Dining
Dining
Foodie Finds by Susan Campbell Are you ready for an adventurous culinary quest to discover all the best creative cuisine, local flavors, and gourmet offerings this island has secreted away? Then you’ll have to pry yourself out of your beach chair to follow trails blazed by all the bona fide foodies that went before you!
When’s the last time you really pushed your boundaries on the food front? Has it been too long? If so, with over 250 top quality restaurants on this island, you’ve chosen an ideal place to expand your horizons. And if you’re not already a foodie, by the time you leave... you certainly will be! Foodie defined
So just what is a “foodie”? Do you have to be well versed in all the edible arts and techniques to really claim that title? Be willing to try anything? No, not at all. According to Wikipedia, “A foodie seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger.” So all you really need is a sense of curiosity, an appetite, and a deep love for finding highly satisfying food experiences. Cool, new, trendy, and avant-garde are simply optional. Your ideal foodie encounter might be simply finding the best version of a classic you already love, or trying a fusion of flavors you never thought would work together... and finding out that they do! It’s all a matter of getting out and trying as many different spots and dishes as you can instead of sticking to your go-to tastes and those same old favorites.
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No doubt, if you’re really into food, you’ve already done your fair share of pretrip research, checking menus online and the like. But true foodies also realize that sometimes the most exciting meal might appear on the daily blackboard specials, or that seasonal offerings might provide the most rewarding food experience at the time. And even the fanciest establishments can have off nights, while unassuming hole-in-the-wall type enclaves might end up providing you with the absolute most exciting food revelation of your life! Then there are food trucks, pop-up restaurants, food festivals, and farmer’s markets where you can try a wide range of new tastes and flavors. This island delivers an ever-changing kaleidoscope of culinary possibilities. International options
Aruba is a delicious melting pot of over 90 nationalities, and it’s no wonder there are so many different types of fine fare to choose from. Beyond typical Caribbean, North American, European, Mediterranean, and Asian influences you’ll find menu surprises like Australian wagyu beef, Canadian cedar-planked salmon, Peruvian lomo saltado, Swiss fondue, Cuban ropa
vieja, and even African ostrich meat. East Indian and Indonesian delights are easy to find, and Latin America figures prominently due to its proximity. Think Venezuelan arepas, Colombian paisa, Spanish paellas, and huge skewers of Argentinian style gaucho meat. And feisty Mexican food? You bet! Both authentic and Tex-Mex – it’s all here and more... Sometimes you can take your taste buds on a world tour without even leaving the table. Many dining spots here specialize in international fusion cuisine, and with all of those influences continually seeping into Aruba’s home and restaurant kitchens you often find unique flavor combinations in the same dish. Shrimp Pina Colada? Yes, please! Carnivores will be well sated with killer-good steakhouses offering their own versions of sauces and beef preparations using premium quality cuts while vegetarians and even vegans will find great gourmet mains. Fresh fish and seafood by the boatload is a given, but you never know what the catch-of-the-day might be, so therein lie the best surprises. Another unexpected fish specialty you’ll see appearing on many menus is lionfish. This invasive species is ruining the reefs and E
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Dining needs to be eradicated. Many island chefs are seeking creative ways to serve them up like lionfish sushi or lionfish tempura. The meat is white, flaky, and mild and lends itself to many incarnations. It’s well worth a try for the taste and to help the marine environment. But any foodie worth their salt always wants to go local first the second they stray from home. So let’s take a look at some authentic Aruban foods to seek out. Truly Aruban flavors
Though this island doesn’t grow a lot of its own produce due to its arid climate, one plant that you’ll find cropping up in many dishes is the strong local basil called yerbe di hole. It enriches many of Aruba’s sopas (soups) and fish stews and is an integral ingredient in the rich red creole sauce served on the catch-of-the-day. Papaya hot sauce made with locally grown, fiery Madame Jeanette peppers is also a staple to add kick to just about anything, and you can buy it bottled to take home for a great souvenir. Stobas (stews) made of chicken, goat, or beef are popular as well, and sides are typically bananas hasa (sweet, fried plantains), funchi (cornmeal polenta), and pan bati (Aruban flat bread). Another must-try side is ciboyo tempera, a homemade raw red onion, vinegar, and spices condiment that goes great on savory dishes. Leftovers are responsible for two of Aruba’s most classic regional mains. Keri keri is traditionally made from shredded shark or whitefish with annatto, basil, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Keshi yena,
Dining arguably the national dish, is a casserole stuffed into the rind of Edam or Gouda cheese consisting of bits and pieces of fried spiced meats or seafood with extras like olives, capers, cashews and baked with melted cheese on top. Every home cook and chef has his or her own version, and there’s even a keshi yena pizza to be sampled too. A rare treat! From the sea, there’s local fish, rock lobster, and humongous shrimp that can be enjoyed right off the pier fresh out of the fishermen’s boat and grilled to perfection right before your eyes. Better yet, there are places that will cook what you catch at their restaurant that evening if you join them for a deep-sea fishing adventure that day. It doesn’t get any more real than that!
