5 Starter Choices Before Your Main Course at Vayana Ubud

When you are planning a meal at Vayana Ubud Grill & Bar, the main course may already be the easiest decision. You might be coming for Pork Ribs, choosing one of the Premium Burger selections, or looking through the Indonesian and Western menu. But before the main course arrives, there is another part of the menu worth exploring: the starters.

A good starter does more than fill the time while you wait. It can introduce a different texture, add another flavour to the table, or give a group something to share before everyone chooses their own main course. Vayana's official Starter selection includes Savory Gyoza, Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup, Vegetable Samosa, and Kebab Chicken Skewer. There is also Soup Iga Rempah in the Soup & Salad category, which can work as another option when you want something before the main course.

With different textures and flavour directions across the selection, choosing a starter can be as simple as deciding what you want your meal to begin with.

Savory Gyoza with Sweet Chili Sauce

For something simple and easy to share, Savory Gyoza is one of the most straightforward choices on the menu. Vayana serves the gyoza with sweet chili sauce, creating a combination that brings together the savoury dumpling and a sweeter, more distinctive sauce.

The appeal of this starter is that it does not try to do too much. The gyoza provides the main bite, while the sweet chili sauce gives it another layer of flavour. That makes it particularly practical for a table where several people are waiting for their main courses and want something small to share first.

It can also work well before a larger order. If your main course is going to be Pork Ribs or another grill selection, the gyoza gives the table a different texture before moving into the heavier main. The same applies if you are planning to order a Premium Burger. Rather than starting with another large dish, a few pieces of gyoza can simply give everyone something to enjoy while waiting.

Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup

Not every starter needs to be crispy or fried. If you prefer something warm, Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup takes the menu in a completely different direction. The dish combines chicken dumpling, leek, and spicy soup.

The chicken dumpling becomes the main element, while the leek adds another component to the bowl. The spicy soup creates the overall character and makes this starter a useful option for anyone who wants something warm before moving on to the main course.

It can be particularly interesting when paired with a main course that has a completely different texture. For example, if you are planning a burger or grilled dish, starting with a warm dumpling soup creates more contrast within the meal. Instead of repeating the same crispy or grilled elements from beginning to end, the soup gives you a different experience at the start.

For customers looking for a warm and slightly spicy beginning to their meal, this is the starter to consider.

Vegetable Samosa with Curry Sauce

Vegetable Samosa gives the starter selection another direction, particularly for customers looking for a vegetarian option. Vayana's menu describes it as samosa with carrot, sweet corn, and curry sauce, and the dish is marked as vegetarian.

The combination gives the starter several distinct elements. The samosa provides the main texture, while carrot and sweet corn create the vegetable filling. Curry sauce then adds another flavour component to the plate.

This can be useful when dining with a group because not everyone necessarily wants to start with the same type of food. One person may already be planning a Pork Ribs order, another may be interested in a burger, while someone else may prefer a vegetarian starter. Vegetable Samosa gives the table an option that can work without changing the rest of the group's dining plan.

It is also a practical choice if you want a starter with a different flavour profile before moving into one of Vayana's grill or Western selections.

Kebab Chicken Skewer

For customers who already know they enjoy grilled flavours, Kebab Chicken Skewer is an easy choice. The menu describes it as grilled chicken thigh with lemon, and it is also marked as a best seller.

The grilled chicken thigh gives this starter a more direct connection to Vayana's identity as an Ubud Grill & Bar. Rather than starting with a dumpling or samosa, you can begin with a smaller grilled dish before moving into a larger grill selection.

The lemon adds a fresh element to the chicken, keeping the dish relatively straightforward while still giving it a clear flavour detail. It also makes sense for customers who are visiting Vayana specifically because they want grilled food. You can start with the Kebab Chicken Skewer, then continue into Pork Ribs, Iga Rempah, or another main course from the grill selection.

Because it is a smaller grilled option, it can also work as a shared starter for a table before everyone moves on to their individual orders.

Soup Iga Rempah Before the Main Course

There is one distinction worth making with the fifth option. Soup Iga Rempah is not officially listed under Vayana's Starter category. It appears in the Soup & Salad section of the menu. However, if you are simply looking for something to have before your main course, it is another option worth considering.

