From The Brunei Restaurant Review:

“Villa Mauri aims to provide quality and value for money dishes.” said Chef Intrigila while explicating the ideas and concepts behind his restaurant during an interview with the Weekend. (Emphasis mine)

Villa Mauri’s sungkai buffet is one of the most expensive in the country. I was very very intrigued on how they would make diners feel like they’ve eaten $30 worth of food when most sungkai buffets around the sultanate offer more food for less.

“This is new. What’s this “semi buffet”?” Marul & I pondered. Anyway the system in Villa Mauri is that, they have starters and antipasti laid out on the buffet table, but main courses are to be ordered.

Seated in the “private room” nearest to the buffet table. 😀

Well Chef Mauri doesn’t have a handlebar moustache, just to dispel any rumours. Anyway, on to the food.

First course: salad leaves of various kinds, onions, grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, fresh tomato wedges and my favorite balsamic dressing on the side. Good!

Second Course: Antipasti. Oh wow, from below clockwise, tomato, zucchini and cheese salad, Italian omelet, mussels gratin, tuna salad, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant cake, fish carpaccio with capers and beef carpaccio. In the middle is the squid salad. These were all very very good!

Third course: We all had pizza to share amongst us and Chef Mauri sent some Diavola (above) and Hawaiiana to our table. I had my pizza with some cream of potato soup from the buffet table, pictured below.

I love having soup with my pizza, it’s very comforting. Sometimes I takeaway my thin crust pizzas back home after a heavy Italian dinner where everyone ordered too much and thought they can finish everything but can’t. In the morning, I’d make some pumpkin soup and have it with some cold pizza. Pumpkin is my favorite soup in the whole wide world.

Fourth Course: My main course arrived, the meatballs and tomato sauce served with vegetables. There were 4 giant balls on my plate, smothered with the freshest tomato sauce ever. They were absolutely lovely!

The sungkai menu gave you a choice of either rosemary lamb chops with rice or vegetables, sirloin steak and black pepper sauce, meatballs and tomato sauce, grilled chicken breasts, or a generous portion of fresh barramundi dressed with a lemon and herb sauce.

I am strongly recommending the barramundi. It was awesome! My absolute favorite from all the choices.

Fifth and final course: This was the legendary Fantasia di Maria, which was THE MOST DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE PUDDING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. It was so good that I devoured almost two ramekins of the stuff. Reeda will bear witness! It was absolutely deeeeeeliiiiiiiiicious. If you consider me a good friend of yours then order this next time you dine at Villa Mauri, or else I will be obliged to sever all friendship ties we have.

Overall, I thought the whole meal was certainly good value for money, especially when you take into account how everything came in extremely generous portions and the kind of service and quality you get with your food. If this was a regular ala carte meal, it would’ve easilly gone up to $50 per person, considering all the antipasti, salads and main courses you’re getting. The restaurant takes good care of their patrons, “to make sure my customers don’t think I’m robbing them”, was the Chef’s exact words. I am very much recommending this restaurant for sungkai, if you have special occasions to celebrate.

Remember. Have the chocolate pudding. Tell Chef Maurizio I sent you. 🙂

Villa Mauri

Semi Sungkai Buffet @ $30.00 (adult) & $20.00 (child)

Call 233 5585