The best restaurants Bandar Seri Begawan

After a visit to the Arts & Handicraft Training Centre, this is the ideal place to discover the local gastronomy. Located in the same building, just across the bay from Kampong Ayer (the fishing village), this vast, air-conditioned dining room is a favorite with locals. On weekends, whole families come here to enjoyambuyat. This is Brunei's national dish, a sort of tasteless sago paste spiced up with a choice of sauce. Bruneians' favorite? Durian, of course. It's up to you to make up your own mind.

Brunei's biggest night market is a great place to sample a variety of specialties. The place, which is rather surprising, looks like a large covered market hall on a parking lot. Everything is tiled in white for hygiene reasons. The hawkers cook on gas stoves or barbecues. You can try soto, a clear broth served with meat and vermicelli, or lok lok, skewers of meat, fish or vegetables. There are only a few tables where you can eat in, as the locals take away.

In the city center, this is a local kopitiam, with a menu of simple but typical dishes. Not-to-be-missed specialties include kolo mee (noodles with minced chicken), losu fan à la thaïe (Thai-style noodles in the shape of a mouse tail) and kuay teow goreng(fried noodles with soy, shrimp and egg). The address is also very popular for its good selection of coffees and teas, much less expensive than the big regional or international brands. Just a stone's throw from the bay.

Located in the Q-Lap shopping mall, this is a resolutely modern establishment in a pleasant setting. Waxed concrete walls, wooden furniture, a slightly grungy decor... But don't let the ambience put you off: this is a place serving excellent traditional Malaysian cuisine with a contemporary twist. Dishes are colorful and elegantly presented, and flavors explode on the palate. Try their laksa-flavored risotto! A true culinary voyage.

Not far from the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, this restaurant offers delicious Thai cuisine from Issan in the north of the country. Som tam salad, chicken stewed in pandan leaves, fish pla ra or with mango and green papaya, khao niao rice or sautéed noodles with Chiang Mai green curry... it's all there. For novices, ask that your dishes not be too spicy. All this can be enjoyed in an elegant setting of exotic woods and touches of jade green or gold in the silks of the seats and curtains.