16.283 Egg Balado

Cycle 16 – Item 283

Post 5,762

15 (Wed) October 2025

Egg Balado

3.5

on MSY Mola Mola 1

-Banda Sea, Indonesia-

with fellow divers

Living Aboard the Mola Mola: Day 3 of 7

- Day -4 (16.277 Nasi Goreng Kampoeng)
- Day -3 (16.278 Ikan Bakar)
- Day -2 (16.279 Chicken & Beef Platter)
- Day -1 (16.280 Buntut Goreng)
- Day 1 (16.281 Beef Semur)
- Day 2 (16.282 Egg Fuyunghai)
- Day 3 (16.283 Egg Balado)
- Day 4 (16.284 Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)
- Day 5 (16.285 Hotpot)
- Day 6 (16.286 Beef Rendang)
- Day 7 (16.287 BBQ with “My” Sambal)
- Day +1 (16.288 Fried Chicken Nusantara (Quarter Chicken Package))

In Indonesia. Here for a 7-day liveaboard scuba diving trip: sailing across the Banda Sea on board the MSY Mola Mola, while diving, eating, drinking, sleeping (i.e., “living aboard”) the boat. The Banda Sea is one of four seas surrounding the archipelago of Maluku Islands aka the Spice Islands (where European powers fought wars during the 16th-17th centuries to gain control of the islands’ abundant spices, such as nutmeg, cloves, and mace). Primary objective: sighting schools of hammerhead sharks. (Two prior liveaboard trips were both to the Maldives aboard the MV Adora (see previously 14.062 Sautéed Sword Lettuce (Three Times) (2023) (9.191 Grilled Beef Tenderloin (2018).) My first time ever in Indonesia – who knows if I’ll ever return? – I arrived a few days early to maximize the visit and hang out in Jakarta.

MSY Mola Mola in Ambon Bay, with Merah Putih Bridge in the distant background.

DIVE 5

– Pulau Suanggi –

Nothing to report.

BREAKFAST

After repeated requests to the kitchen for more Indonesian food, they finally came through. Though frankly, the spread was rather intense, very spicy, especially for breakfast – I was thinking that they’d introduce one dish at a time, at lunch or dinner.

Balado is an Indonesian sauce. Made with chilies + garlic + shallots + tomato, typically fried in coconut or palm oil, essentially the same thing as sambal goreng. The sauce is tossed with a variety of meats or vegetables, such as chicken, beef, boiled eggs, eggplant, potatoes.

Amazing. I will try to make this at home (for dinner).

DIVE 6

– Pulau Suanggi –

Nothing to report.

LUNCH

One component of every spread that I’ve quickly come to appreciate very deeply is the cooked vegetable, usually Chinese in vibe, lightly sautéed with soy sauce and garlic – so comforting.

Sauteed Chayote (3.5): one of my favorite vegetables to sauté, which I haven’t had since the Philippines (see for example 11.023 Chayote Guisado).

DIVE 7

– Pulau Suanggi –

Exhausted from chasing hammerheads, often against strong currents, I elected to sit one out.

DIVE 8

– Pulau Suanggi –

Saw a shark in the distance that seemed to be a hammerhead but couldn’t be sure (other divers who were closer said it was).

DINNER

Another deeply appreciated component is the soup, especially those that are Chinese in vibe, a combo of protein and veg in a light stock – so soothing.