Around the World Menu in Gili Trawangan: What to Order When Everyone Wants Something Different

Finding international food in Gili Trawangan is rarely difficult. The harder part can be choosing one restaurant when everyone at the table wants something different.

One person might be ready for Butter Chicken and naan. Someone else wants Indonesian fried rice. Another prefers pasta, tacos or something simple and familiar after several days of travelling.

That is where the Around the World menu at Pesona Lounge Trawangan becomes useful.

Indian cuisine remains an important part of our menu, but the Around the World section brings together local Indonesian favourites, internationally familiar comfort food and dishes that combine Indian flavours with formats travellers may already recognise.

It means a group does not necessarily have to agree on one cuisine before sitting down together.

Want to explore the Indian side of the menu first? Read our Local Guide to Indian Food in Gili Trawangan for an introduction to curries, tandoor dishes, biryani and naan before deciding what belongs on your table.

Why an International Menu Makes Sense in Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan welcomes travellers from many countries, and dining preferences can vary just as much as travel styles.

Some visitors arrive specifically looking for Indonesian food. Others have spent several days eating nasi goreng and seafood and are ready for something different. Groups and couples can also have completely different appetites on the same evening.

A varied menu becomes particularly practical in those situations.

At Pesona Lounge Trawangan, the Around the World section does not simply copy a collection of unrelated international dishes. Many items keep some connection to the flavours and ingredients found elsewhere on the menu.

Fish & Chips, for example, comes with curried tartar sauce. Tacos are built using grilled naan and tikka fillings. Quesadillas use roti with cheese and spiced fillings, while Masala Mac & Cheese introduces Indian spices into a familiar comfort-food format.

These are useful choices for diners who are curious about Indian flavours but may not be ready to begin with a traditional curry.

Start With Something for the Table

When several people want different mains, sharing one opening dish can make ordering easier.

Desi Mezze Platter

The Desi Mezze Platter brings together hummus, baba ghanoush, raita, crudités and warm naan.

It works particularly well when the table wants something to pick at while deciding on individual mains.

There is also useful contrast within the platter itself: creamy dips, fresh vegetables and warm bread rather than several fried starters with similar textures.

Masala Crisps

For something simpler, Masala Crisps take a familiar snack and add spiced masala seasoning.

They can work well when drinks arrive before the rest of the meal or when the group wants something small rather than committing immediately to a large starter.

The point of sharing dishes is not necessarily to order more food. It is to give everyone something in common before individual preferences take the meal in different directions.

Planning a larger shared dinner? Read our First-Timer’s Guide to What to Order at Pesona Lounge Trawangan for practical advice on balancing grilled dishes, curries, rice and naan without filling the table with too many similar plates.

Familiar Food With a Pesona Twist

Sometimes you are travelling and simply want a dish that feels familiar.

The Around the World menu includes several recognisable formats, but many of them still connect back to the flavours of Pesona Lounge Trawangan.

Fish & Chips

Fish & Chips is probably one of the most internationally familiar options on the menu.

The current version pairs beer-battered fish and fries with curried tartar sauce.

It can suit diners who want something straightforward while the rest of the table explores Indian dishes.

This is also a good example of how mixed dining does not have to mean every guest ordering from the same part of the menu.

One person can order Fish & Chips while another orders Lamb Rogan Josh, Paneer Tikka or biryani.

Meat Feast Naan Pizza

The Meat Feast Naan Pizza takes another familiar format and changes the base.

Instead of a conventional pizza crust, naan carries bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, onion and jalapeño.

For diners deciding between Indian food and something closer to pizza, this sits somewhere between the two.

It is not intended to replace traditional naan or traditional pizza. It is simply a different way to use the bread already central to the Indian side of the menu.

Indian Flavours in Familiar Formats

Some of the most distinctive dishes in the Around the World section are the ones that cross culinary formats.

Rather than asking first-time diners to immediately understand every Indian dish name, these options begin with formats they probably already recognise.

Tandoori Tacos

Tandoori Tacos use grilled naan as the taco base and can be ordered with vegetable tikka, chicken tikka or fish tikka.

Kachumber and raita add freshness alongside the grilled filling.

This can be a useful introduction to tandoor flavours because the format feels familiar even if the seasoning does not.

Someone who is unsure about ordering a full tandoori main can experience similar grilled flavours in a more casual format.

Naanchos

Naanchos take the idea of loaded nachos and replace traditional chips with naan chips.

They are topped with melted cheese, pico de gallo and raita, with vegetable or chicken options available.

This is one of the more natural dishes to place in the centre of the table rather than treat as an individual main.

Indian Quesadilla

The Indian Quesadilla takes another familiar format and uses roti filled with melted cheese and either spiced vegetables or chicken.

For guests who enjoy Indian seasoning but want something less sauce-heavy than curry, dishes such as this can provide an easier starting point.

Curious about Indian food but not sure where to begin? Read our Indian Food for Beginners Guide to understand some of the most common dishes before moving deeper into the menu.

Local Food Is Still Part of the Choice

International dining does not have to mean skipping Indonesian food.

The Around the World menu currently includes both Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng, available with vegetable or chicken options.

These are particularly useful when a mixed group includes someone who wants to stay with familiar Indonesian flavours while others explore Indian or fusion dishes.

Nasi Goreng

Nasi Goreng combines Indonesian fried rice with egg, pickles and crackers.

For many travellers, it becomes one of the most dependable meals during a trip through Indonesia.

At a mixed table, it can sit comfortably alongside curry, tandoori dishes or international comfort food without forcing the entire group into one style of eating.

Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng offers the same kind of familiarity through fried noodles rather than rice.

Again, this makes the Around the World section less about choosing one country and more about giving different people practical choices at the same table.

