Billy Ho: another good reason to venture to Canggu, northwest of the usual Bali hotspots

By creammagazine, December 9, 2023

WA-born entrepreneurial chef Will Meyrick has lived and worked in Indonesia for over two decades, in which time he’s made his mark by creating and providing some of the best cuisine locals and tourists have tasted.

Meyrick is the man behind famous hotspots Sarong and Mama San, restaurants that offered amazing examples of Asian fusion cuisine. Billy Ho is like a good Mama’s boy, learning from the best and throwing in some newer tricks in the kitchen.

Post-pandemic, Sarong sadly closed, but Mama San, which shut down for a while, has reopened and is still proving popular. Then there is Meyrick’s excellent hawker’s style eatery, Billy Ho, which I tried for the first time only last month. The restaurant’s menu brings together flavours from Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, with dishes rich in variety but never too much on the palate.

Situated in now-bustling Canggu, Billy Ho is high-end in just about everything from its decor to the excellent service, but it’s street-friendly in its pricing.

Stepping into the place, you wouldn’t think it was so varied in its culinary influences judging by the decor, which is pared back to a simple, rustic layout with spaced wooden tables, wicker chairs, even wooden walls. The one effervescent design element – a bright golden/orange wall with the texture of fish-scales – is offset by a black bamboo ceiling, keeping the minimalism and practicality both in check.

But the menu itself is bursting with colour and multiculture. There is sushi and ceviche, katsu and tempura and dumplings and delicious fried rice, and something called okonomiyaki (apparently a delicious Japanese pancake I’ll have to try next time).

The menu is extra-large in size but we managed to narrow our tasting down to six dishes perfect for sharing. Billy Ho is a great place for group dining, particularly if sharing’s what you’re after – a vibe similar to Mama San’s but without the touristy chaos.

We started off with a little sushi, since Japan seems to be the biggest inspiration here: a soft shell crab roll served with avocado, shiracha and flame-torched lava sauce; the latter ingredient was spicy in its hit of red jalapeño peppers (AUD$15). Also on an entree bent are a variety of dim sum. And by god, is this some of the best dim sum I’ve tried. The chicken, prawn and mushroom wanton left us wanting more, and the pork miso cabbage shimiji gyoza dipped in hot sesame oil are not only a mouthful but mouthwatering. The dim sum dishes start at AUD$8 each.

Moving on to more ‘main’ dishes, we opted to share a half Peking Duck ($25) drizzled with a delectable hoi sin red currant sauce and served with pancakes that had a hint of mandarin in them. We thought we’d temper things off with a salad of chargrilled greens including broccoli, asparagus, babe Brussels sprouts, pomelo and a lemon basil chimichurri ($9.50) – never did veggies look and taste so delish.

My partner is not a big seafood eater so I tried the chilli butter king prawn ($25) myself. Decadent, and served with a sambal sauce, kale and green shallots, sitting on a bed of Hokkien noodles, this delicious sampling rounded off a relatively big but very satisfying meal. I’ll walk that extra kilo off tomorrow.

If you’re not in a mood to dine, Billy Ho has a nice and cosy enough atmosphere to just sit back at the bar and enjoy a cocktail or mocktail.

The cleverly crafted cocktail list includes innovative concoctions like a PB Old Fashioned (peanut butter-infused bourbon, strawberry and bitters, $17) or the simply titled Asian Daiquiri with rum, honey, pineapple, ginger flower syrup, lemon and a sprinkle of chilli flakes ($13).

Put simply, Billy Ho serves up excellent comfort food and some very cool drinks. The place looks five-star, some of the food is practically two-hat, yet the prices are friendlier than your average eatery in Seminyak or Legian.

Make the trek to Canggu on your next visit to Bali, and make Billy Ho your first stop for a great experience in fusion food sampling.

Antonino Tati