Cuisine

The kitchens of Aruba’s EPI School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts were busy this past weekend as twelve teams of future chefs, mentored by twelve of the island’s most respected executive chefs from restaurants and resorts, competed for the gold in the 1st Aruba Chef & Student Culinary Festival.
The festival, organized by Eddeline Dijkhoff, EPI Coordinator of the Apprenticeship Program and a dynamic team including Nathalie Maduro of the Aruba Tourism Authority, Vanessa  and Chef Leest and Randy Geerman of EPI, proved to be a landmark event which will likely become an annual competition.

EPI School welcomed three celebrity chefs to join Chef Bartholomo Kelly as judges for the event. Returning to Aruba was Chef Michael Deihl, chef to Tiger Woods at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, and  President of the Atlanta chapter of the American Culinary Federation-ACF. Chef Christian “Kit” Kiefer and Chef Charles de Vries, both award winning cooks, joined him on the panel.

The three days produced dozens of utterly gorgeous culinary creations, which Chef Deihl explained were judged not only on appearance and taste, but also a balanced use of proteins, fats sugars, as well as flavors, colors and textures. A strict international point system was employed in the judging, but before announcing the three winning teams, Chef Deihl reminded all the students they were all winners for having had the courage to demonstrate their creative cookery and egos for judging, always a difficult but rewarding, and often exhilarating experience. Teams were allowed to devise a cold appetizer and dessert before the competition, but were presented with a “mystery box” during the event, from which they had to create a hot appetizer and main course.

Claiming the third place bronze medal with a score of 34.2 points was the team working with Chef Scot Scheurman of Aqua Grill Restaurant. Chef Deihl proclaimed that choosing the first place winner was exceedingly difficult, and that only 2/100th of a point separated the silver and gold medal teams, who won with scores of 34.46 and 34.48. Silver medals went to Myron Winterdaal, Juni Henriquez, Miguel Clemendore and Eldrick Franken, under the tutelage of Chef Erwin Husken of Screaming Eagle Restaurant.

The gold medals and certificates were won by the team working with Holiday Inn Executive Sous Chef Dennis Daatselaar, consisting of EPB student Wilbert de Cuba, and Ivan Koolman, Enny Servines and Rudlaine Croes of the EPI. Chef Daatselaar reports he was very pleased with the performance of his group, which presented to the judges a menu of  Tropical Mango Salad with Poached Coconut Shrimps, Kerri-Kerri of Red Snapper with Banana Pan Bati, Leg of Lamb Papaya Style, and a Charlotte of Prickly Pear with Fresh Fruit; all distinctly Caribbean and very colorful.

Present for the closing event was ATA Director Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, who awarded Chef Deihl with the title of “Ambassador of Goodwill” for sharing time and expertise with Aruba’s present and future chefs. He, in turn, announced that he is working with Chef Kelly and the Aruba Chef’s Association to see they receive full recognition on the website of the AFC as an accredited chef’s union. “The world will be hearing about you!” he promised.

Photo’s and article courtesy of Mrs. Rosalie Klein

Top: First place team, Left above: Second Place Team and Committee members and chefs

Above: First Place Dessert and Appetizer Dishes

The Village and Aruba Wine and Dine present:
The Village Food and Wine Festival
Irausquin Blvd. 348A, Palm Beach - Oct. 1

Click to enlarge

A few of Aruba’s restaurants, Amazonia Churasscaria, Aqua Grill, El Gaucho Restaurant, Madame Janette, Pago Pago and Sunset Grill, were featured as “The Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers” on Aruba by the Wine Spectator. For more information please visit www.winespectator.com

CILO, City Lounge Aruba is now open at the Renaissance Marketplace. Located at the old “Villa Germania” corner, it is open daily from 7am till 3am, except on Sundays, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with an extended international menu. The restaurant features three wide screens, a superb sound system, terrace couches and parasols with marina view tables. With live resident DJ Jereon every Wednesday from 10pm till 3am and a two for one happy hour every Friday from 5pm till 6pm. For more information please visit  www.cilo-aruba.com

Moet Et Chandon and Dom Perignon Invites You To an Evening of Sensual Persuasions

The island of Aruba is thrilled to welcome the new charter flight from Dimensione Turismo that recently inaugurated its first flight from Milan, Italy to Aruba. The charter will regularly bring Italian tourists here for a taste of our One Happy Island.

Recently, Dimensione brought the Italian company of Ceramica Panaria to the island for a company incentive vacation. Ceramica Panaria is a leading manufacturer of tiles, and many may recognize the name as the sponsor of a well-known professional cycling team that competes on the international circuit.

