“Pierogi!” said Anand Mathai, our Editor-in-Chief, when I told him last week that I was writing about a small restaurant that specializes in Poland’s most beloved comfort food: dumplings.
Anand’s apparent familiarity with the dish made me feel so uncultured. I had only found out about pierogi several days earlier when a good friend, Joanna Bergg, a photographer who is originally from Poland, came to visit me in Bali.
I stumbled upon an ad for Pierogi Pierogi in Sanur online and told Joanna about the restaurant. She was so excited about the prospect of introducing me to the food of her people. Incidentally, I had introduced her to beef rendang and other Padang dishes (I am originally from West Sumatra), so, naturally, she wanted to return the favor.
“Your turn now. Oh, I cannot wait for you to try pierogi! It’s a comfort food!” Joanna told me.
We drove from West Denpasar to Sanur in less than 30 minutes on the evening of Dec. 8. The ride was smooth despite the traffic, and it took no time for us to find Pierogi Pierogi.
Pierogi Pierogi is a small joint nestled among a row of shop houses. When we walked in, Joanna said she was impressed by the décor – she noted that even the curtains and tablecloths (as pictured) were adorned with traditional Polish floral patterns. Pictures of some of the most beautiful spots in the country were also placed on the four walls.
We (well, Joanna, I trust her judgment) ordered several pierogies including dumplings filled with mushrooms (“This is a traditional dish served during Christmas in Poland!” she exclaimed excitedly), potatoes, and, in an homage to Indonesian cuisine, a pierogi filled with rendang (“I like this one! My grandmother used to make something like this when I was little!”).
My first bite of one of the mushroom dumplings confirmed to me why Pierogi Pierogi’s tagline is “Poland’s comfort food.” If comfort means unabashed enjoyment, you should know that Joanna and I gobbled up three sets of six pierogies in 15 minutes and immediately ordered two more sets.
“At the end of the day, this is actually poor people’s food,” Joanna told me. “And no, we don’t use both knives and forks to eat them – too fancy! We just use forks and eat them on the couch watching TV.”
Pierogi Pierogi was founded by Polish entrepreneur Andrzej Jakubowski and his wife and their passion for Polish cuisine is evident in every dumpling we tried. You can also order their pierogies directly online via their website.
But there’s something especially comforting about wolfing them down in their restaurant’s authentic setting. Pierogi Pierogi is definitely unmissable if you’re in Sanur. To me, the dumplings are up there among the most delicious things from Poland – alongside “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski, of course.
*All photos by me.
FIND IT
Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai 9, Ruko Dewata Asih No.6, Sanur, Bali 80228
Instagram: @pierogipierogi.id
Prices between IDR55-60K per set (each set has six pieces)
Opens everyday from 10am to 8pm.
