New Restaurant Review--Yachtclub Restaurant Offers Intimate Ambiance with Great Food
As we announced last week, as of July 2nd the Yachtclub Restaurant was under new ownership and management. Although we didn’t get there on opening night, we did get the opportunity to sample the new chef’s creations on Saturday evening.
Our group of five began at the cozy bar, but soon moved to a table surrounded by palms. Dinner began with a complimentary canape of puff pastry with a mushroom filling, served with garlic mayonnaise. The menu included five appetizers and dinners from which to choose. One of the appetizer choices some in our group made was the tenderloin carpaccio with Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and pesto (NAFl 18.50 / USD $10.00), but I opted for the French onion soup (NAFl 11.50 / USD $6.60). The home-made soup was excellent, with a tangy sweetness I’ve not experienced before. Other appetizers included Caribbean Nicoise tuna or smoked duck breast with asparagus and forest-fruit-honey sauce.
Dinner entrees included chicken fillet crusted with crushed coconut and peanuts, served with oriental vegetables, rice, and a spicy chutney (NAFl 29.50 / USD $16.90), three different types of fresh fish, served with spinach tagliatelle pasta, green vegetables, and a white wine sauce (NAFl 34.50 / USD $19.50), a vegetarian dinner of marinated vegetables and a sweet potato gratin, sweet and sour cucumber salad and piccalilli (NAFl 32.00 / USD $18.30), or a tenderloin with a spicy red wine sauce, green vegetables and Duchess potatoes (NAFl 36.00 / USD $20.60).
Finally, the fifth option, which is available in an appetizer size or a dinner entree size, is the surf and turf salad, with shrimp and roast beef, served with mango, avocado, and fresh sherry dressing (NAFL 29.50 / USD $16.90 for dinner entree). This was my choice, and I have to say it was a refreshing combination of tastes and textures. The salad came with three chilled jumbo shrimp and thinly sliced roast beef sitting atop sliced avocado, mango, and lettuce. The shrimp and roast beef were perfectly prepared, and the sherry dressing just added the right blend of acidity to make the tastes jump on the palette.
I do have to say I thought I might have made the wrong decision when I saw both the chicken and the tenderloin being set in front of my dining companions. However, I enjoyed the surf and turf salad so much that I just decided I would have to return for both those items on other occasions. I did, however, sneak a bite of the chicken fillet from a dinner companion, and it was pretty tasty in its own right.
When it came time for dessert, I managed to hold on to some will power and declined. Some of our group did order the home-made chocolate plates to go with their coffees and the oooohs and aaaaahs coming from them as the enjoyed the chocolates were enough for me to know they were fantastic. Other desserts include ice cream with fresh fruit, red fruit sauce, and whip cream, lemon cheesecake with coconut ice cream, tiramisu, and the grand dessert.
We did see a bit of Rick, but over the evening, he was kept busy in the kitchen. Kim was an impeccable hostess, seeming to magically appear whenever we needed anything. It was nice to have service that was so attentive and friendly.
I highly recommend the new Yachtclub Restaurant for anyone looking for an intimate dining experience with excellent food. (Source: Bonaire Insider Reporter)
