A Tasty Bit

Curacao: Bon Bini!!

2017-09-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! Did you miss me?

With introducing Face Blog, I had hoped to shorten the time between experience and blogging and that I would be more motivated to blog. But I gotta admit, I miss blogging the traditional way, so I decided to combine Face Blog for quick shares with longer blogs, from which a link will be shared through my Facebook page The Taster.

I remember the first time that I went to Curacao, which was last year. I gotta admit, I was a bit skeptical about the place. I mean,...many friends of mine went already, but I didn't hear things that would make me want to go there. But then I won a 3-nights stay at Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino and we still had to do our honeymoon (Oh yeah, I got married in the meantime), so why not have it all together, right?

Through a friend, I got linked up with the Curacao Tourism Board(CTB) and I gotta admit; It's awesome to be connected!! We got VIP treatment at arrival and got picked up by Charla Nieveld from CTB. She gave us a quick tour about Curacao and where we had to be for the Pietermaai Proeft event, where she also dropped us off later on.

My first impression of Curacao is that it gave me mix vibes of Miami, Aruba and even a bit of French Guyana. And it's so much bigger than I had envisioned it would be.

For our first night, we already planned Pietermaai Proeft. For more on this event, please check it here.

It was a great first night in Curacao, where we finished it with the NBA finals game and a beer at the Sopranos.

The 2nd and 3rd day we were shown around by Rignald Tokaay. That guy is 65 years old, but looks like 40. And he's not the only one!! I think I need to move to Curacao. People just don't seem to age there. Anyone hiring there??

Tokaay is such a wonderful guide. He's the best!! He loves his country, he knows the history, its heritage and all the baai's and everybody seems to know him. And you know why I like him? Of course he'll try to beautify everything, but he gives his honest opinion about things and that's what I appreciate. If you ever want a guide in Curacao...look him up!! Or leave me your e-mail address, so that he can contact you. You know how most of my travels are culinary-based, but this one... I was shown the heritage sites of Curacao. So if you ask me what's to do in Curacao, here is a list:

- Kura Hulanda. A place filled with history and all those buildings renovated and maintained to such an extent that I wonder how come Suriname can't do the same with its monumental heritage.

- the Culinary Walk. We were shown the market, where Venezuelans dock to sell its fish and fresh produce. The market, where different nationalities have been selling their products for years. And having our lunch at Zus Di Plaza, where you can still enjoy the traditional Curacao cuisine as it is. Nothing fancy, but great food. And especially the Repa de Pompoena, the pumpkin pancake, is heavenly!!! It's sooo good I had to finish it even though I was already full.

- Landhuis Jan Kok and the Nena Sanchez Gallery

You can still see many antique tools and furniture next to the artwork of Ms. Nena Sanchez.

- The several Baai's including the Grote Knip and Kleine Knip. And also Porto Mari Baai, which is kept very environment-friendly. No open fire allowed, recycled water, use recycled products are only some of the things they do to keep it GREEN.

- Aquafari. However I love the sea, the sea doesn't love me back. I have issues of getting sea sick easily, so I was already worried that this might not be a good idea. I endured half the excursion and couldn't keep it in anymore. But Emelton & Andy are great!! This is a great example of making your hobby your job. However I stopped, but my hubby went through the full tour. He mentioned about how he could touch and feed the sea creatures. He even held a sea urchin in his hand. Lucky him for being able to do all those things, but in my own way I did feed the fishes.

- lunch at Jaanchie's restaurant. I will have a separate blog about this one though. The owner is such a charmer. I believe that his special ingredient L (=love) makes people go back and of course the food is good or else I wouldn't even recommend it.

It's a real advantage staying in Renaisssance Curacao. They serve a great breakfast buffet and there's so much to do in the vicinity.

Within walking distance, there's Riffort, where you can visit several small shops, eateries and even go to the top to see and even feel the waves.

- The Sopranos. The place for pizza's or drinks, catch a game or even have a go on salsa.

- The Cheesery. I didn't expect it to be so interesting, but I ended up buying truffle cheese.

- Steaks & Ribs. They do have great steaks!! Enjoyed my T-bone

- Ema-Tei. Where we had an extensive sushi dinner.

- Burger Bar. Create your own burger. Nice juicy burgers.

If you walk through Riffort, the Queen Emma Bridge is a 5 minutes walk away. The bridge connecting Otra banda and Punda. If you walk out of the Resort complex, there's a cinema at the corner next to Starbucks. All in all, I'm happy I remained from renting a car. And since it's only a 5 days, 4 nights' stay, a car was not that much needed since there was so much going on in the neighborhood already.

And if you don't want to go anywhere, you can sit back and relax at the Infinity beach or try your luck in the Casino. I don't know who came up with the idea of the Infinity Beach, but it's so out of this world! It's a created beach on the 2nd floor of the Renaissance. It's such an optical illusion as if you can swim out to the open sea, but there's a glass wall keeping you safe.

All in all, Curacao exceeded my expectations. So much to do, so much to eat and initially I thought I would have seen it all in the 4-5 days. But after this trip, I believe Curacao has more to be explored. So next time, I'll surely rent a car to see other parts of this gem.

Goût de France...Good France..Formidable!!

2015-03-24T13:10:00.002-07:00

Last Thursday I was invited for the Goût de France at the French Ambassador's residency. In Suriname, this event is hosted by the French Ambassador, His Excellency Michel Prom and his lovely wife Suzanne.

Before I go any further, here a little explanation about Goût de France:

In 1912, Auguste Escoffier started Les Dîners d’Épicure (Epicurean Diners): one day, one menu, served in cities around the world, to as many guests as possible. In 2015, Goût de/Good France takes the idea further, bringing all categories of restaurants together globally. This international event, taking place on March 19,2015, will mark the first concrete demonstration of French cuisine’s recent listing in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” category by UNESCO, and its influence on the world. - a piece from the official website rendezvousenfrance.com.

When I think about France, I imagine Eiffel Tower, lavender fields (all thanks to those postcards from my cousin Joyce) and I think of wine, cheese and great food. So when I received this invitation, I was ecstatic!! What to wear? What to expect?

I was happy that I was going together with Jill-Joy Landburg from Victuals. At least one familiar face. When we arrived, it was still very quiet. A handful of invitees already arrived and we were welcomed by Ms. Carolle Lucas, the Deputy Chief of Mission. We got invited to start with some aperitif from the bar and mingle a bit.

Any outsider would think it's a friend's gathering since everyone is so relaxed and not so formal and uptight as I thought it would be. But if you see the list of high officials, I kinda feel a bit like a kid among adults. And the nice thing is that they were all very down-to-earth and you don't even notice the gap when talking to them.

While enjoying our aperitif, Champagne Canard Duchene Reserve authentique, we were served some finger foods/ amuse bouche. There was choice between puff pastry with snails in parsley butter and puff pastry with scallops flamed with cognac. The one with scallops has more flavor compared to the one with snails. And I had to contain myself not to fill up on finger foods.

Then it was finally time to be seated. I was seated at the deputy's table, next to headmaster, Mr. Jean-Pierre Octavia, of the high school where the chefs are from. On my other side, I have the company of Mr. Stanley Sidoel, the Director of Culture.

Our dinner continued with the cold starter:

tartar of salmon & weakfish, dressed with passion fruit's vinaigrette & dasheen's chips

The passion fruit vinaigrette complemented the mixed fish tartar really well. A tad of the lemongrass powder enhances the flavor even more. It's the first time I had the dasheen's chips. Dasheen is a type of taro. The chips was very thin, crisp and flavorful.
This was paired with the Bordeaux Entre-deux-mers Grands Terroirs Dourthe 2010.
The wine is light, easy to drink and combined with the dish: very fruity.

We continued with a hot starter:

ravioli of foie gras with morel's cream & sesame cracker

It's my first time having Foie Gras. I don't know what to expect, but since it's goose/duck liver, it might be a bit similar to chicken liver, but maybe better in flavor and texture. Probably because my expectations were too high, I was a bit disappointed in the flavor. The Foie Gras tasted gamey, however it goes really well with the morel's cream, I was not impressed with the flavor of it.
This was paired with the Bordeaux Sauternes Chateau Laribotte 2008.
However I should know that Sauternes are known as sweet, but still it surprised me with its sweetness. For me, a bit too sweet. One of my fellow diners mentioned that it tasted like honey wine, so you can imagine how sweet this is.

Then came the fish main course:

pave of blue fin tuna, lemon grass emulsion served with small glazed vegetable.

My piece of tuna was a bit overcooked to my taste, but I can see that they made every piece medium-well. For this nice piece of tuna, I'd prefer a medium-rare to medium which will give a nicer texture to the end product.

To cleanse our palate and as an aperitif and digestive, we were served:

Trou Normand - apple sorbet with Calvados

I've had sorbets before, so I expected something cold, lemon-y and was surely surprised by the alcohol. Calvados is an apple brandy. This creation is with pieces of apple in it, but the alcohol level really surprised me!! It's really strong and I only sipped a bit. At this point, my belly was already full and we were only half way through.

Next, we were served the meat main course:

Rack of lamb with gingerbread crust, hazelnut mousseline celery & mustard crusty

I was a bit afraid that the lamb is gamey as most lamb meat I've experienced, but this one is so flavorful, so juicy and the crust makes it a bit sweet, and gives it a nice crunch. It's the best rack of lamb I've tasted till now! Was not really fond of the hazelnut mousseline. I still am not sure which spice it is, but it was way too overwhelming.

As the 6th course, we could choose from the assortment of French cheeses:

Camembert de Normandie, Chabichou du Poitou, Époisse de Bourgogne, Roquefort de'l Aveyron, Comté de Franche Comté

It's for the first time I see cheese be eaten as a course of the dinner. For a second, I thought we were already having breakfast. It was so extensive. There was marmalade, honey, different kind of nuts, raisins and it's really a different way to enjoy cheese. I'm used to using cheese as topping or with bread, but not as a stand alone item.

And last but not least:

Praline dessert with black chocolate & raspberries

It is very unfortunate that the dessert always comes as the last course. My belly was already so full that I can only eat half of it. The creation is so rich, so chocolate-y. The sour from the raspberries breaks the sweet of the chocolate, and the soft texture of the praline combined with the crispiness of the cornflake pieces makes this a marvelous finish of the meal!!

After this, we were invited for the award ceremony to the stakeholders of this event, the chefs (students) and their teachers.

As a summary to this event, this is my opinion:

Compliments to the chefs:
- great combination of textures
- well balanced flavor combinations

Improve possibilities:
- smaller portions. We were all served full portions. Based on a 3-course dinner, it would be perfectly fine, but for a 7-course dinner I believe that the portions can be way smaller.
- start earlier. We started at 7:30 (aperitif) and ended around 12:30 (included the award ceremony), so about 5 hours. At the end only a handful guests stayed, which is a pity to the chefs. The other guests did not see the creators of their meals.

However it was a lengthy dinner, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
It was a wonderful evening! The twinkling stars in the clear sky reflects on the water of the swimming pool, a light breeze was blowing and music that makes you believe that you're in a French-Latin country, enjoying great food with great people!!!

* Please also check my latest addition The Taster-page on Facebook here about this event*

New culinary team in action!

2015-02-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

In my last blog, I already presented the new team and of course everybody is very excited and curious how good they are. Those who went to the first fundraising dinner, already put their comments. Those of you who didn't, can read it here and come to one of the following fundraising dinners. For the exact dates, please check it in this post here.

So.. for the first time the chefs come together, the first time they really have to do it on their own. As the coach said during the interview; he gave them the space to do their thing and he'll observe what needs to be fine-tuned.

