barbados reviewed, well.
Latest Reviews What’s on in November Open Water Festival 2015 Food & Wine & Rum Festival
November 2015 // Issue 1
Available at
They are perfect to keep your valuables safe and water
Hilton Barbados - Island Variety
free. Each individual bag is hand painted and designed
Coconut Court Beach Hotel - Coco Express
with class in mind.
Sunset Crest Mall - Hot Stuff Tiami Catamaran Cruises
Tones
Water Resistant Clutches, Purses & Everyday Bags
2 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
Asian Spice Patrick Editor’s Note editor@ilovethisrock.com
November 2015 Issue 1
Contents 8 Open Water Festival
Get in the water and splash around for the best four days this month.
12 The Lion’s Share
Interview with the wild mind behind the wild food.
17 Diabetes. Seriously.
Deciding that enough is enough. This is about getting up and winding that clock back by moving forwards.
18 Food & Wine & Rum
For four days the shores of Barbados will be flooded with culinary excellence. Get wealthy and get involved.
6 November at a Glance 10 Food & Drink 15 Latest Reviews 22 Who We Wrote About 23 The Final Word
One brick at a time
Over the past month I have found myself explaining the same thing to different people and yet it has always held true. I would talk about how small, insignificant events are the equivalent of small bricks and that eventually enough bricks can build you a cathedral. Even big and beautiful monuments are still made of small, boring bricks and although they may not seem like much, they add up wonderfully. Writing this magazine has been the result of many boring bricks but even if I call these bricks boring the truth is that each one was a challenge in its own right. It’s only when we were able to step back, breathe and realise what we have built, that we could understand just how much we have accomplished. This first issue is our cathedral. ilovethisrock.com was our tester. Over three months we painstakingly set it up, learned new code, improvised (a lot) and made millions of microscopic changes until we launched the Facebook offensive. Every click we got was an indicator that we were doing the right thing. To anyone who ‘liked’ or shared anything we posted: Thank you for leading us to this. Your clicks were our guide //
Cover Story
Asian Spice opened its doors after years of hotel guests asking for authentic Indian cuisine. This was no real coincidence - owner of the Europa, Soni, is Indian and a lot of her guests were English. Little did they know she was going to fly two chefs over from Mumbai (Bombay) and open one of the best restaurants on the island.
All rights reserved. Nothing from this publication may be reproduced, even in part, without prior written approval from ilovethisrock
Let’s get social facebook.com / ilovethisrockbarbados
@ilovethisrock
www.ilovethisrock.com
magazine@ilovethisrock.com
Photo Credits: Chris Padfield Photography. Contributing writers Yvonne Gavan, Liam Rice, Lalita Vaswani. As this is the first issue I will thank people as if I were winning an Oscar. Special thanks to you, the public, for reading and for your feedback. Thank you Joelle for your endless support and encouragement because without you this would have never happened. Mr & Mrs Grannum for your unabating backing. Jason & Sarah from Paddle Barbados for your invaluable advice and encouragement, Mum & Dad, brothers and sisters whom I love very much, our pet Labrador who is dead but would have loved Barbados, Mr G for teaching me everything I know, Dominic Moringaseedrapson for his love of nature, David Lewis for all those creams and ointments, Dr Batford for sewing my hand back up, Pub Quiz Master Terry for letting us play at the Golden Anchor with a 4-person team of 12 for months, the girls at Raw Juice who make my day every day, that guy who told me that double glazing made him a millionaire, that couple who gave me a lift to Moontown one evening when I was really late, the really tall angry security guard at Accra who patrols at night wearing sunglasses to look extra cool even though it means he can’t see anything, Stephen Clarke for writing 1000 Years of Annoying the French, Alexandra for the silicon boob implant I carry around in my rucksack, Mr Delicious Bar for scaring the cr*p out of me by tapping me on the shoulder in Sugar one night saying “Hey, it’s me, Mr Delicious”, the pilot on Caribbean Airlines who wouldn’t let me out when we made an emergency landing in Barbados but instead flew me to TnT so I could catch a connection back to Barbados again and laughed about it to the whole plane on the PA system and finally all my closest friends in Barbados, James, IT, Alistair & Nicha, Bryn, Hoyos, Elisa, Finnegangungun & Jen, Gabriel, Sargent Major Huey, Jesse, Kiesha, Musaad, Peppermint, Man-Sam & She-Sam, Stuart , Victoria and all those people who added me on Facebook and then confronted me the next day for not having accepted their friend-request fast enough. I am positive I’ve forgotten someone so you too. Thank you.
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 3
4 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
Open Water Festival 2015
Organised by the Evelyns of Run Barbados fame, the annual celebration is split over four days. Canoeing, kayaking, swimming and of course paddleboarding will be lined up for the biggest event this November. Special guests include Open Water World Champions Alex Meyer (who has a trident tattoo) and Taylor Abbott just to make sure we keep up. There’s the fun swim, the slow race, the pro race and helpers paddling around all day long to keep an eye on us all. Before you ask: Yes, a fully functioning bar.
Not to Miss
Give: Every year Julie Cox organises a Christmas give-away for the homeless of Bridgetown. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, granola bars, biscuits, tuna, fruit cups, juice packs, soap etc. It’s all good.