Pasta and Noodles With More Character

The pasta and noodle section continues the same idea.

Instead of serving only familiar Western-style pasta, several dishes bring Indian or Asian-influenced flavours into the format.

Masala Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is familiar comfort food for many travellers.

The version at Pesona Lounge Trawangan introduces Indian spices, garlic and chilli into the creamy base.

It may suit someone who wants something comforting while still exploring flavours they would not normally find in a standard mac and cheese.

Bombay Garlic Chili Pasta

Bombay Garlic Chili Pasta uses linguine with garlic, chilli, mustard seeds and parmesan.

Rather than presenting itself as a traditional Italian pasta dish, it deliberately moves toward Indian flavours while keeping the recognisable pasta format.

Peanut Tofu Noodles

For something different again, Peanut Tofu Noodles combine thin noodles with a spiced peanut sauce, tofu, edamame and crispy shallots.

The difference between these dishes is useful when several people at the table want noodles or pasta but do not necessarily want the same flavour profile.

Naan Does Not Have to Be Just a Side

Naan is usually associated with curry.

On the Around the World menu, it also becomes the base for sandwiches and wraps.

Chicken Bacon Naan Sandwich

The Chicken Bacon Naan Sandwich combines grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, onion, tomato and creamy chipotle sauce.

This is clearly a different eating experience from tearing naan and dipping it into curry.

For lunch or a more casual meal, the sandwich format may be more convenient for diners who want one complete dish rather than several plates.

Curried Chicken Naan Sandwich

The Curried Chicken Naan Sandwich keeps a stronger connection to Indian flavours through Madras-style coronation chicken mayo with raisins and cashews.

It is another example of how a familiar sandwich format can introduce spices and combinations from elsewhere on the menu.

Grilled Veg Naan Sandwich

Vegetarian diners can choose the Grilled Veg Naan Sandwich, made with grilled vegetables, beetroot feta, hummus, pesto, onion and capsicum.

This gives vegetarian diners an option outside the traditional curry section without implying that every vegetarian guest wants the same kind of meal.

Biryani Burrito

The Biryani Burrito takes the idea even further.

Biryani rice is combined with cheese and avocado, then wrapped and grilled, with vegetable and chicken versions available.

Traditional biryani and a Biryani Burrito are very different experiences.

One celebrates biryani as a rice dish. The other places those flavours into a portable, familiar format.

That distinction matters because the Around the World menu is not trying to redefine traditional Indian dishes. It provides additional ways to enjoy some of the ingredients and flavours associated with them.

What Should a Mixed Group Order?

If everyone at your table has different preferences, do not try to force the meal into one category.

Start by asking what each person actually wants.

Someone who wants traditional Indian food might choose Chicken Tikka, Butter Chicken, Paneer Makhani or biryani.

Someone looking for local Indonesian food can choose Nasi Goreng or Mie Goreng.

A diner who wants something familiar might prefer Fish & Chips or a naan sandwich.

Someone who wants Indian flavours without ordering a traditional curry might be happier with Tandoori Tacos, Naanchos, an Indian Quesadilla or Masala Mac & Cheese.

Then, if the table wants to share, add one common starter rather than several.

This approach usually creates more variety and makes it easier for everyone to order according to their own appetite.

Still deciding between traditional curry and grilled Indian dishes? Read our Tandoor vs Curry guide to understand the difference in cooking style, texture and sauce before choosing your main.

Around the World Dining at Pesona Lounge Trawangan

The Around the World menu adds another layer to dining at Pesona Lounge Trawangan.

Indian cuisine remains an important part of what we serve, but not every person sitting at the table has to order Indian food.

That can be especially useful for couples, families and groups travelling together, where one person may want curry, another wants Indonesian food and someone else simply wants Fish & Chips or pasta.

Rather than choosing a restaurant based on one person’s preference, the table can move in several directions at once.

And if everyone eventually decides they do want Butter Chicken and Garlic Naan after all, those are still there too.

Want to see what is currently available before visiting? Explore the current Pesona Lounge Trawangan menu to compare the Around the World selection with our Indian food, breakfast and drinks menus.

If location is part of your decision, Pesona Lounge Trawangan is on Gili Trawangan’s eastern side near the main harbour.

Arriving on the island and looking for a convenient place to eat? Read our Guide to Eating Near Gili Trawangan Harbour for practical advice on choosing a meal around your arrival time, luggage and plans for the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pesona Lounge Trawangan only serve Indian food?

No. Indian cuisine is a major part of the menu, but Pesona Lounge Trawangan also has an Around the World section featuring Indonesian dishes, international comfort food, pasta and noodles, naan sandwiches and Indian-inspired fusion dishes.

What can I order if I do not want curry?

Current non-curry choices include Fish & Chips, Nasi Goreng, Mie Goreng, Tandoori Tacos, Naanchos, Indian Quesadilla, Chicken Tikka Salad, pasta and noodle dishes, naan sandwiches and wraps.

Is the Around the World menu useful for groups?

It can be particularly practical for groups where people want different cuisines or different types of meals. Diners can choose Indian dishes, Indonesian favourites or internationally familiar options from the same menu.

Are there vegetarian dishes in the Around the World menu?

Yes. The current menu includes vegetarian versions or vegetarian choices across several dishes, including Tandoori Tacos, Naanchos, Indian Quesadilla, Nasi Goreng, Mie Goreng, Grilled Veg Naan Sandwich and Biryani Burrito. Guests with dietary requirements should still confirm ingredients and preparation with the restaurant team when ordering.

Where can I check the latest menu?

The current menu is available directly on the Pesona Lounge Trawangan website.

Checking your options before dinner? View the latest Pesona Lounge Trawangan menu before visiting, as dishes and availability can change.