Even though I'm involved in the team, I'll try to be as objective as can be. Next to that, I'll also add several comments given by guests, so that it'll be as true as can be.

The menu for the night:

Cocktail: Amazon Special

All guests are welcomed with the cocktail prepared by the bartender David Deul.
There was an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic option.

I got the privilege to try both.
Personally I'm not that fond of the non-alcoholic one. The spinach flavor is a bit overwhelming and even though the juice does cover-up the flavor a bit, but I don't like the after taste.
The alcoholic version was way better. A bit on the sweet side for me. It looks nice with the pink in it, but the parts of the pineapple crown were used as a stirrer and it's hazardous with that in the glass. And for me, I didn't taste any alcohol in it.

Guest's input: 1.very sweet and not-chilled enough, 2.no alcohol 'kick', 3.traditional flavors nothing new

The surprise: amuse

The smokiness of the Bang Bang and the sweetness of the onions makes a great combination. For some guests, they find the piece of bang bang a bit too big.

The appetizer

For me, the soup is missing some depth in flavor and texture, the passion fruit seeds were a bit annoying to eat.

Guest's input: 1. salad difficult to eat, but the flavor was good. 2.love the salad 3.a bit boring presentation, garnishing can be better.

The entrée
The beef was heavenly delicious!! Juicy and every bite was filled with flavor. The peanuts used are a bit too big in size and my piece of fish was overcooked.

Guest's input: 1.Fish was delicious, garnish can be better and a bit chaotic on the plate.2. great flavors, really compliment each other. Be more consistent in plating. Garnish leaf unnecessary unless it contributes to the flavor.3. too much food on the plate. fish was really good

Dessert

The Java-Appel (Pommerak) foam and confit is the best thing of the fundraising dinner!!! Soursop cheesecake is smoother than traditional cheesecake, tasted differently and for me, the cantaloupe garnish was a bit off.

Guest's input:1. delicious 2. delicious but too much. combination was outstanding 3.cheesecake top! soursop good. Java-Appel mousse amazing!

Overall, the team is still a diamond in the rough. Their plating skills and portioning still needs some polishing, but as we've tasted: they have enough skills and a stable base to work on. The next fundraising dinner is on February, 24!! 4 more days to make your reservations if you haven't yet!

* All images are captured by IN and provided by The Suriname Culinary Team*

Meet the Suriname Culinary Team 2015!

2015-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

Last April they won their competitors to make it to the team. In the months after that, they supported the Suriname Culinary Team 2014 in their fundraising dinners and also showed some of their skills during the last Moksi Alesi Strey and the DSB anniversary celebration. But in case you missed them... no sweat......it's time for the fundraising dinners again!

In short:
Why: To gain funds and experience for the Taste of the Caribbean Competition
Who: The Suriname Culinary Team 2015
When*: The first one starts at 2 February
Where*: The first one will be held at Spice Quest

*The date is already fixed, but the location will be a different one every time. This is not only to promote different venues, let guests have a different setting every time, but also have a different cooking site for the chefs. It's important for them to get used to different working environments, so that they'll be prepared for whatever space they might get.

So....let's meet the team!!!

Team Coach: Jethro Wirht

Employer: D-Chefs private catering

Current position: Food Consultant

Greatest culinary achievement: Gold Medalist -Chef of the Year 2014 (Taste of the Caribbean)
His own cookbook

Bartender: David 'Cheftender' Deul

Employer: 22 Yards

Current position: Mixologist

Greatest culinary achievement: Bartender of the year 2014

Chef #1: Lorenzo Harper

Employer: Torarica

Current position: Senior Cook

Greatest culinary achievement: Winner Moksi Alesi Strey 2013

Chef #2: Benedict Cataggatan

Employer: Spice Quest

Current position: Chef

Greatest culinary achievement: 1st runner up SCA national competition

Chef #3: Gilbert Wirjomoenawi

Employer: Paranam Country Club

Current position: Head Chef

Greatest culinary achievement: Best Graduate of SHTTC Culinary 2013/2014

Junior Chef: Algeray Ravenberg

Employer: Hotel Krasnapolsky

Current position: Junior Chef

Greatest culinary achievement: Bronze Medalist -Junior Chef of the Year 2014

(Taste of the Caribbean)

Pastry Chef: Xaviera Mijnhijmer

Employer: Hotel Krasnapolsky

Current position: Pastry Chef

Greatest culinary achievement: Winning Pastry Chef of SCA national competition

This team will be supported by Cindy Nuboer (Team Ambassador) and Damei Shen (Team Coordinator). This project is an initiative of the Suriname Chefs Association, who is giving their utmost to elevate the culinary standards in Suriname.

It's a team filled with enthusiastic culinary artists, who can't wait to improve their skills and prove their worth at the Taste of the Caribbean competition. Like their Facebook page and receive the latest updates of their progress.

Want to show your support?

If you want to make a donation, it can be either financial or material, please contact:
Amy MacDonald 597 8550077
amymacdonald210@hotmail.com
suriname.chefs.association@gmail.com

Or you can support them by joining one of the fundraising dinners. The dates are:

Monday 2 February
Tuesday 24 February
Monday 9 March
Monday 30 March
Monday 13 April
Tuesday 28 April
Monday 11 May
Tuesday 26 May
Tuesday 9 June

To make sure of a seat for one of those days, make reservations ahead.
Mail your name and phone number and how many seats you'd like to reserve to suriname.chefs.association@gmail.com.

See what they can do and experience their growth with every fundraising dinner towards the Taste of the Caribbean competition!

** All images contributed by Suriname Chefs Association**

Moksi Alesi Strey...Third time's a charm!

2014-12-06T07:21:00.002-08:00

First of all, my apologies for the tardiness of this blog. It is really way overdue.

It's for the 3rd year that SCA (Suriname Chef's Association) has organized Moksi Alesi Strey. And once again I had the honor to be part of the tasting committee. When I arrived at the scene around 11:30, I immediately see and feel the difference. It looks a bit busier(however mostly set-up crew), but there lies a certain excitement in the air. Most tents were already pretty busy preparing and setting up or decorating their stand.

Some of the nice additions are the stand of TOK and Soeng Ngie. TOK came with their own farm-themed promo girls and I heard their group had the best team spirit. And Soeng Ngie,....they always seem to stand out. With their SRD 5,- meals or maybe it's the yellow color and it surely is because Mr. Micle Fung himself is a great promoter, they attract many people to their stand.

What makes this year more fun are the extra's. There was a Harley Davidson showcase, a Zundapp showcase and Classic Cars showcase (which had only 3 cars though) with other entertainment to keep the visitors entertained.

As part of the tasting team, we were not allowed to be outside where the participants were busy preparing their creation. But it's unavoidable while walking to the location, I have caught some sneak peeks. So, I actually have some idea who participated, but I don't have the whole list. I actually only know the top 3 and I've seen the best decorated stand. They really stood out with their green-decorated stand with nice centerpieces. However I'm not responsible for that part, but I was kinda rooting for them to win the 'best decorated stand' part.

This year, the table for the tasting judges was prepared professionally. A nice decorated table with glasses and jugs of water. The only thing that was still missing was the plates.

This year the participants were fairly on time. One after one the creations came in and we were trying our best effort to distinguish the best out of 8.

The first one that came in was number 1.

The portion size looked like one for a kid. Not many effort on garnishing the plate or making it more appealing. It really looked like a plate at home that I scooped out of the pan myself. Not all beans were cooked thoroughly. When it comes to flavor, it has one that you'd expect. Nothing impressive.

The second was number 5.
They send in two creations: one with bulgur and one with mackerel.

The presentation of this one is superb. The plating, the colors used, it makes it appealing to watch. But they should probably think it through for the next time. However people believe Chinese eat rice with chopsticks, but that's mostly out of a bowl. Out of a plate, it's not that efficient. Still, the colorful wrapped chopsticks gave color to the creations.

We had to choose between the best out of the two creations. Since the rice tasted burned and undercooked, we chose to judge the bulgur version. However that one is also just between undercooked and done. Or maybe that's how bulgur should taste like? The taste was ok, but we were actually discussing that if you had to sell a portion of the mackerel moksi alesi, how much should you charge? Such a big piece will be quite expensive.

The third that came in was number 4.

The presentation was a bit funny. It looked as if they took half the portion and that was how they wanted to present it. At the first bite it gives you a feeling that they burned the rice heavily. After analyzing it all, it appears to be charcoal cooking. It has a smoky flavor. The pieces of chicken in it were too big. If they're gonna mix it in the rice, the pieces should be smaller and if they wanted to put big pieces of meat, they should've just put it on the side. They used eggplant as their ingredient, which was a bit hard to find in the rice.

The fourth came in was number 3.

This gave it some thought about presenting their plate.
Unfortunately this was a moksi alesi competition, because if it was fish competition, they'd have won. As I've mentioned so often, I'm not so fond of fish. But this was really wonderful!! The fish was still crispy, a bit sweet and sour flavor, not too greasy as normally fried fish would be. Their rice was too soft, but flavor was ok.

The fifth came in was number 6.

They presented their moksi alesi in a hollowed small pineapple, which looks presentable.
And if I see a creation in a hollowed pineapple, I'd expect the pineapple to be one of the used ingredients. But we couldn't detect it anywhere. It tasted ok, but nothing impressive.

The sixth came in was number 8.

The presentation gave me a feeling I was at someone's house party. Maybe it's the plate or the plastic wrapped utensils or the plastic wrapped creation, that was what I first thought about when I saw that. And there was even a mint for after the meal.

This one came with 3 types of sambal (def: hot relish made with fruit or veggie): smoked fish, liver and shrimp. That tasted sooo good!! Unfortunately for their undercooked, burned rice and lack of flavor. Maybe the idea was that you eat the tasteless rice with the sambal, so that every bite has a different flavor? But nobody likes undercooked AND burned rice.

The seventh was number 7.

The presentation of the dish was full of lettuce. It made it look like a moksi alesi salad. The fish fritter tasted good, but here the rice was also undercooked and burned.

The final dish coming in was number 2.

\The presentation was simple, but presentable. What surprised me the most is how good the beansprout (tjapar) was in the moksi alesi. It gave the dish a certain crisp to the overall texture. It tasted quite good, however it looked so blend.

my fellow tasting judges

The scores of both the floor judges and the taste judges combined gave the following winners:

1. number 5 creation-> Thuksa
2. number 2 creation-> Kirpalani
3. number 6 creation -> The Next Gen

The best decorated stand was also The Next Gen, as I hoped it would.

Overall, the creations were ok, but none of them really impressed me. However two of those participants did show some creativity of adding eggplant and beansprout, but why not make one with bitter tomato mixed in it? or all the veggies instead of on the side mixed in the rice. Maybe I'm getting more demanding, but I think I really want to be impressed!! A dish that makes me only close my eyes and already can taste the flavor and can't wait to harass the participant to make it again...

Hotpot: a harmonious get-together

2014-10-04T04:40:00.001-07:00

Hotpot, Da Bin Lo, Shabu Shabu, Chinese fondue- all means the same thing. In Suriname, it started as a new concept years ago and their initial target market probably was the Chinese community, but through the years more and more non-Chinese locals have learned to appreciate this concept.

For those who are not common with this concept yet:

With hotpot, you get a pot of stock/soup base of your choice on top of a range in the middle of the table. You can order whatever ingredients you'd like to put in your soup/stock and you eat it with your choice of sauce.

In Suriname, the two most common sauces are the soy sauce and the peanut sauce. In New York for instance, there is a sauce stand where you can create your own sauce.

To come back to hotpot in Suriname, hotpot restaurants has been popping up like crazy. In north, you have nearly one in every corner. In this blog, I'll mention 3 that I've experienced: Squeezy, Ma La Xiang and Lucky Twins.