Eat: The Animal Flower Cave at North Point now has an impressive restaurant adorning the raw landscapes and after only one full season they are definitely doing better than most.
Try: Cruiser’s Cafe has a lot on its menu and smoothies to boot but don’t go past it without trying the Banana Breakfast smoothie... It even has cinnamon and whey protein. Amazing.
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 5
November at a Glance
08
5km Walk/Run World Blue Circle Diabetes
If you’re wondering how you could do more sport then this is right up your alley. The social side of these events is what counts and if you have some friends you know they need to come with you too. Get your comfortable shoes out and let’s start to feel good. facebook.com/diabetesbb
05&19 Sushi at Drift
It’s a Thursday tradition now. Drift on the West Coast has Scott Ames as guest chef and every time he sets up he pulls off a brilliant sushi menu. Sometimes it gets a bit jazzy with yellow fin tuna and jalapeño but the resident favourites are good too. Refreshingly good in fact. A platter is $40 but you’re probably better off with three platters for two people. facebook.com/DriftBarbados
12-15
Barbados Independence Pro Surf Festival
Divided into the November Pro and the World Surf League Juniors, the Festival is scheduled to take place on 8am-3pm, November 12th-15th at Bathsheba. With these two international competitions you can expect to see varound 200 amazing surfers. If you’re not fully convinced yet, they will be hosting their famous bikini contest. surfbarbados.com
18
Michelin-Starred Chef at Cobblers Cove
The Camelot at Cobblers Cove brings in guest chefs three times per year and in November it’s Andrew Pern. Flown in from London, Andrew has created a different menu for each day between the 18th and 22nd November. His award-winning North-London pub, The Star Inn, has set the tone so the menus will convey his style of choice: old English inn. cobblerscove.com/food
6 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
19-22
Food & Wine & Rum Festival
More upscale than ever, the festival this year revolves around a day at the polo and some stunning dinners that will invariably spill into 1st & 2nd Street. The chefs are world renowned and if you find your way into the right placesv on the right nights you will be treated to some serious culinary experiences. foodwinerum.com
22&25
Moonlight Hike
Scared of the dark? Maybe this isn’t for you. 22nd starting at 5.30pm from Robert’s Manufacturing in St Michael, bring good footwear, a bottle of water, snacks and, of course, a flashlight.
On the 25th it’s in St Philip, starting at the District C Police Station. If you don’t know where it is commit a crime and the police will escort you themselves. Don’t. It was a joke. barbados.org/hike.htm
28
Uncorked Wine Tasting
Apes Hill Polo Club has wine flowing whether it’s a wine function or not. For $250 the event runs from 6pm and the entertainment on board is scheduled to be DJ D Luxe (from Cliff Beach Club fame) & Debbie Reifer (who tops Nora Jones). Suddenly the ticket makes more sense. wineworldinc.com
29
Beginner Soap Making at Art Splash
It’s a super niche idea but if you take a deep breath and think about it, this is actually quite cool. Learn to formulate your own soap and add your own fragrances or even honey and oatmeal so that one day you can do it at home when no one is looking. From that point on you just need to sit back and wait for someone to ask where you got that really nice soap from. Your smile will say the rest. scentsoftobago.com
30
Independence Day
A lot is going to be happening so it would be silly to send you in one direction. Expect to see the parade at 8am at the Garrison Savannah (which is where the first ever Independence Day ceremony took place in 1966) where the Barbados Defence Force and the Scouts and Girl Guides will be amongst a merry band of community heros. No lie, there will even be an Independence Day Scenic Bus Ride! barbados.org Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 7
Open Wate 20
The Open Water Festival rightly seeks to take advantage of the beautiful, calm waters that we’ve been blessed with on this rock. Growing annually, the event caters to swimmers and triathletes of all ages and abilities as it tries to encourage fitness through water-based activities. This year’s festival runs from November 4th to 8th and whilst there are two main events on the cards (1.5km and the 5km race) this year’s event has so much more in store. We’ve set out below what exactly Swim Barbados has planned for 2015:
Wednesday 4th November
Guided 2km Open Water Swim in Carlisle Bay, similar route to actual Swim races on 7th & 8th. After-party at Copacabana!
Thursday 5 November th
Guided 2km Open Water Swim on the upper West Coast from the Port St. Charles Yacht Club. After-party at Port St. Charles Yacht Club for a dinner buffet and drinks!
Friday 6th November
Guided 2km Open Water Swim on the south coast. After the swim guests are invited to the Oistins Fish Festival which is only a short walk from
Miami Beach. All 3 guided swims will be held close to shore in safe conditions, with paddle boarders and kayakers escorting swimmers.
Saturday 7th November
Open Water Clinics – (1-hour), conducted by our special guest, World Open Water Champion Alex Meyer, who will give you great tips on how to maximise your race experience. Stand Up Paddle (SUP) races 1.5km ‘Swim the Bay’ race & 1.5km ‘Just for Fun’ Swim Join the hundreds of swimmers expected to participate in these two events that start together. The 1.5km ‘Swim the Bay’ racers will compete for fantastic prizes including airline tickets, hotel stays and dinners at fine dining restaurants. Swimmers who want to participate in the event but don’t want to race can join the swimmers in the 1.5km ‘Just for Fun’ swim which uses the same route. Just for Fun swimmers are allowed swimming aids. The ‘Just for Fun’ swim is a great way for swimmers to become exposed to race conditions, it’s also fun for young kids that want to participate with help from their parents.
