AS AN avid fan of Italian food especially pasta when I was small, I have tried and tasted the most delicious one that I could find in Brunei. But I never had the chance to taste a genuine pasta made by an Italian chef using ingredients straight from Italy until recently.

I couldn't figure out why I felt like I was in a restaurant in Italy when I walked into Villa Mauri Restaurant.

I was greeted by the friendly manager who also explained to me about the pictures which filled up most of the carrot-coloured walls. In the pictures are friends and family members of restaurant owner Maurizio Intrigila or better known as Chef Mauri.

After finally meeting Chef Michele, I became excited to taste the restaurant's new promotion when he mentioned about pasta. Chef Michele said with the Mix and Match Pasta Promotion, I can select one from four types of pasta, to which I chose the all-time favourite spaghetti, and picked the tomato-based sauce to go with my chilli and meatballs ingredients.

All it took was one look at the spaghetti meatballs with chilli and I dribbled at its wonderful texture.

Presented nicely, I mixed the spaghetti with meatballs which were mush and tender. The spaghetti tasted amazing with the chilli sauce wrapped around it and I liked how it danced around in my mouth.

In summary, I can describe the way I felt after tasting my dish as mind-blowing.

I had mild expectations about the next dish that I picked but feeling adventurous I thought of trying out several combinations that I rarely or never tried before.

I ordered the linguini with the cream-based diced beef tenderloin and blue cheese. It turned out to be more than what I expected. The dish was fulfilling yet a pleasurable experience.

With an inviting aroma, Chef Michele explained to me that the blue cheese has a strong smell, tender enough, and clings to the linguini with the beef juice breaking out in my mouth which heightened the taste.

The meat was soft that I could chew pleasantly yet I believe that even without the meat (this goes out to those vegetarians), the linguini with the blue cheese itself can stand on its own and still tasted wonderful.

Chef Michele's versatility gives customers the freedom to become chef themselves by choosing the ingredients and sauces they like to be prepared and served to them.

The Mix and Match Pasta Promotion is available for the whole month of October.

For those looking to find an enjoyable pasta meal, there's no place more gratifying that the thought of going to Villa Mauri Restaurant.The Brunei Times