Bali diving guide-turned-hawker and lawyer wife closing Balinese stall at Lau Pa Sat after 9 months

RECOUPED S$40,000 INVESTMENT AND MADE A PROFIT WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS

Juliana reiterated the stall isn’t closing down due to poor business. In fact, she said, “there’s still always a queue at lunch time, and the food sells out fairly early in the evening everyday”.

She added: “We’ve had to adjust our closing hours and say ‘until sold out’ because of that.” The couple have already recuperated their $40,000 investment on the stall and have made a profit within these eight months. 

THE COUPLE’S UNUSUAL LOVE STORY

While Suka didn’t have any professional F&B experience prior to setting up Warung, he grew up cooking regularly at home with his family. He used to be a diving guide in Bali, where he met Juliana who was on a diving trip there in 2019. The two stayed Instagram friends during the COVID-19 lockdown period which hit soon after, then met again and fell in love when travel restrictions were lifted. Suka later relocated to Singapore after marrying Juliana, who works in a law firm here.

TRY THESE DISHES BEFORE THEY CLOSE SHOP

There’s still about a month to drop by The Warung for their tasty offerings like Ayam Betutu (S$8.90) and Mujair Nyat Nyat (S$14.90), deep-fried tilapia marinated in house-made rempah, or spice mix. Don’t forget to accompany your meal with their two shiok condiments – a fiery sambal matah (a Balinese staple) and sambal embe, made with caramelised fried shallots, garlic, cili padi and lime.

While it’s a pity that The Warung is shutting down so soon, Juliana said they “hope the stall inspired people to try more authentic Indonesian food beyond the mainstream [types of dishes]”. As for whether they have plans to reopen the stall in future? Juliana said: “Not currently, but never say never, right?”.

The Warung’s last day of operations is on Mar 22. Stall 63 Lau Pa Sat, 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582. Open Mon – Fri 11.30am till sold out, Sat 12pm till sold out (closed on Sun). More info via their Instagram. 

This story was originally published in 8Days.