8 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
er Festival 015
Sunday 8th November
The 5km ‘Swim the Bay’ race. The main event! Join in the action for 3 laps of this magnificent course in Carlisle Bay. It has been expertly surveyed for accurate measurements. Racers will compete for fantastic prizes including Airline tickets, Hotel stays, Dinners at Fine Dining Restaurants and much more. Kayak Relay Races – Hundreds of eager-beavers participate for their team in the ‘Corporate Kayak Challenge’. This is mainly an event for local Corporate teams of six but if you are a visitor to the island and want-in on the action there are high chances of squeezing you in to a team. The relays are great fun to watch.
Each race is divided into categories of age, men, women, children and of course there are prizes for the best performers. So it doesn’t matter whether you’re an amateur or a seasoned swimmer, come out and have some fun! For supporters and crowds, the all-day music and food and drink on sale will be sure to make the day that more exciting.
swimbarbadosvacations.com
Copacabana All Day Party - Food, DJs, music, drinks and loads of fun for the whole family in Carlisle Bay, the home of the Barbados Open Water Festival. The Open Water Festival is for Swimmers, Stand Up Paddlers & Kayakers of every level. There were two Open Water Swim Festivals in 2013 and the last one was in November 2014. This year is the fourth event and it seems that they are becoming recognised as one of the best Open Water events anywhere in the world! Who knew!
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 9
FOOD & DRINK 5 Cravings
The Lion’s Share
Animal Flower Cave
Diabetes. Seriously. Coral Cliff Beach Club
Coffee Barbados
Food & Wine & Rum Festival
10 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
This Month’s 5 Cravings Fish Cakes from Mr Delicous
Ribs from Wendy’s Rum Shop
No doubt you won’t eat them outside of your mama’s house but these are crispy and soft, hot and spicy, fishy and salty, all at the same time. Nothing will replace these bad boys and we know, we have been islandwide fishing for them. The reviews come in from far and wide and we’ve heard it all. In the words of Michael Jackson, this is it. Whilst you’re at it you want to try their flyfish cutter. They use a magical sauce!
Virgin Colada Smoothie from Sips
Time to stop looking for cutlery, we’re getting our hands dirty. What is that sticky goodness? How is it so soft and crunchy at the same time?! Why do they always run out so quickly?! We accidentally turned up on a Tuesday to discover that BBQ Friday is... On a Friday. Don’t make that mistake and get a group together because it will be as good as you make it.
Patty BoomBoom at Lime Bar
As much as all the morning shakes and health boosters make sense, the truth is that you’ve probably missed out on the Virgin Pina Colada. It has the freshest tang and the strongest flavour. They don’t cut corners with their fruit and the proof is in the pudding. The hardest part is finding them. The three vans are all over the island and they’re moving all week so you have to follow them on Facebook for the latest locations. Failing that they sit in one spot on weekends... But you still have to find out where on their Facebook. It’s a ruse!
It’s like an Espresso Martini on crack! It’s fruitier, more mellow, not too sweet, not too bitter, not even too coffee-ish. They wouldn’t tell me what they put it in but it cost me a fortune and it’s not even on their menu. Apparently there is a limit of two per person. We’re guessing the sugar and the coffee mix well enough to give most people the shakes. Either way, it’s the dark route to delicious.
The Burger at Stream Don’t even get me started. You want to say Mojo’s, don’t you? Unlikely candidates are plentiful in Barbados but Stream has done one thing no one else has pulled off successfully. They select their cuts from the butcher and grind the beef themselves. The best by far. Any burger aficionado knows that it’s about the cuts and the grinding.
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 11
The Lion’s Share From farm to table: Eat fresh and stay young with the best organic food Underneath a sky so cloudless and blue it feels like something from a dream, the green tarpaulin of the Lion’s Share cafe ripples in the breeze. Roadside, tucked behind the Warrens KFC and the Sol gas station, the simple food concession truck sits, its outdoor dining tables and chairs in the shadow of CGI Tower 2. It’s a basic set up and there are signs that say foods to keep you young or for health and longevity and even flavours you can see. They adorn the lemon yellow trailer with a promise of a kind of magic. It’s the kind of food that you wouldn’t normally expect to find by the side of the road in Barbados. It hasn’t always been this way explains the cafe’s owner, Steven Whittaker, 36, from St Michael. He describes his earliest customers
I looked across the horizon at the houses and buildings and I thought, I’ve got 250,000 or so people to feed. I’d better get on with it.
