The first Kill Bill didn't do much for me. I saw it in Montreal last year, and found it to be fairly uninspiring in its overuse of violence. Still, I was curious to see how he followed up with Kill Bill 2. I'd read varying reviews, so it was about time I found out for myself. I explained to Mai that the movie would surely have a lot of fighting and blood and killing in it. She was fine with that. So we lined up at the Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square. The Prince Charles is an older cinema and was charging four quid, when the new complexes on the square itself were charging ten.

The cinema was packed, not a spare seat in the house. As the lights dimmed, and the tape started to roll, I sighed loudly to myself. In my haste to save a few pounds, I hadn't noticed one small but crucial detail. I'd bought us two tickets to a screening of Kill Bill, the original film which I'd already seen and didn't even like! Mai of course, was oblivious to this, and quite enjoyed the movie, unaware of my pain.

Now it's time for my first The Savage Files RESTAURANT REVIEW!

Who- Nusa Dua
Where- 11 Dean Street, Soho
What sort of food- yummy Indonesian
When- open seven days (I think)
How to get there- nearest tube Leicester Square. Walk to number twelve Dean Street, and Nusa Dua will be right next door. You'll recognize it, because it will be the one with the sign that says Nusa Dua.
How much- mains a very reasonable £6 to £10, but fixed menu specials provide even better value

On an reconnaisance mission earlier in the day, Mai and I had located the restaurant, and ensured that it would still be open to serve us after our movie was finished. As soon as we'd entered, the service was friendly and personal and made me look forward to coming back. There was a two-course special on offer, which particularly appealed to a tightass like me.

Upon our return, the same waitress seemed happy to see us back. We were seated promptly, and a drink order taken immediately, an important detail that too many restaurants overlook. I ordered a sparkling mineral water, which came in a glass, just how I like it. Mai ordered a mango juice, and by the quiet little mmm's and ahh's she made while drinking, I'd say it was just how she liked as well.

We ordered from the two course special, which had a huge variety of dishes to choose from. Neither of us could go past the satay chicken skewers for an entree, which I later realized was a bad idea as far as writing a review goes. But the chicken skewers were tasty and tender, and the sauce mild and nutty. I would've enjoyed a dollop of hot chilli sauce on the side, but by the time this thought came to me, I'd scoffed both the tiny skewers, and all that was left was a smear of peanut sauce. Mai said the satay sauce was different to what they have in her country, but my only criticism was that there weren't twenty or thirty of those little suckers on the plate. Scrumptious.

I almost forgot the prawn crackers and clear Indonesian soup that preceeded the satays. Mai laughed and said that was the sort of soup her Mum makes when she's 'lazy for cooking'. Mind you, I enjoyed the soup and the crackers, because both were included in the price of the two course dinner!

For mains, I craved more chicken. The dish that I pointed to on the menu was "Jalang Jalang Su-su" (roughly translated as walking titties!) It came as a tender breast of chicken, sliced and grilled (or grilled and sliced) and in a tasty creamy sauce that at different times, revealed hints of coriander, coconut, peanut, ginger and eschallot. It took my taste buds on a field trip and then brought them home tired but happy.

Mai ordered the prawns, which arrived looking resplendant on a bed of crispy stir fried vegetables, accompanied by a cute little round omelette and a neat mound of rice. I do think a neat mound is an important touch. The prawns themselves were fat and enticing, and there seemed to be a generous quantity of them, I thought. Unfortunately, six months in England has seen Mai lose her taste for hot spicy foods, and within minutes she was sweating like a well, she was sweating a lot! She should've known what to expect by the name of the dish Minang Poontang something-or-other, which means "make you cry, make you scream, make your ass burn bad long time". She ate most of the meal, but had to leave the big juicy prawns. I couldn't help her finish them, but not because I found her meal too hot. I just don't like prawns.

The dessert menu was a little less impressive than the meal menu, but that was fine because we both fancied the Pisang Goreng, the fried banana. It was fried in a light batter, and served with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and accompanied by a scoop or two of ice cream with coloured sprinkles on top. I just love fried bananas, and the capuccino that came with it topped the night off.

Service- ****
Food- ****
Value- ****
number of candles on the table- *
number of stops on the underground back to Mark's place- **********

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