Li Gong

In order: Bok choy, squids and Braised Tofu

Every Wednesday and Thursday Nights, its 'Eat All You Can' Promotion at the Empire Hotel and Country Club. Many choices from the menu. Adults $25, Children $12.50 plus 10 % service charge.

Here are a sample of the many dishes offered.



Prawn with Szechuan sauce


Chicken with lemon sauce - my fave


Beef with BBQ sauce

We like the food so much that we forgot to take photos of others. Prawn mayonaise, Fried Chicken with Thousand Island sauce and Beef with black pepper sauce.

Breaking Fast at Restoran Kaka

Two nights ago, the AB gang trooped over to Restoran Kaka which introduced its sungkai buffet on Monday. Famous for its nasi katok, the owners decided to open the restaurant to offer its clientele additional choices above the staple nasi katok.

Located at Kg Rimba, the interior decor of the restaurant is cosy and modern with a touch of homeliness. Nice work by the owners, the husband and wife team who did the design.

The buffet was quite a refreshing change from the 167++ dish buffets of the bigger establishments. It was a simple buffet made up of not more than 20 items and this meant you don't over-indulge from wanting to try everything. The highlight of the meal for me was the beef rendang, and the bubur durian. Sedap sekali!

At only B$6.90 for adults and B$4 per child, this buffet represents one of the better value for money meals this ramadhan, especially for families on tight budgets. Thoroughly recommended. As da gangsta puts it, do call 8778330 for reservations as this place can get pretty packed.

The corner unit location makes the small unit feel spacious

Sri Patik Brasserie

Following his lead, a couple of us ventured to sungkai at the rather royal name brasserie. We had a long table of 13 adults plus some kids and that showed our enthusiastic feelings in trying out this new place. When she and her, two nominees from Simpur Bloggies Award of the Specialty Blog category, gives their thumbs-up for their food, you can be sure the chefs are doing something right with their dishes.

The moment that you arrived at the restaurant, you must wonder where you are exactly in Brunei. It gives that 'out of the country' feeling, not because it was located close to the Airport but the decor and ambiance created gives it a more international setting. I definitely loved it!!

The open concept of the restaurant is very much welcomed by all of us as it gives a relaxing and casual atmosphere for you to catch up with family and friends while enjoying the good food. First stop for sungkai definitely is the cakes corner that are full of Malay cakes.

Last night, most of the food presented were of Asian cuisine with a kampung theme. Speaking to one of the Chef, meat carveries are normally showcased during weekends. I was looking forward to the carvery but it was not available last night. Definitely need to find an excuse to come back again during one of the weekends.

The open kitchen concept reminds me much of Straits Kitchen in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
Mee Bandung station. - got my thumbs up!

Chefs cooking away which is great cos the food that you take is constantly warm.
Good point - not a long wait.

Assam Pedas Fish Curry

Ayam Masak Merah

Nasi Goreng Kampung.

Starters. From Potato Salads to Sambal Belacan dips to Kerabu
to Thai Salad - just the right variety. I think this is his favorite section.

There was a variety of veggies too.

My favorite dessert, the Bubur Kacang Merah was just right.

So yes, we did have a good time at Sri Patik. The ambiance was comfortable, tables not too close, the staff attentive and of course the food was beyond our expectations. Sungkai Buffet is B$15 (adults) and B$10 (children). Everyday they have a different menu, so best to call them at 2335477 for inquiries and reservations. Their address is;

Sri Patik Brasserie
No.1 & 2, Jaya Setia Square,
Simpang 13, Jalan Berakas,
Bandar Seri Begawan.

The place looks promising although fairly new. I'm actually looking forward to try out their Breakfast Buffet hehehe... Till then, Selamat Berpuasa ;)

Japanese Sungkai Buffet? Go Takara!

I'm sure you're thinking "I bet it cost a bomb!". Maybe in the $30ish range I hear you guessing. Nope, you're too far off! The ones at Takara only cost $12.80. Yes. Not kidding. Let me repeat again. B$12.80!!!

Ok. Still unconvinced? You must be saying like, "oh maybe they don't have nice things on the menu, just the unpopular dishes". Well, feast your eyes on this...

Appetizer - Gyoza

Appetizer - Salmon Sashimi (and they're not stingy on the slices too!)

Appetizer - California Maki (5 varieties)

Chicken Teriyaki on a stick! Yummy!