Squeezy is, I believe, the very first hot pot restaurant. They used to be located at Combeweg and has recently moved to their new location at plutostraat, which is both in location and in building a way better choice.

What I like about this restaurant is that it appears very clean, has sufficient parking space and there are always guests.( to not feel awkwardly alone) Their portions are not that big, so you can order more choices. And for extra privacy, you can always ask for a room.

Ma La Xiang is on the other street of the bridge. I've remembered it as the first hotpot restaurant I've visited after a night out. It was already 2-3 o'clock in the morning, so most places were already closed and they were actually near closing, but we could still get served.

What I like about this place is their tofu skin and their dumplings. Their tofu skin is not so thin as the other places and their dumplings are home made, so you can guarantee a fresh batch. Their portions are bigger, so even if you might order the same dishes, the bill at the end will be higher.

Lucky Twins is more known for their a la carte menu, but they also have hotpot in their menu. Till now, they have not really been pushing this concept. For some time now, you can have the option to have your own single pot, which is more convenient for people, who doesn't like people touching their food. But maybe because I'm not used to going there for it, it kinda slips my mind whenever I feel like going for hotpot.

This hotpot concept has a different feel to it. It kinda creates a harmonious get-together, where everyone can simmer their own ingredients in the stock. Some might not like the idea of everybody going in the pot with their own chopsticks, but that's why there's a ladle and a straining ladle to ease up getting your own stuff out of the soup. And however most people don't do it, but the soup is also for consumption. And with this, it's the more the merrier and the more dishes you can order.

To also get another point of view, I'd like to suggest a post from a fellow blogger:
http://www.jeanluc.sr/restaurant-suriname-squeezy-hot-pot-restaurant/

B-day dinner at Bistro Don Julio!

2014-09-24T11:00:00.001-07:00

For some time now, people have already been talking about this place. They all have one opinion in common:' great food, but pricey'. Since it was for a birthday celebration, I thought 'let's give it a shot!'. I made my reservations up front, which at the end was not even needed. We were one of the few tables occupied, which for me means 'better service'.

Great Service!!
So I don't know if service is normally this good, but everyone was very attentive. The birthday boy got all kinds of congratulations with his b-day and everyone seems to be communicated about this. The waiters were really professional in that they do share the specials of the day, the choices of game and fish of the day. Drinks came on time and the order in which the food got served was like I'd expect from a quality service restaurant. Wine got poured timely whenever our glasses were nearly empty. I was suppose to choose a dessert, so that they can do a birthday thing, but the birthday boy already felt that would happen and said he'd prefer not to, so I didn't do anything about it.

The food

Before my visit, I already asked around what's good. Some people tell me the T-bone, some say the pasta's, but since I was really in the mood for MEAT (when don't I, right?) the choice was made for a T-bone and a rib-eye. Instead of appetizers we chose to order something from the tapas menu. Since it was a birthday celebration, we got the garlic bread as a gift and we also ordered the Bang Bang and tapenade. One thing I gotta admit, they do love fresh ingredients. The bread was drenched in the garlic butter, which was flavorful and moist, but still has the crunchiness in the bread. The bang bang and the tapenade were really good. The birthday boy even said that he'd even prefer this above salmon. Since we had to wait for the wine, we did let the meat sit for a while after it got served. So my rib-eye was a bit towards medium, but I could still taste the juiciness and the awesome flavor of grilled steak. The mushroom sauce really complements it. The T-bone was the right temperature, but the texture of the meat was a bit on the rough side. I believe not enough marbling in the meat. The pepper sauce was ok, but not impressive. And when I told the owner about the T-bone texture, he assured me he's gonna research where the problem might be.

The place
The restaurant has an indoor and outdoor area. The indoor is created as a bar area, where people can sit back and relax, have a drink and a very chillax atmosphere. Outdoor, there are tables lined up in both the patio and the garden area. What I do like about the place is that it has a cozy feeling, with all the greens and paintings/pictures on the outer wall of the house. What needs some improvement are:
- ventilation. they did put fans around the place, but it was still a bit hot. And for so few tables and I was already sweating, I don't want to imagine when it's crowded.
- music. There's music indoor, but outdoor it's a bit quiet. Great for talking, but matching background music would create a better atmosphere.
- décor. I'm not that fond of the Christmas light and the ornaments. Maybe they're early for Christmas. I understand that they'd like to create an obvious line between patio and garden. I have no idea what they can use yet, but maybe a wooden carved wall or so?

Overall, I had a great experience with the attentive staff, the juicy rib-eye and an expected check. However people say it's expensive, I believe the prices are still affordable (and no, I'm not rich). However the prices of wine and pasta are a bit steep, but all other prices are really do-able. 100 srd (less than $30,-) for a big piece of rib-eye.....I'd pay it any time I'd crave for one.

For those who'd like to check the place out, they have a website:
http://bistrodonjulio.com/

Fundraising dinner: chefs on a mission

2014-09-05T06:46:00.001-07:00

Wednesday night I went to a fundraising dinner of the newly graduated chefs from SHTTC. The whole initiative lies with the 'new' chefs. They have to organize the event, purchase the ingredients and cook the meal. The only thing they got some assistance was with the dining room: music, waiting duties and bussing the tables.

The sole purpose of these series(more to come) of fundraising dinners is so that this group can gain international experience and knowledge by doing their internship in Trinidad & Tobago. As an ex-intern, I can say that it is a great opportunity to gain great knowledge and obtain valuable life lessons.
That's why I'm totally supporting this cause. I see it as supporting better dining experiences in the future. For those, who would like to support them by donating, please call SHTTC (499741) or one of the students Kimberley Nurse (8989140).

The venue for this dinner was the dining room at the training center. At weekends it's rented out for 'de Vliegende Hollander' as a restaurant. The place is colorful and a bit too bright for such a dinner. Ok, let's go to the menu right away:

As an appetizer, we were served:

Smoked Bang Bang filet on a bed of greens, with a honey mustard dressing

It looks fresh and it tastes fresh. Normally, I'm not really fond of fish, but the sweetness of the dressing and the smokiness of the bang bang went really well. I could use some more bang bang though, but that's probably because I'm not such a salad-eater. (Meat, meat, meat!!!)

Our soup was:

Mushroom soup

The soup reminds me of the potato cream with truffles soup I had at Papiamento restaurant.(see culinary-tour-aruba-papillon-restaurant). The creaminess, the flavor, but I'd love it more if the texture would be a bit thicker.

For the entrée, the choice was between tenderloin and chicken breast and my choice was of course....Tenderloin!! There was a typo in the menu, but it should be:

Grilled tenderloin, parmesan cheese potato puree and a mix of veggies

My dining partners chose for medium and medium-rare temperature and so our order came as last.

For those who might get upset in such situations, just understand that chefs will always try to have everyone at one table eat at the same time, so since it's a pre-fixed menu, they will try to serve the courses to everyone in the room at the same time. What could've happened is that most of the diners chose either well-done or medium well, which takes a longer cooking time than medium or medium rare. So if you go to such dinner and you want to get your steak first, choose medium well (preferably) or if you really hate any pinkness, well-done.

My medium steak was grilled really well. I have to say this: the chefs are really skilled. When it comes to techniques, they really grabbed it. I mean, course after course, I've tasted skilled hands on the dishes. Maybe I'm expecting a bit too much, but I had hoped for new creations, something out of the ordinary or getting swept from my feet by the dishes, which I didn't. But on the other hand, I do understand that they are showing what they've learned at school, which they did exceptionally well. The dishes are done better than most of the restaurants in Suriname, so maybe some of the 'existing' chefs need a refreshing course?

For dessert, we got 'Borgoe Flan'.

I gotta apologize, since while eating this we were so in discussion that I actually forgot to focus on what I eat. What I know was that it wasn't bad, but it didn't impress me either. Otherwise, I'd sure notice anything about it.

The wine for the evening was: 35 degrees South

I gotta admit that the wine tasted better than I thought.
The mouth feel is a bit coarse, but not too sweet and not too dry.
Easy to drink.

Some areas can use some improvement:
- Welcoming & seating the guests: It was a bit awkward walking in an area and not knowing what to do.
- Dim the lights to create an ambiance
- Music was nearly non-existent since everyone was so loudly talking. It might be handy to have speakers in all the corners of the dining room. And it'd be recommended to have more suitable music than guns 'n roses. Don't get me wrong, I like guns 'n roses, just not while dining.
- better wine glasses: I understand that it probably comes with the dining room, but drinking wine out of a port-glass just doesn't give the wine the right credit.
- Coffee. I don't mind to pay for it, but it'd go really nice with the flan.

What I do like about the evening:
- the introduction of the 'chefs'. It's always nice to know who's behind the masterpieces, but they should try to get more confident standing in front of a group.
- Kimberley Nurse. She showed that she's more than just a chef. She was the MC, the socializer and the problem-solver. However everyone tries to avoid it, but things will go wrong at events. The important thing is how to deal with it.

For the price of SRD 75,- per person, we were served more than we expected ( 4 courses, non-alcoholic beverages and wine). That's the price one might need to pay for only that piece of steak, so for the next event, make sure to BE THERE.

* All pictures are with the compliments of The Victuals Blog*

Culinary tour: New York- BBQ block party

2014-08-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

New York, also known as the Big Apple. However I've been here several times already, but it's always nice to be here again. The only difference compared to the first time was that I knew what to expect and I had the knowledge of the Metro system.

New York can be overwhelming to some, exciting to some and too cold for some. But for me, it is a city full of things to see, things to eat and things to do. The first several times, I've seen most of the sights already: Statue of Liberty (from all kinds of angles), Central Park and all those attractions. For me, this trip is a culinary one. (hmm...aren't most of mine?)

The first night we arrived, it was already past 11pm. We stayed at a friend's house in Queens and however New York is known as the city that never sleeps, but according to my friend, most food places are already closed in the neighborhood except for one: White Castle.

It's my first time in White Castle and the experience was a bit funny. There was a lady, who apparently is spanish-speaking and she didn't really understand what I was saying. Since the menu was broad and it was my first time, I was not sure what my options were. So I was more like asking for her suggestion, but seems like she was really there to just take the order and that's it. However she did her best, but we couldn't really understand each other that clearly.

The burgers are really small and probably that's why the price was also affordable.

When I was still in Suriname, I already did some research. Of course, there are many sites to do that, but I kept coming back to this one: Nifty NYC. They have a listing of ongoing and upcoming events and even mark down the free and cheap stuff you can do.

So one of those things I looked up is the annual BBQ block party at Madison Square Park. Traffic around that area will be blocked or diverted for that weekend (it's a 2-day event). We were there one day before the event and people were already setting up their BBQ sets, some were already working on their briskets. The day of the event we went there around 12 - 1pm and it was sooo crowded. People in every corner in any of those queues. So the idea was to split the group and we'll meet up after we got what we stood in line for. And what I saw most people do is they queue up for one thing and when they got their item, they will eat while standing in line for the next one. There were several long lines, but one of them we were told is selling pie and if you see the queue up, you're convinced their pie must the best one there is. After the first queue up, we kinda had enough of the sun and the lots and lots of people. But it was a really nice event. There were bands playing and to prevent riots from breaking out, an area was demarcated for alcohol consumption. There were also many picnickers, who came prepared with their blankets and stuff. It kinda give me a feeling of the end-of-the-year celebration in Suriname. Everybody was having a good time: people talking and laughing, enjoying good food. Anyway, you'd of course like to know what I tried:

Dinosaur BBQ

- BBQ brisket sandwich with pickled onion & jalapeno relish, served with BBQ beans-

The brisket is full of flavors, with a sweet tint and very soft. Actually come to think of it, the beans were also on the sweet side.

