route to the rich Eastern lands, he accidentally sailed into the shimmering, Caribbean Sea and happened upon these beautiful islands. Thus was the beginning of an immigration trend that would lead to the development of a "New World." A world that would, over time, be built on the cultures and peoples from far and wide. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands is today, an excellent example of that continued movement and mix; and no aspect of life in the Turks and Caicos is this more pronounced, than in the area of food. An unavoidable and very often beneficial effect of human migration is the need to improvise. Your family recipe from Italy may be 100 years old, but when you get to the Caribbean, there will be at least one original ingredient that you just will not be able to find. That's the point at which necessity - the mother of invention - steps in and you become the creator of a new family recipe. Such are the creations in many of the wonderful restaurants plying their trade here in Provo.
This small island offers you a surprisingly wide range of restaurants and bars, many using international themes, but with definite flavouring of the Caribbean. Carpaccio may have been only offered in beef or veal where you come from, but here we can find it made from fresh Tuna - you haven't seen any cows running around, now have you? You may have had clam chowder in New England, but in Providenciales you can try the world's best Conch Chowder. I'm sure you have tried Ceviche before and just assumed it could only be made with fresh fish, but just wait until you have tried fresh, Baby Conch Ceviche! Few things can compare with its tender and delicate texture and flavour.
The thriving tourism industry of the Turks and Caicos, has had a magnetic pull on chefs from all over the globe - Mexico, Italy, Algiers, the United Kingdom, France, America, the Dominican Republic, Japan and Thailand - just to name a few. All very talented and creative in their own right, with the skills to adapt to their new environment and "Caribbeanize" their recipes as needed. Spicing up many of their dishes with local peppers and seasonings; substituting traditional ingredients with more consistently available stock and using their training and past experiences to create new dishes from local fare.
A relative newcomer to the island, Chef Jeffery Taibe is from the big city of New York, but has trained in hot, sub-tropical climates like India and Singapore. Quite used to mixing flavourful spices, he has fitted right into the Caribbean food mix. He weaves his magic over not one but, three restaurants in one of the popular shopping centres in the Grace Bay area, while managing to keep each one of them distinctive in style and appeal.
The casual cafe-styled restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and starring on the breakfast menu is "Island Breakfast" - a local offering of eggs, grits, fried plantain and thick toast. The restaurant/bar is one of the nightly hot spots on the island and to accompany the thirsty crowd is a complete menu of delectable options, covering bar snacks, salads, pastas, sandwiches and full entres. Right in there, between the Caesar Salad and the Burgers you will find a sumptuous Island Platter with fresh grouper and island sides like plantain and peas and rice; and Conch Salad, Conch Chowder and a twist to the fritter tradition - Banana Conch Fritters.
Restaurant number three is open only for dinner, and specialises in steaks, but right there in the middle of all that red meat is Chicken done "Caribbean" style, Pan Seared Tuna, fresh Catch of the Day and grilled Caribbean Lobster.
UK born Chef - Paul Newman - was classically trained and decided a long time ago that a warmer climate would be the best environment for him to create in. After spending many years in the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and the big island of Jamaica, he made the move to Provo just about ten years ago. Among his long list of professional qualifications and professional memberships, he is the Baille and founding member of the Turks and Caicos Islands Chapter of Chaine de Rotisseurs. So when we speak of "haute cuisine" we are meeting and surpassing international standards.
His restaurant is located in a lush garden and fuses professional service, with spectacular international-Caribbean cuisine. He has added Jerk spices to his beef, Escovitch flavour to his seafood and has used the Caribbean's staple vegetable of plantain to create a fantastic creamy soup. A perfect example of Caribbean fusion would be one of his signature dishes - salmon stuffed with Brie (French cheese), Ackee (Jamaican vegetable) and Callaloo (Caribbean spinach), baked in a filo-pastry and topped with a lemon Hollandaise sauce. Chef Paul changes his menu quite often to keep it fresh, so don't be disappointed if this particular dish is no longer there; there will always be other options of equally creative items.
