Xp Bonaire IslandLife Feature Story
This time we chose a restaurant that is less well known than the eateries in our previous reviews. Latinos Bar & Restaurant is located at Kaya Princes Marie in the center of Kralendijk.
For those who have been staying on Bonaire for a while, the location is the former shop of WEMA. Latinos Bar & Restaurant, as the name suggests, specializes in South American cuisine.
Owner Liliane (Lily) Soria Vidal is of Peruvian descent, so the Peruvian influence is naturally evident in the menu items. Inside, the location is divided into 2 parts. Upon entering, you have a bar with a dance floor and in the rear, the restaurant overlooks the dance floor. The restaurant area is equipped with great, working air conditioning and fans, so it is certainly very comfortable for the average tourist and resident alike, especially in the hottest period of the year.
Lily herself is very hospitable and received us with a friendly smile. For the first time in the history of the reviews, we had a guest at the table, also Peruvian, to make sure we didn't get confused with the Spanish language. It was tons of fun, but turned out to be not really necessary.
The menu is somewhat busy, but clear with English translation. Rumor has it that Latinos Bar & Restaurant serves some of the best ceviche on the island, so we didn't have to think about the first starter. And indeed, this ceviche is very tasty.
Appetizers
The fresh fish cured in lime was served with onion, a hint of chili peppers and a Peruvian type of corn that, strangely enough, can be roasted without turning into popcorn. Anyway, the whole thing was a treat.
The other appetizer was a Papa a la Huanciana, large slices of boiled potato with a creamy, cheese sauce prepared with yellow pepper and evaporated milk. I wouldn't know how to best describe this delicious dish, other than that the plate was scraped clean.
Smoking is not allowed inside, so we went outside for a while, where you can also sit comfortably at high tables. When we returned, the main courses were brought to the table fairly quickly and we were able to continue dinner.
Main Course
Very surprising was the Lomo Saltado Peruvian stir fry. Just about everywhere, stir-fried tenderloin comes well-done. I know there are many people who prefer it this way, but we prefer medium-rare. This dish was fairly simple with red onion, fries, tomato, nicely seasoned and perfectly medium rare! We had never experienced the combination before, but it is certainly one to remember. Good food doesn't have to be complicated. Lily provides convincing proof of that.
The other main course was a little more complicated. Pescando a Lo Macho is a fish dish with various types of fish in a delicious sauce. Although we were generally very satisfied, I would like to note that the wahoo was quite dry, which is very common in South American home cooking. Did it matter? No, not really. The delicious sauce more than made up for it.
Dessert
We chose two desserts to share. Meanwhile, the bar had became a bit busier with people coming in for a drink and a dance and even karaoke later in the evening. In any case, the atmosphere is very good!
Our dessert consisted of delicious homemade cakes. Peruvian-style flan and a cheesecake with passion fruit.
Once again, Lily proves that good food doesn't have to be complicated. We ended our night outside with a drink and came to the joint conclusion that Latinos Bar & Restaurant not only has the best ceviche, but that it is a great eatery. We were pleasantly surprised!
OUR TOP 3
No 1. Ceviche
No 2 Tenderloin Stir Fry - Lomo Saltado
No 3 Potato in creamy cheese sauce - Papa a la Huanciana
Did you know?
Ceviche, is a South American seafood dish that originated in Peru, typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lemon or lime, but historically made with the juice of bitter orange. Perfect to eat on Bonaire where the freshest catch is served!
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