There are cheesy burritos with tangy freshly made tomato sauce in soft, floury wraps and for dessert, rich cocoa and coconut fritters. A lot of the food is vegan (they do sell grilled fish a few times a week), wholesome and mostly gluten free but it’s anything but bland and boring. I’ve tried a lot of eateries on this island, and believe me, I almost cried with delight the first time I ordered a platter of food from this place. Each mouthful was pure pleasure. And at around $15 it seemed too good to be true. Everything, from the sauces to the burger buns and wraps at The Lion’s Share is made from scratch using wholesome, unprocessed ingredients. Even the spices are freshly ground. This place really does offer exceptional quality. It’s the kind of food I wish Barbados’s prime restaurants - those with stunning views - served.
as people who wanted to eat traditional Bajan food; mac pie, white rice and peas, fried chicken, pork or cheese cutters. As he moves around the galley kitchen taking the lids off various pots, the mouth-watering aroma of cooked rice laced with coconut, molasses and cloves and the fresh scent of herbs seems to promise a new, healthy style of Bajan cuisine that’s fresh, local and insanely delicious. These days, the menu offers sautéed vegetable and fresh-herb pasta, creamy daal, dandelion leaf salad, perfectly spiced bean burgers with avocado hummus and all the trimmings in chewy spelt and rye buns.
12 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
It’s a bit tucked away – and yes, it’s that place that you’ve been meaning to try. If you haven’t seen the bright chalk-board signs around Warrens, promising tasty bean burgers, you’ve been driving with your eyes shut. Once you finally go, I promise you’ll be hooked. I knew this was a good spot he says gesturing to the area around the cafe. An old horse cabin that he bought in 2005 for $8,000, the trailer sat on a field next to his parent’s house for a couple of years while Steven, who studied joinery and architectural draftsmanship at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, renovated it, fitting out the interior and building the kitchen by hand. His plan was to rent it out to a third party so that he could have a subsidiary income. But after it being run in other people’s hands for a year or so, mainly serving as a cafe for the CGI Tower construction workers, trade slowed to a halt in 2009. When the building work on the tower was completed, I realised that I’d have to run it
of his favourite foods and when the cafe reopened in January 2011 it offered quinoa and brown basmati rice alongside Bajan staples such as white rice and peas and mac pie. The business was doing okay but as the months passed Steven grew more dissatisfied with the dishes he was offering. Everyone kept telling me, “You got to serve fried chicken, you got to sell burgers” but it didn’t feel right. I’d look at the list of ingredients on the frozen burger boxes and think, man, what is all this stuff? So, instead of selling processed burgers Steven set about making beef patties from scratch – a change that was a big hit with his customers. People were amazed. They’d ask how I made them and tell me how good they tasted. It was crazy really. It was like they’d lost touch with real food. The taste and texture of it. Where it comes from. And it made me want to cook even more. To try out new things!
as a business myself in order to make some money from it he says.
eggplant in the kitchen and making sauces from the herbs that grew in the garden.
A few months later, Steven moved the trailer to a patch closer to the road, just twenty yards away from the tower. After winning the land owner’s approval he cleared the land, creating a raised dining area and a concrete floor inlaid with tree stumps.
Standing at his mother’s side in the kitchen, Steven learned how to cook basics like rice and peas at the age of eight or nine. He’d gather collard greens and kale for her to cook from the garden.
Although he had no experience in running a food business, Steven admits to being a natural cook who was brought up, along with his three brothers, on a farm in St Michael, by his father and mother who owned a small catering company. When he describes his ‘free range’ childhood and the days he spent foraging in the fields near his home, it’s easy to see where his creativity with food and his passion for local ingredients come from. I knew my Bajan cherries from my gooseberries, my julie from my pawee and my mango long, I knew where to find donce and ackee. We’d climb up into a fruit tree and stay there until our bellies were full. With no TV or computer games to keep them occupied, Steven and his brothers learned how to make things with their hands from the materials they came across. One day I’d be building a chest of drawers using pieces of wire for nails and a rock for a hammer, the next I’d be frying pieces of
But it wasn’t just a matter of making his food taste better. Steven noticed that, by buying raw frozen minced beef and making burgers from scratch he was actually costcutting and even making more money. Before long he started to notice other cost saving opportunities. We were spending a lot on cooking oil and one day I just thought, why don’t we try cooking without it? Why don’t we just grill the chicken and fish? More changes were to come.
Cooking came naturally to me, you know? I wasn’t like the other kids at school. I was the odd one out in home economics class because I already knew how to cook – I even ended up showing the teacher how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. But I was just lucky because my parents encouraged us to be creative. To try new things, yea man, and come up with our own ideas. As an adult, Steven became interested in fitness and combined his childhood passion for cooking and gathering fresh local ingredients with his newly acquired knowledge of nutrition. So when he began putting together the Lion’s Share menu with his business partner, he wanted to include some
Ch
oc ol
at eC
oc on
ut
Fr it
te rs
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 13
A friend told me that Saturday morning at Cheapside is the place. There are a few organic sellers who are there every week and I now buy most of my ingredients from them he says, showing me a thick brown paste of organic raw cacao with an intense chocolate aroma that he’s bought from there. In order to create a reliable supply of high quality organic herbs and green leaves such as kale, red lettuce, collard greens and fresh herbs, Steven has also set up an elevated mini greenhouse system behind the cafe that uses hydroponics to grow high quality plants. It’s a process that’s economical and requires little effort. Yes there have been doubters, people who tell me I don’t need to toil the soil to sell food, Steven says. People who say I can’t make a living out of a cafe when I’m not selling meat but I stopped listening to them. And since then, things have grown.
