This time I tried the tofu curry rice and a lavender milk tea with grass jelly. Really enjoyed the curry rice. Not comparable to what you get if you visit a real Japanese curry house, but still delicious. The menu marks it as spicy but, while it was warming and hearty, I didn't think it was very spicy. I like how they prepare their tofu - the texture is perfect for holding sauce. The lavender milk tea was the basic stuff from a premade mix. Not bad but not great. I think they may just have used too much of the mix because the drink was very sweet and a little thick. The grass jelly was also firmer than usual so I suspect this was a premade canned brand of not particularly high quality. I do sometimes like bubble tea made from tea mixes, so I might try different flavours and toppings to see if other options are better. They had regular waiter service this time. I had a different waitress than last time. She mentioned that she had just started, but she was very nice and did great. read more

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The picture was alittle deceiving. I ordered the crepe cake expecting creamy light and refreshing. This one tasted really stale and not fresh at all. The cream between the layers was quite stiffened and dry. You might have needed a knife to cut through the layers. Yes... that bad. I also ordered an americano coffee, the cashier didn't really offer cream or sugar... so I had it black which is fine, but bc of how stale the cake was, it did not help the coffee any. I'm hoping it was just an off day. The young cashier seemed like she did not want to be there and I totally feel her, I remember being that age and not wanting to work, so it may also be a staffing issue as well. Overall, was kind of disappointed in my visit here. But there are other places in Bloomington to try out so no worries. read more

Cafe Bali - Matcha Mille Crepe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This was anniversary for us, as if you'll look at the date of the prior review, it was the day before the pandemic lockdowns began. We like this place, and their flavored teas are terrific. They know how to handle tofu in dishes, too. Their appetizers, especially the seaweed and avocado salad, are really good. The menu is a mixture of Indonesian, Malay/Singapore, Chinese, and Japanese. They serve coffee drinks, too, but we weren't thrilled with them. Service is good, and it's not fast food, meaning you'll be served in 10-15min as it's largely made up fresh. The prices, with appetizers and drinks, were under $20ea-- a bargain for the Restaurant Row area. Recommended as it's not the same old stuff, tastes great, and is easy on the wallet. read more

(Three year old review: [unintelligible groaning] (that's a positive) Nasi Goreng, Ayam Goreng, Chicken Katie Curry, Kwee Tiam...all amazing! Service was quick and courteous. Nice soothing music. All in all pretty good. Would come again read more

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I had the chicken katsu curry. Wasn't bad. I preferably like a little bit more seasoning but that's just me. It's awash clean inside but I ordered online using DoorDash. The rice texture was good as well read more

Cafe Bali - Chicken katsu curry - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Only been once and had a great time. Some of the best boba/ milk tea I've had before! I got their Indonesian fried rice and was pleased. I ordered a 3/5 spicy level and it was not that spicy, would probably get a 4 or 5 out of 5 nice time. Highly recommend and good size menu for a cheap price! read more

Food was excellent. Server was very pleasant and helpful. With todays high cost, this restaurant is very affordable

The milk tea that we got here was pretty similar to other similar places. We probably wouldn't make an effort to return. The attendant (we ordered take out), didn't seem comfortable with us ordering, and it was pretty chilly inside the restaurant. read more

Cafe Bali - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Tried the matcha crepe cake. It was lovely and not too sweet, but I think it had too much matcha on the top -be careful not to inhale when you take a bite! read more

Cafe Bali - Matcha Mille Crepe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This review is going to be short and sweet. The cafe is quaint and located in old house just off of 4th st near restaurant row. It is Indonesian cuisine with a couple of Japanese dishes and variety of desserts, Boba teas. The Boba teas are fair, a bit over sweet at times so specify if desire less sweet. The staple is the beef rendang which I highly recommend. It is a curry like dish that is highly spiced with a hint of spiciness (heat) and sweetness from caramelized beef. Served with rice. Almost like a more flavorful thick beef stew as well. Chicken skewers, fried rices are large portions but flavor a little less robust than the rendang, though totally different dishes. I'd check them out for a legit meal as opposed to only tea, sweets as is one of just two true Indonesian restaurants in Indiana (other is in Greensburg ironically). read more

