Beautiful beaches, natural reefs preserved in crystal clear
waters, and prize-catch fishing are synonymous with Grand Cayman. However, this little island harbors a hidden treasure, food! Grand
Cayman is by far, the culinary capital of the West Indies. Over the years this tropical wonderland has attracted
a diverse range of award winning chef’s.
Their epicurean creativity has leveraged the Caribbean’s natural
resources of fresh seafood, tropical fruits and native vegetables to prepare countless
works of gastronomic art. One of the fine
establishments on Grand Cayman that combines the island's plentiful bounty of ingredients
with finely tuned international cooking techniques to transform common staples
into seemingly priceless art is Agua.
Spanish for water, Agua is the creation of Italian Chef’s
Walter Fagette of Genoa and Cristiano Vincentini of Tuscany. The two were working at a well-known
restaurant on Grand Cayman when they decided to venture out on their own. Almost three years ago to the day, they opened
Agua. A Caribbean approach to fine
dining with indoor and terrace seating, Agua offers a relaxing atmosphere to
enjoy their many fine dishes. Their
dining room is surrounded by a soffit box adorned in bold stripes of sky blue
on deep-sea blue. Dark mahogany plantation
shutters cover the windows while random black and white photography hangs on
Agua’s side wall. Smooth jazz fills the
air as you open up their menu and venture into the most difficult moment of the
night…deciding what to eat.
Agua served a very reasonably priced tasting menu while I
was there. A five course meal that included
Whaoo Tartar, Gnocchi tossed in sage butter shrimp scampi and Cotechino sausage
stuffed Quail over truffled mash for just under $40 US. I was tempted to indulge in this offering, but
was mesmerized by the interesting creations that appeared on the regular
menu. Elements of Italy, Spain, Peru, and
Japan came together to present selections like Wahoo breaded in Cous Cous
served over a Thai Basil Sweet Potato Risotto or Crispy Potato encrusted White
Bass dressed in a Mango Beurre Blanc. Then there were the specials of the night, an
assortment of thoughtfully prepared combinations of locally sourced ingredients. After much deliberation, I decided to create
my own tasting menu from a series of hot and cold smaller dishes that Agua offers.
I started off with one of their specials for the night, an Octopus
and Breadfruit Strudel served with field greens and an Asian Plum
reduction. This recipe is one that
Fagette brought to Grand Cayman from his native Genoa where he substituted the
flaky traditional strudel crust for a creamy, almost gelatin-like potato dough. In this rendition Fagette takes breadfruit, a
starchy Caribbean fruit common in Jamaican cuisine, forms a soft and elegantly
smooth strudel stuffed with fresh octopus and lined with a crispy cornmeal bottom
and places it among stripes of a sweet Asian plum demi-glace. Chopped pieces of octopus and a mixture of
fresh field greens dressed in a citrusy vinaigrette completed this memorable
plate.
For my second tasting, I selected an assortment of Ceviches. A Peruvian salad made by cooking raw fish in
lime juice and combining it with complimenting raw vegetables, Ceviches are
often light and refreshing. Agua serves
a variety of Ceviches inspired by its diverse staff. I sampled their Thai, Mixto and Cayman Ceviches,
each served as a tasting size portion on a porcelain spoon. The Thai Ceviche is a mixture of Corvina,
coconut milk, Kaffir lime, red curry and cilantro. Their Mixto Ceviche combines Wahoo, octopus and shrimp with sweet yellow peppers, lime, cilantro
and red onions. The last one I had was
my favorite, the Cayman Ceviche taking Wahoo, white vinegar, tomato, lime
cilantro, a touch of scotch bonnet and thin sliced red onions. Razor thin sliced red onions, so thin they
melt in your mouth while delivering that perfect punch of flavor to accent the ting
of the scotch bonnet and the tang of the lime.
The red onions are so thin you would swear Paulie Cisaro himself was
sitting in his blue bathrobe back in the kitchen somewhere slicing them like
they were little cloves of garlic.
My next dish was the one that brought me to Agua. While discussing a few of the dining options
with my friend Davina at the Marriott resort on Seven Mile Beach, we stumbled
across the topic of Tuna Tartar. She insisted
that Agua’s was the best on the island, maybe even the best anywhere. As she described its chopped pieces of bright
red tuna combined with sea weed salad and cubed ripe avocado, one of her
coworkers popped his head in and exclaimed, “are you guys talking about the
Tuna Tartar at Agua, it’s the best anywhere!”
That did it for me. I knew I was
headed to Agua after that endorsement.
To complete my savory tastings for the night I selected
Agua’s Spanish Short Rib. I’m a short
rib connoisseur, and this plate before me was the Opus X of short ribs. The meat itself was perfectly braised to the point
that it pulled apart with the slightest touch of the fork and burst with the flavors
it received while slowly braising in its aromatic bath. The menu read “chorizo mashed potato and
jalapeno sauce” so I was expecting a mashed potato incorporated with chunks of
chorizo. What I received was a pleasant
surprise of fried onion straws atop a soft tender short rib atop a perfect
serving of creamy mashed potato adorned with a rich dark brown sauce. To the naked eye it would appear that the
chorizo was missing, but it was there. This
strong Spanish sausage often has a dominant presence. However, much to my delight there was just a
slight hint of dried chorizo which appeared in the dish. The chorizo worked in perfect balance as it
just slightly resonated behind the bite of the jalapeno in the decadent sauce
that accented the plate. By far one of
the best short ribs I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
Finally my evening came to a close with a sweet treat. Agua’s pastry chef prepared a perfect Mille
Feuille. Flaky layers of puff pastry
were joined with a light custard, fresh blueberries and sliced
strawberries. Dusted with confectioner’s
sugar and adorned with a sprig of mint, this desert was almost too pretty to
eat. Almost!
Known the world over for its majestic landscapes,
Grand Cayman is sure to become recognized for its variety of epicurean selections
as well. I hope you have the opportunity
to visit this Caribbean island paradise one day. Whether you get there by cruise ship or by
plane, you are going to want to do two things: first go for a swim in the crystalline waters
of Seven Mile Beach, and second, find your way to Agua, grab a drink at the bar
and prepare yourself to be Floored by Food.
Planning another trip there soon and will try.
ReplyDeleteThe holidays means Cayman for us, we are a small family who loves to spend the holidays in a grand manner but at an affordable cost and the result of our looking for a long time for the best family holiday destination. We will be going there soon and will enjoy the food at the Grand Cayman restaurants.
ReplyDelete