The cafe was gaining popularity with the island’s vegetarian and Rastafarian communities who encouraged him to broaden the range of dishes on offer and provide more meat-free options. Running the cafe was great because it enabled me to meet a wide range of new people. I was introduced to herbalists, organic farmers and raw foodists, and realised that there was a need for the kind of flavourful wholefood that I wanted to make. After a spate of unreliable pork and chicken suppliers, Steven began to re-think whether he wanted to include meat on the menu at all. He started to develop new dishes where pulses were gently cooked with spices and local starches like sweet potato and breadfruit.
In 2012, Steven decided to undertake formal cookery training and completed a Biogenic food course in Barbados where he learned the nutritional principles that were to form the basis of his current menu. Very on-trend in the UK and US with the new wave of fashionably healthy celebrity cooks such as the Hemsley and Hemsley sisters or Ella Woodward (aka Deliciously Ella), Biogenics is an approach to food that focusses on its nutritional value and promotes a wholefood, mostly vegan diet. The idea is that by that including sprouted cereals, seeds and nuts and organic fruits and vegetables in your diet, you’re consuming foods that generate life and cell renewal. The alternative is processed and fried food that puts strain on the body and accelerates the ageing process.
I’d buy health and fitness magazines and go straight to the recipe section. I was obsessed with getting enough protein, and lived on wholegrains
Before long he was experimenting with dandelion, blue vervain, souce sickle and moringa - the very herbs and flowers from his childhood. He also made the switch from stock cubes and pre-ground spice mixes to fresh whole spices and started using vegan ingredients such as nutritional yeast flakes in place of cheddar cheese.
With the creation of a new menu, and a new business partnership with Tina Marshall, a former prep chef for a vegan cafe, Steven set about forming relationships with suppliers of the best fresh, local, organic fruit and vegetables the island has to offer. Now the cafe hosts regular meetings for the Barbados Organic Growers Association.
14 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
It’s lunch time and I can hardly wait to taste a plate of Steven’s food. When he presents me my plates it’s so beautiful that I’m lost for words. It was a platter of multi layered coconut quinoa and lemongrass-mint basmati rice pie topped with dandelion flowers. The was also a slice of roasted breadfruit loaf with homemade tomato sauce, earthy ginger lentil stew and avocado humus with green dandelion leaves. As if that wasn’t enough it was topped off with home-picked cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Once I’ve tried my first mouthful, all I want to do is eat. It tastes amazing. Cooking this way is like a dream come true for me, Steven says, explaining that he’s currently in the process of deciding what to serve at the upcoming Barbados National Institute for Creative Arts, culinary arts competition. There is no doubt he’s sure to make a big impression. Steven’s food has arisen out of a small, supportive community who understands that the experience of eating is about so much more than going from empty to full. It’s about food that makes you feel happy and healthy, food that nourishes and heals, food that tastes of sunshine and fresh herbs and spices from the earth. So if you really want to taste the best of what this island has to offer head to the Lion’s Share, order a tasting plate and immerse yourself in incredible food that is ultimately a slice of Barbados // Yvonne Gavan is a British freelance journalist currently living in Barbados with her family. She blogs about island life: threekindsofsunshine.com
Latest Reviews Coffee Barbados Cafe When Caroline puts her mind to something, Caroline gets something done. Well. The British expatriate set it up around a year ago in the gardens of George Washington House. This means that you are seated in vibrant greenery. This is one in a handful of coffee shops in Barbados which were designed for people to sit around and chat over coffee. The coffee itself? Probably the best on this rock. In fact, no one else grinds the same coffee beans. At first pass it’s easy to assume that it’s the equivalent of a museum cafe but stop assuming because you’re wasting precious time. Coffee Barbados Cafe serves breakfast and lunch and, one Friday per month, it hosts a live jazz dinner with renditions of Italian-Barbadian guitarist, George Gill. The lunch menu is refreshing because it has plenty of real vegetables without being just lettuce. It’s healthy without being meagre and it’s good without being fattening. Did we mention the coffee? All the breads are home-made and the ingredients come from all over the island. There is no supermarket, there is no middle-man. Farm to table. Try the brie and caramelised onion wrap. It’s better than you think. Just in case, there are gluten-free options and they’re good. This might be the only place you end up eating at! If you see a passion-fruit pie, get it. It’s entirely home-made and the passion-fruits are from the owner’s tree. If there isn’t any it’s because she hasn’t picked any passion-fruit yet //