Something is just off about the bubble tea today. It is watered down almost? I always get the lavender bubble tea here but today I'm confused by the lack of flavor it has. Perhaps because it is Tuesday special where boba tea is 30% off? I'm not sure. You can get away with it with alcohol but not with bubble tea... read more

Cafe Bali - Lavender Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The portion of their katsu curry was huge! Their bubble tea was one of the best in town as well. The beef ramen was delicious too. read more

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Very nice atmosphere! Usually never crowded when sitting in. They are best for pick up orders because they pack things well! I highly recommend this place if you want Asian cuisine for a quick lunch! read more

Cafe Bali - Yaki Udon and Red Bean Boba tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Small but cozy cafe! The layout is a little odd, with the cashier and the ordering counter right when you walk into the door. So if there is a line, it would be very crowded. I ordered the Early Gray Milk Tea with Lychee Jelly and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted! For $4 for a large, I would definitely get it again. Only reason why I did not give it five stars was because they ran out of boba early in the day, around 6pm, and the store closes at 10pm. Heard there is a 30% off on Tuesday deal though!! read more

Cafe Bali - Earl Gray Milk Tea with Lychee Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The waitress is kind of rude and impatient when we were ordering. It was our first time visit this restaurant for some refreshing drinks. Unfortunately, my express left a lot to be desired. From the moment we stepped in, we encountered a waitress who was kind of rude and impatient, making our visit quite unpleasant. read more

I liked this place a lot! It's really quiet and I was the only customer the majority of the time I was there. The employees were attentive and really kind. It was very quiet so I studied there for awhile. They have comfortable booth seating. I got a milk tea and the matcha cake. First of all, wow, the matcha cake (they also had durian, vanilla and tiramisu flavors) was visually stunning and absolutely delicious! The price was really steep at almost $9 which almost made me not order it. Although it was super good, that is quite a lot to drop on a cake so I wouldn't order this every time I come in. I'm sure it must be time consuming to make considering all of the thin layers that must be made. The milk tea was good, it reminded me of the royal milk tea I would drink in Japan. I'm no bubble tea expert so I can't comment too much on the quality - just that I thought it was tasty. They had much more on the menu and I'm looking forward to seeing what else they have to offer! read more

Cafe Bali - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Tried Cafe Bali on a delivery platform... The food is OUTSTANDING. I ordered the Gyozas which were fantastic and the dipping sauce was perfect. I ordered the Nasi Goreng which is a fried rice, I chose no meat and the rice was just great. Spicy and flavorful, just a lot of spices going on. Nothing like any fried rice I have made or eaten. The Yaki Soba was just sooo tasty! I added chicken and I was happy dancing with its flavor. Last was the Ayam Goreng Bali. In delivery the sauce was separate. It was 3 drumsticks fried perfectly with a great breading and flavor. The spicy sauce with it was indeed SPICY but ohhh so good. Want to try more so we will go in person next time. read more

Honestly this place is special. The bubble tea is outstanding and the ambiance is incredible. It is relatively quiet, the chairs are comfortable, and there are many different types of tables. If you want to be alone, they have elevated seating, if you are eating in a group they have large tables where everyone can sit. It is a great place to study or hang with friends. I normally get the mango milk tea with bubbles and it tastes so good. They don't use those powers which many places tend to use that make the tea taste chalky. They actually blend the fruit. I have actually had little chunks of frozen mangos in my drink a few times, proof how great the drinks are. (Right now I'm in New York and am struggling to find a place with bubble tea that can compare to Cafe Bali's) The entres are also very good and very reasonably priced. I have never had one but my friend has and has really enjoyed himself. They have almost anything you could want and are super friendly too! They are also open pretty late for those late night cram sessions. Overall fantastic shop and if you are planning on spending at least 4 years in Bloomington, you have to try this shop! read more

Cafe Bali - One side of the shop late at night. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Great food and Boba, but that girl at the front didn't have to be rude... she seemed pretty upset that I wanted to order to go food instead of sitting in.... she practically slammed the food and drink on the counter.... didn't bother to tell me thank you for coming in. Rude! Update: I just saw someone else that gave a review a month ago about the rude service. So it really just wasn't me who had the same service. read more