Pastechis are another Aruban favorite. Deep-fried dough pockets with Dutch cheese or stuffed with meat or seafood is the ideal local snack when you’re on the go. But outside influences have crept into those too. Many Chinese takeouts and corner stores serve them so they even come stuffed with bok choy!
hot dog. And did you know that pancakes for dinner are quite common in the Netherlands? You’ll find both sweet and savory crepe-like pancakes served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a wide variety of stuffings or toppings. Dutch stroopwafels are also a must try if you dare, as these paper-thin caramel stuffed waffles are downright addictive.
Dutch delights
As a former colony of the Netherlands, the Dutch influence is deeply embedded into the culinary culture of this island. No self-respecting Dutch brown café on this island (called brown due to the preponderance of dark wood in the bars) would be without tidbits like bitterballen and krokets (deep-fried meat snacks) and frikandels, a sausage/minced meat style E
Trust the talent
Omakase is a Japanese phrase that means “I’ll leave it up to you,” and you can ask for your sushi in that style on this island. Aruba also has many chefs’ choice venues, intimate and open kitchen tables where you can watch the preparation in person, and you’re served whatever the chef fancies that evening. Many fine establishments provide chef ’s surprise menus, often with perfect wine pairing by the glass for each course. So take a leap of faith and trust that the gastronomic talent here is always first-rate, and volunteer to be their gourmet guinea pig. You’ll rarely be disappointed. (And no worries about
dietary restrictions or allergies; you can always discuss any you might have if you call ahead.) Aruba’s chefs, both local and from around the globe, have been honored with a multitude of cooking awards. Alluring settings
Sometimes it’s the ambience that turns a great meal into an unforgettable one. Think of the glorious colors of a sunset-painted ocean while the gentle, salty trade winds add more seasoning to your dish while you dine on a pier or with toes in the sand! Have a meal by a romantic waterfall flowing out of faux ruins surrounded by black swans or on a private island or on a beautiful boat. Offbeat venues are also to be found. How about in a desert sheltered by weird rock formations or even in a canopied bed? And indoor modern dining rooms offer air-conditioned comfort and all kinds of distinctive décor, many with live mood music too. There’s no dearth of ways to enjoy food preparations either. Flambéed tableside, served on hot sizzling stones,
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wood-fired in brick ovens, do-it-yourself grills on the tables, big sharing platters of small plates, or build your own gourmet burgers… the sky is the limit. Creative incarnations of all kinds of cuisine in so many charming locations abound on this island. So better get going on your culinary foodie quest before you run out of holiday time! K
Coconut Crème Brulée courtesy of Quinta Del Carmen
Any good foodie knows that they must do their homework before seeking out an area’s best culinary delights. A good place to start is to pick up our complimentary edition of Island Gourmet magazine or read it online: www.digital.nightspublications.com/islandgourmet-2018 You can also discover many of the best island spots and receive special discounts via Aruba Gastronomic Association (AGA) online: www.arubadining.com And great news for the month of April. Aruba’s third annual Food Truck Festival will be returning!
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