Asian Spice The Asian Spice you never knew you needed. Most people know that there are two Indian restaurants on the island but actually the third is where the money’s at. It’s so hidden you’ve driven past the entrance more than once and thought nothing of it. It’s perched behind Sunset Crest in St James. Google Maps will tell you it’s called the Europa Hotel and when you get there it’s called The All Seasons Resort. In the resort is Asian Spice. How you get there is irrelevant because the food makes you forget. The chefs were brought in from Mumbai by owner, Soni. Hell-bent on creating nothing less than the best Indian experience this power-house of an entrepreneur went to a renowned restaurant in India and poached the chefs. The fantastic woman stands out with her entrepreneurial flair and the proof is in the pudding. All the produce is bajan except the spices; the spices have flown over 14,000km to make sure that your Tikka tastes just right. What you have to realise is that it’s actually Northern Indian Mughlai cuisine which means it’s impressively richer than you’re used to. It originates from the medieval Mughal Kings’ regal opulence and the nuts and sauces reflect exactly that so expect a spectrum of subtleties… all at the same time. An Indian repeat guest once stopped Soni and told her how the food reminds her of this one restaurant in India… Well it turns out that it’s because those very chefs now live in Barbados, hidden away in St James. Your job is to find them //
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 15
Latest Reviews The Restaurant at Animal Flower Cave Things at the Animal Flower Cave are changing at breakneck speed and it’s stunning. What was once a hole in the ground is now a growing attraction worth any island-crossing. If you haven’t been in a few years, go. If you haven’t been in 45 minutes, turn back because things have just changed again. Today you pull-up in the car park and walk your way round to the bar, the playground and the outdoor coffee tables. If you turn the other way you head straight to the cliffs. There is nothing in Barbados more breathtaking than the 15 foot waves crashing into the rock faces below your feet. A path follows the cliff edge with little wooden bridges and rails so you can see the majestic feat nature has provided from every possible angle. There are even freshly painted benches pretty much everywhere so the smartest thing you can do is sit back and let it sink in. Staring out to sea with the incredible winds scruffing up your hairstyle has to be one of the best feelings Barbados has to offer. And that’s not even the Animal Flower Cave yet! What has stayed the same is the cave. It’s a staircase cut into the rock that leads down to a massive mouth-of-a-cave and you start in the throat under that dangling thing that appears in most cartoons. Your first steps are towards the teeth and you can see out to sea as you step through fresh pools of seawater that were brought in by the ferocious waves. You can swim in some of the pools and it’s a very exciting feeling. //
The Cliff Beach Club It was a Sunday and officially time to relax and enjoy some good food. So we did exactly that. What else are Sundays for? Within minutes of arrival we had used every superlative in the book to describe the view. You want a table by the balcony. The laid-back atmosphere is refreshing, the decor is funky with its quirky chandelier and nautical fittings, lounge music, shorts and panama hats to boot. Beach club? Well it’s not The Cliff Restaurant and it’s not Mullins either. In fact it’s not even called The Cliff Beach Club... It’s the Coral Cliff Beach Club. Fact! The menu is good and even vegetarians get their fair share. If you can, try the octopus carpaccio or the truffle poached eggs. The carpaccio is all about freshness and the eggs managed to balance the truffle so it isn’t overwhelming. The Sunday brunch menu is where the money is. It’s not complicated and not too long but it covers most bases well. If there’s one dessert we want again it’s the cold coconut and pineapple soufflé. It’s to die for. Then there’s the wine list. It isn’t what we thought it would be but we believe it’s because the cocktail list was designed to be so strong. So in the end it actually all balances out. The Cliff Beach Club is definitely a welcome addition to the west coast and is perhaps the first taste of St Tropez on this glorious rock. Thankfully it’s a lot more relaxed than its neighbours and somewhere hip head to for a pretty damn good start to a Sunday. Call in to find out when the Art & Soul music events are on and your brunch will get that little bit better. Until they have a jetee, I’m not bringing my 900-foot super-yacht. Expect imitations soon. It’s inevitable. //
16 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
REAL FOOD DOESN’T HAVE A LABEL Reversing type-2 diabetes is a real thing. It sounds too good to be true but just eat normal food and do normal exercise and you’ve saved yourself thousands of dollars per year. Oh, and you’ll live better. There were 30,500 cases of Diabetes in Barbados in 2014 alone… that’s more than 14% of the entire population. So at what
What about the food then? Was it processed in any way? Don’t eat it. That’s it. Forget all of your diets and who said what and how. Take one look at it. Has it got packaging? Manmade. Was it baked with other ingredients? Man-made. Does it taste better than water? Man-made. As a silly example, a teaspoon of mayonnaise holds twice the calorie-intake
Let’s remember that type-2 diabetes isn’t hereditary. We bring it on ourselves and we can work on it. point do we stop thinking about it, stand up, go outside and promise not to come back for another hour. Diabetes costs $2,800 per person which means $85.4million… Per year… Every year. So when we wonder why our government is bankrupt (aside from the embarrassing corruption) remember that the solution starts at home1). Now let’s make sure we know what we’re talking about. When we say exercise we mean 25-minutes per day; we mean 25-minutes of whatever means you’re not sitting down. Want to walk it? Walk it! Swim it? Then swim it! Somehow fit these golden 25-minutes into your routine and you’re set with step-12).
