Whoever coined the phrase, 'Focus on the journey, not the destination' did not have the destination of The Turks and Caicos Islands in mind! A virtual Garden of Eden both above and below the surface, the sea is an iridescent medley of azure, indigo and brilliant turquoise hues bordered by seemingly endless miles of alabaster white sugar beaches that have made this archipelago of Islands 'Beautiful by Nature' and quite probably one of Mother Nature's most quintessential accomplishments. For many, love at first sight.
• But beyond the gin-clear waters and inimitable beaches lies a trove of culinary treasures and experiences so distinctive and diverse, they repeatedly and consistently evoke acclamations from legions of visitors (and fortuitous residents) to be, 'Unforgettable by Cuisine'. For many, love at first bite!
• When it comes to the evolutionary history of the cuisine of the Turks and Caicos Islands, it is necessity, the mother of invention, that has indeed played an essential and intrinsic part. Beginning centuries ago, a dynamic progression of peoples and cultures from around the globe have passed through or settled permanently, making the Turks and Caicos Islands their home, contributing to a fascinating and multifarious melting pot of not only people, but inevitably cuisine. Impassioned and inspiring, our local and international chefs are an adventurous and eclectic cross-section of individual cultures and origins who together have made an indelible and significant contribution to the Islands' cuisine, each adapting their craft and techniques in response to the availability (or lack thereof) of readily accessible ingredients.
• Not all that many years ago, local island tables didn't know what was going to be on the menu for dinner until the fishing boats brought in their catch of the day, with many restaurants operating on that same premise. The infamous blackboard at Caicos Café is a testament to that fact and still sits front and centre today; an island icon of sorts, reminiscent of years gone by when the entire menu was written up daily based on what the chef was able to procure from the fishermen. Melding his French roots with the Caribbean, Caicos Café Chef Pierrik Marziou has the favoured and auspicious distinction of being on the island of Providenciales longer than any other expatriate chef, and together with his wife, Daphne, they have witnessed first hand the culinary evolution of Providenciales through the eyes of Caicos Café.
• As many perennial visitors and long-time residents will bear witness, not only has this island experienced a phenomenal culinary evolution, but further, a powerful and prodigious evolution in development, enticing an ever-increasing number of visitors and investors to the plethora of large-scale condominium resorts and hotels with many featuring signature restaurants. Incontestably, the bulk of this staggering growth has taken place on Grace Bay Beach, consistently voted among the top beaches in the world. Now - take Provo's world famous and natural miracle, Grace Bay Beach, and place some of the world's finest and imaginative cuisine just steps away and not far beyond.
• A fundamental request amongst most diners who visit these shores is the desire to 'taste the islands' citing two significant elements; the eagerness and anticipation of experiencing the indigenous cuisine, accompanied by the ambiance of a consummate tropical island paradise.
• The waters that envelop these islands are teeming with an abundance of 'marine cuisine' so it's no surprise that many of our chefs take full advantage of this versatile and natural resource often accessible virtually steps from their kitchens. A seemingly never-ending supply of conch, lobster and a variety of fish are the canvas for their culinary masterpieces that they continually reinvent using new and innovative techniques and ingredients. It also comes as no surprise that a significant number of The Great Chefs of Provo also sport a 'green thumb' - an appetite and an affinity for gardening, a perfectly natural marriage to the culinary arts with many chefs producing a large variety of herbs and the more ambitious growing fruits and vegetables to compliment their creations. In addition, many chefs and restaurants have cultivated a flourishing relationship with Island Fresh Produce, Provo's own hydroponics farm that grows an always-fresh supply of fresh greens, herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers promoting natural, simple and healthy cuisine. I decided to consult a handful of our chefs and a few island menus to discover just how they are influenced and inspired by our indigenous cuisine and locally available ingredients, and what some of their thoughts and perceptions are in relation to the culinary evolution of Providenciales.
