Bo & Bun for great food and fun in Seminyak, Bali

Some restaurants have a knack for making you feel hungry simply by walking past the front door. Bo & Bun, a long-established favourite on Seminyak’s Jalan Raya Basangkasa, is one such venue.

Serving Vietnamese-inspired comfort food with a generous helping of Southeast Asian personality, this is the sort of place that makes deciding what to eat the hardest part of the evening.

First opened 12 years ago, Bo & Bun has been feeding Bali’s hungry locals, expats and travelling foodies for for some time now. Co-founded by Balinese entrepreneur and former Miss Indonesia, Ines Putri Chandra and her partner, the restaurant began life as a modest 35-seat eatery before expanding to accommodate its growing fan base. Not bad for a place whose philosophy is essentially to cook the food its own team loves to eat.

Delicious mains are best shared, including the 12-Hour Phở Bo, top centre, and the fresh Chicken & Cashew salad, bottom right.

The undisputed star is the 12-Hour Phở Bo, a bowl of beefy brilliance built around a broth simmered slowly with bones, marrow and spices. Served with tenderloin, brisket, meatballs, rice noodles and fresh herbs, this special phở dish delivers the sort of comforting flavour that makes you want to cradle the bowl rather than hand it back. This is no watery afterthought masquerading as soup.

Then there are the twice-cooked pork belly bao buns, where tender, savoury pork meets pillowy steamed buns, hoisin, pickles, chilli and coriander. They’re a compelling argument for ordering another round before the first has even disappeared.

For something fresher, the Vietnamese salad brings glass noodles, crunchy vegetables, herbs and zingy dressing into the mix, while the smoked lemongrass chicken offers a smokier, more substantial alternative, or try the absolutely delicious Chicken & Cashew – wok-fried tender chicken and crunchy cashew nuts tossed in a caramel savoury jam.

Although Vietnamese cooking provides the backbone, the menu happily wanders across Southeast Asia, embracing bold flavours without getting bogged down in culinary rules. Portions are generous, presentation is refreshingly unfussy, and the emphasis is firmly on taste rather than theatrical food styling.

If – and this is a big if – you have room for dessert, these might best be shared, too. We tried the Toasted Coconut & Pandan Crème Brulée – a perfect treat for balmier nights, and also the must-have on the menu is Bo & Bun’s Fried Milk. It looks and tastes as wacky as it sounds: golden, panko-crusted cubes on the outside of warm, soft, custard-like interior, served with a side of silky dulce de leche. Those with lactose intolerance be warned – this dish is decadent but delish.

Desserts, best shared too, include Bo & Bun’s signature Fried Milk cubes, pictured top left.

The atmosphere at Bo & Bun is equally appealing as the cuisine. Vintage-inspired interiors, warm lighting and French-bistro touches give the room a cosy, slightly nostalgic character, while the busy dining room supplies the buzz. It feels relaxed rather than precious: somewhere to bring friends, share a spread of dishes and let dinner stretch into the evening.

And there’s a bonus for those not quite ready to call it a night. Upstairs, District 1 offers a speakeasy-style cocktail bar inspired by Ho Chi Minh City, making a post-dinner drink a rather tempting proposition.

The bar frequently utilises sensory elements like backlights, aromatic smoke, condensation, and dramatic glass reveals. If you want a drink served with a smoking dry ice effect, you can directly ask the bartender for a theatrical, smoke-infused presentation when making your custom order

Standout cocktails on the District 1 drinks list include the Pink Cupcake – strawberry, basil, rum, lemon and watermelon soda, or for full dramatic effect try a Negroni No. 1, served dramatically beneath a bell jar and revealed under dry ice. Magical!

In a neighbourhood where restaurants come and go, Bo & Bun has earned its staying power by getting the essentials right: flavour-packed food, generous hospitality, and an atmosphere that encourages you to stick around. Come for the pho, surrender to the bao, and leave room for a dandy cocktail. Your future self can worry about the walk home.

Antonino Tati

Bo & Bun is situated at Jl. Raya Basangkasa No.26, Seminyak, Bali and is open from 5:30pm until late. For bookings or more information phone +62 361 934 8232.

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