I don't recommend walking around Canggu. The roads are super narrow, there aren't any sidewalks, and at any given moment about a thousand fearless Balinese on mopeds are zipping around like they've just been unleashed from the Batcave. Still, on our first day in town we decided to wander around on foot anyway. We hadn't rented a motorbike yet, and after spending a week in the sterile luxury of a big resort in Nusa Dua, we were craving a more low-fi experience. Plus, we were starving.

Luckily, we didn't have to dodge too many near-fatal collisions before we stumbled across Green Ginger, a.k.a. one of the most delicious restaurants we've ever had the pleasure of almost getting hit by a moped for. From the street, it's immediately enticing: Small, quiet, and dominated by a semi-enclosed patio that's almost completely obscured by overgrown bamboo and banana trees. On a steamy Bali afternoon, all that shade and safety was awfully inviting — we were hooked before we even saw the menu.

And what a menu it is. Green Ginger bills itself as a noodle house but the offering is more of a cross-cultural asian vegetarian extravaganza than anything else — there's everything from Malaysian Laksa to Thai papaya salad to Japanese gyoza. We had a hard time deciding so we ordered a little bit of everything: corn fritters, tempeh salad, pho, and one of the most insanely flavorful red curries ever. Not only was it all delicious, but it cost just $20. We left feeling full and happy and like we'd just won the lunch lottery; the white linen tablecloths and perfectly portioned cake slices of our time at the fancy resort now just a faded memory.

We went back to Green Ginger two more times that week.

good to know

Green Ginger is owned by two ex-pats and is the sister restaurant to The Elephant, a vegetarian restaurant with a similarly tasty menu in Ubud. At Green Ginger, don't miss the Salt and Pepper Tofu Tempeh with lettuce, lemon, and red peppers; Corn Fritters with homemade chili jam; Thai Green Curry with tempeh, oyster mushrooms, and red rice; Ginger and Lime Cooler, a refreshing drink of muddled fruit, sugar, and soda; Pumpkin and ginger soup with coconut milk and cilantro. Ask for extra sambals and sauces — they've got tons of good ones to choose from.