• Recurrent visitors and fortuitous residents alike will all recollect culinary memories of The Terrace in Turtle Cove, and in particular, one of their most famous dishes, Coffee Rubbed Tuna. Aqua Bar & Terrace, an evolution of the original Terrace still serves this island favourite today (about 20 to 30 daily) it has been on the menu for over a decade! British Chef Clive Whent of Aqua admits that there was an interesting story behind the dish. "Its initial creation was to use skipjack tuna which is normally a throwback fish. It seemed a perfect opportunity to use a local fish. Now, due to the demand for the fish, we use yellow fin tuna. We use whole coffee beans from the Dominican Republic (pretty local) which we grind daily."
• A leading authority when it comes to indigenous Caribbean ingredients, British Chef Paul Newman of Coyaba is simply a czar of Caribbean cuisine! His unparalleled gift of culinary artistry coupled with his expertise in the capacity of consultancy has taken Chef Newman to many a sun-drenched locale including Bermuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Cayman, Jamaica, St. Lucia and the British Virgin Islands, taking full advantage of the abundance of exotic, locally available foods, importing many of those ideas and ingredients into his haute 'New World Fusion Cuisine' today. One of his endeared creations, Pan Seared Deep Water Grouper with a Fevergrass Pesto, Cucumber Wrapped Pitahaya, Yucca and Ackee Silk features our local grouper. As a significant quantity of food items are imported, consistency in procuring them on a regular basis is never reliable, hence you'll be lucky to catch this 'catch', for its contingency to effect some of the augmenting ingredients, but for Chef Newman, that's just another justification to go 'back to the proverbial drawing board'. Moreover, Chef Newman and his partner Karen, affirm that the guests they cater to are happy and appreciative of the great variety of restaurants from which to choose to dine on Provo.
• Turks & Caicos Island's own, Chef Rolin Almonte of Simba, not only prepares the 'catch of the day' he brings it in himself. Today's catch is grouper that will reappear on the menu this evening as Simba's Grouper Wrapped in a Banana Leaf with a Mango Rum Mojo. Proprietor Tony Arata explains, "Chef Rolin knows the size and type of fish he is looking for, and all the others are released back. The grouper is filleted and served in the restaurant that night. The banana leaves the fish are wrapped in are taken from the trees surrounding the restaurant at the Turks & Caicos Club, and the sauce is made from fresh local mangoes and a little Caribbean rum."
• Terry Drummey, owner of Hemingway's Bar & Restaurant admits that a Hemingway's dining experience is a unique and original one, driven by the all-important and indispensable participation of local people in virtually every phase of your meal, both behind the scenes and at your table - from start to finish. Deon "Pumpy" Ingham is responsible for the fresh catch of conch from South Caicos; "The Old Man and the Sea" features the catch of the day, and at Hemingway's, Turks Islander Chef Winston "Winkey" Lightborne prepares the fresh catch that local fisherman Michael Williams hauls in, while Dee Connolly whips up the rum cake. The location is picturesque and idyllic, smack-dab on Grace Bay Beach just behind the dunes where you can clearly hear the rhythmic sounds of the waves as they lap the shore and on selected evenings, the sultry, seductive sax sounds of Janardo Laporte, or the local music stylings of Quinton Dean, infuse the air. Terry further emphasizes the importance of keeping his prices reasonable, making an evening at Hemingway's very palatable indeed.
• Conch - it is all its cracked up to be! A local delicacy in these Islands and a food source for hundreds of years, chefs around the globe are discovering not only its adeptness to use in an infinity of dishes, but moreover, the immense nutritional benefits of this sweet-tasting mollusc and to 'crown' it all off, it is considered by some to be an aphrodisiac! Caught in the 'wild' by local fishermen, or farm raised at the Caicos Conch Farm (the only conch farm in the world), the recipe possibilities are simply illimitable, making this 'National Treasure' one of the most popular dishes on island menus. In a nutshell, or should I say, in a conch shell, a trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands without conch is like a trip to Japan without sushi! But here, you can have your sushi, and eat it too!