This was my first time at Bloomington and I was craving for some bubble milk tea and Mille crepe. I found this location on yelp and the pictures looked amazing! So I thought, lets give it a try! When I was looking for Cafe Bali, their location was an actual house. The outside didn't feel welcoming at all, but that didn't stop me from wanting some sweet drinks and desserts. I walked in and there was no one at the front desk; the restaurant inside looks very dead and unwelcoming color (like it needs some lightning to brighten up the place and color). When I waited a little, a random kid or maybe she's a young adult, I'm not too sure came out and looked at me didn't even welcome me or asked what I would like...I'm assuming that if she looks at me and doesn't say anything that means I continue forward in telling my order? I ordered a matcha milk tea ($4) , jasmine milk tea ($4), and their matcha Mille crepe ($9). After she took my payment, she didn't thank me or say anything; she immediately walked into the kitchen. When the order was done, she didn't say anything again...she just stared at me, so I'm assuming that my order was ready to take out. Immediately when I looked at the bubble milk teas, both of them was super watered down and boba was not soaked long enough, so it wasn't sweet. My matcha milk tea had absolutely no matcha taste at all, I don't even know what I was drinking... the Mille crepe was also a disappointment; it tasted like matcha powder with expired milk... I'm never coming back to this location again! Pictures are deceiving ... read more

My daughter and I had lunch at Cafe Bali. The staff and food were great. The portions were perfect. The teriyaki chicken was flavorful and very tender. We will definitely be coming back to try other items on the menu. read more

TL;DR: Tea decent. Food disappointing. Portions tiny. Go elsewhere. --- I decided to check them out because they had a hooked deal for a $4.95 Chicken Curry Meal. I called to place an order and was told they took chicken curry off their menu and replaced it with beef curry. Alrightythen? I walked on over to grab my curry and was a bit pained to see how small the "meal" was -- a small bowl consisting of 2/3 rice and 1/3 beef stew trying its best to be curry. The stew was mostly potato bits with a few onions and 4 tiny beef chunks (see photos). The taste was underwhelming. Alas, I decided that I shouldn't judge a Japanese cafe based on curry... So my next visit I tried their Matcha Milk Tea with bubbles ($2.95) and Spicy Miso Ramen ($8.95). I liked the tea, but it's not something I'd venture to buy again. The ramen, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. For $9 I expected more than a tiny bowl of instant noodles with two pieces of sliced ham, a sheet of seaweed, and a fermented egg (see photo). Again, the taste was woefully underwhelming and incredibly salty. With Lucky Express and Sushi Haru (both amazing) literally around the corner on 3rd, I'm surprised they're trying to compete with such inferior food. Really, there's way too many amazing Asian restaurants nearby to ever justify visiting this cafe again. read more

Cafe Bali - Beef curry - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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The mango pomelo sago, taro ball and redsoup and crepe are great! Very nice environment to sit for a small talk. Highly recommended read more

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First off, I NEVER review restaurants but this place is an absolute gem. I honestly can't think of a better place to eat in Bloomington. Every dish I've had has been great. Usually when a place has a larger menu, there's only a couple good things but I've had the Teriyaki, Rendang, Curry Katsu, and Ramen here and have been blown away each time how good it is. My favorite is the Salmon Teriyaki (great portion and value) but it's really close because it's all so good. And the drinks! Great bubble tea and maybe the best smoothies in town. I had never had Indonesian food before and now I'd say it's one of my favorite foods if not my favorite. read more

So good! I got the Soto ayam and a fruit tea with boba. My husband got the katsu curry and a Thai iced tea with boba. Everything was delicious. And the portion sizes were very generous. This will be our new go-to place for bubble tea. read more

Super cute and modern business. The Vanilla Crepe and Mango Smoothie with boba was amazing. The boba was soft and chewy. The Teriyaki Chicken and rice was extremely good. Would definitely recommend! read more

I ordered them through door dash and everything was packaged with care and tasted so fresh and delicious. I got the shrimp tempura, soto ayam, and crepe cake. Loved it all. read more

Great bubble tea, lots of choices. Only tried the tea and desserts. The cakes are a bit expensive but very good. The lavender milk tea was amazing! read more

Cafe Bali - Lavender milk tea with boba and vanilla cake. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I've been to this place twice. The server always seemed upset for some reason and her service was terrible.

