I've been talking about St. Croix needing a new spot where the mature crowd can go out and have a good time. Somehow the universe heard me and welcomed Bon Manjer to the island. Locally owned by Daren Henry, whose also my former boss, Bon Manjer is located in the Sion Farm shopping plaza next to the another locally owned staple, The Frame Up. We walked in to the sounds of Sade playing, lovely ladies serving and was seated at these beautifully crafted tables. The overall atmosphere being very welcoming.
I'd been on this keto diet challenge for 27 days at that point and was somewhat anxious about whether I'd be able to stay compliant. At the time of my visit, they had only been open about a week and the house was full and tables reserved. At the moment the menu is small but definitely offers something for just about everyone.
I enjoyed the rib eye steak, done medium with asparagus and mixed vegetables. I loved my steak, it was seasoned very well and done at the temperature that I like. If I had to nit pick about it, I wished they had let my steak rest a bit longer before plating and that the gristle was trimmed a bit more. I don't hate gristle on my steak, but I only enjoy chewing on it at home where I can get the last bit of meat and won't be judged, but that's more of a personal preference. The garlic butter on my steak was absolutely delicious, which left no need for any kind of steak sauce. The asparagus was steamed appropriately but my mixed vegetables were overdone. Aside from disliking the texture of overly soft vegetables, overcooking veggies gets rid of a lot a nutrients you want from them.
My dad had the mofongo stuffed chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. He enjoyed his meal overall but both of us being chefs ourselves, did have some reservations on the preparation of the chicken. Aside from mofongo being stuffed into the chicken, which drew my dad to the dish, the chicken is breaded, which we both disliked; especially since they put sauce over the chicken. If it's one thing that drives me absolutely crazy is breading something and then pouring copious amounts of sauce over it. It left no crisp to the chicken whatsoever. If that was a texture they were hoping to give, it definitely did not achieve the goal. Rather the breading just added more starch to the plate which fulls you faster, preventing the customer from finishing the meal. That is ultimately what happened to my dad, who usually finishes his meal whenever we go out. My recommendation would be to place the sauce on the side or on the bottom of the plate with the chicken being placed on top. The side of mashed potatoes was delicious, with small bit of potatoes left un-mashed which is a favorite mine.
My nephew joined us as well and he had the fried shrimp and a side of mashed potatoes. His review goes as follows "kids like cheese in their mashed potatoes, so you should consider that." I will say not to take that as a negative though because Jayden just loves cheese in general. He did enjoy his shrimp which came with a Asian dipping sauce that had too much soy sauce for his liking. I did taste it and it was a bit soy heavy but nothing so off putting to say that it needs to be completely revamped. He also loved the fact that our lovely waitress, Dorna called him handsome whenever she came to the table to see if we needed anything.
This takes me now the absolutely wonderful customer service we received. I observed all of the ladies interact with their customers, all with smiles on their faces, drinks being brought in a timely manner and checking on customers satisfaction without being pestering. I saw Daren and the gentleman who I assume to be the restaurant manager, helping to bring dishes to tables in timely manner and checking on customers. It was an overall team effort to ensure customer satisfaction. At the end of the evening, you'll be presented with a survey card so that you can express your review on the night. I truly love that because it shows a business willing to take criticism and work towards customer satisfaction. We had a wonderful night and we definitely plan to go back again.
I want to congratulate Daren on the successful opening of his business. Daren, I'm proud to have worked for you in the past and I pray God blesses your establishment with great success. I know we already spoke, and I look forward to the things you have planned for Bon Manjer.
With Love,
Nina