• Japanese Sushi Chef Yoshi Ono admits he has observed a significantly higher demand for conch, particularly among visitors, so naturally he created a supply for the demand using our local conch for his Spicy Conch, Conch Tempura and Conch Nigiri or Sashimi. The Spicy Conch Roll gets its pizzazz from that infamous, top-secret sauce that graces several other Yoshi creations. Considered classified information, its base is a Japanese Mayo; similar to a chilli sauce it is an ideal contrast to the mild conch and cucumber flavours. Boasting two world-class sushi establishments, Matsuri Sushi Bar and Yoshis Japanese Restaurant, Chef Yoshi continues to create, adding to his ever-growing cache of sushi rolls that are undeniably a feast for the eyes and the palate, achieving the ultimate balance of quantity and quality touting over 100 menu items - and counting!
• At Bella Luna Ristorante, it's all about 'the little things' and for over a decade, Italian Chef Cosimo Tripodi, together with his wife Kathleen are proud to confess that many of their regular dining guests are also their friends, appreciative of the fact that Cosimo and Kathleen have a knack for remembering 'the little things' like favourite dishes and favourite wines. They admit that guests "take an active interest in what has brought us to the island and our feelings for the island, and in learning about our backgrounds and how that has affected Bella Luna". Further, they acknowledge that nowadays, many of their diners are more cosmopolitan, "well-travelled people with more demanding tastes, more acquainted with finer foods and wines". Tremendously passionate and consummately traditional, Chef Cosimo boasts Conchaccini Bella Luna, created especially to please his wife, Kathleen, who he says insists on having a pasta dish with conch on the menu. The rich and creamy to-die-for sauce is a fabulous blend of Parmesan, Gruyere, goat and mozzarella cheeses with tender morsels of diced conch on a nest of fettuccini noodles. Now - that's amore!
• British/Canadian Chef Stuart Gray of Coco Bistro confesses he not only strives to use local ingredients in his creative cuisine, he prefers to. A daily supply of fresh conch coupled with locally grown scotch bonnet peppers and his own homegrown Kaffir limes constitute the elements of one his newest indigenous inspired menu item, 'Conch 2 Ways'. Chef Stuart explains, "The martini side of the dish was inspired by the traditional conch salad with a bit of a twist making it into a martini and cutting the meat slightly differently. We also marinate it with an infused vodka that we make with locally grown scotch bonnet peppers and homegrown Kaffir lime leaves, served in a salt rimmed martini glass. The sweet and sour side of the dish was inspired with an Asian influence. We use fresh pineapples from the Dominican Republic which we receive every week and house-made sweet and sour sauce". (see page 56 in the 2008 Providenciales Dining Guide)
• An island of discovery with many unexpected surprises, the Turks and Caicos Islands even boast their own microbrewery on Providenciales, Turks Head Brewery. This premium brew, available in lager or amber is enjoyed in many bars and restaurants by the bottle or on tap. At Grace's Cottage, Austrian Chef Mario Larese (see page 124 The Great Chefs of Provo) took his Turks Head into the kitchen along with his feracious forte and 2-3 weeks later (fermenting time) voila: 'Red Snapper, Garlic Grits, Sprouts and Turks Head Dressing'. Chef Larese was happy to divulge not only the recipe (see page 72 in the 2008 Providenciales Dining Guide) but also what motivated and inspired him to create this dish using Turks Head Amber. "The reason I chose the amber is because they roast the malts longer and it gets a little more bitterness and caramel flavours. I needed these flavours to better compliment the garlic in the grits and also the distinctive flavour of the red snapper. So to say, something stronger to stand up to the flavours already in the dish. The Turks Head Amber is not as strong as regular European amber or dark beers so you can actually be crazy enough to match that beer with fish. The lager would have just disappeared. Any French wine addict would kill me!"
• The latest 'revolution' in Provo dining would probably have to be Jimmy's Dive Bar (a.k.a. Barefoot Cafe) where Jimmy emphasizes that 'size does matter' with his 'Fuhgeddabodit Burger' that features 'ungodly amounts of ground beef' (see page 82 in the 2008 Providenciales Dining Guide) and his 128 ounce signature drink, the Infamous Sharkbite. Proffered in a fish bowl it is a 'gallon for the gluttonous' - a serious turquoise libation served 'al a shark', with a foot-long take-home shark! And now for the chef d'oeuvre - or should I say the bartender d'oeuvre - the shark is filled with grenadine and plunged into the fishbowl! New owners Jimmy and Darlene render a chunk of the 'Big Apple' creating a completely new menu sporting the best of both worlds with loads of local fare, pub grub and all the "American comfort foods". Jimmy further insists that 'size matters' when it comes to the check and admits that, "Many of our items have been revamped to a much higher quality and some prices have been reduced by half. I would rather serve a hundred people at lower prices than serve 20 at high prices and never have them return."