The group enjoyed many wonderful activities and cuisine while here on the island, and the management, culinary, and service staffs of Aqua Grill were excited to be one of the restaurants chosen to entertain the group. Aqua Grill is often the choice of group events and celebrations, and Ceramica Panaria reserved the entire restaurant to host this special night of dining and entertainment for 180 guests.

To make your reservation or plan a special event at Aqua Grill, call 586-5900.

Nu-Taste Contemporary Cuisine is the new and exciting culinary experience located at the bayside Mall, Weststraat 7-a. It is open from Tuesday through Saturday and closed on Sundays and Mondays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for lunch and from 6:00 pm till 10:00 pm for dinner. For more information please call (297) 588-1113, FAX (297) 588-1114 or email at info@nu_taste.com.

The Old man & the Sea is the newly opened restaurant located at Savaneta 356-A, featuring a barefoot seating, private cove and palapa. A joint venture between accomplished Aruban composer and musician Jonathan Vieira and his mother Mrs. Osyth Henriquez, The Old Man & The Sea is open every evening except on Sundays from 18:00 hrs till 23:00 hrs. For more information please call: (297) 735-0840 or visit www.theoldmanandthesearestaurant.com.

Brisas del Mar Restaurant recently added brunch to its menu of weekly events and activities. Located at Savaneta 222-A, the lovely terrace restaurant now offers a great number of classic breakfast dishes & other lunch items for $32.50. The brunch starts at 11:00 hrs till 14:30 hrs, children under 12 pay half price. For more information please call (297) 584-7718 or visit www.brisasdelmararuba.com.

Café Touché Fresh located on the patio of the Access Art Gallery, recently opened under the leadership of half Aruban, half Norwegian, Tanya Rasmijn. After gaining lots of experience in Norway, Tanya felt the time was right to open a different, healthier alternative in Aruba. The objective is to use as much as possible local & biological ingredients in the preparation of the dishes. The idea is to create an art café ambiance with eclectic music and to plan menus in combination with the art & movie program prepared by Access Art Gallery. The café is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm.

Savaneta is slowly shaping up as Aruba culinary heart.

First there was Brisas del Mar, featuring seafood with a Caribbean flair. Then the Flying Fishbone arrived on the scene triumphantly serving seafood with a Continental flair, and now the Old Man and the Sea, with an American-born chef, laces its creative seafood dishes with contemporary flair, and romance, naturally.

The just opened Old Man & the Sea is simply gorgeous. Set in a former residence in Savaneta, two houses down from the Flying Fishbone restaurant, on a private, pristine beach, it is made up of just a handful of beautifully set tables, nestled between coconut trees under the moon and the stars.

The crisp white linens and the hand-decorated show-plates are part of the artistic décor with teak-wood deck furniture, colored throw pillows, potted plants, an ivory grand piano, bric-a-brac found objects and a private dining area, under a thatch palapa at the end of a wooden pier where an antique canopy bed serves as the majestic dinner table.

The owner Jonathan Vieira is one of Aruba’s most famous musical prodigies. His mom Osyth is an equally famous silk painter, and ingenious decorator and designer. The Old Man & the Sea Restaurant is the family residence turned most charming seaside eatery with an exhibition kitchen. “Try the shark fin soup,” said Osyth, “it is outstanding.”

The restaurant deserves a visit, soon, for the complete experience, from a pre-dinner aperitif at the small side bar to dessert, coffee and cordials. The Old Man and the Sea flaunts a state of the art wine vault, I saw some boxes of Almaviva, with over 1,000 bottles to complement Chef Gary’s cuisine.

This story submitted by Rona Coster-Kahan

Windows on Aruba located on the top floor of the golf clubhouse at The Links at Divi Aruba, entertained members of a Destination Review from the US just recently, all professional Meetings and Events planners.

The fully glass-enclosed elegant restaurant, built in the round, offers diners a panoramic view over the signature ninth hole at The Links with the azure Caribbean visible immediately beyond.

The menu for the special luncheon party featured a fine selection of international specialties with a French accent, made of the freshest old and new world ingredients, starting with Salad and Mushrooms, garnished with prosciutto, marinated tomatoes, cashew nuts and asparagus, followed by Poultry and Sherry, a consommé with duck, mushrooms and sherry. The tempting main courses offered Snapper and Ravioli with crispy fried red snapper fillet, laced with vanilla carrot sauce, escorted by spinach ravioli, baby fennel and basil mash, or Sirloin and Mushrooms, grilled beef entrecote with garlic butter sauce, forest mushrooms, tomato pepper relish and Creole potatoes.

Coffee and Brownies for dessert concluded the outstanding culinary experience, prepared by the restaurant chefs in an open exhibition kitchen.

Lunch was hosted by Tabita Fecunda of Divi resort and attended by the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association President and CEP Rob Smith and his staff.