Baker's Ribs
- St. Louise Style Ribs -
The ribs were so juicy...and great flavor. Only thinking of it makes me drool.

And the fun of it all, you see the people working on the items while standing in line. You could see how the brisket comes out of the smoker, on the table, get cut slice by slice and then put on your bun. So while standing in line, you could already work up quite an appetite. But after the first run, it was a bit less interesting to stand under the heat of the sun for about 15 minutes to half an hour for just one item.

This is an annual event, so if you happen to be in New York beginning of June, look up the dates at their site.

Culinary tour: one day tour in Houston, Texas

2014-07-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

However I planned about a week's stay in Houston, Texas, we had hardly any time to really enjoy what the place has to offer. For one, we were there for a wedding. And second, we were dependent on someone to bring us any where.

Although the weather is hot, every thing seems nice and quiet, all places are a bit far from each other. Time seems to pass by faster than anywhere else, since travelling from one place to another is about one hour.

And finally the day before our departure, we got a culinary tour from our friend Steven, who is now sous chef. One advantage of touring with a chef is that you're assured of great food. And to top it off, he likes to try new things too.

So, our first stop was: Blacksmith

It is a café downtown, where we went for a cup of coffee. The place is small, but the service was excellent. From the cashier to the counter, I was given a big smile and it kinda felt as if they care. Their niche is that they have their own coffee beans and you can have your coffee and pastries, but also buy packages of coffee beans to enjoy it at home.

It's always a delight to have a cup of hot cappuccino to start the day, but receiving one with hearts on it warms not only your body and wake up your mind, but also warms up your heart. If you drink yours without sugar, the artwork should remain until the last drop. But I need sugar in mine, so I had to stir my coffee.

The coffee itself tasted totally different from what I'm used to. I've tried instant Coffees, Senseo & Nespresso Coffee and this was nothing like any that I've tried. It has an aftertaste of malt sugar or maltose syrup, what most Chinese use for the moon cakes.

We got there around 8:30 and it was already quite busy with people all over chitchatting and busying on their laptops. A stereotypical scene you would imagine of a coffee house.

According to this site, it is the best coffee house in Houston, Texas.

After my cup coffee, it was time for some breakfast. Our next stop was: Fat Bao.

For their menu, please check it out here.

Fat Bao is small in size and it opens around 11 am. It is an Asian fusion restaurant. The Bao is known as Chinese, some of the items are Japanese and some are Korean; all brought to you in their designed creations.

Our chef ordered the Fat fries, Fat Cauli & 3 different types of Bao. And since he knows we like it spicy, he also got some habanero sauce for us. However it could be spicier, but it was nice to know that there was at least something with that kind of heat.

The Fat fries are like loaded fries, but with Asian ingredients like cilantro, onion and bulgogi ( we chose for bulgogi). The Fat Cauli is deep-fried cauliflower with a curry twist. And then there's the Bao's. They all have a very rich flavor flavor and was surely worth our visit. We gulped these down with Japanese beer. Mine was very light and had a lychee aftertaste. I know it was probably not even noon, but hey,... I'm on vacay and 'it's 5 o'clock somewhere'.

However we only took some appetizers and small snacks, we were kinda full, so our next stop was 'The flying saucer' - a bar downtown. Probably we were not the only ones who were thinking 'happy hour', 'cause the place was quite busy for noon/afternoon. The place is decorated with saucers on the wall and at the bar, you can see all the different kinds of tap beer you can choose from and the bottled beers you can also try.

For beer lovers, this is surely a place to be. But one annoying thing for such a place, is to choose the beer you'd like to drink. To accommodate the guests, you're allowed to get a sample of the beer you'd like to taste. We try the special of the day, but it's not really something for any of us. And since they also have beer flights, we chose those. Beer flights are beer samplers. You get 5 different beers with each a small text about the beer. Since we're in Texas, I chose the Texas flight, the guys chose the Belgian flight. I did not like mine though. Most were either too acidic or too bitter. The guys did enjoy their Belgian flight though.

After we told the other guys about this place, we went to another branch at night. I had enough of the flights and just chose for the well-known Belgian Duvel.

The beer was really easy to drink, was not too light, but not too bitter either. I now understand why it's the favorite beer for most people.

Like I said, time passes by so fast in Houston. Before we knew it, it was already nearly 5 o'clock. It was time for our next tasting place: Arandas Taqueria. Since we seemed to be on a beer tasting tour too, we also ordered the Michelada. It has such a distinct flavor. You receive a cooled, salt-rimmed glass with what I believe is freshly squeezed lime and tomato juice already in it and you have to pour down the Modelo (Mexican lager beer) in it. It tasted salty, sour and different, but unfortunately not my kind of beer. Maybe because of my high expectations for Mexican food, the experience was a bit less than expected . It lacked spiciness and the flavor fullness.

We had planned to go to Taste of Texas to end the Houston tour, but our plans were unpleasantly disturbed by an invitation (apologies for the inviter, but we really wanted to try some Texan steak). We went for some Chinese instead.

But to end this tour with something worth remembering for, I'd also like to mention that Texas is the place to be for Vietnamese food. I went for Vietnamese twice. Once, we had some authentic Vietnamese snacks. And before we went to the airport, we went to a shop that only sells the Vietnamese Pho. There are only 2 sizes: small and large. So, since we were not that hungry we thought, a small should be do-able. Well....the size of the soup was so huge. No wonder they say 'Everything's bigger in Texas!'.

Culinary tour: Aruba- Papillon Restaurant

2014-07-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

Papillon Restaurant gives off a vibe of French mix Caribbean and the stands in front of it is kinda taking the spotlight away from them. But it of course has its advantages. There is the 'I Aruba sign' in the very front and the stands in the middle, which creates a heavy flow of tourists in that area, but for someone who likes to enjoy dinner quietly with the focus on ambiance and breathe in the great thing the restaurant has to offer, it is a bit on the crowded side. But that's just me, so that's also why I chose to sit inside.

http://papillonaruba.com/

Since my first visit, I already wanted to visit this restaurant. It reminds me of Le Papillon of Sandals Royal Plantation, where they offer a heavenly escargot, a juicy black angus and white glove service. So when I read about their '5-course for $50,-' deal, I sure grabbed this chance. And that it comes with 5 wines was like a cherry on top.

First, we got a friendly welcome and was showed to our seats. We chose a seat that was in a forgotten corner inside, where we could still see the crowdedness outside, but not hear them. Inside gave me a feeling of the old French, with many wood accents and dimmed lights. However we were in what seemed to be a forgotten corner, but our waitress surely did not forget about us. We soon got our menu and the 'bread with butter', which is a lump of bread and some pesto and olive oil. The bread was a bit on the heavy side.

Our first course was the Rillette of Salmon & dill,
paired with Chateau Ropiteau ,Chardonnay
Here I really noticed how I know but little about the terms. I had to google rillette, which is similar to pate, but just a bit different in texture and preparation.

This dish came with some arugula salad, which was not so bitter as I thought it would. The salmon was cooked very well, but the rillettes was a bit dry, but with the sauce, it made a great texture.
The chardonnay that came with it was light and fruity.

The second dish was Sweetbread & Asparagus,
paired with Minuty, Rose

This dish was a bit disappointing. The asparagus was cooked right, but it has no flavor and nothing much was done with it.

The wine has a rose bouquet, but a bit on the dry side.

But probably this course has to create the contrast with the next one, because then we got the third dish: Cream of Potato & Truffle
paired with B&G, Chenin Blanc

This is one dish that makes me want to come back for more. It tasted so heavenly. The warmth of the soup, the earthiness of the truffle and a butterscotch aftertaste, it just creates that warm and fuzzy feeling inside that gives you the feeling of being in love. And the amount was just the right one. However I'd love some more, but if I'd have more the butterscotch would overwhelm and I'd feel sick afterwards.

The wine was very fruity.

However on the menu was supposed to be Suckling Pig & Dijon, we were notified that that's changed to Steak & Dijon. I surely am not one to protest against it.
This entrée is paired with Les Pommeredes, Merlot

I ordered my steak medium and my boyfriend asked for a medium rare. Somehow my steak came out medium well, but it could be that the hot plate changed the temperature on the way to my table. The honey mustard was not too sweet, which was better than I expected.

The merlot was well bodied. I could go for a second glass....

Last but not least, DESSERT!!! However I was actually already full, but I had to finish my 5- course. It was Orange muffin & Dulce de Leche
paired with Sauternes, Bordeaux

The wine came first so I took a sip from my wine and it was sooo sweet. I did expect it to be sweet since it's the pairing wine for dessert, but if I only had to drink this without dessert, I probably wouldn't have chosen for this wine.

The nuts, the soft muffin and the ice cream made a wonderful combination. Not only based on their flavors, but the texture combines perfectly as well. Combined with this, the wine was much more drinkable and the dessert really brought out the apricot flavor in the wine.

Unfortunately, this special ended June 5th, but you can always just order à la cart or try their early bird special. And who knows? Maybe next year, they might have a '6-course for $60' for their 6th anniversary. Cross our fingers and hope they hear us.....

For more information on this restaurant, please click here.

Culinary tour: Aruba- dinner

2014-07-09T18:19:00.003-07:00

Dinner is always a bit difficult, since there are so many options. And since those, who have visited Aruba, already know, it's not cheap to dine out in Aruba. Unless, you're gonna cook every night or have fast food every night, it's unavoidable to go into food temptations.

For everyone, who's going on vacation, I'd say 'if you want to really have vacay at Aruba and able to enjoy the place without hesitations, calculate at least $100,- per day.' Of course, you can get through it with less, but it all depends how much freedom you're allowing yourself. I mean, you can always make your own breakfast. There are two great supermarkets: Ling's & Sons and Super food. You can get practically everything there, even Surinamese veggies (not always and mostly expensive). You can even do that with every meal on your vacation, but are you really willing to cook on your holiday? I know I don't and I want to experience new restaurants and new food creations.

I know I promised my top 3, but there are just so many choices that are so good that I just don't know where to start. So I was thinking of putting it in the order of budget to fancy.

Smokey Joe ( costs: about $20 per person)

recommended dress code: as casual as you want

http://menuinternational.com/aruba/portfolio/smokey-joes-island-grill/

This is a ribs joint that's nearly always busy. The place is very colorful and has a pretty broad menu. But since they're famous for their ribs, of course I ordered ribs. I went for the '4-way sampler', which includes 4 half racks and 2 sides. The half racks are all cooked differently: original, smokey's signature, jerk and dry rub. I gotta admit, the Smokey's signature was really good. The original was ok, but for me, I don't really like the jerk and dry rub. Maybe because there's comparison, but I didn't like those two. And the funny about the whole experience is that every table gets an empty tin can. For what?? For the bones of the baby back ribs!! And the sizes were pretty good too, but I just didn't have any room left after the total of one full rack of baby back ribs. The price is pretty affordable, but just not the place you want to impress your date. Unless your date is a meatatarian like me and don't mind to get her fingers dirty...It's just no fun eating ribs with fork and knife.
For the menu, please check it out here

Texas de Brazil/ Amazonia

recommended dress code: casual evening, but comfortable ( not too tight since you'll need the extra space in your clothes)

http://www.arubarestaurants.com/

However these are two different Brazilian steakhouses, but they serve the same concept. For one fixed price ( I believe it's about $40,- per person), you have the freedom to choose what you want from the salad bar and how much you want to eat. There is this grill, where the chef is grilling all kinds of meat skewers and the 'meat-guys' (I don't have another name for them) will bring the skewers to every table that has a 'green' sign. Let me explain the 'green' sign. In the beginning when you meet your waiter/waitress, you'll be explained about the traffic light system they use. You receive a coaster or a piece of wood with on one end green and on one end red. Whenever you're ready to have some (a LOOOOT of) meat, you turn your coaster/piece of wood with the green side up. So the meat-guys know you're ready to have some meat. The experience was somewhat different. I mean..it doesn't happen so often that guys are standing in line to ask you if you'd like to have some of his meat. :D But I gotta say this, even for a meatatarian like myself, it was a bit too much meat. And the awful thing is that even though you know what's gonna happen, you're just never too prepared... But for the first timers, I have the following advice:

1. Have your lunch like 4 hours before you come to this restaurant. If you were thinking of starving yourself, it will work against you.
2. I know how tempting the salad bar is, but don't overdo it on the starch and salads. Unless of course you prefer salad above meat, but then I'm not sure this is something for you.
3. They kitchen closes at around 11 pm, so take your time. They are not gonna deny you meat if you've been there starting at 7pm. They will still serve you if you give green light. And chewing the meat on your pace is better than hurrying yourself to swallow the meat.
4. Go early...then you can really take your time to enjoy everything.
5. Drink something that stimulates the digestion like a wine or so.

