Recently, we drove through the busy streets of Seminyak and we had a great laugh! A big banner said there was going to be a new restaurant and the name sounded quite familiar; Mannekepis

Mannekepis is the famous statue of Brussels, Belgium. This statue, a naked little boy doing the number one, can also be found at the entrance of the Mannekpis Bistro in Seminyak. “Great name”, we all said to each other. And soon after that; “I hope they are going to serve Belgian fries!”

Mannekepis opened its doors on the 21st of December. And a few days after, we we’re invited to grab a bite over there.

“What a great atmosphere” was my first impression. The setting was quite familiar to me; Like Holland, Belgium (the neighbor country) knows how to make a great bar/bistro, where you can get a nice bite or a refreshing beer. This kind of atmosphere I had not found in Bali yet, and it felt like home immediately.

The menu is quite diverse. There are some Belgian specialties, but also a lot of international dishes like Carpaccio, Salads, Mexican dishes, Pastas, Wraps and many more. So you don’t have to be Belgian or Dutch to enjoy this restaurant. Wherever you’re from, you can decide to go for a more familiar dish while enjoying a real Belgian atmosphere.

It was hard to make a decision because it all sounded so tasty. After a few minutes we ordered two types of steak; one Panfried Tenderloin and one Steak Bearnaise, and two traditional Belgian dishes; “Gentse Waterzooi” and “Hamrollekes”.

While waiting we had some nice conversations and we realized that this restaurant was something we really missed in Bali. And I think we are not the only one, so I bet Mannekepis is here to stay.

Another great thing about Mannekepis is the kitchen. They have a great one and they are not ashamed to show it. From the dining area you can see into the kitchen directly and it looked professional and clean.

Quite quickly the food arrived. All the dishes looked amazing; it was like eating in a fancy restaurant. But the prices are more like the affordable ones. Now who doesn’t like that concept? And even, the taste of the food was high quality. We thought the steaks were from imported beef, so we could not understand the prices. After talking to the owner we found out it was local beef, but from the highest quality they could get. The steaks were accompanied with some great sauces that had a good flavor, but definitely not too strong.

The Hamrollekes (rolls of ham) tasted quite special and also familiar; in a big bowl the rolls of ham and leek were laying in a tasty Mornay sauce and it was gratinated with cheese. The Hamrollekes were served with creamy mashed potatoes.

Now my choice was the “Gentse Waterzooi”. I had no idea what it was but the name was so funny (water mess from Gent) so I decided to just go for it. Basically, the Gentse Waterzooi is a very rich soup. The slightly thick broth was full of healthy veggies, potatoes and chicken. It was definitely enough for a main course.

So all the dishes were really satisfying, but this time I really had the craving for something sweet. My friend agreed. The other two skipped the desserts. Ha, they shouldn’t have! Out of the six choices on the menu, we decided to go for the good ol’ Dame Blanche and the fancy Sabayon. Well, what’s there to say about a Dame Blanche? It was just like it should be; good-quality vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The sabayon was new for me but it was a good decision. This dessert was made out of whipped eggs, white wine and strawberries, accompanied with vanilla ice cream. Ánd perfumed with amaretto. Yes, it tasted just the way it sounds!

Well, no negative writing about Mannekepis! Only… I cannot wait for the Live Jazz music, because that’s what the owners have planned for the first month of 2008. I think that will be a great add-on for the restaurant and I’m sure you can find me there; enjoying a great dinner, or just sipping on a delicious Baileys at the bar while tapping my foot and getting some piece of mind after a hectic week.

Round up:
Mannekepis (little man peeing) is a Belgian bistro that has more to offer then only Belgium food. You can find a wide variety of international dishes and it has a typical Belgian-bar atmosphere. Soon, you can enjoy some Live Jazz music on Jl. Raya Seminyak (previous the D’Glow). You can eat great value food for reasonable prices.

Service: *****
Food: ****
Price / Quality: *****
Atmosphere / Interior: *****
Price Range: $$

$= 0-80.000 $$=80.000-150.000 $$$=150.000-250.000 $$$$=250.000+ (price in RP p.p. / food + drinks)

Visit Mannekepis’ profile here: http://www.barudibali.com/mannekepis-bistro

subscribe to the RSS feed     |      Print This Article