Our Story

Ulekan begins with a stone. A heavy, hand-held pestle and its curved basalt bowl, together called an ‘ulekan’. In Indonesian kitchens, it is as fundamental as the stove itself. Spices ground by hand, pastes built layer by layer, the rhythm of it passed from mother to daughter, generation to generation.  

The ulekan is where Indonesian flavour begins. 

It was this food, found on the streets of Bali, eaten in the homes of locals — that stopped two Australians in their tracks. In 2016, struck by the flavours of what they were tasting and the generosity of local Balinese people, they opened Ulekan with a simple intent: to give that experience a home for others to feel it. A place where the food they had fallen in love with could be enjoyed, in a special, elevated setting. 

The restaurant found its place within a traditional joglo, batik draped throughout, spices in the air. Less a restaurant, more an open home. And for nearly a decade, it has welcomed visitors and locals alike to sit down and eat the way Indonesians have always eaten — together, sharing, with intention. 

In time, Ulekan found its way into the hands of an Indonesian family. A natural homecoming. The recipes, the ritual, the ulekan at the heart of it all, now carried forward by those for whom this culture is not discovered, but lived. 

The mission remains the same. To share the flavours, culture and tradition of Indonesia with everyone who finds their way here.