And which of the two is better? There is not really something that made a big difference between these two restaurants. The only difference is that Amazonia has a sushi bar, paid separately and for Texas de Brazil, I got a coupon for $25,- off after I registered.

Madame Janette

recommended dress code: casual chic

http://www.madamejanette.info/joomla2/

This place is in one word 'magical'. Some of the tables were under the trees and the ambiance was very romantic. And above all, they have a wine cellar!!! They offer international cuisine and serve a pretty good steak. I went there last year, so my apologies that I only remember the great company and the ambiance. I remember it was good, but not that good to leave an impression.

Ruth's Chris

recommended dress code: dress to impress (it's not a must, but you'll see most people wearing quite chique)

However Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is more of an American brand, but according to people I know, this one in Aruba serves a better steak. It's of course not a budget restaurant, but from time to time, it's ok to pamper yourself with something great! However their steak is prepared very simple and have no sides on it, it's the best steak I ever had. Not too many other spices to overwhelm the flavor of the steak, it was perfectly cooked and the wine we ordered was great with it. I still remember the wine....it was '14 hands Cabernet Sauvignon'. If you want to try this restaurant, but still wants to keep the costs low, check if they have the '2 for $99,-' special. You pay $99,- for you and your date and you both can choose an appetizer and an entrée and a shared dessert. But if you are going there for the steak, choose one for the regular price and you may share a side. After the big piece of meat, and the big portion side, you'll hardly have any room left.

And of course then there's Papillon restaurant, but for that you will have to wait for my next blog!

Culinary tour 2014: Aruba- breakfast and lunch

2014-06-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in my latest blog Lobi Libi, I owe several people this blog post. And for those that I made this promise, my apologies for the late 'response' and for the other readers I would say 'Enjoy the tour'. It will not only include this year's culinary experiences, but also the ones during my internship.

Why it took me so long to write about it, is that I just don't know how to start. I mean, what angle should I use. Should I write about it like retail websites, where I mostly choose 'prices: low to high' or should I go with my top 5 or top 10? This year, before I went, I made a list with breakfast-lunch-dinner options to choose from and I believe that would be very handy for those traveling. And since some places I've experienced more than once, you will even get an updated version.

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day!! However it is possible you might sleep in and wake up late, it is always possible to find a place to get some eggs and pancakes. This brings me to my favorite breakfast place:
1. Delifrance

At this place, you can get breakfast till 16:00. What makes this place my favorite is that their menu is so broad, but if you do know what ingredients go to everything, you realize that they actually just created options with the same ingredients. Next to that, it's affordable. They even have healthy options for those who are on a strict diet. Not every waiter is giving great service, but there is this short lady, light-skinned. Every time we were there, no matter if it was her table, she would always greet us with a big smile and always willing to help if our server was not around. If you are interested in the menu, please click Delifrance menu.

2. Dunkin Donuts (DD)

I know that for most foreigners, it might be the most normal thing in the world to go to DD. In Suriname, we don't have a DD franchise yet, so grabbing a Choco Kreme filled Donut is a fun thing to do. DD can be seen as either a quick breakfast or a snack. They do have breakfast options, which didn't impress me. Had it once, it was meh... And the name says it already, it's a donut place. Why go to a donut place, to get your eggs-on-a-bagel, right?

3. Taste of Belgium

Aruba News by VisitAruba

What I like about this place is their setting. It's really cozy and you get a feeling that you really can relax. Especially in the morning when you want to just sit back and relax. There is a couch outside, where you can lay down to recover from your hangover if you might have one, while they make your breakfast. I like my eggs for breakfast, so that's mostly my breakfast option. Their prices are a bit higher, but they're located at the Palm Beach Mall, so their rent will be a bit higher I guess.

For lunch, I don't have that many options. During my internship, I mostly ate at staff canteen and during my trip, we mostly had brunch at breakfast places. But there is one place, where you can have affordable lunch: J.H. Yee's Bistro

The place looks really fancy. Forget what you know about Chinese restaurants. This restaurant has style!! Many Chinese accents, with sheer curtains and all staff in Chinese dress. Every weekday, they have lunch specials for a fixed price. With the chosen option, you may choose your soup, your main dish and your snack.

Dinner is always a bit difficult, since there are so many options. And since those, who have visited Aruba, already know, it's not cheap to dine out in Aruba. Unless, you're gonna cook every night or have fast food every night, it's unavoidable to go into food temptations. For everyone, who's going on vacation, I'd say 'if you want to really have vacay at Aruba and able to enjoy the place without hesitations, calculate at least $100,- per day.' Of course, you can get through it with less, but it all depends how much freedom you're allowing yourself. I mean, you can always make your own breakfast. There are two great supermarkets: Ling's & Sons and Super food. You can get practically everything there, even Surinamese veggies (not always and mostly expensive). You can even do that with every meal on your vacation, but are you really willing to cook on your holiday? I know I don't and I want to experience new restaurants and new food creations, so next to my top 3, I'll also write about my 5-course dinner at Papillon restaurant. All this...in my next blog.

SCA fundraising dinner @ Krasnapolsky

2014-05-07T08:23:00.001-07:00

As a token of appreciation, all participants and judges were invited to this fundraising dinner. I love this kind of appreciations and it seems fit to let the participants see the current national team in action.

First of all, the setting was different. After renovation, Krasnapolsky chose a more modern approach for their interior. It's all black and white. However it has its charms, but personally I prefer a more cozy and warm tint to a dining place. To some extent, I had hoped that it would be held at the pool side. However it might mean that the pool need to be fenced to prevent any breakage in the pool, but the view would've been magnificent.

kersten.sr

When I first came in with my friend, we were invited to get our drinks at the bar. Like earlier experiences, I received a welcoming cocktail. This one was green again and it made me wonder if the bartender's favorite color is green. After the dinner, I spoke to him and his answer was that he loves to use the colors of Suriname: green, red and yellow, but that his favorite color is actually 'red'.

Despite the fact that I can hold my liquor, I believe the cocktail is a bit on the strong side. Maybe it was supposed to act as an ice breaker, since most participants and judges were placed on two long tables. After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that there must be Pisang Ambon and Black Cat in this cocktail.

This is the menu:

The appetizer:
grilled skirt steak with bang bang salsa. Accompanied by roasted pumpkin dice and curry perfume and pumpkin crème, served with a bitter tomato pickle all drizzled with a suri-churri sauce.

The skirt steak was seasoned very well and grilled at the perfect temperature. The bang bang salsa tasted good too, but I couldn't smell any curry perfume on the plate. Using bitter tomato was a really nice add-on.

The main course:
Poached coconut kandra partnered with pan seared pork roast. with cherry sauce, garlic water spinach, red beet pickle and turmeric potato cubes.

The fish had a nice kick with the spices used and just perfectly cooked, but the pork was not evenly seared. Mine was partly pink and partly overcooked. And I thought uniformity was also part of the dish, but probably not or they used a different piece for mine, since mine was a tad smaller than my neighbors'. And lucky me....I found a fishbone in my Kandra fillet.

The dessert:
Cheesecake mousse topped with passion fruit sauce. garnished with chocolate tuille, mango compote, cookie crumble streusel, mint leaves and papaya foam.

The passion fruit was a bit too sour. The mango compote was blend, but it could also be that it got overpowered by the sourness of the passion fruit. The cookie crumble added a nice texture to it all. Since it is cheesecake mousse, it is not fluffy enough for me.

My overall experience gave me a weird feeling. Apparently the mystery basket of this dinner consisted of most Surinamese ingredients, the competition contestants had chosen for their creation. I see some of the ingredients back like: bitter tomato, pumpkin, passion fruit. However the team did a better job in technique, but I was missing the WOW-factor. I would even dare to say that the chefs in the national culinary competition had more creativity and enthusiasm. However not all creations gave the results the competing chefs wanted, but I get the underlying idea and vision in it.

After dinner, there was another thing planned. The organization took this opportunity to introduce the team of this year and also thank all the participants and judges for their input in the national culinary competition. We, lady judges, received a bouquet, a certificate of appreciation and the latest Victuals magazine!!

The National Culinary Competition 2014

2014-04-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

It's finally here, everyone! My blog about the national culinary competition. It was an experience like no other I've had yet. For the first time, I've met the challenges of being a judge. And to be honest, I'm still full from the tasting.

First of all, there were 5 judges including me for the food part. For the cocktails, they had a different crew, which is good. Probably we might have become drunk before we even get to the food.

In total there are 3 bartenders, 7 chefs and 4 pastry chefs. The participants were:

Bartenders:
- Minquel Tan-A-Kiam
- Irwin Mingoen
- David Duel

Chefs:
- Wendy Amatroeslan
- Benedicto Cataggatan
- Gilbert Wirjomoenawi
- Joey Dragman
- Orpheo Uitenwerf
- Lorenzo Harper
- Rodney Felter

Pastry Chefs:
- Ifeula Tilborg
- Quincy Wielson
- Louisa Tjon Meeuw Sioe
- Xaviera Mijnheimer

First of all, I want to say that all the participants had a very challenging job. Not only do they have to come up with an unique creation, but they also have a time limit to finish their creation. And for the chefs, they even have 2 creations to finish: appetizer and entrée. And as if the anxiety and the adrenaline rush isn't enough, our local electricity provider had a total black-out. For all the participants who needed electricity in any way, they had to look for other options.

It did remind me of a show I saw, where pastry chefs couldn't use their mixers and had to use chopsticks to mix their batter. That was cool to see then, but for this group, they were not prepared for these circumstances. But fortunately, everyone gave it their utmost to cope with these issues.

And for us judges, we had 18 creations to taste that practically came in at the same time. But to make it easier for you to read, I've grouped them by contestant.

Chef #1
Appetizer: Pan seared shrimp, papaya salad, croutons & taro leaf chutney
Entrée: Pan fried koebi with spicy tropical mango sauce. sweet potato puree, spicy curry pumpkin n stir-fried water spinach.

My comments:
The appetizer was cold. The papaya tasted like it's about to spoil and the taro leaf was too sour.

The entrée nicely plated. The sweet potato puree was nice and creamy and the deep-fried taro leaf was very crunchy. However I probably should say this at the end, but this was my favorite main course, even though I'm not too fond of fish.

Chef #2
Appetizer: pan grilled shrimp, cucumber roll stuffed with roasted bell pepper, carrots, vermicelli and toast topped with buttered taro leaf. Lemon garlic chili sauce.
Entrée: marinated bang bang on a bed of cassava puree, garlic string beans, caramelized pumpkin, Japanese style omelet and orange citrus sauce.

