Our 2nd Honeymoon in Paradise – Dinner at Villa Mahana

Million Mile Secrets

12 years ago

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Emily: Daraius made reservations at Villa Mahana (damien “at” villamahana.com), which he heard was the best restaurant on Bora Bora. He kept all this as a surprise for me! We took the 15 minute boat ride from the hotel to the main island, but instead of paying 700 XPF (~$8) for the round trip, we paid XPF 1,500 (~$16) for the trip since we left at 6:00 pm. Daraius: The hotel charges 1,500 XPF for the shuttle in the evening presumably to deter folks from eating out. Villa Manaha has only 6 tables so I reserved a table ~4 months before our visit. Emily: The sun was setting so we had beautiful views. While waiting for the shuttle boat, we met an Australian couple also on their honeymoon who were also going to Villa Mahana for dinner!

We got off at the Robert Wan (pearl shop) pontoon and had to walk straight through the shop to exit. The restaurant sent a car to pick us up from outside the shop. We only had to wait a few minutes for the car, and then it was a fast 5 to 10 minute ride from the pier to the restaurant.

Villa Mahana only has 6 tables, and Daraius booked our reservation 4 months in advance. We were ushered to our table which was right in front of a beautiful piano and surrounded by other musical instruments.

We were the third couple to arrive, but soon the other tables filled up. It was a small, intimate room with lots of beautiful Polynesian artwork.

The music was a mix of Andre Boticelli, Sarah Brightman, and romantic French music.

The chef’s wife welcomed us to Villa Mahana and we got bread to nibble on. There was coconut bread wrapped in a banana leaf and French bread. I much preferred the coconut bread. It was delicious!

We were offered menus. The Menu Exotique for 90 euros (~$117) per person plus an optional wine pairing per person for 45 euros (~$58).

Menu Exotique:

Seared Alhi Tuna with Vanilla oil
Mahi Mahi Curry and Banana, Mango Sauce, Mushed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine Vanilla Sauce Creamy Gnocchi Potatoes
Banana Flambee with Old Rum and Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Then there is the Menu Epicurean for 125 euros (~$162) per person plus an optional wine pairing per person for 75 euros (~$97).

Menu Epicurean:

Seafood Salad with Caviar
Seared Duck Liver with Sweet Spices
King Rock Lobster Risotto
Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine Vanilla Sauce Creamy Gnocchi Potatoes
Warm and Creamy Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

There was also an a la carte menu.

A La Carte Menu:

Seared Ali Tuna with Vanilla Oil with Potatoes and Lemon Juice Mexican Green Salad
Seared Duck Liver with Sweet Spices, Potatoes and onion confit Mixed Green Salad
Creamy Risotto with Old Parmesan Cheese and Mascarpone Asparagus and Black Truffle Oil

We splurged since this was our honeymoon and ordered the Epicurean menu which was a 5 course meal. My two favorite courses were the beef and the foie gras, followed by the risotto.

The chef took very good care of my allergy and substituted items so that I wouldn’t have to eat fish or shellfish.

Course 1 was mixed green salad with lime juice and olive oil dressing.

Course 2 was Foie Gras

Daraius: This was my favorite course of the entire meal. The Foie Gras was excellent!

Course 3 was Risotto with Asparagus, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil

Risotto with lobster for Daraius

Course 4 was Filet of Beef with Gnocci.

Emily: The beef was honestly the best I have ever had. It was so juicy and flavorful, and it was cooked to perfection. There was a perfect amount of salt to flavor the beef, and we were served extra juice as well.

Course 5 was Warm Chocolate cake served with Tahitian vanilla ice cream

The restaurant has a romantic table upstairs, but it was windy when we visited so we were glad we didn’t get that table.

There was a living area with a sofa and tons of books upstairs. There were books on artists, history of Polynesia, and more.

There was even a sculptor’s studio. I loved the ambiance and could have spent hours reading and relaxing!

Daniel and his wife truly make their food with love. I preferred this meal to the fancy meals we had in Paris!

After dinner, the restaurant dropped us back to the pier for the boat back to the hotel. But the coordination between the hotel and the restaurant was off, and we could see the boat pulling away as we walked down the pier.

It was dark at night and we had to wait another hour for the boat. While we were waiting, we went to the nearby food trucks and bought some bottled water for much less than we would have paid at the hotel. The food at the trucks cost much less than the food at the hotel. We also sat by the pier in the darkness and snuggled under the stars.

When we got back to the hotel, we did a little work on our laptops and then went for a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi under the stars. What a wonderful way to end such a nice night!

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