Fish... errmm fried. I think it's Tuna.

Japanese Noodles

Tempura Prawn!

The buffet spread (trust me, a visit or two ain't enough!)

My plate (round one).

So how did I like it? It was awesome! I don't know how much Sashimi and Ebi Tempura I had but I know that if I were to order it normally, it'll at least cost me $30 or so. To go with the meal, there's also a free flow of drink, good ole Manisan which goes well with the dishes. Not in the picture are the fried squids and garlic rice. For desserts, they also have assorted Malay kuehs and fruits. Crazy deal right?

Yes again I repeat, it's only B$12.80 (adult), B$8.80 (child) & under 6 years old, no charge at all. One not so good news though is that it's only available till the 15th of Sept! So you better hurry and make your reservations now. Check here for their contact numbers.

/edit 120908: They've extended the Buffet offer until the 24th of Sept! Also you get 20% discount when you order ala carte! Excellent deal I must say!

Restaurant Khaz Corner

My beloved nephew is currently on a study break from the U.K. After a month stint in Spain, he was craving for local kampung cuisine. He asked me for a recommendation where should he go for his sungkai, a place where he can eat Ambuyat, kampung food, roti john, soto, buffet spread, local cakes, free flow of manisan, puspa and teh tarik.......for a measly $5 per person.

I told him....'no fear son! Restoran Khaz Corner is the place!'. Zim was delighted when we had our sungkai treat with the rest of the family at place that I have recommended. We were definitely spoilt for choice and I personally didn't try all of the food because it was too much for me to eat.

staff getting the place ready

The busy crowd during sungkai

puspa corner

my sungkai plate.... just the beginning..

kari tulang daging, roti john, spaghetti

sambal udang, ayam masak kunyit, nasi goreng

dessert spread with variety of cakes, dates and fresh cut fruits
soto corner.. a must!

If the buffet is not your preference, you can order a la carte meals from the menu... like kolo mee, nasi paprik, nasi ayam and ayam penyet.

I forgot to take photo of the Ambuyat and kampung corner. So , if you are looking for a place to take the family, Restoran Khaz corner is a good choice. Great value for money, At a price of $5, all in the family can enjoy their dinner.

Khaz Corner can be found at two branches:

Senkurong Branch
No.2 Bangunan Hj Abdullah
Tel: 2670600 / 8729425 / 8627962

Kg Rimba Branch
No. 4, Ground Floor, Rimba Complex,
Jalan Tungku Link.
Tel:: 2426600 / 2670600


Khaz Corner also does home catering for all your function needs.

Villa Mauri

The exquisite taste of Italy
by Farah HA


Food lovers can now indulge and savour in the delectable taste of Italian cuisine at the new Italian eatery, Villa Mauri.

The restaurant specialises in rich southern Italian flavours, spearheaded by Chef Maurizio Intrigila, hailing from Reggio Calabria, Italy, who acquired his "Diploma Di Cucina (kitchen)" from his homeland.

"Villa Mauri aims to provide quality and value for money dishes. We intend to uphold our motto of being 'Simply the best' in our field of work," said Chef Intrigila while explicating the ideas and concepts behind his restaurant during an interview with the Weekend.

"My family and I have been in Brunei for 12 years and although I travelled to other countries, my heart will always remain in Brunei, which I consider to be my second home and am well familiar with the market here."

This prompted him to set up his own local Italian restaurant with the vision of promoting only healthy authentic Italian food using a "low-fat" cooking method. The menu offers a wide selection of Italian dishes, Asian cuisine as well as desserts that will leave your taste buds demanding for more.

Healthy conscious individuals can relish in the fact that no butter or cream is used in any of the dishes offered. The chef also assured that all ingredients used are 100 per cent halal.

Customers can dine-in at the eatery to feel the delicious and mouth-watering cuisine from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm.

++++++++++++++

Bulimic: Ok so that came out a few weeks ago in the Weekend Bulletin. I've been to Villa Mauri before it came out though and I must say I liked the place and more importantly the food too. Now I haven't been to Italy, let alone taste authentic Italian dishes, so I can't really give an expert comparison, for all I know I might not even like it, but I find the dishes at Villa Mauri to my liking. I have only had the lamb shank (pic below) so far and I think it's the best one I've tasted served in any restaurant here.

