Delicious Dilemmas Aruba Island Gourmet

Delicious Dilemmas

by Susan Campbell Much as we hate to make you work while on holiday, with this island’s awesome gourmet dining scene you’ll have some very tough decisions to make.

And it’s not only about choosing where to eat, but also deciding what to eat that will be just as challenging, wherever you go!

Choices, choices, choices…

The meat of the matter

With hundreds of fine dining establishments and scads of quality casual spots, you will definitely have to put your brain back into working mode to figure out where you want to dine if you really want to get a true taste of all this island has to offer. Sorry we can’t make it any easier for you, but the local chefs have made it their business to tantalize your taste buds with far more than choices of fresh fish and perfectly prepared meats. They have gone so far above the basic dishes that it will boggle your mind. And to make it even more difficult to decide, we’ve selected some stellar dishes right off Aruba’s finest menus to illustrate the extent of your upcoming dining dilemmas!

Aruba’s proximity to South America ensures remarkable beef dishes, especially in the gauchostyle Argentinian grills where all-you-can-eat meat nights served on giant skewers will surely put you into a carnivore’s coma! But the island doesn’t stop there when it comes to importing top-quality meat. The first-rate steakhouses specialize in USDA prime, dry-aged cuts of beef, and though it’s difficult to improve upon a perfectly cooked steak, side sauces and dips to accompany them can also be de rigueur.

How about béarnaise, Portobello port wine,

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chimichurri, horseradish, umami, goat cheese garlic, or chipotle lemon-herb… to name just a few? As well, wood-fired-style beef delivers such smoky goodness that it’s in a category of its own.

Chefs are also adding extra spirits to prime beef dishes such as dark rum-infused blue cheese tenderloin, and filet mignon “Madagascar” with green peppercorn sauce and cognac. Hungry yet?

Of course, surf and turf is always a popular option (especially when you can’t decide between meat and seafood), but more creative versions of the standard are also on tap like lobster and lamb combos or samurai surf and turf Asian style.

And you can never go wrong with beef stroganoff: prime tenderloin flavored with cognac, red wine, mushrooms, and sour cream.

Beyond the beef

Pork gets special treatment in many places with variations like tomahawk chops served on a bed of caramelized onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes with chipotle chutney, chimichurri,

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and Jack Daniel’s sauce. Also beyond beef, you’ll come across bratwurst with sauerkraut, Wiener schnitzel, jerk chicken, and Aruba’s famous goat stew, which all represent comfort food from various cultures. Even Switzerland gets in on the act with Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, a Swiss dish of veal tenderloin in a fresh mushroom and Riesling sauce.

Making waves with fish and seafood

Beyond the endless meat options, the bounty from the ocean provides a diverse treasure chest of choice delights as well. Aruban fish, conch soups, and fresh fish from Zeerovers right out of the boat top the list for local specialties. Fish like mahi-mahi, grouper, and wahoo are usually fried or grilled and served with a rich, red creole sauce. You can also catch your own fish on a hosted fishing expedition and have it cooked for you at a dining room. So your decisions about what fresh fish to order might well be determined by the catch-of-the-day. Easier. !

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Entree from Ike’s Bistro: Pan-seared Chilean sea bass with quinoa and coconut saffron sauce

Fish dishes can go upscale with decadent additions guaranteed to please, such as grilled swordfish with vanilla risotto, zucchini, chorizo croquettes, and creamy garlic-saffron sauce, or crispy fried grouper with coconut curry sauce, or smoked salmon served with green asparagus, poached eggs, and truffle hollandaise sauce.

There are also the island’s raw bars that serve up a cornucopia of super fresh creatures from the sea, and tasty traditional classics like mussels in garlic butter, golden fried crab cakes, escargots, and premium paellas are easy to find as well.

But we must talk about shrimp!

To give you an idea of how diverse shrimp can be, Private “Bubba” Blue from the Forrest Gump movie enlightened us best. He said: “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey’s uh, shrimpkabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich...”

Aruba has all that and more, with creative presentations like shrimp piña colada with spicy pineapple and coconut sauce, or shrimp à la Madame Jeanette prepared with local sizzling hot peppers, or blackened shrimp in Caribbean peach sauce. Mind boggled yet?

