The
name is a Lucayan word; from the original inhabitants of these islands
and who knows... they may have been dreaming of the Anacaona Restaurant
on Grace Bay when they came up with the word.
It is certainly what the restaurant looks like - late in the Providenciales evening; twinkling in the starlight, enhanced by the tiki torches and very intimate table lights. This restaurant is what romantic Caribbean dinner dreams are made of. It is a perfect place for couples, because though it is a fairly large restaurant, each table is positioned in a cosy tiki hut, seemingly by itself. But have no fear; they do cater for larger parties as well.
Anacaona, part of the exclusive Grace Bay Club, is nestled in a tropical garden, right on Grace Bay. The waves crashing into shore provide harmonic accompaniment to the subtle music piped through the leaves. Even if your intention is just to dine, you are expertly way-laid by the enticing, yet comfortable and well-stocked bar upon your entrance; you simply must sit there for a pre-dinner drink. The bartenders are professional, friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. This is a trend you will notice throughout the evening; the staff at Anacaona are exceptional.
Nikheel Advani, the General Manger of Grace Bay Club, holds as his watch words - Food, Atmosphere and People - the three needing to be in perfect balance for the ultimate satisfaction of the guest. He has successfully managed to pass this on to his staff, creating an evening that was a perfect balance.
After being seated in our cosy nook and settling into the romantic atmosphere, the biggest challenge was to choose what to order for dinner. The menu was totally mouth watering, with not only a wide selection of seafood, but also good meat and poultry choices as well. In fact, the menu changes seasonally to keep trendy and to keep-up with the seasonality of the fresh food supply of the islands. Currently, fish, lobster and conch are all being supplied by local fishermen. Anacaona works with the local fishermen to maintain the ecology of the Turks and Caicos Islands, conforming to seasonality laws and adjusting their menu accordingly.
After much thought and deliberation, we still needed the expertise of Georgette to assist us with deciding. Finally, we settled on the Trio of Shrimp Degustation and the Mi-Cut of Teriyaki Scaloppini’s of Ahi Tuna for appetisers and Ravioli of Fresh Local Rock Lobster and Grilled Magret of Duck for our entrees. To start us off, we were served a complimentary cheese brioche, which was quite pleasant. The shrimp’s presentation was very special - laid out on a divided plate, separating the tempura from the sauteé and the grilled. Each served on its own bed of vegetables. My dinner companion’s slivers of tuna were accompanied by traditional Japanese spicy, white wasabi and ginger. We were off to a perfect start to dinner, with a taste explosion, but the entrees were not to be outdone!
My ravioli was accompanied by fresh, flavourful shitake mushrooms and tomatoes. Phil’s duck was done exactly as ordered, accompanied by asparagus and settled on a delightful pancake. Absolutely gorgeous!! Enhancing my dinner was a glass of Côte du Rhône, suggested by Georgette and she was so right, it was perfect!
The evening was polished off with dessert - Warm Chocolate Gourmandise for him and a Rum and Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Ice Cream for her... so much for the diet! The Gourmandise was the most wonderful moist chocolate cake filled with incredible, warm, melted chocolate... sinful!! My roasted pineapple was warm and sweet, with a cold tingle of ice cream. Delicious!
We ended the magical evening, just as we began - at that enchanting bar.
Chef Eric Brunel stays actively involved in the daily preparation of meals, ensuring the consistency of the dinners and the perfect presentation of every single dish. French trained, he has managed to combine influences from all over the world into the spectacular fusion that is prepared at Anacaona. The dishes are creative and original, served with proud smiles and professional flair.
Anacaona - Flower of Gold, dining to perfection, done right here on
Grace Bay.
By Karyn Williams-Sykes
Reprinted from the January/February 2005 issue "Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands"