The talk amongst my friends though is the Tiramisu. It's the type that makes you go speechless. One described it as gastronomically orgasmic! Then there is the Fantasia di Maria, another chocolate based dessert that you should have to complete your meal. The prices are quite reasonable and they also a set lunch menu of $11 which includes a soup or salad for starters and pasta or pizza for the main course. For dinner there is a $22 and $25 set meal too.

During the coming month of Ramadhan, Chef Intrigila said they will be having an all-you-can-eat promotion, so that is one to look out for!

You can read some positive reviews about Villa Mauri here, here and here.

Villa Mauri
Italian Restaurant & Asian Delight
Spg. 368, Jln. Muara
Kg. Sungai Tilong
For reservations, call: 233 5585.

The Italian Promotion at Spaghettini.

Wow! The Italian Promotion at Spaghettini is back again at The Empire Hotel and Country Club. Having missed it last year, I made a point to try it this time. Two traditional Italian Chefs : Chef Grassi and Chef Ettore are here.. all the way from the Acanto Ristorante at the Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan, Italy, to brew up an Italian gastronomic treat to all Spaghettini patrons.

The promotion is on from 17-27 July 2008. If you remember the Italian promotion last year, this year the chefs have come prepared with an excellent menu that will definitely whet your appetite for more. One of the passion of Italian cooking can be seen from the usage of fresh herbs and produce in their cooking and the lovely taste of olive oil.

So, what have the chefs prepared for this year promotion? Please make sure you do not view the following photos with an empty stomach as I will not be responsible for any growling noises that it makes. But seriously, the selection that we have tried are superb and first class. Chefs Grassi and Ettore who are working at the Hotel Principe di Savoia which is a luxury five star hotel that has been the natural home for international travelers and cosmopolitan society since the 1920’s. No doubt the chefs' cooking captured our hearts and appetite with the delectable cuisine that makes us desire for more....

Let’s start the drum roll with the following dishes...

The a la carte menu has been specially designed for this Italian food promotion to showcase some of Italy’s best loved traditional family inspired recipes and ingredients. You can opt for the Antipasi Trolley - an array of goodies ranging from grilled asparagus, smoked salmon, anchovies, Italian cheese, grilled aubergines, olives and many more.

For starters, we opted for Pizza Napoletana - with ingredients consisting of anchovies, capers, olives, tomatoes and basil leaves. The freshly oven-baked pizza tastes good and the light salty taste of the achovies bring out the flavour of the pizza.

Next, I opted for an antipasto ( starter) of Panzanella - a tomato salad with large croutons with grilled red snapper added to the salad. The large croutons gave a wholesome meal to the soft tomato and olive oil drizzled salad. The grilled red snapper gave the salad a full overall taste.

We were offered a chance to see the Chefs in action preparing our Mains. Here is someone's beef steak being prepared.... and here is the final result...

Fantastic.. I described this.... The Tiara...when actually in Italian it is called Rossini di manzo or beef Rossini with shallot confit and truffle oil.

Before having my main, I tried a Primi (Warm Starter) - Rissoto alla Milanese or Milanese Risotto with saffron and gold leaf. yes! Real gold leaf! Oh! What a delight to see how the chef add the delicate gold leaf as a the final touch of the dish. Delicate but astounding procedure!! The taste of the Risotto is superb with a tinge of saffron and Mediterranean flavours.

Since I had fish for my starter, I opted for a chicken dish for my main- Galletto Biscottato or Cripsy baby chicken with "sorrento" lemon sauce and thyme flavoured potato flan. One of the signature of Italian dishes that I really like is the infused flavourings from the stock and herbs that provide a simple delectable but distinctive taste to the cooking. The potato flan is light but taste beautiful!

Do I have room for desserts after all the food? I'm afraid.. I do. Since Tiramisu or 'pick me up' in Italian, is on the menu... I will never miss it for the world! Instead of having a bowl of dessert, it came in three little cups of wonderfully taste desserts of classic tiramisu, strawberry and bitter chocolate.

The above is just part of an array of ala carte dishes created for Spaghettini by the two chefs. Salute to both of them for their great creations. It has been a great experience to see them in action, whipping out the dishes for the patrons. Gratzee!!

So, what are you waiting for? Definitely a worth while treat for loved ones and family. Why go to Italy when Italy is here for you to savour!!! To everyone especially Italian food lovers...it is best that you don't miss this opportunity!!

You can read AnakBrunei's post here.