Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah [Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Islamic Khazanah Hall] — Attraction in Borneo

Balai Khazanah Buffet by Serikandi Catering

Balai Khazanah Buffet presents an extensive selection of dishes, combining local and international flavors. However, while the variety is commendable, the execution is inconsistent, leading to a dining experience that feels more functional than refined.

Ambience & Setting

The dining atmosphere leaves much to be desired. The lighting is overly dim and casts a strong yellow hue, which affects the visual appeal of the dishes. Additionally, the temperature of the venue is noticeably cold, impacting the overall enjoyment of certain dishes—most notably the lamb, as the cooling effect alters its texture. The use of plastic tables further detracts from the upscale buffet experience, giving the setting a more casual and less polished feel.

Culinary Experience

Lamb Station: One of the more anticipated offerings, the lamb delivers in terms of flavor but struggles with temperature retention. Due to the cold environment, the fat congeals quickly, resulting in an unpleasant oily aftertaste if not consumed immediately. A better heat retention method, such as infrared heat lamps, would significantly improve this dish’s experience.

Noodle & Dim Sum Station: These selections fail to stand out. The noodles lack any defining flavors or textures, making them an average addition at best. The dim sum, unfortunately, is overcooked, leading to a tough and chewy consistency that diminishes its appeal. A more precise steaming process would elevate its quality.

Ice Cream Station: A reliable, if not exceptional, option. The variety of flavors is decent and offers a refreshing contrast to the heavier main dishes. While not groundbreaking, it serves its purpose as a light and enjoyable dessert.

Ambuyat Station: Easily the highlight of the buffet. The ambuyat is well-prepared, with a smooth and elastic consistency, while the ‘cacah’ (dipping sauce) is packed with flavor, adding a rich and tangy depth that enhances the dish. It is the most successful execution among the offerings and a must-try for those seeking an authentic taste of Bruneian cuisine.

Main Courses: The buffet rotates its main dishes every two days, which adds an element of variety. However, the execution is hit-or-miss. On this occasion, the featured duck dish was a disappointment—lacking depth of flavor and succulence. The rest of the main courses were passable but failed to leave a lasting impression.

Drink Stations

A functional but basic selection:

Cold water

Syrup drinks

Hot beverages

While adequate, the drink station could benefit from more curated beverage options that pair well with the dishes, such as fresh juices or traditional Bruneian drinks.

Final Verdict

Balai Khazanah Buffet offers a diverse menu, but inconsistency in execution holds it back from being a top-tier dining experience. The ambuyat shines as a standout dish, while the lamb, despite its potential, is hindered by environmental factors. Other offerings, such as the noodles, dim sum, and rotating main courses, fail to impress. Refinements in temperature control, cooking precision, and overall presentation would greatly enhance the dining experience.

Rating: 3/5 – Good variety, but inconsistent execution and subpar ambience hinder its...

Loved the Sotheby’s collaboration on their Faith and Devotion exhibit, tho wish we had visited at a less busier time as the gallery ushers were understandably quite occupied with the crowd, tho they were very attentive and willing to answer our queries and sweet enough to have a light chat over some of the beautiful pieces on display.

In my opinion, the gallery lighting was just a smidge too harsh and caused a little glare on the otherwise glorious oil pieces.. Which makes me wonder if they had a consultant to check the lighting levels as too much light exposure does wear out oil paints over time

Thoroughly enjoyed the Islamic artifacts exhibit as well, and although I understand we slightly overstayed our welcome.. We were unfortunately rushed out of the last few galleries close to closing time, which was my only gripe…

As I’ve had experience in ushering exhibits in the past during my stint with the Brunei Art Forum, as well as experiences within exhibits abroad, would it have been too much to simply allow an extra 10-15 minutes for us to leave as we were literally walking through the last gallery at the end of the exhibit before a custodian rather abruptly told us to leave before, for lack of a better term, chasing us and following behind us to the exit…

I mean, I didn’t really even care that the digital supplementaries were powered down and some parts were in the dark as their lights were turned off at that point but I do wonder from a service standpoint if they would have treated international tourist the same as it would have been nice to just view the last few pieces without being not-too-subtly told to get out..

Altho we are partially to blame as we made the mistake of visiting the first part before circling back and queueing up again for our tickets for the rest, it does raise the point of why not have an online booking/purchase option on-site at least? Would have surely sped up the process, was also wondering why only a single counter was open despite both being staffed during our time there?

All in all still had a good time, tho there are still some areas of...

The building is stunning.  Outstanding Islamic architecture.  Huge and spacious.  Bright and most importantly air conditioned!  The Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (BKISHHB) is a place to learn more about Islamic knowledge heritage.  I was the only one in there the whole time!  I had the building to myself with a security guard escorting me!  Entrance fee was 10 BND in May 2025.  You need to leave your bag and any belongings in one of the lockers.  Women will also be asked to wear a robe and cover their hair.  Once I had this on, I became hot again!  I can understand being Muslim myself the need to cover up, but I was wearing a long loose dress, I could have just covered my hair rather than having to wear a heavy robe throughout the visit.  There are 9 galleries in total which included astronomy, mushaf, Islamic art, walking sticks and prayer beads to name a few.  This was the second museum I have visited in Brunei.  What I have found is that they tend to pack too much into it, that it becomes information overload.  There is only so much you can take in at a time.  I enjoyed parts of it, but other parts started to become mundane and I just glanced without taking anything in.  There are parts that are interactive and various videos you can watch along the way.  I think they can make it more compact.  Not all the information is in English.  If you have time in Brunei, then yes go.  I spent around one and a half hours there.  You could easily spend much longer.  As I said, it was becoming hot in the robe and too much information.  I did enjoy it and learnt a lot.  The location is somewhat off the beaten track and you will need to get a taxi or Dart ride.  When you have finished, and if you don't have phone connection like me, then let the reception know and they will connect you to Wi-Fi.  Good idea to download the Dart application on your phone,...