty-Nuris.com