Continuing the venture for Bubble Tea in B-Town, I stopped by Cafe University at around 8pm it was pretty empty when I went. Could be because it just opened fairly recently. The pricing is a little bit on the high side, similar to Miyo Bubble Tea Lounge but maybe a little cheaper. I got the strawberry slushee bubble tea. So I've seen slushee bubble teas go in two directions, one is with real fruit and no creme base or powder, or you get one that has a mix with the powder or some sort of milk base. The one I got was more on the milk-shake side, where I wouldn't be surprised to see if they mixed ice cream into the slushee. The quality was alright, the bobas up to par with what I would expect, and the quantity give seems to justify the cost a little bit. Overall, I would probably come back to try some other flavors and maybe the food as well. ----Updates----- (6/7/16) While craving something sweet, I some how found myself back at Cafe University. With Bubble Tea in hand, I realize what I thought was potentially ice cream that they put in their smoothies actually taste more like a powder base. I also spent almost $6 on one drink, which is expensive to me. I could have bought 6 McChickens from McDonalds with that amount... not that I would ever eat that many mcchickens in one sitting..... read more

Delish , very consistent, food. Easy pick up during Covid-19. I recommend the beef rendang. Spicy, but not too spicy.

This place felt very nice and relaxing. The drink I ordered was original milk tea with grass jelly. They had ran out of bubble or tapioca pearls but that is understandable. Service was okay but she seemed a little sad or bored when she took our orders. That brought the mood down. The drink I got was decent. It was not to my liking since it did not have that much ice and was not sweet. It was semi sweet but if I do go there next time. I could just adjust my order to make it sweeter. All in all this place was okay. read more

Overall, I gave this restaurant only 1* due to a very dangerous situation for elderly people and those with disabilities, especially balance issues. There are 4 steps next to the main sidewalk that are very uneven and have no handrail. Basically, I had to put my hands on the steps and crawl down backwards to safely get down the stairs. I was then able to help my partner, who was using a cane, to also get down the stairs safely. We have traveled internationally extensively, been to Bali twice, lived in Asia for a few years, and love Indonesian food. So, we were really looking forward to a great food experience here. However, the food was very average Americanized Asian and worth only 3***. Service, on the other hand, was excellent. We ordered three dishes. The satay appetizer is large chunks of pork and was generally good but very dry and probably overcooked. It came covered with a mixture of soy and hoisin sauce, which was sweet. The satay would be better if fixed in smaller pieces that are grilled and not dried out. It is very different from the standard Chinese satay, which is thin slices of marinated meat, grilled, and served with peanut sauce. The second dish was Kwee Tiau Goreng, flat rice noodles with oyster and sweet sauce Indonesian style and mixed with a variety of vegetables. We added shrimp to the dish. It reminded me Pad Thai. Again tasty, but very average. Our third dish was Beef Rendang (Spicy), slow Cooked beef with caramelized Indonesian curry. While advertised as spicy, it was not. It was rather bland and tasteless, and disappointing. Spices seemed non-existent both in flavor and heat read more

They have the best Taro Milk tea in Btown . The staff very friendly. Love this place. read more

Cafe Bali - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I have ordered here a handful of times now during the self-quarantine using door dash and every time, my order has been immaculate. Ever since I saw they delivered milk tea, I've been hooked. read more

This cafe is located in a house which I thought was pretty cool however when I got there, there was no other people eating there, it was dead quite, no music or anything, and the server who was a young girl definitely didn't know how to serve. It was like she was way too shy to even come up to the table. The food was exceptional. read more

If you want to find the best Japanese curry thIs is the place to go. Since coming back from Japan this is the only place I can find this type of sweet curry. They are always quick and ready to serve. Also the prices are fairly cheap and the food is amazing. read more

Very generous portions and reasonably priced. Two qualities that are hard to come by in most restaurants today. Very friendly and quick service as well. Awesome place. read more

This place is a gem. Very good food for not a lot of money compared to most places in that part of town and especially in Bloomington in general. I love the Indonesian noodle soup and for the price, it will fill you up, all the while of tasting good and healthy to boot. Full of chicken, cabbage, sprouts, and cilantro. You won't leave hungry. read more

Went here for lunch early. I was the only one there. Low key decor. But the food makes up for that. The chicken was delicious rice great and plenty. The sauce was so good. I put some in the rice. While I was there many carry out orders were picked up. I took home 2 pieces of crepe cake. Vanilla and the Italian one tiramisu. Both sooo good. Bubble milk tea also delicious read more