Manjaro

When you walk into Manjaro the first thing that hits your senses is the decor. You feel like you have stepped into another part of the world through a magical door like in the TV episodes of "JUMPER". It takes you a couple of seconds to realise you are still in Brunei Darussalam and not in South Africa or the Caribbean Islands. Without a doubt the owners who planned the decoration of the place, are endowed with artistic flair, leaning towards Architecture and Interior Decoration. Elephants nestle in every nook and corner of the restaurant but they pose no threat to your appetite. They actually promote the sophistication of the place. Dimly lit but not disturbingly dark, it is the perfect place for a rendezvous or when you just need some time and a place to be alone with someone special or your Laptop for some serious web-surfing, tweeting or facebooking.

The owners are Wuei and Priscilla and their story and that of Manjaro, in their own words, can be found at http://www.manjarobrunei.com/

I found the menu to be mostly Western, Mediteranean and healthy. That's not to say you cant find any local specialties there. I do not pretend to be a gourmet or a qualified food critique and you already know me for being the ultimate VFM seeker. It is a 4 out of 5 star place for me. So what's the 1 for you ask. It's reserved for something which has not turned up yet. I believe nobody's perfect and if Manjaro has a fault then I'd still be right. Right ?

You still dont know what VFM is. Shame on you. Go back to an earlier post about the Dim Sum place at Changi Airport, Singapore.

So, what about the menu and recommendations? Please visit the site or better still visit Manjaro and try the Pastas. That's what keeps me going back again and again. On my last visit, only yesterday I had the pleasure of being one of the tasters (I was going to say Guinea P) of a newly introduced Sandwich..."Vietnamese Sub. " As my maternal grandmother-in-law would say..."Telinga pun kan terabang!" Briefly, it was a mixture of Lettuce, Coriander, Green Chilli, Onions bathed in light sauce on the top of several slices of home-made Chicken and Beef Pate stuffed in between 2 halves of 6 inch Baguettes. Cilla's Mum, Liz was responsible.

You can tell from the expression on his face the gentleman examining the menu likes what he sees and is finding it difficult to make up his mind. I bet he goes for the Vongole. That's Pasta...spagetti specifically...with seafood and tomato based sauce. I had that on one of my excursions there and it was delicious. I always like to eat food which have names I cant pronounce.

Oh yes, one other thing, they have good music there too. No wonder the joint is packed with youngsters in the evenings and during holidays.

After all that I have become hungry. Time for some ABC...Ice Kacang...chendol..