Twelve: a review

20-ish January 09, Kiulap

I just noticed that most of the spas and cafes which I have reviewed were in the Kiulap area. I’ll tell you why I love Kiulap – compared to the Mall Gadong, its so hard to find free parking and in the end I’ll end up having to go for the basement. Kiulap on the hand, has a plethora of shops, cafes and spas available and free parking. Especially if you’re the one who’s driving the car, and cannot just drop off as you wish.

This time, during lunchtime Ariffin, my cousin picked Twelve cafe in Kiulap and to my delight, he’s driving this time and a pleasant rare opportunity for me to just enjoy sitting at the passenger seat. Drivers out there would share this ordeal and enjoy just lazing down, texting on your mobile phone, looking out the outside surroundings, enjoying while not having to constantly looking at the front and remain alert at all times. Anyway, Twelve cafe is one of the many themed cafes available in Brunei. I suppose the owners of Twelve are aiming for a vintage 20s hollywood with black and white pictures of 20s-30s hollywood celebrities hanging on the walls following the likes of Hard Rock Cafe with photos of rock artists and memorablia with signatures. I totally get the design direction of Twelve, however this is the part that Twelve fails with their interior. The inclusion of an Asian, Thailand made water pots and some other tacky, plasticky objects inhabiting the space of the cafe offsets the design entirely.

The music playing on the background was coming from the television playing Astro Jazz Radio channel with the blank television screen on. If they could invest in irrelevant materials to fill up the space, can I just say it would be nice to get a good surronding sound the cafe and buy some musical cds. Much much more authentic in my honest opinion.  The sofas looks comfy with the choice of bold colours, in the deep reds. Think maroons and dark purples. However no matter how much the sofas look, ultimately its all down to how comfortable you feel when you  dine. Again a mistake, how your body was brought lower and with the tables higher, your sitting position is somewhat off.

Twelve is a cafe which probably could done a little better at night rather than lunch time. Their biggest mistake. Using tinted glasses on the entrance of the cafe, with the sun facing the entrance during the day. Tinted glasses makes the appearance of exclusivity from the outside, however could they possibly do the same where this glasses blocks 80% of the light going inside. You kinda feel rather uncomfortably hot with the setting and having high intensity light from the entrance glasses upsets the jazzy, glamour 30s rat pack hollywood that the cafe is aiming for. By which, the ambience should feel relax and mysterious.

And then food.

A great quench in a hot day like this

I ordered the iced lemonade with sugar sprinkling. It looks appealing in a hot day like this, especially with the sunlight shining so brightly towards our direction. The icy drink was so cold, that the heat inside my throat just literally fade away. Although the drink is a too sweet for my liking. The sweetness that kind of just seeps straight to your brain feeling.

Salty sprinklings

I ordered their popular chicken dish, the Twelve roast chicken with mash & mixed vege.

Twelve Roast

The price of the dish: $9.80. I requested the chicken to extra spicy, generous Portugeuse chilli sprinklings can be seen. The mash was good – hints of chicken stock detected. The chicken was dissapointing, the flesh was overcooked, it has gotten too dry to enjoy the taste of the meat. It makes even more difficult to eat with the knife and fork. It could use to be more tender and less time roasting in the oven.

The chicken overcooked!

The dining experience was further ruined when two contractors with drills and hammers start making knocking noises to unlatch the front door of twelve. With the door now open, the loud sounds of drills – sunlight shining on us rendering the airconditioning useless. The waiting staff did not even apologise for the inconvenience to the 5 diners in the cafe. A couple about to order left the restaurant soon after.

So is Twelve really worthed? No. Possibly it could do much better during night time, I will go to Charcoal or Vintage Rose instead for better food and a top-notched dining ambience.