My comments:
The appetizer: I like the idea of the cucumber roll. the ingredients in it were well-balanced, but for me the spices are a bit on the heavy side. The shrimp however is overcooked and salty.

The entrée: fish was overcooked, the cassava puree had a gluey texture

Chef #3
Appetizer: grilled shrimp, pomelo salad, roasted eggplant roll
Entrée: chicken roulade stuffed with cheese and mushroom, beans puree/ broccoli/ lemon garlic sauce

My comments:
The appetizer: the pomelo salad was missing a dressing or sauce. Since the pomelo has a bitter-ish flavor and the sprouts are not adding any flavor to it, it just tasted bitter. Not a flavor most people favor.

The entrée: the roulade was tough to cut. The meat was too dense and puree was too salty.

made possible by Victuals

Chef #4
Appetizer: Filled papaya, sea bob mousse, deep-fried gamba and lemon mint dressing
Entrée: Grilled honey ginger lemon pork chop with herbal mix, mashed sweet potato with antroewa ( I think it's bitter tomato in English?), butter taro leaf and pumpkin

My Comments:

The appetizer: first of all, using a hollowed out papaya to fill the sea bob mousse was a very good idea. All mixed together was very well balanced and had a very nice flavor and texture.

The entrée: The first thing that we all noticed was that the pork was raw. This is a very big HACCP issue. Raw pork is a big health hazard!!

Chef#5
Appetizer: grilled chicken filet, napi, sweet potato puree. Cucumber with lettuce. Ginger creamy sauce
Entrée: Kandra filet, lemon, coconut risotto with dried shrimps, eggplant, taro leaf and passion fruit hardie sauce.

My Comments:
The appetizer: the chicken was overcooked, the puree was a bit on the heavy side. And probable the chef wanted to create a certain perception, but putting everything on one side of the plate came over as a waste of the space.

The entrée: the risotto was undercooked, the eggplant was very greasy and this dish came an hour late. It should've been disqualified, but we still judge in since it was finished. But in case it tasted really good, it might have lost at the end since points would've been deducted due to the tardiness.
There can be all the reasons in the world, but a guest, who waits an hour for its entrée, will be so mad that he/she might not even want to lift a fork.

Chef #6
Appetizer: shrimp-apple tartar with crostini. Tropi-sur beverage
Entrée: Red snapper with sour sop sauce, podosiri (acai berry) risotto. soekwa (loofah)- carrot gratin.

My Comments:
The appetizer: The dish was plated really nice. It was different and very artistic. Unfortunately the shrimp was battered with its shell and deep-fried, so when we bite in it not expecting the shell to remain, it was a very unpleasant surprise. the yoghurt sauce was creamy and well-flavored. The drink was really good next to it. The other judges were comparing it with the rocket popsicle.

The entrée: The dish itself had an odd smell. It could've been the podosiri used. The risotto was also undercooked.

Compared to its appetizer, I wouldn't have thought those two dishes were plated by the same person. The appetizer was so well-thought, where as the entrée looked as if the chef lost its creativeness.

Chef# 7
Appetizer: Totness Chicken
Entrée: Santan Steak - pan seared tenderloin, in a bed of kloewe, babat, tempeh; light curry sauce in cocoa and laos. Spicy tomato trasie sauce.

My Comments:
The appetizer: my chicken filet was overcooked. My colleague judge had a juicier piece of meat. Combined the pineapple and mango make a very tasty salsa.

The entrée: The babat (cow's first belly) was still gamey. ( in Suriname we would say' is nog la la'). It's the only dish with beef, but with all the ingredients, the beef doesn't seem like the main ingredient. And for me, too many flavors on one plate.

Finally, we're off to desserts. It's always the fun part of the whole dining experience, if only you've left enough space in your belly.

Pastry#1 : Warm chocolate lava, infused with Malibu rum and fresh awara pearls. Accompanied with Suriname's best ginger beer mixed with fresh cut pineapples, garnished with podosiri sauce, mint leaves and chocolate tuile.

My comments:
When we ladies saw that on the menu, we tripped!! I mean...Chocolate Lava is like chocolate heaven. We even threatened each other not to take too much. But the experience was sooo disappointing. The edges of the cake were so massive and however the center is gooey, the dark chocolate was a bit on the bitter side and it was infused with too much rum. The awara pearls were flavorless. On the other end, the ginger beer was really good. I don't like ginger, so I normally wouldn't drink ginger beer, but this was light and not so ginger-y that it was uncomfortable. I'd drink it again if I got this served.

Pastry#2: Tapse Tisie
Cannelloni with podosiri cream and awara foam and tapioca caviar.

My comments:
This was such a great dessert!! The only one that I'd actually wanted to finish. The cannelloni is crunchy, the podosiri cream was not too sweet and the tapioca caviar gave it such a great texture to it all.

Pastry#3: Earl grey tea mousse topped with mint leaves garnished with mango ravioli, chocolate spheres, tuile and caramel powder.

My comments:
Before we even got the dish, we already had a very good first impression from this pastry chef. Their menu was printed on a laminated paper. It's like handing in your paper for school. However the layout and cover might not give you extra points, but you've already gave a good impression.
The dish itself...the mousse was a bit on the sweet side. The spheres are so cool. They burst in your mouth. It's really something you should experience if you get the chance.

Pastry#4: Passion fruit yoghurt parfait and meringue, garnished with sesame tuile.

My comments:
This pastry chef really had quite some to endure. Like I mentioned earlier, we had a black-out, so since her creation is yoghurt parfait, it's a very delicate dessert. It needs to stay cooled. And stem of one of her glasses broke and since there's no electricity, she couldn't make a new one. But after all, we did get to taste her creation.

The yoghurt parfait is very light and the meringue gave it a nice twist. What made it really nice was the sesame tuile. It has the nice flavor and aroma of sesame. A really nice dessert.

Wow, this blog has become quite long!! Hopefully I did not bore you guys.
And that's how my judging experience was; It's like food coming in that needed to be tasted and it just doesn't seem to end. And at the end, it was such a relieve that it was finally over.

And if I had to do it all over again? I would be the first in line!

The experience was new and exciting. It's constantly new dishes, new creations and I'm so happy I could taste every one of the dishes. I have to admit. I had some challenges giving points that quickly, but at the very end, we all did it!

And of course, I can't finish this blog, without the results:

Winning Bartender:
no.1. David - 22 Yards
no.2. Irwin - Krasnapolsky

Winning Chefs:
no. 1. Chef #4 Lorenzo - Torarica
no. 2. Chef #1 Benedicto - Spice Quest
no. 3. Chef #2 Gilbert - Suralco Country Club

Note: I'm pretty surprised by the results, but I have to admit that Lorenzo's appetizer was really the best of all the presented appetizers and for the next time, I hope he cooks the pork a bit longer.

Winning Pastry Chef:
no.1. Pastry #2 Xaviera - Krasnapolsky
no.2. Pastry #4 Louisa- Heavenly Sweets.

What I do miss is the chance for any foodie fan to taste these creations. Maybe it's an idea for the several places to present at least the winning dishes in the weeks after such a competition. It's like only watch, no touch for most readers. That's a real torture for most foodies!

Sushi 101

2014-04-23T05:33:00.002-07:00

First of all, I hope everyone enjoyed a great Easter weekend with lots of food, drinks and fun! Personally my Easter weekend was quite productive since I've used it to do some projects on the house, but I did enjoy my own share of Easter celebrations. I went to a gathering initiated by my good friend and quite some foodies together and we started talking about a variety of topics. One of them that really stayed with me was:' What are the requirements for an item to be called 'Sushi'

I mean, should it always be a roll, does it need to be rolled with seaweed or is a mandatory ingredient 'seafood'. In Suriname, it is not until recently that we have sushi restaurants. And it appears that more and more locals are liking the sushi option, which is a very good improvement compared to ten years ago, when most people are reluctant to try new culinary things.

I did some research and nowhere on the web could I actually find the requirements/qualifications for sushi. The only thing that is written in most of them is that the base is specially prepared rice.
However both white and brown rice can be used, we mostly see the white version. And it is also mostly prepared with rice vinegar to give it a sticky texture.

I know many newbies will immediately think of raw fish when they hear about sushi. That is of course an option, but nowadays there are so many with cooked ingredients, so don't worry about that.

Here's a little something about sushi:

- However it is known as a Japanese dish, its origin can be found in Southeast Asia.
- Sushi ( the ones with raw fish) minus rice = sashimi
- Sushi mostly come with 3 items: ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.
   The ginger is to clean the palate between rolls/ meals and the wasabi can be added to the soy sauce,
    in which sushi can be dipped.
- however it's common to use rice vinegar, it's not a mandatory thing. Some people use orange or
   lemon juice. I suppose it should be a bit acidic for it to work.
- sushi is not always rolled, so seaweed is not a mandatory ingredient. For example, the Nigiri is just
   molded rice with a piece of meat/fish on it. But there are also other kinds like sushi cupcake- the ingredients are put in a cupcake-like bowl

- the most expensive sushi costs 91,800 Phillipino Pesos (£1,313.88, $1,978.15) for five pieces of
Nigiri garnished with diamonds and wrapped in 24-karat gold leaf produced by chef Angelito

Araneta Jr. -> information taken form Guinness book of World Records. If you want to try this expensive masterpiece, you'll have to be in Manila.
- sushi is not always hearty. There are lots of sushi desserts in the world. It kind of give me a feeling that they misnamed the Swiss Roll. That will be a battle between the Japanese and the Swiss I quess.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/melanie-berliet/2013/08/confessions-of-a-naked-sushi-model/

- you can also choose to eat sushi the naked way-Nyotaimori -, but just not in Suriname yet. The ordered sushi will be served on a naked lady. I read this article 'confessions of a naked sushi model',... really interesting. If you'd like to read it too, please click here.
- and if you want more information on sushi, the latest edition of Victuals has an article about it. Make sure not to miss out.

You know,... every where I go they have their own sushi. Like Aruba has their Aruba-sushi, California has the California-roll, why hasn't Suriname has their own sushi yet?

I'm thinking, a Masoes Moksi Alesie -yellow mixed rice- rolled in a deep-fried bokchoy or water spinach or any other Surinamese veggie leaf, filled with baked banana or so.

And last but not least, 27 April 2014 is the National Culinary Competition. And quess what?? I got invited to be a judge. Who knows? Maybe I do get served a Surinamese sushi?

The location is: SUIT NV and it's free entrance!! See you there!!

SCA Fundraising dinner @ Torarica

2014-04-15T07:59:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday I got invited by a good friend to join him for the fundraising dinner held by Suriname Chef Association. This time the location was Torarica. The setting is rather dim, nice for a romantic ambiance, but not convenient if you have to read. Good thing the menu was in a rather big font.

The menu for that night was:

The first thing I received was the welcoming's cocktail. I noticed that mine looked different compared to the one of my dining partner. Mine was a nice Ying Yang of yellow and green and my dining partner's drink was layered.

The drink was a bit on the sour side and like my other experience, no one gave instructions to stir/mix the drink.

What I do like about the idea is the use of Surinamese fruits in this one. It's made with Katahar and guava as the main ingredients.

In the flyer, there was mentioning of a surprise. So instead of a 3-course dinner, we received an amuse with it.

From the information I got, this was from the host restaurant. A Bara and a deep-fried fish ball. I miss the fluffiness of the Bara and however for me the chutney salsa was not hot, I believe it should be given as a choice to the guest if he/she would like to spice it up.

The appetizer was the trio chicken.

The first chicken was a piece of chicken breast with the corn salsa. The chicken was blend and the corn was still hard!!

