Feature Story Xp Bonaire IslandLife
Almost everyone has seen the signal cart on Kaya Korona at least once. Every day you can read what the daily special meal is at Hillside.
Hillside is located a little further, on Kaya Linda in Antriol, an apartment complex with 2 large swimming pools, a cozy bar and a spacious restaurant. Owners Theo and Wendy Zwambag have done everything they can to give not only their guests, but also the local public a place where virtually nothing is missing.
Swimming lessons for children take place here; you can swim recreationally; play billiards, darts and, for sports fans, important football (European soccer) matches and Formula 1 races are broadcast on a big screen. In short, no boredom on Bonaire since 2012! To keep your cost as low as possible, everything is very friendly priced. Take, for example, the changing daily special meal. Usually for 10 dollars, with the exception of the Tuna night on Tuesday, and, for example, the all-you-can eat bbq. In any case, reason enough for us to join us for a review.
The staff is very friendly and welcoming. We take a seat at a table in the front of the restaurant and quite quickly we were served our drinks. The restaurant is situated in a large palapa, so the wind provides a pleasant breeze. As the restaurant area is on the side of the building, you are not confronted by the full wind. We welcome this fact, since we appreciate when the lettuce doesn't blow off our plate.
Appetizers
We start with the garlic king prawns and the tuna tataki. The prawns come out of the oven and have an excellent bite. They come with pieces of fresh bread that you can dip in the garlic oil of the prawns. The oil tastes great. We appreciate that the starter, especially considering the price, is a generous amount.
The tuna tataki with sesame seeds was perfectly pan fried. I'm not a fan of sesame myself, but this was a modest amount so it didn't overpower. Together with the subtle wasabi mayonnaise, ginger slices and the soy sauce, this tataki is definitely worth a try.
Main course
As a main course we opted for a pita bread shoarma and the daily special. We really wanted to know what you actually get for that $10 price.
Let's get to the point right away. Beef stew with salad and fries. We opted for pan-fried potatoes instead of fries. Frankly, I forgot to check if there was an extra charge for that, but if it is, I think it's only reasonable. A generous amount of pan-fried potato, nicely seasoned and really pan fried not deep fried. The beef stew can be made in so many ways and is different around the world. This beef stew called “stoba” (stew) is a Bonairean version. Ask for the local pika (onion and pepper on vinegar) if you like it a little spicier. A great full meal, great taste and absolutely worth the $10.
The pita with chicken shoarma is again generous in size. What is surprising, is that the price is on the high side compared with the other dishes on the menu. I have to say that the pita was not such a flat disc, but a nice fresh crispy thick pita, generously topped with nicely seasoned chicken meat.
Dessert
For dessert we chose the pineapple carpaccio and the special. The nicely thinly sliced pineapple was served with a nice soft scoop of coconut ice cream, tasty and not too sweet.
The special can be called a winner. This dessert was a chocolate trio of mousse, ice cream and brownies. It was to die for.
The bill? Including the drinks and a three-course menu for 2 people, it totaled under 100 dollars. If you are looking for a comfortable location for the whole family and good food for a good price, Hillside is the right place.
OUR TOP 3
Number 1: Day Special Beef Stoba with pika
Number 2: Tuna Tataki
Number 3: Trio of Chocolate