of a whole bowl of vegetables. So if you want to feel like you’ve eaten well you could eat a whole bowl of green goodness… or put some mayo on that… everything. Maybe if food was priced according to its calories our supermarket run would be so much easier. So now that we’ve spilled the beans why did it ever feel so difficult and how did you ever feel so powerless?! While certain lifestyle changes are key to managing diabetes, whether you can actually turn back time so that it’s like you never had diabetes is a different matter. That depends on how long you’ve had the condition, how severe it is, and your genes3). By working on what you eat and how you
move you could lose 5% to 10% of your body weight and that alone may help you to slow or stop the progress of type 2 diabetes. In one study where the participants did 25-minutes of exercise per day and restricted their intake to 1200-1800 calories per day, 10% got off their diabetes medications entirely within a year or improved to the point where their blood sugar level was no longer in the diabetes range. From those that lost the most weight and those who started action early-on, 15-20% were able to stop taking their diabetes medications. So are we saying that we can turn back time? Almost. What is certain is that you can improve. And prevention? We’re guessing that by now you should know exactly where to start. We know how, in Barbados, we are genetically predisposed to diabetes so there are no more surprises. Education. Action // For more reading:
Reverse Diabetes Richard Branson Launches New Study Low-Calorie Diets Study References 1. http://www.idf.org/membership/nac/barbados 2. Ann Albright, PhD, RD. Director of Diabetes Translation at the CDC 3. http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/reversing-type-2diabetes
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 17
g
in rd
a gH
ai Cr
18 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
Now in its fifth year, the Barbados Food & Wine & Rum Festival has undeniably become a staple on the social calendar for tourists and locals alike. It continues to attract world-renowned chefs to our shores who produce unique menus at some of the most beautiful sites on the island. And because we’re foodies, just like you, we’ve prepared a detailed list of what’s happening during this year’s event. We accept no liability if (and when) it leaves you salivating.
Thursday November 19th 2015
Friday November 20th 2015
Oistins Coastal Blend with Marcus Samuelsson The famed Oistins will become even busier when world-renowned chef, Marcus Samuelsson teams up with local maestros, Creig Greenidge and Henderson Butcher, to conduct live demonstrations. Expect lots of grilled delicacies and make sure to keep yourself hydrated with the many offerings from the bar. Time: 6pm-12am Admission: FREE
Evening Reserve by Limegrove Lifestyle Centre This star-studded event at the rooftop Fusion Restaurant promises to be an entertaining evening, filled with great food, great music and even better company. Come join international chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Craig Harding, Carla Hall, Andrew Pern and Chris Consentino as they prepare unique and delicious apéritifs and hors d’oeuvres to tease your palates. This is all whilst lounging at the penthouse Fusion restaurant, from which the view of the platinum coast is nothing less than stunning. Time: 7pm-9pm Admission: $100 USD/ $200 BBD
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 19
Saturday November 21st 2015 Taste the Spirits of Polo Our most talented local chefs take centre stage at Holders Hill Polo Grounds as they prepare some outstanding nibbles for you to enjoy the various matches. Savour the conconctions from Dane Saddler of Caribbean Villa Chefs, Michael Hinds of Couture Caterers, Scott Ames of Scott’s Catering and Dessert Chef Lauren Evelyn from Four and Twenty Bakery as well as the devilishly good cocktails from Barbados’s celebrated bartender, Philip “Cassanova” Antoine. We recommend his “Rum Passion”- it’s to die for. Time: 3:15pm-6pm Admission: $75 USD/$150 BBD Gourmet Safari at the Crane There’s no doubt about it: international Carla Hall celebrity chef, Carla Hall, along with Executive Chef of the L’Azure Restaurant at the Crane, Duayne Holligan, will wow you with their four-course meal on Friday. With many years of experience behind them bot it will be an evening filled with delectable food at the wonderful Crane Resort. Stick around after for the afterparty at Bar 1887, which will feature the musical stylings of Romero Greaves & Friends. Look out for the great cocktail specials and tapas on offer. Time: 7pm-10pm Admission: $150 USD/$300 BBD
Gourmet Safari at Cobblers Cove The Cobblers Cove has pulled out all the stops to offer you an unforgettable dining experience. It’s hard to think of something more exciting that a seven-course tasting menu prepared by Andrew Pern, the Michelin starred chef, who has served various film and sports stars and even members of the British Royal Family! He’s joined by Jason Joseph, Head Chef of the Camelot Restaurant at Cobblers Cove. Come from 7pm to enjoy the cocktail reception and once dinner’s over, be sure to make your way to 2nd Street to continue the party there! Time: 7pm-10pm Admission: $250 USD/$500 BBD
Gourmet Safari at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion Marcus Samuelsson will undoubtedly show why he’s the author of numerous international best-selling cookbooks when he prepares the five-course tasting menu at the Royal Pavilion. Joined by the restaurant’s Executive Chef, Kirk Kirton, the menu’s quality will definitely be of the same high standard that the hotel prides itself on. Time: 7pm-10pm Admission: $175 USD/$350 BBD Gourmet Safari at the Cliff Beach Club What better way to complement the breathtaking waterfront views than with equally astounding food? Internationally-acclaimed chef, Craig Harding, will certainly do just that as he prepares the four-course tasting menu at Barbados’s latest West Coast addition. In collaborating with the restaurant’s current Executive Chef, Jeremy Dupire, the food should be original and exciting. Be sure to continue the festivities at the after-party in 2nd street right after. Time: 7pm-10pm Admission: $175 USD/$350 BBD
20 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
Chris Consentino
November 22nd 2015 Feast in the Sun at Hilton Beach Hotel This year’s festival will climax with an all-inclusive beach party at the Hilton Beach Hotel. Traditional Bajan dishes as well as some contemporary fare will be on the menu - there’s even talk of a thirty foot BBQ grill. Reputed international chef Chris Cosentino and Hilton chef Athlone Mccollin will be performing live demonstrations throughout the day. To wash it all down, take advantage of the open bar and also look out for Philip “Cassanova” Antoine, whose cocktail-mixing skills will be put to good use. The beach will also be set on fire with performances from local superstars like Peter Ram, King Bubba and Biggie Irie. This one is definitely not to miss. Time: 11am-3pm Admission: Adults$87.50 USD/$175 BBD Children 5-11- $87.50 BBD, Children under 5- FREE // Liam Rice is a recent Law Graduate. He is now a freelance writer.