The second chicken was the omelet. Yeah...eggs sort of are un-hatched chickens.

And the third chicken is probably the ones in the ragout. The ragout had a very nice flavor and creamy texture.

The chefs explained that they received fresh corns and it didn't get soft after hours of cooking. After some research on the internet, I came across some similar issues, but they mentioned two reasons why corn might be rubbery and hard:
- overcooked
- salt

The entrée is brisket with loofah squash and potato rosti.

The brisket was soft, but not as soft as I expected it should be. It has an ok flavor, but nothing fancy and not impressive.

The loofah squash had the hard edges and a soft center.

The green split pea puree had a nice flavor, but very unfortunate to still have some uncooked peas in it.

My potato rosti was burned and was very greasy.

My advice for this dish would be:
1. peel the edges of the loofah squash.
2. the potato rosti soaked up so much oil. It could be that the oil was maybe not hot enough. And after deep-frying, place it on paper towels to soak up the excessive oil. And it goes without saying that someone should really pay attention while deep-frying it.

The dessert is coconut flan.

Flan is an easy, but yet delicate dessert. What I mostly like about flan is the caramel sauce, which I do miss on this one.

The flan is soft and creamy and is well-flavored. Not too sweet.

The flan has pieces of coconut in it, which adds texture to the dessert. For me, the pieces are still a bit too big. I understand that the chef would like to really bring out the coconut in the flan, but I would prefer coconut shreds in it.

However I do love dark chocolate, but I believe a caramel garnish would've been more suitable.

Compared with my previous SCA fundraising dinner @Marriott, I am quite disappointed with this experience. Probably the mystery baskets are getting tougher nearing the competition, but that should be expected by the chefs.

During these coming 2 months before the competition, I expect the chefs to be training themselves with all kinds of unexpected ingredients. For example, watch Chopped and use the ingredients to create a dish. Ingredients that need a longer cooking time, browse the internet for solutions to tenderize or ways to speed-up the process.

In Dutch there is a saying" goed begonnen is half gewonnen", which means if you are prepared and have a good start, you have won half the battle already.

I don't hope my post will come over as a discouragement or offensive, since I do support the chefs in this upcoming challenge. I hope this will be an eye-opener and a wake- up call that everyone should be on their A-game towards the Taste of the Caribbean Competition.

Souposo: the first soup bar in Suriname!

2014-04-04T07:57:00.001-07:00

Last week I visited Souposo, the first soup bar in Suriname. They started first in November 2012, where Ramon Beuk came to serve the first bowl of soup. Their first location was at the Van Roseveltkade. Now they moved to the Costerstraat, which I believe is a good change of scenery.

http://www.switi-sranan.com/souposo/

borrowed from Jill-Joy Landburg

Souposo serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and they serve different soups every day. However it's a soup bar, but they serve more than soup. One of the dinner entrées my friend recommended is the Luxe Moksi Alesi, which is nicely plated with a piece of skirt steak on top of a small pile of Moksi Alesi( mixed rice) and a tomato salsa sauce drizzle.

This is my opinion about the place:
  - The decoration of the restaurant
  It is very colorful, but yet stylish. It feels as if I step in an art house, where the chairs and the tables
are its art. It has a bookshelves with books and all together gives a really cozy ambiance. There is
also the option to sit outside in the open; looking at it all gives me the feeling of a picnic place. Very
relaxed. I just love the bright colors combined with the wooden accents!

- Service
  The staff is very friendly. Everyone I saw smiled to me and our waitress was nice.

- Food
  We ordered the skirt steak (luxe moksi alesi) and the pork chop. However the waitress replied that we could share one
meal (maybe she thought I eat little), but I saw a picture before and knew that it would not be enough for the both of us. The skirt steak was well-seasoned, but for my idea a bit too small. The
pork chop was very tender and could be seasoned a bit more. The sauce used for both dishes were a bit on the strong side. For the steak, I didn't even used any of the salsa. It was good as and I wouldn't want to change the flavor by dipping on any sauce. And maybe the idea was that the strong mustard sauce was to give the pork chop the flavor? I dunno, but I was not that fond of the sauces.

- The location
At the old location, it was always hard to find a parking space. The new location is a bit better, but they should consider maybe joining forces with the office nearby. They have a parking space across the street and after business hours, it's not really used.

-Price
The price is a bit above average, but not too extreme. And here rise the question once again as mentioned in my old post Something to think about: Surinamese gourmet?: Are you willing to pay for Surinamese gourmet? However it's a fusion, but it's a great initiative towards Surinamese gourmet, so I will support it. Do you?

For everyone, who would like to check this place out, this is their contact information:

Dining Etiquette

2014-03-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

As a hospitality graduate, dining etiquette was given as a subject at school. As a Food & Beverage lover, I've considered it a very important 'procedure'. However I say procedure, but it's actually a part of the dining experience.

When you go to a fast food joint, you won't expect any table set up. When you go to a casual dining place, you expect that they have a decent table set up ( at least, all the utensils and glasses). If you might ever visit a fine dining restaurant, you will experience the proper way a table should be set up.

You might think: "dining is dining, what does it matter with which fork I eat or how I place my utensils at the end?" The answer is 'it makes the biggest difference about your manners and the respect to dining and your host/hostess".

As many might hesitate this idea, but even the Chinese dining has its table etiquette. For instance, when eating with chopstick, don't rub the chopsticks together. Rubbing chopsticks together is mostly done for the wooden take-out chopsticks, so by doing so you give the host/hostess the feeling you're given cheap chopsticks to use.

Of course, going out with friends is different than dining with your boss or being on business dinners.
With friends, it's a more casual setting, but when it's business- related, your dining etiquettes really does matter. It reflects your personality.

So...what is the proper dining etiquette?

Some are very logical, like being on time, don't overdo it if you get to order and don't overdo it with alcohol. But what to do if you've never taught what the proper dining etiquette is?

Here is a cheat sheet if you might need to attend such an invite:

1. RSVP stands for "répondez s’il vous plait". It stands for 'Please respond', so not only if you can't attend.

2. Place your napkin on your lap as soon as you get seated. The napkin is not to be used as a bib.

If you need to leave your place during the meal, put your napkin on the left of your plates or on a chair.

3. Don't order food that you can't eat properly with knife and fork or spoon.

4. Wait for everyone to have their food before eating

5. Transport food to your mouth…not your mouth to the food.

6. When passing food platters, pass them around the table not across.

7. Never put silverware on the table surface after it has been used, lay it on the butter plate.
8. How you put your utensils, are signs for the waiter:

9. Never request seconds. Accept them graciously if they are offered.
10. If you don't have the cheat sheet and really forgot everything about how and what, just observe the others around you, especially the hostess. If they themselves don't know the business etiquette, it's no biggie, but if they do: just copy + paste.

For those of you, who would like to know more than the cheat sheet about dining etiquette, I'd like to refer you to this site: http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/table-etiquette-guide-informal-dining-manners/

informal set-up

formal set up

Nature: food to the soul!

2014-03-18T05:42:00.001-07:00

However it would seem that Suriname is mostly popular for its multicultural food varieties, but there is another thing that makes Suriname so popular: The Untouched Rainforest.

Many tourists have seen the most beautiful places in the interior in contrary to most of the locals. It might come as a shock, but most locals are not able to pay for a trip to our popular interior since the prices are so high compared to their pay. During school's big break, everybody is longing for some way to cool down, so all nearby recreation resorts are packed with big groups of people. Where as many hoped for some way to relax, many just can't since most of the resorts are letting in as many people as possible. Probably they don't want to disappoint some visitors or just to gain some extra's.

http://surinamedashboard.com/surinamerecreatieoorden.php

Nevertheless, this has been the main reason why I haven't been to a recreation resort for the longest time.

http://wilderness-explorers.com/suriname/lodges/

Everyone has a different expectation of a night in the 'jungle'. Some see it as a place to party and have fun, where as sleeping is not part of it. The main ingredients for a successful trip for them is: lots of food, music, and lots of alcohol. Then there are some who are there to relax and quiet down from the stress and hassle of the city. For the first group, it would not matter that the place will be packed. The more the merrier. But for the second group, they might get even grumpier than they arrived.


http://www.surinamecamping.com/

I used to be in the first group, but probably I really got to admit I'm not getting any younger. I notice that I prefer the nice and quiet of the interior. The smell of trees, the sounds of hidden animals/bugs and if you're lucky, the many stars above you shining brighter than ever.

Last weekend I have finally been to a place where I could enjoy these moments of tranquility. It is this place called Palulu Camping. In contrary to the other recreation resorts, this one demands a reservation and keeps a limit to the amount of visitors at once. And however the names states a camping, but it has all the needed simple luxuries like a flushable toilet, a well-equipped kitchen and even tents for rent. If you happen to go there, the only thing you need to bring is ingredients to cook, your personal stuff and yourself of course.

http://www.surinamecamping.com/

However I could not see the many stars due to a cloudy sky, but I could hear the raindrops falling and had enjoyed a well-rested weekend.

What are the must have's when you go to a recreation resort? Does the nature brings out the wild side or does it give you peace of mind?

Interested in the place? Check their website: http://surinamecamping.com/index.html
The owners Donovan and Iris will surely try to make your stay a memorable one.

I made it to the Friends & Family Cook-out!!

2014-03-03T03:26:00.000-08:00

Yay!! The team worked their schnitzels off to have the Sunday off! So thanx a bunch to the team and everyone, who rooted for me!

As I said in my last blog, I was invited to be a judge at the Family & Friends Cook-out at Suit, made possible by Soeng Ngie & Co and Suit NV. I got there around 5:30 pm and there was a crowd, but not that busy yet. There were at least 3 bouncy castles on one side for the kids, drinking stations, and at the other side Soeng Ngie had a widespread set-up. In between were the participants and other stand holders. So, there was quite some to see.

I thought, as the past experiences, I would also be part of the technical judge team. But no...this time I was part of the tasting committee. This is so cool!

At 6pm, all participants have to hand over their participating dish. There were 7 participants, so quite some to taste!

Just like before, I'll be giving my opinion about the dishes and at the end the top 3.

#1. Samenkomst
the meaning of this dish is 'get-together'.
The participant hollow the cassave and filled it with 3 different fillings. One was salt fish, the other shrimp, but about the last one I was not sure what it was.

Pro's:
- I give them an A for effort!! Hollowing out cassave is not easy to do and it's quite some work.
- they used the Her Heri concept and creatively create a different dish out of it

Cons:
- the cassave was still tough. It could've used some more cooking time, but I believe they were afraid it would fall apart. My advice in this would be to hollow it out and deep fry it. It would give the cassave a nice crispy yet soft texture and still keep the form.

#2 . Creamy wonton
The creator substituted the commonly known meat filling for a cream cheese-veggie filling.

Pro's:
- The crisp of the wonton wrapper and the creamy filling made a great combination.
- The flavor was really good.

Cons:
- The sauce was not a good match. They used the sweet chili sauce, which overpowered the flavor of the wonton. It would be a better choice to use the Turkish sauce participant #3 used in his dish.
- The presentation was so-so. The food would have popped more if they'd used a different background. What would've made it looked really nice, would've been a white-blue porcelain plate.

#3. Popcorn chicken

The chicken was coated in a tempura batter and deep fried.

Pro's:
- The Turkish sauce was awesome!! It came with two sauces, but the Turkish sauce surely left an impression. I hear the other judges say that it's sold in Soeng Ngie, so I should check that out.

Cons:
- I missed creativity in this one
- The plate used was brown. Since the popcorn chicken is yellow-brown-ish it did not really pop.

#4. Crunchy Monster

BBQ chicken 'patty' on a home-made sesame bun and baked potato strings. At least I had my burger.