The soup combines pork ribs, carrot, tomato, leek, and celery. This gives you an opportunity to explore the Iga Rempah direction in a warm soup format before deciding whether you want to continue with a larger grill order.

For someone interested in Vayana's signature iga selection, this can be an interesting way to begin. Instead of going directly into Pork Ribs or Iga Rempah as the main dish, the soup introduces pork ribs together with vegetables in a different format.

It is therefore better described as a pre-main option rather than a fifth official starter, but it still fits naturally into the way you might build your dining experience at Vayana.

Choosing a Starter Before a Grill Order

If you are planning to order from the grill selection, your starter can either complement that direction or create some contrast. Savory Gyoza, for example, gives you a completely different texture before moving into Pork Ribs. The sweet chili sauce also adds another flavour profile without making the first part of the meal too complicated.

Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup takes an even bigger step away from the grill. The warm soup and chicken dumpling give you something different before the grilled main course arrives. If you prefer to keep the whole meal connected to the grill concept, however, Kebab Chicken Skewer is the more natural choice.

Soup Iga Rempah offers another route for customers who already have pork ribs in mind. It lets you experience the ingredient in a soup-based dish before deciding whether to continue with one of Vayana's larger grill selections.

The best choice ultimately depends on whether you want your starter to contrast with the main course or continue in the same flavour direction.

Choosing a Starter Before a Burger

The same idea works when your main course is a burger. Vayana's Premium Burger Selection includes three different builds, so the burger itself can already be a substantial part of the meal. Starting with a smaller dish can therefore be a better approach than ordering another heavy main before it.

Savory Gyoza works well if you want a savoury bite with sweet chili sauce before your burger. Vegetable Samosa offers a different texture and curry flavour, while Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup gives you something warm before moving into the fuller burger build.

Kebab Chicken Skewer is another option if you enjoy grilled flavours and want to start with chicken before moving into a burger. It keeps the meal connected to the grill character without making the starter feel like another full main course.

Starters for Family and Group Dining

Starters can become even more useful when you are dining with family or friends. Instead of every person ordering an individual starter, one or two dishes can be placed in the middle of the table and shared while everyone decides on their main course.

Savory Gyoza and Vegetable Samosa are particularly easy to consider for this style of dining because they can be shared before the main dishes arrive. Kebab Chicken Skewer can work in the same way for a group that wants something grilled.

Then the table can move in different directions for the main course. One guest might choose Pork Ribs, another might order a Premium Burger, while someone else may prefer Beef Rendang, Chicken Parmigiana, or another Indonesian or Western selection.

This makes the starter less about following a fixed dining formula and more about giving the table another way to enjoy the menu together.

Match the Starter to the Main Course You Want

The easiest way to choose is to start with the type of experience you want.

If you want something savoury and easy to share, Savory Gyoza with sweet chili sauce is a natural starting point. If you prefer something warm with a spicy character, Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup gives you chicken dumpling, leek, and spicy soup.

For a vegetarian option, Vegetable Samosa combines samosa, carrot, sweet corn, and curry sauce. If you want to stay close to the grill identity, Kebab Chicken Skewer gives you grilled chicken thigh with lemon.

And if you are interested in the local character of Vayana's iga selection, Soup Iga Rempah offers pork ribs with carrot, tomato, leek, and celery in a warm soup format.

From there, your main course can take the meal wherever you want it to go.

Build Your Vayana Order Your Way

A starter does not need to become the biggest part of your meal. Sometimes it is simply the first detail that sets the direction for everything that follows.

At Vayana Ubud Grill & Bar, you can begin with Savory Gyoza, Spicy Hokkian Dumpling Soup, Vegetable Samosa, or Kebab Chicken Skewer. If you want something from the Soup & Salad section before your main, Soup Iga Rempah is another option worth considering.

Then move into the main course that actually matches what you came to Vayana for, whether that means Pork Ribs, Iga Rempah, a Premium Burger, Indonesian food, or one of the Western selections.

For the complete menu and reservation information, visit vayanaubud.com. Vayana Ubud Grill & Bar is located at Jl. Raya Andong No.18X, Peliatan, Ubud, Bali, and is open every day from 3 PM until 10 PM.

Choose your starter, pick your main, and plan your Vayana visit through vayanaubud.com.