It is 6 days to Christmas, and 12 days to the end of the year! How are we feeling Garmanvsfood family? feeling the holiday cheer? getting into the holiday spirit? ready for some R&R and time with loved ones?
It is sunny and warm in Caribbean and that has me smiling. The last tasting menu adventure of the year, is sampling the culinary delights at Local & Co. The taste of local is a 6 course menu curated by the chef based of their signature dishes and let me tell you, it was BANGING! The meal kicked off with Local & Co chips served with chadon beni aioli. The chips was a combination of fried cassava, breadfruit and plantain, as well as, light malt bread and honey whipped butter
Fish tea was next and it literally was Fish tea! Okay, yes, it was fish broth, chilli and cilantro (which has you thinking boring) but this broth was served in the cutest tea cup.. I mean look at it!
It was thick but not heavy, with a good kick of spice that came from the chilli at the base of the cup (so watch out for that)
nonetheless, be prepared to enjoy an excellent fish tea that is flavourful. Coconut ceviche made from raw catch, coconut, lime and chilli dressing. Whilst, I do not claim to be a ceviche expert but not gonna front, ceviche in Mexico is ELITE! My interest was quipped to taste the ceviche here and I was not disappointed. It was served cold, tasted ever so refreshing, citrusy and served with plantain. This was an interesting accompaniment but the plantain did balance out the sharpness of the ceviche. Mahi & lobster with breadfruit cou cou, buttered sea purslance think mashed potatoes and lobster. Okay, this makes this dish sound very simple, trust me when I say, simple has and always been good.
Do you see how creamy this looks, and yes, it gave layers pon layers in texture and taste with every bite! like I said, not so simple. Pepper pot was next. 12 hour braised short rib, Grenada spices & cassareep, whipped yam and pickles presented in a cast iron, you know this dish was fiyah!
The short rib was tender, savoury with a hint of sweetness , paired with a Malvern red wine.. it was excellent! Pudding was the course I was not quite expecting. Sea salt caramel rum tart, banana ice cream paired with mount Gray black barrel rum.. boom! This course needs a break down okay? First the tart. I reckon it was cooled and not baked because the base gave-melt–in-our–mouth type shi*. It was delish! The banana ice cream had banana bits in it which you could taste! Talk about homemade!
Interestingly it was not as sweet as I anticipated (yes people, bananas in the Caribbean, the southern hemisphere tend to be sweet) and honestly, it was perfect with the tart! If anyone would have said to me swap your beloved Riesling pudding wine for rum, I’d have been like errrr…. But chef knew exactly what he was doing. The complex, smooth and roundness of the black barrel rum literally was the icing on the pudding ha! Of course ordered more of the rum for digestif… when in Barbados…
Merry Christmas and Cheers
Ndidi
