Pleasing All Palates- Island Gourmet by Sue Campbell

Dining

Pleasing All Palates by Susan Campbell They say: “You can’t please all of the people all of the time.” But when it comes to dining on Aruba that might not be the case. With over 200 fine dining emporiums encompassing a kaleidoscope of tastes, moods, and locales, Aruba comes about as close as it gets to pleasing all. Exotic and international

Are your taste buds tingling for spicy and exotic East Indian? Then Tandoor and Taj Mahal will welcome you in style with authentic curries, tikkas, kababs, and more. If Asian delights are in your sights, then the Far East awaits at sensational Sushi-Ya and Omakase Sushi Bar. Or maybe la dolce vita is calling your tastes to the Mediterranean. The Italian fare at Faro Blanco is only exceeded by the stellar view from atop the hill of Hudishibana. And La Vista offers new and exciting themed dinner buffets. Atardi serves international cuisine in a beautiful setting, while Bavaria has traditional German comfort food and 50 different craft beers. Or maybe you have a hankering for the sultry flavors of Old Havana. Cuba’s Cookin’ brings the “big island” to Aruba with hearty authentic cooking, killer mojitos, and of course, hot Latin music! Local flavors

Immerse yourself into the local culture by sampling local specialties. For a classy enclave, poolside Papiamento Restaurant is the choice for regional fare presented

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with fine flair, and Gasparito’s outdoor courtyard is authentically Aruban with an inside dining area showcasing lovely community art. The Old Cunucu House has also specialized in offering local dishes for decades, and Gostoso serves Portuguese food as well as Aruban. Some of the specialties to watch for are the seafood and fish soups. Another island treat are the stobas (stews), which are either made with chicken, beef, goat, or fresh fish then topped with a spicy red creole sauce. Stobas are often served with beans and rice, plantains, and funchi – a cornstarch based polenta. Aruba’s local dish, keshi yena, is another delicacy you don’t want to miss. Ask your server about it.

the table, while many restaurants, like Matthew’s Beachside Restaurant, have special all-you-can-eat rib nights. For Latin American style grills, where almost every cut of beef is served ranchero style, there is Tango Argentine Grill and Texas de Brazil; the latter has an inviting salad bar for those not big on meat. !

Carnivore’s bliss

Meat lover’s can really dig in on this island. Top quality cuts of meat cooked to perfection and served in chic settings can be found at L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House and Ruth’s Chris Steak House as well. And the French Steakhouse adds the rich sauces of savoir-faire to the mix. Hollywood Smokehouse brings melt-inyour-mouth Southern style barbecue to

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Dining

For fish and seafood lovers

men bring in their haul directly to this little restaurant’s pier, where patrons can also sit, enjoy fish so deliciously fresh and gaze at the clear blue sea! Avant-garde and fusion

In some cases it’s difficult to classify a type of cuisine because the chefs like to mix it up and fuse many different styles to create a unique new dish. Such is the case at Amuse Bistro where the specials change often and you can sample the chef’s choices with a tasting menu. Barefoot is another such spot, located on a lovely beach where they really get creative with their menu. Pure Beach also has an avant-garde all-day menu, and its sister restaurant next door, Pure Ocean, loves to delight with innovative dishes based on seasonally inspired

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Many moods and styles

Restricted diet delights

Fun and friendly

Who says eating healthy or vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free has to be boring? Not on this island! Many chefs have added such items to their menus now, and if you don’t see what you need, don’t be shy, simply ask. Special preparation is often available. But Elements have gone out of their way to cater to those with restricted diets, offering delicious alternatives, as well as providing organic specialties. Located at the airport, 14-bis also allows for health conscious on-site or takeout, and you can even pay by the kilo. As for healthy, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free snacks on the go, drop by Nuts-Nuts. They’re so much more than a nut store and sell tasty baked goods, as well as all kinds of smoothies.

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Most restaurants on Aruba offer some kind of fish and seafood, but it’s easy to figure out which dining spots really specialize in that sea-based food since their names give it away: Red Fish, Sea Salt, The Old Fisherman, Buccaneer, Fishes & More, to name a few. And each has its own special allure and some are seaside as well. Hadicurari has a great location right on the beach and it’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset while enjoying a romantic dinner. But Driftwood takes it a step further. If you book a charter with their sister deepsea fishing operation, they’ll also cook your catch for you in their dining room. Many of the finest establishments get their catch-of-the-day from the little fishing village of Savaneta, also home to Zeerovers (meaning pirates in Dutch). Local fisher-

ingredients. White Modern Cuisine is another such enclave; you never know what they will come up with, but you know it will be divine. And the same goes for its sister intimate venue The Kitchen Table by White. Ike’s Bistro also has a delectable chef ’s fusion tasting menu.

Of course, your choice of dining spot can depend whether you have family in tow or you seek a romantic hideaway for a steamy couple’s night. And sometimes you just want an easygoing, laid-back meal with fun, friendly people.

Join the local expat Dutch population for fun times and casual dining at Eetcafé The Paddock, Barney’s, Café the Plaza, Bingo! Café & Restaurant, and Qué Pasa. And the entire family will love Arubaville’s bright colors and seaside venue where you can relax in hammocks while munching on tasty delights. MooMba Beach, though best known as a bar, actually has a large family-friendly place under their giant palapa and serves a wonderful breakfast and lunch. Then there’s the happy, rollicking trio of Iguana Joe’s, Iguana Cantina, and Smokey Joe’s (same owners for all,) that welcome families and are easy on the budget as well. Casibari Café is also a fun spot in the unique outback for great bar-

becue and cool activities among the odd shaped rocks. Kono Pizza, located in Palm Beach, offers pizza in a cone for the kids and killer frozen cocktails for the adults. Waka Waka is also a cool experience; it’s a safari-style restaurant with an internationally inspired menu with a traditional touch. Then there are many cozy beach bars that serve great food as well, like The West Deck. Romantic and elegant

If a stylish and sophisticated spot with gourmet cuisine for a tête-à-tête dinner is what you’re seeking, then Windows on Aruba fits that bill to a tee. So does Ruinas del Mar cresting a waterfall pond with majestic black swans. Or, you can head to Noord to a gorgeously restored estate mansion with a massive courtyard for a very special meal at Quinta Del Carmen. If twinkling stars over the waves stir your senses, then Pinchos Grill & Bar’s magically lit pier over the sea is extremely conducive to amour. But if you want to play barefoot tootsies while enjoying an up-

scale gourmet meal, then just drive over to Savaneta where you’ll find, side-byside, The Old Man & The Sea and Flying Fishbone with tiki-lit torches and private tables in the sand. If things are really heating up, then have dinner for two in a canopied bed. Not in your hotel room, but at Screaming Eagle where dining in a bed is just one of their many exclusive offerings. And of course there is also the option of a scenic sunset dinner sail to take your romance right to the sensuous seas. Whatever your pleasure, whatever your mood, Aruba has fabulous dining for all. And as they say: bon appétit! "

Buon Appetito

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