Wahaha Pork Ribs Jimbaran — Restaurant in Kuta Selatan

Good food. Arrogant service.

My mother and I went to WAHAHA Jimbaran at Samasta today (12:30 pm, Saturday). We were asked to wait around half an hour for a table. We put my name down and went to the shops nearby. After around 10 minutes, we returned. Our table was ready.

We ordered a full slab of ribs, beans, grilled corn, and later added the lemongrass pork.

Soon after the food arrived, a large group of tourists also arrived. One of them knocked the flower vase off our table and it broke next to my feet. The same person started reaching across, taking tissues and cutlery from our table without asking. Ok. Not the restaurant’s fault.

The food was generally tasty. Both pork ribs and pork chop with lemongrass were great, but if I were to pick one, I’d go with the pork chop.

My mother then started cutting the kernels off the corn cob. The cob was brownish, and after tasting the kernels she asked me to taste too. The corn was off. It was half rotten. The waitress we notified was happy to replace it.

Then my mother went to the cashier to pay. In MANY restaurants and outlets in Jakarta, bills could be split and customers could pay with a combination of GoPay, Ovo, credit cards, cash, or several GoPay accounts, etc. She wanted to pay half of our bill with GoPay and the rest in cash. The cashier, NANIK, said she could pay half with card and half with cash. Mother proceeded to pay half our bill with GoPay.

Apparently it wasn’t allowed and NANIK started getting upset. She was muttering loudly “Hancur ini nanti. Gimana sih ini.” Translated: This [system] will be destroyed. How could this be.

NANIK’s colleague stepped in to say they could put a note to explain the irregularity. She didn’t believe him. I observed for a while, and realised that she went to call her boss to complain about the situation. Appalling behaviour. Rather than troubleshooting or problem solving, she was complaining about the situation. Loudly, in front of the customers. My mother offered to pay the full amount in cash, on top of the half already paid with GoPay.

Eventually, the “boss” told her to put a note to explain the irregular transaction when they settle the account at the end of the day. When NANIK hung up the phone, her colleague has already processed the cash payment. She avoided eye contact and busied herself with other things.

The whole experience left a bitter note in our mouths. Given plenty of other restaurants around, I doubt we would ever...

Bali was our third port stop on a 28 day Asia cruise and we were lucky to have an overnight stay here. On our first day we hired a private tour guide through a tour company but sadly he wasn’t willing to take us where we wanted to go. I had hoped to bring my little daughters to the beach but after over four hours of driving he brought us to a beach restaurant in the dark. Disappointed we canceled our second day with that company and decided to take a chance with a driver from the port.

That’s how we met Kadek Agus, an older gentleman who was incredibly kind, patient and sincere. I told him how much I had wanted to try Bali’s famous suckling pig, something I’d seen on Mark Wiens’ food videos. I had mentioned this to our guide the day before while we were in Ubud but perhaps because he was Muslim he steered us away and said it was too far or not available. I had tucked that food wish away thinking it just wasn’t going to happen.

When I told Kadek Agus about it he said with such honesty that yes the suckling pig was indeed in Ubud, where we had just been yesterday, and now it was too far since the ship was leaving later that day. I was disappointed but I really appreciated his transparency and effort. He took us to another place that served pork but unfortunately the satay was too spicy for my little girls and they weren’t able to adjust it.

As we were driving again I spotted Wahaha Pork Ribs in Jimbaran and asked if we could stop. It ended up being the perfect decision. While I had hoped for more traditional Balinese food sometimes moms have to adjust and this was just what our family needed.

The staff were incredibly welcoming. When they saw my daughters getting bitten by mosquitoes the hostess kindly offered us bug spray to keep them comfortable. Service was fast helpful and kind throughout.

We ordered the pork ribs for the kids and the pork knuckle for ourselves. The knuckle was huge and carved tableside, crispy juicy and hands down the best pork knuckle I’ve ever had. My husband was happy to discover they were offering a buy one get one free caipirinha special which was a fun bonus.

Wahaha really delivered on flavor service and comfort. It turned out to be a highlight of our Bali stop and we’re so grateful to Kadek Agus for his thoughtfulness and care. Highly recommend both the restaurant and this wonderful driver if you ever find yourself arriving by...

Review of Wahaha Pork Ribs Jimbaran: A Reliable Dining Option

Wahaha Pork Ribs in Jimbaran is a solid choice for anyone craving delicious ribs in Bali. As part of a well-known chain, the quality remains consistent across locations, and the menu is refreshingly simple, focusing on what they do best.

The pork ribs are definitely the signature dish, and while they were tasty, I found them not quite as tender as those from Nuri's. However, they still delivered on flavor and were enjoyable. The fried rice didn’t impress me as much, and I found it to be a bit lackluster compared to other offerings.

On the brighter side, the grilled corn was delightful, though I wished it had been grilled a bit longer for an extra depth of flavor.

Service at Wahaha is commendable—friendly and attentive, adding to the overall pleasant dining experience.

Overall, Wahaha Pork Ribs Jimbaran is a nice spot to enjoy good food in a relaxed setting. While there are a few areas for improvement, it’s worth a visit for the ribs and...