New Bonaire Restaurant Review, Yachtclub Restaurant and Mambo Jambo

The Yachtclub Apartments recently premiered a small, intimate patio restaurant next to their pool.  It’s been open just a few weeks, and dinner reservations have been difficult to come by, since many locals on the island have been flocking to this new eatery.

A friend and I managed to make a dinner reservation, and looked forward to sampling the Yachtclub Restaurant’s Rijsttafel (see image).  Rijsttafel is an Indonesian feast consisting of many samples of different foods and always includes pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, and other delights.  We were not disappointed.  After eating our fill of the various offerings, we had plenty of left-overs to take home. 

The menu, with entrees averaging about NAFl 28.00 (USD $15.73) per person, offers something for everyone.  In addition to the traditional Indonesian Rijsttafel, one can order beef tenderloin, fish with pasta, fried shrimp in a beer batter, or chicken.  Some folks at the table next to us ordered the beer-battered shrimps, and I have to say they looked scrumptious and will be my next entree!  Daily specials are available--the evening we dined, the special was Grilled Salmon in a basil sauce.  As for my review on desserts, well, that will just have to wait until Mambo Jambo opens, as neither my dining companion or I had enough room left to indulge in dessert.

Because the new restaurant has become so popular, and many folks who wish to dine are turned away in disappointment, the owner/operators, Jolanda and Wilfried Schoof, have just announced that beginning March 16, 2007, they will move their dinner service to Mambo Jambo, their new restaurant in Kralendijk on Kaya L. D. Gerharts (next to Maduro & Curiels Bank).  Here they will be able to accommodate additional diners, and they also plan to augment their menu with new items.  Seating will be in the dining room, in the small garden adjoining, or one can eat at the bar, which is air-conditioned.  Mambo Jambo will be open from 11:00 AM through 2:00 AM, serving lunch (11:00 AM to 4:00 PM), dinner (4:00 PM through 10:00 PM), or a late night menu (10:00 PM through 12:00 PM).  After midnight, snacks are available.

Lunch will consist of Indonesian dishes, pancakes for those who sleep in late, and various sandwiches.  Dinner will include all the items currently offered at Yachtclub Restaurant, plus an expansion of the Indonesian theme, all-you-can-eat ribs, and other new menu picks.  All prices include sales tax, but no gratuities, which are always appreciated.  Your chefs, Roland and Sander, were both trained in Holland, and they have served in fine restaurants in Australia, Belgium, and Holland.  Mambo Jambo will be closed on Wednesdays.

Once Mambo Jambo is open on March 16th, Yachtclub Restaurant will only serve breakfast (daily) from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.  Anyone can come (no reservations needed for breakfast) and enjoy the various breads, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, cold cuts (a Dutch tradition for breakfast!), eggs any style or pancakes, and unlimited coffee, tea, or juice for only $10.00 per person.

For more information or reservations for either restaurant, call 701-8228. (Source:  Bonaire Insider Reporter)

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