Taste of St. Croix

After staying put at home for the past year anticipating the arrival of baby Marlon, we finally got a chance to escape to the sandy beach in the Caribbean during the spring break. Someone was even more anxious than I was, she packed up weeks before the trip. Together with little cousin Chloe, the two little girls make the best travel companion.

With a large family on the move, we needed a good lodging to not only be able to hold all of us but allow us to fully enjoy and relax. The Sugar Bay House was that perfect choice - with a full stocked bar, a private pool and a pavilion with amazing view, need I say more!

My agenda was simple - beach and restaurants! Near where we stayed, there was the Columbus landing where Columbus came up to shore back in the 1490s during his second trip. It is a quiet little corner that brings you back history to imagine how he must have felt when he made his landing. And it is now part of our memories too.

I spent days before the trip researching on where to eat. My number one choice for a casual lunch site was a taco place called Rowdy Joe. They are well-know for their blackened fish tacos and fried Edamame. It was a good taco but I really liked the fried Edamame more, something I never had cooked that way before. Certainly not figure friendly, but definitely tasty with the Asian inspired teriyaki type of sauce, a little sweet and a little tangy and spicy.

Our next day lunch spot was Eat@Cane Bay. With the water view right in front, you could probably pay less attention to the food itself. But I truly enjoyed the "EAT Burger" that has a nice tropic flavor to it and matches well with the scenery.

We continued our lunch adventure the third day in the St. George Village Botanical Garden. Twice a month, the garden offers a 3 course pre-fix menu prepared by local chef and culinary students. Part of the event is fund raising, part of it is an opportunity for the culinary students to gain more experience.

Our favorite dish of the meal was the miso soup with fish dumpling. The flavor was delicate and the dumpling was amazingly tender and moist. It was like eating a cloud.

A stroll in the garden after the lunch was even more enjoyable, surrounded by the exotic plants and filled with bird chirping.

Our favorite meal was at "The Wave". Not only does it have an incredible sunset view, it also provides a creative menu with good flavors. The most impressive one was the fried pork belly, crusty outside but melts in your mouth inside!

Johnny cake is my favorite Caribbean food. It is a kind of fried dough. I have tried many from different islands. The one from La Reine's Chicken Shack gets my highest score so far!

Now, most of the meals we had was inside of the Sugar Bay House. When you are traveling, the most tasty would actually be your homemade meals. What elevated the food to the next level was my absolute favorite dining spot - the pavilion. No matter if it is lunch or dinner, the intoxicating 360 degree view was more than enough to create the best appetite and enjoyment!