Looking back...December 18, 2010

On the 18th, we laid in bed for a long time, not wanting to get up! In fact, we didn't do much all morning, but lay around and facebook. We did manage to put our swim and snorkel wear on, and get in a good half hour of snorkeling on the house reef. We had reservations at 1:30pm to eat Eric's fish, so at 1:30pm, we went to Rangali Bar and had lunch. It was really good! Eric's fish was more fishy tasting than the one I caught, but with the lemon butter sauce, it was quite tasty.

At 5pm we headed to Vilu for happy hour. Those guys treat us so well! I had a cocktail of the day and Eric had his usual French red wine. Later that night we went back to Vilu for our first dinner there. This is quite funny....

When we arrived, I asked our server if Bruno (the Chef who we had talked to a few times) had a special for the night. He said he would go get Bruno. I thought that was kind of interesting. I just wanted to know if there was a special. What he probably heard (Eric informed me later) is that I wanted Bruno to make something special for us. Communication! Seriously! yikes...what was all of this going to mean? The Chef...making something special for us?? We went there knowing that dinner would be a little more expensive than usual (probably $90-100 without service fees)...but just wait!

Bruno comes over to us and asks us what we'd like. He starts talking about food like he's making love to it through his words. Of COURSE we wanted some of that food he was describing! So Bruno tells us that's he's going to make us a few courses and off he goes. I look at Eric. "What do you think that means, Eric?" Eric: "It's probably going to be like the degustation menu." Brandy: "Oh." The 5-course degustation menu was $185 (with wine) and $85 without wine!!!! Not five minutes later our server comes out and informs us that it will be priced as the degustation menu!

I looked at Eric and lauged...of course. I ask for the Chef's special in a foreign culture, and that's exactly what I get!

Besides the funny story part, the dinner was excellent, and Bruno delivered! I didn't have the wine, but Eric did, and said it was fabulous. Bruno even came out to our table again and spent some time with us, answering our questions about him. He is truly delightful. We hope to meet him again in the future. :) And yes..we will ask for a special menu again!!







When we got home, there was a stuffed manta on our freshly turned down bed. He joins a little Conrad family of stuffed toys...2 crabs and a whale.