Jamaican Rejuvenation

This brutal winter called for a proper island getaway: 

JAMAICA, MON!

Within hours of being in the warm sand and refreshing salt water, we knew this trip would be just the rejuvenation we needed after a long, freezing season.  And of course, part of rejuvenating is delicious and nutritious food!  Our resort - Iberostar Grand Rose Hall in Montego Bay - offered enough options to make it a foodie paradise!  

Room Service

our daily choice for breakfast

The first day we accidentally wound up with an American breakfast that included eggs and waffles, though usually we just went for fresh fruit juice, coffee, plates of fresh papaya, and simple scrambled eggs.

One day DJ got adventurous and got the eggs with ackee, but he wasn't a huge fan of the saltfish sauteed into it.

An average mid-morning refreshment included a little rum libation while gazing at the waves.

The Port Maria  

beachside buffet/restaurant for lunch

On our first day at the lunch buffet, Mel scooped up what she thought was lentil soup.  One big spoonful left her mouth pursed in salty spicy shock.  Turns out... she had dished up a bowl of the jerk sauce that was available as a condiment at every meal!  Not so good by the spoonful, but AWESOME drizzled on top of anything.  We definitely made the most of that throughout our stay.

Indoor Lunch and Dinner Buffet

There was also an indoor restaurant that offered buffet options for both lunch and dinner.  We usually didn't venture to it during the day since we wanted to stay by the ocean, but it was our favorite place for dinner.  Though the resort offers several restaurants for formal dining, when we're on vacation we're not particularly in the mood for formal dining.  We just want to stay in comfy clothes and enjoy sampling the tons of options a buffet has to offer.  This place actually had a different cuisine theme for each night, which added to the foodie sampling fun. 

American Night

 amazing seafood selection

creative vegetarian options (with a Jamaican beef pattie because... when in Rome)

Jamaican Night

curry goat, rice and beans, jerk lobster, and jerk beef - it doesn't get better than this!

Tropical Night

 yes, yes - they indeed roasted a whole pig...

and it was some of the juiciest pork we've ever had (especially with the apple gravy)!

Italian Night

a fresh pasta station where you can pick all your ingredients - yes, please!

...and every night 

the fresh fruit options at every meal were beyond compare, and we discovered the wonders of Jamaican star apple and nesberries

 

The Galleon

surf and turf restaurant

This was DJ's favorite meal of the trip.  Though he loved the variety of the buffet, he was extremely impressed with the perfection of his steak.  He also appreciated the freshness of the meat selection.

We were slightly disappointed because the resort had run out of lobster, so the surf portion was shrimp.  But the meals were still delectable.

The desserts had beautiful presentation, though the flavors were average.  But we didn't need much of the sweet anyway because we were still basking in the glory of the meat.  

apple custard with ice cream 

(the pastry part tasted a little stale)

Jamaican fried ice cream 

(surprise - the ice cream was melted in the middle so it just oozed out the moment you cut into the dough; the dough tasted just like funnel cake)

Port Maria 

beachside buffet turns into Jamaican restaurant at night

This was Mel's favorite meal of the trip.  First, the setting was perfect because we were seated right next to the ocean at night.  So relaxing to hear the sound of waves while you enjoy good food!  Second, all the Caribbean flavors were absolutely on point.  

The meal started with little bites of fish patties which reminded Mel of the patties she would enjoy at Haitian parties at home.  The pastry was delightfully fluffy, and the fish was salted and spiced exquisitely.

Codfish Fritters

(as often happens with fritters, there seemed to be more dough than fish but still enjoyable)

Jerk Pork Egg Rolls

(a zip of flavor that made regular egg rolls seems dull in comparison)

Fish with Callaloo and Roasted Veggies

(so light yet decadent; the fish was wrapped around the callaloo [similar to collard greens in texture and bitterness] and covered in sauce so each bite had the ideal balance of savory flavors)

Jerk Chicken with Rice and Beans

(the chicken could have used more sauce, but the rice was among the best we've had; we tried our best to decipher what spices they used to bring out such amazing flavor and we think a significant amount of butter and perhaps a little jerk seasoning played a role; will definitely be experimenting with that at home!)

Sides of Callaloo, Festival (a fried dough very similar to funnel cake without the powdered sugar), and Plantain Chips

Jamaican Cookies

(coconut figured prominently, lending that island flair to simple pastries)

Apple Turnovers

(lovely flaky pastry crust!)

Since we loved the buffet so much, we didn't get around to trying the other restaurants at the resort: Japanese and Gourmet.  But all the dishes we tried throughout our stay left us feeling rejuvenated and inspired to add some more Jamaican spices to our home cooking.  Can't wait to get started!