• Getting 'off the beaten track' is without exception a top priority for my husband and I when visiting any Caribbean island shores. Deep-rooted dining memories, discovering local fare surrounded by the locals themselves while exotic scents of fresh salt air coupled with the aromas from the grill impregnate the air .an ice-cold beer .your toes buried in the cool, soft sand .you get the picture. There is no dress code on Blue Hills Beach, just an abundance of friendly, Island establishments who welcome you with shorts, tank tops and flip-flops and serve up an unforgettable taste of simple, unmatched flavours in a non-commercial and natural setting. Sit back, relax and enjoy the genuine indigenous character unaffected by the rest of the island, or the rest of the world for that matter. You may encounter a raucous game of dominoes - one of the most animated and boisterous games I have yet to witness, while the diverse island sounds of soca, reggae and merengue emanate from island abodes.
• Da conch out here is the freshest you will find as your meal is waiting for you under the sea in conch 'crawls' anticipating your arrival. Da Conch Shack is a renowned and revered island icon, serving up conch, fresh caught fish, lobster (in season) and more, right on the beach and features a RumBar toting a variety of the finest rums in the world.
• Jerk did not originate here which means it doesn't officially qualify as being 'indigenous' but I think in this case an exception should be made as 'jerk' permeates almost every island menu. Its Jamaican origins are often a topic of 'hot' debate and contention and are further complicated by the difference of opinion as to the authentic preparation techniques and ingredients. My philosophy? No problem - just eat it! Stretch out on one of several spacious decks steps from the sea or belly on up to the bar under the palapa at Horse-Eye Jack's Bar & Grill and put their version of jerk to the test. The Jerk Combo Sampler is a little bit of everything with a lot of flavour - a little bit of chicken, a little bit of pork and a little bit of shrimp all marinated and grilled with a side of jerk sauce for dipping. Their extensive menu goes on and on and their lobster dinner is definitely something to rave about.
• Smokey's on da Bay is just a little further down the road on this same stretch of beach and claims to have the 'best native dishes around'. Here, you're almost guaranteed an entertaining game of dominoes while you salivate over the aromas and flavours of fresh caught island fare. Fritter a day away 'off the beaten track' and take in all the sights, scents, sounds and flavours of beautiful Blue Hills.
• Hole in the Wall - the name is intriguing enough - here you will experience authentic local and Jamaican fare, and what they claim is the 'best Jerk chicken on the island' downtown Provo. Here you can dine on oxtail, curry goat, fish, cow foot, ribs and pork chops with a side of grits, dumplin's or traditional peas and rice. This is 'the real McCoy' the genuine article when it comes to authenticity.
• Pick up a free copy of the 2008 Providenciales Dining Guide - a supplement to Where When How magazine and a comprehensive compendium for every connoisseur where you can discover for yourself the myriad of dining options with each establishment brandishing a brief but concise depiction of its genre and atmosphere plus a sample menu. Individual chefs have generously contributed some favourite and popular recipes so you can perpetuate your island food fantasies long after your inevitable return to reality. This Dining Guide can be found online at www.WhereWhenHow.tc In addition, consult the 'Where to Dine' section (pages 108-135) of this Where When How magazine for a complete but more condensed restaurant guide complemented by restaurant reviews. A detailed profile of two featured restaurants per issue chronicles the full dining experience for your present or future indulgences. Restaurant Reviews are archived at www.WhereWhenHow.com
• Look upon this story as your 'appe-teaser' - a sliver of Provo's singularly spectacular and unforgettable cuisine, a scintilla of what our ingenious and charismatic chefs have to offer and a mere morsel of the melange of outstanding and exceptional dining establishments behind our exclusive and ever-evolving indigenous island cuisine.
STORY BY MANDY ROSTANCE-WOLF
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