An exquisite ocean-side menu at the Loren, dine-in and take out treats from the Take Five group of restaurants and eateries, and ‘MediterrAsian’ cuisine at the new Achilles tavern in St George’s. RG Hello Summer gets the low-down on some of the tastiest seasonal eats to enjoy this summer.
Exquisite Ocean-Side Dining
When eating at Pink Beach Club at the Loren, it feels like the ocean is in the room with you. It’s no surprise therefore that their summer menu is seafood heavy and filled with as many locally-sourced accompaniments as possible. “We like to think of ourselves as Mediterranean with coastal, European influences,” said André Roberts, the hotel’s manager and food and beverage director.
Executive Chef, Lawrence Godinho, hails from a farming family in Goa, so seafood, alongside local and seasonal produce is what he lives by. “Our mission is to be local, seasonal and sustainable,” he adds. Meat lovers and vegetarians needn’t panic, however. There are tasty menu items for every palate.
If you want to follow the expert’s recommendation, Chef Godinho’s favourite is the Diver Sea Scallops, served with morels and duck bacon, all sitting on a bed of cauliflower puree. If you have never tasted duck bacon before, I can highly recommend it. The salty, crunchy texture is phenomenal alongside the softer flavours and textures in this dish.
Godinho also enjoys the “Strawberry & Burrata” starter as well as the “Sticky Date Pudding” and “all types of seafood” on the menu. Off the menu, but included as a special when available, is lionfish, which he usually turns into a ceviche, nigiri or sashimi dish.
Other ‘must try’ seafood dishes include the Grilled Rockfish and Pan Seared Snapper. The secret to good snapper is getting the skin really crispy, and Godinho and his team have nailed this. Crunchy on top, soft but meaty underneath, and served in a brightly coloured and Instagram-worthy red pepper coulis. You will most likely want to dive straight in though, instead of wasting time with a pre-meal photograph.
The rockfish is purposefully uncomplicated. Cooked on the grill, it comes with beetroot, radish and tarot chips, all sitting in a delicious basil sauce, that has a very distinctive “zing” to it. Not spicy, just a powerful something that goes excellently with the simple, natural flavours of the fish.
While seafood is the main event, other dishes do get a look in, and Roberts’ favourite is the Cherry Glazed Pork Belly. Served in cubes, the pork is enjoyed with an unusual, but very popular corn sauce along with an apple, rhubarb and carrot slaw and slices of raw daikon, which balances out the fat of the meat beautifully.
While you might be tempted to lick your plate clean, it’s worth leaving room for dessert. These include the chef’s recommendation of Sticky Date Pudding, which comes with rum caramelized pineapple, spiced toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream, and Roberts’ favourite, which is the Pink Guava Cheesecake served with strawberry, elderflower, lemon cloud, and candied pecans.
There is also the Hazelnut Praline Mousse. This is not just a dessert, it is a work of art. Housed in a hard chocolate casing and served with a cherry coulis, hazelnut crunch, “apricot pate de fruit”, and pistachio ice-cream, it is nothing short of a multi-flavoured, multi-textured, piece of heaven on the tongue. And, just to top it off, it comes with a chocolate ‘crisp’ shaped like seaweed.
Buffet fans can also enjoy the full moon BBQs taking place at the Loren every full moon until October. With its own special, and changeable menus, guests can enjoy multiple BBQ, grill and food stations serving up ribs, chicken, a variety of seafood, and salads, all to the energetic tunes of Working Title.
For more information, visit www.thelorenhotels.com/bermuda
Take-out and dine-in treats
For something more low key, the chefs at Take Five, which includes Buzz, Island Pantry, Devil’s Isle and Village Pantry, are introducing new summer dishes, as well as bringing back a few firm favourites.
The summer highlight at Buzz is their crispy baked sushi roll, which is filled with crunchy vegetables and Sargasso Sea tuna, then topped with their home-made wasabi dressing and red-hot chili mayo. For something sweet to eat afterwards, try the Suriname cherry tartlets from Island Pantry.
If you are craving seafood, the “Shellebration” bucket at Devil’s Isle will hit the spot. This isn’t on the menu, so be sure to check the specials board and if it’s there, you’re in luck. Overflowing with oysters, crab legs and periwinkles, the presentation alone makes it worth the order.
On the subject of seafood – it is summer after all – there is yet more choice at Village Pantry in Flatts. Ocean eats include miso glazed rockfish, black-rope mussels served with a tomato marinara and, when available, lionfish tempura.
For more information, visit takefive.bm
New on the Scene
Opposite Fort St Catherine, next to the 18th hole of the St Regis, and overlooking Achilles Bay, is Achilles. The latest addition to The Little Venice Group, this “modern tavern” is situated at the former Blackbeard’s Hideaway, and prides itself on its “authentic dishes from the ‘MediterrAsian’ worlds.”
These dishes include Coconut Wahoo, which is served with coconut cream, spicy tamarind dressing, mint, cilantro and Thai basil, as well as Grilled Shrimps, which are tiger shrimps accompanied by salmoriglio, toasted breadcrumbs and a Kalamata olive crumble. Salmoriglio is a southern Italian dressing that goes very well with seafood.
More substantial meals include Roasted Octopus, which comes with smoked potato cream, paprika, chorizo, baby spinach and red chili coulis, and Korean Ribs which are slow roasted pork ribs, accompanied by charred broccolini, kimchi and egg fried rice. If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy out of the ordinary desserts, try the Japanese Cotton Cheesecake, served with berries and a miso caramel sauce.
For more information, visit achilles.bm
