Bajan Dreaming — 09/07/2023
Another week means another newsletter from my website www.olieatsitall.wordpress.com — please do go and read this there (www.olieatsitall.wordpress.com/2023/07/09/bajan-dreaming-09–07–2023/), it does work a lot better with all of the embeds etc.!
As promised, this week I am writing to you from Barbados. Passport dramas resolved themselves just in time and that means I have a serious amount of Caribbean food to bring you. From fine dining to beach huts and fish fries, it’s all here with more to come next week too.
I’m going to kick to kick things off with street and beach food and the classics that I’ve loved getting a taste of here on the island. First up is the roti roll that is pictured above. I have tried roti before but only at my trips to Turtle Bay in Oxford and London (those reviews are linked below if you want to see how their food measures up), but this was by first time getting an authentic taste. I was especially interested by the thickness of the wrap and the strength of the curry flavours that contrast so much with the other Bajan spice mixes that I’ve tried on the island. This one had a mix of pulled and diced chicken along with some potato for a seriously hearty lunch. The same beach stall was selling Bajan lemonade too which is on offer at most places on the island.
Next up under the street-food tasting spotlight is the pick of the bunch — the Friday nigh fish fry at Oistins. This is a serious event, so much so that I’ve dedicated an entire article to it that you can find below. Definitely give it a read, the atmosphere and blending of tourists and locals is something truly unique and the food is sensational too. As you’ll read, this was my first time getting a taste of dolphin and I was genuinely blown away. I really did expect it to taste like something I’d tried before but it was totally unique. I’ve later read that it has a very high mercury content and that much really does come through, along with a dry spice rub it had a real smokiness when it came off the barbecue that contrasted with its appearance that evoked something akin to a standard white fish.
I also got a taste of flying fish, shrimp, and salmon as well as the best plantain I’ve had. For some reason, it’s always so much better in this part of the world than when it is at home. The fruit itself has a natural sweetness that seems to be lost when I have it or attempt to cook with it in the UK. Coleslaw here was of a different level too with none of the drowning in mayonnaise characteristics that put me off it back home. Anyway, read the article!
Formal Restaurants
Now onto the more formal restaurants that I’ve had a chance to visit so far, starting with Seacat, just outside of Holetown. This is definitely something different from the beach shack and streetfood offerings that I’ve written about above but attempts to strike the sweetspot of great value and local food. The sharer offered a chance to try shrimp, calamari, and chopped tuna before I had the grilled mahi mahi for my main. The fish and its Bajan dry spice rub was the standout here with the starters lacking any real punch. Most interesting was the breadfruit chips though — I’d seen adverts and photos of this fruit all over town since arriving and was really excited to see what they were like. To be honest, they were fairly unremarkable, but did have a real sweetness that makes them standout out from potato. I would say that they are probably most akin to plantain in flavour and bread/potato in texture.
Next up is The Tides Restaurant, also in Holetown. Our first venture into true fine dining on the island, my expectations were mixed. Head chef Minesh Patel has serious pedigree with stages under Ramsey, Hartnett, Marco Pierre White, and others, so clearly standards were going to be somewhat high. Along with that, there’s no doubting the market for fine dining in Barbados with the plethora of wealthy tourists, expats, and the world famous Sandy Lane hotel so nearby. This though, surpassed all expectations.
I’ll be writing the experience up in full in the coming days so do stay tuned for that but coming off it fresh last night, I reckon it’s definitely worth me laying out my initial thoughts. Service is at the heart of the whole experience, from arrival right through to departure, and arriving in time for a drink in the bar is worth it without a doubt.
I chuckled at my email confirmation that described the bar as ‘exquisite’ but to be fair the description more than holds up. Aside from some seriously shiver-inducing fans, the whole room is beautifully designed. Walls adorned with local artwork add to the atmosphere and light background music builds a great ambience. The drinks list is expectedly extensive and cocktails arrive as dressed up as you might imagine but the little touches of truly knowledgable bar staff are what makes the experience. (Amuse-bouche croquettes never hurt either!)
Once you step through into the dining room, that smartly-relaxed atmosphere is upheld. The open-air terrace has views out across the sea and designed so that all tables really do have a clear view. There aren’t that many covers to accommodate from this and that combines with a plethora of staff to ensure service that is attentive but not rushed. A live violinist certainly added to the whole ‘vibe’ as well.
I’m going to save the details of each and every dish for the full review next week but I want to shine the spotlight on one in particular that I feel really sums-up the ethos of Tides — The Tuna Tartare.
This is an appetiser that comes lightly dressed in soy sauce, and is beautifully presented on a base of Wakame seaweed before being topped with sliced radish and sesame seeds with a wasabi and radish paste alongside. The tuna is brilliantly fresh and chunky but so well balanced with the other flavours on the plate. The saltiness of the seaweed and the soya counter the freshness of the fish and radish with the crunch bringing the texture change for a complete bite. The wasabi itself is notable too. By combining the reduction with radish, it manages to have all the flavour of a traditional pure wasabi paste and retain just enough spice to bring out the other flavours in the dish without dominating. All in all, this dish is the perfect summation of Tides — it showcases brilliantly fresh Bajan fish alongside international flavours and inventive dish design with a beautiful presentation to match.
As I’m writing I’ve just returned from my first expedition to the North of the island. Here, the coastline is rugged and the countryside junglelike in what is a real step change from the east just half an hour drive away. After attempts elsewhere trying to find lunch and some seriously scary roads, we settled on The Roundhouse.
The views here are stunning, with a terrace set into the side of the rockface and rooms that more than appeal for a future visit. Amazingly though, and in a really pleasent suprise to me, the food is inventive and high quality.
Everything on the short menu seemed well thought out but I just want to shine a light on the one dish I tried over lunch — the Green Bowl. Admitteddly, that name offers little in terms of explanation and the old-school blackboard menu won’t provide any assistance either, but this construction of quinoa, humous, pickled onions, carrot, potato, sweet potato, beets, tomatoes, and cucumber made for such a refreshing switch-up from the fried and rich food that dominates Barbados. A light tahini and lime dressing brought it all together for a truly complete dish that is perfect for a filling and healthy lunch. A massive shoutout to the staff too — the service was sensational and it’s definetly one that I’ve earmarked for a return visit.
Podcast
Every week I like to highlight one of my podcasts and although I haven’t got a new one for you this week (stay tuned for something very exciting come Tuesday!) I’m diving back into the back catalogue.
At the end of May, I got the chance to sit down with Eran Tibi. Eran is the head chef at Bala Baya in Southwark and has just opened Kapara in Soho. Pioneering Israeli cuisine in the capital, Eran has created some truly show stopping dishes that match his show stopping restaurants. Please please please pay one of the a visit and please please please try the prawn baklava — it sounds strange I know but it is pictured below and one of the most intelligently constructed dishes that I’ve tried anywhere. The episode is really worth a listen and, more importantly, you get to hear Eran himself explain how he came up with that dish!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CstApaoMYPQ/
One more thing…
Finally this week is a quick shoutout to Bajan pepper sauce. Pretty much everywhere on the island seems to have it and it is similar to a Frank’s pepper sauce with a bit of underlying sweetness. In fact, the sauce culture here in Barbados seems to be strong with all manner of mixes on offer all over the place and as you all know, that is something that I can get behind! See you next week for more Barbados things, a return to England, and the 21st birthday tapas reflections!