Pro's:
- The presentation is appealing.
- The bun was fluffy and light. And since it's home-made they got extra points from me for that

Cons:
- The chicken was a bit burned, so it tasted a bit bitter.
- They were a bit heavy with the five spice. That flavor was a bit too much.

#5.Seafood pasta
Fish on a bed of creamy tagliatelle pasta. My apologies for the missing picture.

Pro's:
- I don't have any pros for this dish actually. It's not bad, but not that good either.

Cons:
- The flavor was blend
- It was not creative for me

#6. Orange Pineapple Fish

Rice with sweet and sour tempura-battered fish

Pro's:
- The presentation of this dish was the best. The white bowl with the green and yellow of the broccoli and fruits and the green dummy chopstick. And especially the dummy chopsticks were a great add-on. Anybody can use it!!

Cons:
- the broccoli was either overcooked or undercooked. Those that were cooked with the sauce were overcooked and the garnish was undercooked
- the fish was surrounded by a thick layer of tempura batter. It was a bit too much

#7. Hete Bamie

Translated from dutch this should be a Hot Javanese noodle.
Before I go to pros and cons, I'd like to mention my expectations. For one, I expected hot in temperature and hot in spiciness. And next to that, I was thinking they either went traditional with this one or totally different from it.

Pro's:
- there are no pro's for this one, but I'll give it that they substituted the chicken for chicken kidneys.

Cons:
- the presentation was bad!!! In the picture it was in a foam box, but we were told it was not even given that fancy when it was handed over.
- the kidney was tough and lacked taste
- the noodle was blend
- no pepper in the noodle and also none on the side

The top 3 dishes were finally:
1. creamy wonton -> Bits II Bytes

They received $1000,- prize money,their dish will be sold in Sha-gi's for a year and they get to cook their dish on the tv show: Soeng Ngie's Keukengeheimen
2. popcorn chicken -> Pink Events
3. Crunchy Monster -> Lounge One

Overall it was a great event! By the time the winners got announced, the place was packed!! Micle Fung gave a great fried rice demonstration. He really knows how to give out a show!

The nice thing about the organization is that all participants got their participating fee back.

The nicer thing is that the judges got red pockets from the organization!! I really like doing this and don't expect anything back, but it was really an awesome surprise. It really showed us the great appreciation from the organization!

Suit or Zuid?

2014-02-27T17:13:00.001-08:00

Every weekend there doesn't seem to have anything going on and it has to be this weekend that every food competition need to be held. And it's this same weekend that I need to be in at work every single day of it and not sure what time I'll get off. Don't you hate it when it happens?

Well, good thing it's held at Sunday, so just maybe.....*fingers crossed*....that I can still go to one of these two competitions. You haven't heard/read about it yet??? This weekend, there will be the 2nd burger battle at Bar Zuid and the Family&Friends Cook-out at Suit NV. And both happenings start at 4pm. Can I split my belly and go to both?

The 2nd burger battle will have other teams than the last time. One of the new teams is Jamrock, so I'm thinking some Jerk Burger maybe??? I'm actually really curious what kind of creations they will be making. Like the last battle, the winner will go through to the final competition at the end of this year.

At the same time, the cook-out has a very competitive edge. The winner will not only receive $1000,- in money prize, but the dish will be sold at Sha-gi for a whole year and the winning team will also get to cook this dish in the tv show: Soeng Ngie's Keukengeheimen.

Both battle has its thing. At Zuid, we have professionals (restaurants only) present their burger creation, but at Suit, you have the amateur, who might have thought about a great idea and it could be made of anything. It can vary from a burrito to an exquisite foie gras ( I don't think anyone would really go that extreme!).

Since I don't know how to choose, it got chosen for me. I was asked to judge in the Family & Friends Cook-out; the only thing I need to hope for is getting off at work early!! Root for me?

For more on both competitions, I'd recommend to also read:
http://thevictualsblog.ccmnv.sr/2014/02/suit-nv-soeng-ngie-present-first-family.html
http://thevictualsblog.ccmnv.sr/2014/02/iron-burger-battle-bar-zuid.html

With Twinkle Eyes and Poppy Love

2014-02-06T03:54:00.003-08:00

Valentine's day is near!!!! Some say it's a commercial stunt, some can't wait for this day to see what their loved ones got them or how they will be surprised. It's like Christmas for lovers! There is the festivity (not with garlands and Christmas lights, but with red hearts and pink roses everywhere), the smiling faces accompanied with the blushy cheeks when one receives a rose.

For this event, I joined forces with a friend of mine and we are bringing you Valentine Cheesecake. She owns 'Koekjes van Thuis" and I started my own " Poppy Love". But why I used 'Twinkle Eyes' to indicate her is because she always end her letters, posts and any writing with" Met twinkle ogen en een brede smile" meaning with twinkle eyes and a big smile. For more information, I'd like to refer to her blog http://eenlijstjevan5.blogspot.com/.

Poppy Love came as a homophone(words with the same sound) reference to Puppy Love. Remember the first time you fell in love? I hope my cakes taste so good that every time you eat it, you have the walking-on-air feeling. And next to that, the Poppy flower stands for beauty, magic, consolation, fertility and eternal life.

made by Philip Beck

So we're calling our cooperation 'With Twinkle Eyes and Poppy Love'. I was not even aware that the combination was so suitable for Valentine's day!!

My friend has been in the cookies and cake business for a while, but done at a small scale. I on the other hand am in a similar situation. We both have our jobs and the pastry business has been more a ' on the side' thing. And this is something we both want to change.

In Suriname, it's very rare that people in the same business can work together, because they see each other as their competition. This initiative is partly to show that cooperation is possible and based on the following concept:

- we both have our own clientele and we both make different pastries, so why not group together and reach a bigger market
- everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. We're trying to complement each other to present the client with a better service and a better product.
- since we both have our jobs and it's not always possible to accept big orders, working together will create a smaller workload and a more often 'YES' as answer to any requests.

So, this Valentine's project is our first run.
We will be selling Valentine Cheesecake: A heart-shaped NY Cheesecake on a cookie-cake crust.

we stand for 'what you see is what you get', so this is made with a simple mobile camera to give a realistic projection.

The price is SRD 50,-.

If you want to order or receive more information, please call:
Amy 08735365
Aisah 08770680

You have until Tuesday February 11, 2014 to place an order

SCA Fundraising Dinner: Marriott

2014-02-05T04:51:00.003-08:00

Monday night I was invited to the 3rd fundraising dinner of SCA by Jill-joy Landburg, acting secretary of Suriname Chefs Association and editor-in-chief of Victuals. I felt like being invited as a judge for an iron chef challenge or something. Soooo exciting!!

The purpose of these fundraising dinners is to raise funds for the Surinamese group to participate at Taste of the Caribbean. Last year, they brought home many awards and medals. This year, they need to represent Surinamese pride again!!

The main reason is of course to raise funds, but the other reason for these dinners is also to give these chefs the opportunity to stay on top of their game. All these fundraising dinners use the same concept of the Taste of the Caribbean challenge: all participants receive a mystery basket.

At arrival, it lacked a certain exposure that the fundraising is going on in the hotel. I saw no poster or anything mentioning it, probably a suggestion for the organizers. If anyone might have missed the advertisements, but whenever they visit the location and there are still vouchers left, they might be interested to join.

I received a menu and a survey to give points to the menu items I'm about to taste. The service was a bit chaotic. It gives a vibe as if the waiting staff was not probably prepared for this event since only part of the restaurant was used for the fundraising dinner, but the rest was still open for a la carte dinner.

However I received a menu, but I used a short description for the menu items in my blog.

I received my welcome cocktail and was not told that I needed to mix the two layers. So my first sip was from the bottom layer, which was soooo sweet and the guests at my neighboring table were nodding their head and agreeing that it was too sweet. So I took a sip of the upper layer and it tasted bitter and sour, so I came to the conclusion to mix those two layers up. And so both my neighbor guests and I could still enjoy the drink.

I could sense some orange and blue curacao notes in the cocktail. And bingo, I was right!! The cocktail was made with orange juice, blue curacao and vodka, all nicely garnished with a slice of apple.

The appetizer: A surf & turf of chicken liver pate and smoked fish fritter.

The appetizer was nicely arranged on the plate. I like the colors used in this dish, nice contrast. It looked like a garden art piece or so. The fishballs were croquette-like and the chicken liver pate was very earthy and smooth with a sweet-ish finish. The best part of this dish was the yellow ginger sauce. And if it comes from me, you better believe it, cause I don't like ginger!! In the whole experience there was this orange looking cube, which left both my neighbors and me guessing what it is. It looked like carrot, but tasted sweet and has a softer texture, so I was thinking that it could've been papaya or something. At the end, it appeared that it was indeed carrot, but cooked in a markoesa juice sauce.

However the name states surf and turf of chicken liver, I wouldn't have guessed if I did not have the menu that that was the main item of the appetizer, I would've thought it was the fish ball.

Main dish: Parbo beer battered butterfish filet, Yams croquette and a spinach foam.

I love the yams croquette! (made of taro). It was well-flavored, soft and the crunchiness of the crumb-shell gave it a nice texture. The fish was crisp and I could taste some Indian spice in it. On the fish was the spinach foam, but probably because of the waiting time or so, the foam was already liquid. It didn't add any value to the dish for me.

Dessert: Brownie topped with wild berry cream, fried mint leaves and markoesa sorbet

The brownie is a very solid cake as brownies should be, very chocolate-y, but for me, the wild berry cream is a bit on the sour side. However the sorbet was not mentioned on the description, but it was the highlight of this dish. The flavor was surprising and I even thought it was a sorbet made of pomme cythere, but the chef told me it was a sorbet made of markoesa and pisang ambong. Another plus of this dish was surely the fried mint. However it looked like withered mint leaves, but the fried mint leaves gave a nice crisp to the sorbet.

If I have to guess the mystery basket, I would think of the following items: markoesa, fish and chicken liver.

The experience was enlightening! It is an opportunity to let your palate go wild and try to taste the ingredients that were used on the dish. For more information about the upcoming fundraising dinners, please visit Victuals or Suriname Chefs Association on Facebook.

My first time eating poon choi

2014-02-01T05:53:00.002-08:00

First of all, Happy Lunar Year! It's year of the wooden horse, so may everybody have an energetic and bright year!

Before you're gonna make fun of the word, 'poon', in Chinese it means 'bowl', so laugh it off and we're gonna continue with the dish 'Poon Choi'. It can also be translated as Big Bowl Feast.

This is a traditional dish mostly eaten at weddings and with new year. But I believe that the inventor probably lack serving plates and saw a wooden/metal basin nearby and thought, "you know what I'll just put everything in here and I'll call it 'Big Bowl Feast'. This dish can include ingredients like pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck, abalone, ginseng, shark fin, prawns, crabs, mushrooms, fish ball and so on and so on,....... However it might seem like a mix of too many things, it give a certain harmony feeling. It's like when you're eating crabs with a whole group of friends (at least in Suriname). Everybody just dig in the dish and start eating.

The Poon Choi I had with Lunar Year's celebration consisted of the following 'dishes':

- roasted duck
- steamed chicken
- beef stew
- fish ball
- beef ball
- sweet and sour shrimp
- mushrooms
- and underneath we found all kinds of Chinese veggies and stuff. It's like a treasure bowl and you just don't know what you might get.

The experience was fun since it was the first time and quite different from what I'm used to. It feels like a Chinese fondue with regular à la carte mixed together. And my advise: order a smaller bowl than the amount of people you have, since at the end we had a lot left over. It was nice to experience it once, but I prefer my à la carte experience.