And as far as where the food style comes from, you could probably stick a pin on a world map and find something to eat from the location it landed on. Of course, Dutch influence abounds, but did you know that Dutch pancakes are not only sweet, but can be savory with meat?

Cuba is also in the house with traditional dishes like ropa vieja: melt-in-your-mouth meat in a rich savory sauce, and what about Southern style BBQ? You bet, if you’re talking sticky slow-grilled ribs and tangy-sauced chicken! It’s all here. There are also plenty of Asian delights to enjoy. Meats, seafood, and fish prepared Szechuan, Hunan, Peking, and Cantonese style, and Japan is well represented, sometimes with a unique island twist. Lionfish sushi anyone?

Surinamese food is on-island as well. Don’t forget Surinam was once a Dutch colony, and for those who like to really spice it up, East Indian style curries can bring on the heat. Not everything East Indian is hot however; you can enjoy mild dishes like prawn biryani with saffron-flavored basmati rice. Spanish tapas and all the best from Mexico are also ready to order, or if you think you might fancy Italian fare, homemade pastas topped with killer sauces are equally easy to find. !

Specialty of Faro Blanco: Fettucine Con Gamberoni Alla Vodka

Lovely locales and global offerings

Where to eat is another consideration; the right atmosphere always adds to a fine meal.

Depending on your mood you could eat on a beach, on a boat, under a cave, in a plush banquette, alfresco with a view, in a faux jungle, in an aquarium, or even in a canopied bed! So many unique options!

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Top photo courtesy of Ike’s Bistro at Manchebo Beach Resort. Bottom photo courtesy of Faro Blanco

Looking for more exotic? How about some authentic African ostrich meat? There’s also New Zealand rack of lamb, Canadian Atlantic salmon, Norwegian halibut, Long Island roast duckling à l’orange, and even crème brûlée of Hungarian duck liver is on the menu. Aruba is really a United Nations of culinary possibilities.

Easier ordering

Once you’ve done your homework and have your heart set on something you think sounds delicious, you might receive another curve ball once you arrive at the establishment. Daily specials etched on a chalkboard, or your server rattling off a litany of delightful-sounding dishes of the day not on the regular menu might just put you off your original game. But before you throw your hands up in indecision despair and opt for something familiar like a burger or pizza, you should know this island has avant-garde twists on those traditional standbys too. How about Hawaiian style pizza – ham, pineapple, tomato sauce, and cheese – in a hand-held cone made of crust?

Or a burger dedicated to Aruba’s famous Mount Hooiberg (also called “the haystack”) stacked with a one-half pound patty topped with fried potato sticks, bacon, a fried egg, a secret sauce, and of course, Dutch cheese? Sorry, there’s no magic formula to an easy decision even when it comes to familiar food.

But if you’re really stumped on what to order, you might employ the tradition of omakase, which means “I’ll leave it up to you,” at sushi restaurants where patrons leave the selections up to the chef ’s discretion. You can also give the chef carte blanche at international and local restaurants; there are a few establishments with chef ’s choice set menus and even chef ’s surprise menus. But be forewarned these places are typically very intimate with limited seating and require reservations far in advance. So maybe a combo of many meats and seafood prepared sizzling on hot stones will hit the spot and save you overthinking your order. Just trying to help!

Buffets can also give you a brain break on the foodie front. There are many themed buffets and all-you-can-eat nights where you can graze your way along the dishes to determine new likes and dislikes without a big budgetary commitment. Your only choice will be what culinary theme you prefer. An international buffet brunch might be a good place to start.

More food for thought

Yes, this island certainly can cause dining dilemmas, but perhaps the Aruba Gastronomic Association’s dine-around program might help you out; you can save at more than 30 of Aruba’s best restaurants and get at least a small sampling of different venues and styles. However, in reality, you won’t possibly be able to cover all the fabulous food here over a one-week or even a two-week holiday. You’ll need to come back to experience more, but then again, isn’t that just another good reason to return? We thought so.

Now, what would you like for dessert? " 20

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