Chef Eric Brunel actually calls his award winning menu, "Gourmet Euro-Caribbean;" totally surrendering to the pull of the Caribbean Sea and its infusion with his European cuisine. Born in France, trained extensively throughout Europe and greatly affected by a three-year working sojourn in Tahiti, Chef Brunel combines all of these forces with fresh West Indian seafood, fruits and vegetables. At his restaurant you will see creative use of coconut milk, mangoes, yams, avocadoes and sweet potatoes, served with your perhaps more easily recognisable Veal au Jus and Rack of Lamb.
He, as many other chefs on the island, has forged a relationship with the local hydroponics farm right here in Providenciales, to ensure regular supply of a wide variety of lettuces and greens; hence the crispy freshness of his salads. The seafood is always fresh and here too you will find the local conch reigns supreme, served as Ravioli, with Plantain Chips or in the local version of Chowder.
Born in a resort town in Italy, Gianni Caporuscio was raised in the restaurant business. At the restaurant he now runs with his hospitality industry trained wife Tracey, they offer fine dining with a view to a perfect sunset and an elegant meal. Also in business here for ten years, at this dining spot Italy meets the Caribbean Sea and explodes to international levels. The signature dish is the Seared Tuna, encrusted with sesame seeds and cracked pepper. The Stir Fried Shrimp is flavoured with cilantro and chilli and the Mussels are curried. Truly a melting pot.
Another British born chef - Clive Whent - did his initial training at Westminster College of London. This strong foundation in culinary arts is the base on which he has built his own style and flare. After working through an eclectic array of chef positions throughout England, he tested the waters in Australia and then a one year culinary discovery trip around the world.
A ten year veteran in Providenciales, he lends his skills to not one, but two leading restaurants here and mixes his cuisines on a nightly basis at both. On Chef Whent's menus, you can experience Peking Duck on one night, Sushi and Sashimi on another. He also makes full use of that hydroponics farm we mentioned earlier, but again the strong flavours of the Caribbean have found their way into the International menu, so look out for creative use of regional vegetables and fresh Caribbean seasonings of thyme and cilantro. The Tuna is served with a Passion Fruit, lime and mint dressing; the Snapper is served on roasted coconut with mango vinaigrette; and the Conch is coconut crusted.
Now, if it's fish you're looking for, you may want to try it raw - Sushi is available in Provo too. Japanese born and trained Chef Yoshi Ono will slice up the best of the best for you, fresh and tasty. Along with the traditional wasabi and pink ginger, he has adapted many Caribbean vegetables into his fare. At this Sushi Bar you can have your tuna with ripe avocado, a Japanese salad with tropical greens and once again - conch done in many creative and mouth watering ways. As Chef Yoshi offers both raw and cooked sushi options, he has broadened the sushi experience and encouraged even the most reserved diner to "just give it a try;" never to be disappointed. Try the crab cakes, shrimp and vegetable tempura and a Yoshi original - Crispy Grouper Salad.
Italian born and trained, a member of the Professional Association of Italian Chefs, and once honoured by Pope John Paul himself for his fine cuisine, Chef Nicola Giordano offers excellent Italian cuisine in a beautiful open air restaurant, under huge trees sprinkled with pepper lights. A Caribbean chic setting, full of all the flavours and passion that good Italian food is renowned for, offering some of the best pastas on the island, seasoned with fresh Caribbean herbs like cilantro and crushed pepper.
Chef Cosimo, also Italian, has chosen the "heart of Grace Bay" to offer fine Italian dining, under the moon light. An extremely creative chef, his menu reflects strong Italian traditions from the hard bread at the beginning, to the after diner Lemoncello. But, you can't escape the Caribbean influence at every course. There's that Fish Soup appetiser - fresh grouper, shrimp and bits of conch - the spicy taste shouts tropical flavouring! You'll find a seafood trio choice for your entre and the creative use of bananas in the dessert menu; all wonderful examples of Italian-Caribbean fusion.
For many people, when they think of "fine dining," they tend to think French cuisine. Don't worry; Providenciales has that too - under the careful supervision of Chef Pierrik Marziou, who has been here longer than any other expatriate chef. A more casual ambience than your typical Parisian restaurant, open air and surrounded by a tropical garden; here the Chef uses his Classical French training to make local seafood and fresh salads come to life. The fish is so fresh that for years the menu was written up on a chalk board, as Chef Pierrik had to wait to see what type of seafood he would be getting from the fishermen on a day to day basis, before planning the daily menu. Now that's real Caribbean cooking. French cuisine traditions like Veal and Filet Mignon are also on the menu, so meat lovers don't worry. It's all about the mix; inclusion not exclusion.