Photo Competition: November Foodies This month we want you to go out and snap photos of your favourite foodie experiences. We are looking for your favourite restaurants, plates, drinks and vistas. Send your high-resolution photos to competition@ilovethisrock.com. Whether they’re from your phone or your suitcase-sized SLR, we believe a good shot is a good shot.
The winner will receive a dinner for two and the chance of featuring in the magazine and on the website. Runners up will have the chance for their photos to feature in an upcoming issue.
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 21
Who We Wrote About: 5K Walk/Run World Blue Circle Diabetes Phone: +1(246)427-9338/417-0305 facebook.com/diabetesbb The Animal Flower Cave North Point St Lucy +1(246)439-8797 animalflowercave.com Asian Spice All Seasons Resort Barbados Palm Avenue, Sunset Crest St. James +1(246)432-5046 allseasonsresort.bb
Lime Bar Limegrove Shopping Centre Holetown, St James +1(246)271-8261 limebarbados.com Moonlight Hike (organized by the Barbados National Trust) +1(246)426-2421/436-9033 barbadosnationaltrust.org facebook.com/BarbadosNationalTrust Mr. Delicious Enterprise Beach Road Oistins, Christ Church +1(246)233-3354 facebook.com/Mr.DeliciousSnackBar
Barbados Open Water Festival +1(246)437-2121 swimbarbadosvacations.com facebook.com/SwimBarbadosVacations info@swimbarbadosvacations.com
Sips Smoothie Bar Orange vans driving around +1(246)233-8487/234-8550 sipslife.com facebook.com/sipssmoothiebar
Cliff Beach Club Derricks, St James +1(246)432-0797
Soap Making at Art Splash Art Splash, Hastings +1(246)228-0776 scentsoftobago.com artsplashbarbados.com/
Cobblers Cove Road View, Speightstown +1(246)422 2291 cobblerscove.com Coffee Barbados Cafe Bush Hill, Bridgetown +1(246)249-7613 coffeebarbados.com facebook.com/coffeebarbadoscafe Cruiser’s Cafe Satjay Mall, Bridgetown +1(246)257-5644 Drift Bar Holetown, St James +1(246)432-1163 driftinbarbados.com facebook.com/DriftBarbados Food & Wine & Rum Festival foodwinerum.com facebook.com/BarbadosFoodWineAndRumFestival
Stream Next to Graeme Hall Sanctuary Worthing, Christ Church +1(246)427-0715 The Lion’s Share Eden Lodge, St Michael +1(246)255-5466 facebook.com/LionShareCafe Wendy’s Rum Shop Risk Road Fitts Village, St James +1(246)432-0633 facebook.com/WendysSnackBarFacebook Uncorked - Wine World +1(246)434-4305 wineworldinc.com
Independence Pro Surf Festival barbadossurfingassociation.org facebook.com/barbados.surfingassociation Julie Cox facebook.com/juliecoxbarbados
22 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
The Final Word The pilot was a rousing success. The children showed a marked improvement in their self-confidence and even general conduct changed. BWK hopes to extend its programme to orphanages further. They are working towards providing 32 swimming lessons over a four-month period as well as collaborating with Paddle Barbados to offer watersport camps. Paddle Barbados is equally dedicated to the cause. They hold a weekly programme in water-activities with children from the Schoolhouse for Special Needs. We were truly impressed by the passion of the BWK team and expect it to grow over the years but they can’t go about it alone and we all need to play a part. BWK is always looking for extra support and wants to provide more transportation, instructors, meals and equipment so all donations are good ones. If you ever feel like volunteering, they will take you in and show you how it’s done. As a charity, Bright Water Kids ultimately depends on us so that the next generation of Barbadians can fully enjoy the sea that surrounds them. Look up Bright Water Kids on Facebook to find out more. We need our children to be sea-faring, not sea-fearing.
Our final word this month is for The Bright Water Kids With our picturesque beaches and perfect weather one would have thought that we, Barbadians, are an ocean-loving people. Yet many of us just simply aren’t capable swimmers and it could be because our parents weren’t swimmers either. On the other hand, it could be cultural or simply, are we in a position for all of our schools to teach swimming regularly anyway? Founded in March 2015, BWK is a non-profit organisation dedicated to showing the next Barbadian generation how to love the ocean. During the pilot, BWK joined forces with the Child Care Board to offer fifteen orphans the chance to learn. The Nightingale and Sayers Court children’s homes care for kids who aren’t growing up in a family so if the swimming issue has anything to with parents, their chances of learning to swim from them are nil. The children are taught to play in the water which allows them to build confidence in themselves. Of course there are swimming lessons but they’re organised to be nothing less than really fun. Then they’re taught ocean safety and conservation by various guest speakers including lifeguards and marine biologists.
GET INVOLVED brightwaterkids.org facebook.com/bwkfoundationbarbados
Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com 23
www.ilovethisrock.com
24 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com