Originally from Mexico, Chef Janix has managed to make his Restaurante Mexicano a favourite with locals. Perhaps it's the spicier taste of the food that draws the crowds, but the Mexican cooking style with the local fruits, vegetables and seafood just can't be beat. Even the light snacks are strongly Mexican and very popular with the bar clients as well as people out for a full dinner night.
Born right here in the Caribbean, trained in international culinary arts and currently fusing the ancient cuisine of the Far East with all his other influences, Chef Alberto Artiles of the Dominican Republic, takes dining in a Caribbean Gingerbread House to a totally new level. Cleverly positioned in a romantic garden, the outdoor setting of this restaurant combines Asian bonsai trees with tropical flora and fauna. The food is pure fusion - Caribbean, Asian, European - served by wait staff in dressed in Chinois. A gourmet restaurant, the food is presented like a work of art; the local vegetables shaped into beautiful designs that are almost too good to eat; each mouthful full of fresh Caribbean flavours mixed with Eastern spices.
Another Italian experience is located right on the waterfront of a marina. The daily special is always told to the guests, as it will always be based on whatever the fishermen brought in that day - fresh and straight off the Caribbean Sea. As you dine under the twinkling stars, listening to the gentle lapping of the water, you can have your pasta with fresh grouper, or accompany your veal with a fresh local salad. You are strongly encouraged to try the lobster here, (if it is season), as they are always done perfectly, Chef Ketty Firmence will never cook a small lobster, so look out for a filling portion.
With English Pub night on Fridays, Asian Night on Saturdays and Lobster Night every night, Stuart Gray from the UK has all corners covered with his extensive menu. He has added a little Caribbean flavour right in there too, with his Corn Chowder flavoured with cilantro, Conch Ceviche Martini, and Penne Pasta with Mahi Mahi. This is clubhouse food with a definite difference.
One of the first American chefs to set up here, Doug Camozzi first came to Provo on a vacation almost 15 years ago. He went back home to Colorado, packed up his pregnant wife and moved to this land of opportunity. He soon had two restaurants on the island, proudly showcasing all the best food the Caribbean has to offer. Chef Doug actually did a tasting trip throughout the Caribbean Islands, sampling various herbs, vegetables and meats and their combinations. A son and grandson of restaurateurs, he learnt to identify and experiment with tastes while blindfolded, at a very early age. He is constantly reinventing his food in an attempt to keep fresh and trendy, to meet the demands of the predominantly North American clientele who frequent these shores.
After sampling all that the world has to offer, right here on one beautiful rock, do remember to try out the genuine "TI" flavours too. There are some good local restaurants to choose from and you could discover some new delights for you palate: Boiled Fish, Seafood Chowder, Steamed Oxtail, Shrimp Creole all accompanied by the local staples of Native Peas'n Rice or Baked Macaroni and Cheese. The waters surrounding these islands are rich in fish, so discover some salt water species you will love to eat: Wahoo, Nassau Grouper, Snapper and Dolphin (fish not Flipper).
I've said the word CONCH enough times throughout this article for you to realise that it is the national dish of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Home to the world's largest, commercial Conch Farm, Providenciales offers the best conch dishes on the planet! Whether deep fried (Cracked Conch), sauted with coconut milk, or fresh and raw in the natives' favourite Conch Salad, you will discover an entire new language for seafood.
There are also direct influences here from other Caribbean islands. You can get real Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Pork, served with J'can Rice 'n Peas and Festival. And good West Indian curries too - Goat and chicken are the most popular choices.
If this is your first time to our beautiful Caribbean islands, you must surrender yourself to the total experience. Enjoy the world famous waters, try a bit of snorkelling or diving and open your mind to some new flavours. Try the usual, mixed into the New World flavour; have your steak with sweet potato and try the conch raw. Expect the unexpected and you may just discover a whole new reason to come back again, not just the warm, tropical waters, but for the food.
Pick up a free copy of the Providenciales Dining Guide as soon as you land and plan your eating tour based around the forty-four restaurants featured with their menus. Remember even if the name of the dish sounds usual or ordinary, it just may be "Caribbeanized" and you might encounter a delicious, new dining experience.
