As with everything at Ka’ana, the beauty is in the attention to detail.  Our group had arranged to meet the new chef Sean Kuylen, who was there to tell us about their organic garden and unique blend of local flavors and gourmet techniques.  Instead he dashes off to the kitchen to prepare an impromptu stew, something someone had brought up in the discussion about the traditional food of Belize, called sere.  He didn’t want to talk about food… he wanted to show us.

For lunch, I kept it simple.  I ordered the Mayan cochinita pibil tacos that were served with a pineapple pico de gallo.  The pull pork was cooked in a spicy pibil sauce and the pineapple was a surprisingly sweet and fresh counterpoint.  To drink I had fresh watermelon juice, which was my favorite when living in Guatemala and prepared daily by my house mother.  This time it was even better than I remembered it, perfectly sweet (but not too sweet) and well blended.

If you find yourself in Belize, head inland to San Ignacio where you can spend the day hiking the ruins, then relax at La Ceiba over some locally grown and lovingly prepared food.

• La Ceiba
• San Ignacio, Belize
• at the Ka’ana Resort

First, we had the ceviche.  Executed well, generous with the seafood, especially the lobster.

Next was this delicious garlicky squid dish, with a pleasant snap to each bite.

A fresh salad.

The Mayan fish– cooked in a banana leaf in a rich spicy tomato based sauce.  The fish was fork tender, but not overdone.

Shrimp sere, a local stew with coconut milk, plantains and shrimp.  Served over coconut rice, this dish is addictively sweet and savory.

Fried plantains, a perfect side dish before the Pièce de Résistance…

An entire fish, in this case snapper, deep fried and scored for easy dismantling.

Mr. Fish from the front view.  We appreciated the olives-as-eyes touch.

And in case you were still hungry, it was served with fried plantain chips.

Finally a palate cleansing dessert, a frozen key lime piece with fresh whipped cream.

And then this super sweet, caramel flan.  It was almost a shame to break it open.  Don’t worry, we totally did.

Final Take

I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Elvi’s.  I was thoroughly impressed with their service, food quality, quirky ambiance… everything.  In our week in Belize we dined at some of best restaurants, but the meal at Elvi’s beat them all.  Seriously.  Take that Conde Nast whatever award.

Restaurant: Elvi’s Kitchen

Website: http://www.elviskitchen.com/

Location: San Pedro, Belize

We ended up spending the first two dinners and breakfasts at The Inn at Robert’s Grove. I had done some research before I left and based on their website, I was expecting more of a beach-side, grab and go type atmosphere. However I was pleasantly surprised. There’s a formal sitting area and a full outdoor veranda. The Inn is on the water, so during the day, it’s a great place to grab a bite and enjoy the views.

We were lucky as it was both Lobster and Conch season when we arrived. We started out with the Conch Fritters.

I’ve had these before, but this time they were more substantial. There was large chunks of conch meat and the breading was fried perfectly. They added a bit of jalapeno, which is a deviation from the traditional recipe, but the sweet heat was a nice accent.

For the main course I ordered the Chef’s Special, which was a seafood trio of Lobster tail and drawn butter, coconut curry shrimp and grilled fish, served with coconut rice. The lobster was sweet and a little tougher than the Maine variety, but it was cooked well and pared perfectly with the coconut curry shrimp.

The stand out of the meal was the banana gelato, which is made locally. It was powerfully sweet and smooth. I tasted a few of the other desserts around the table, but for me the banana gelato won the day.

Breakfast the next day:

Being in Belize, I had to order the traditional Belizean breakfast. It was fried fish, scrambled eggs, refried beans and of course fry jacks (a puffed dough, similar but less sweet than the fried dough found at carnivals). The fish was very flavorful and I enjoyed dipping my fry jack into the refried beans. The fry jacks seemed to be a little heavy, but overall it was a wonderful breakfast.

You know the food is good, when your Belizean breakfast-mate is this excited about it.

As far as table side accouterments, I loved the habanero pepper sauce that’s found on every table. Great for a smoky, strong heat that lands on the mid to back part of your mouth.

Dinner the next night:

I had enjoyed the coconut curry shrimp from the night before, so I ordered the coconut lobster, served with the same sweet curry sauce with large chunks of lobster in the lobster shell (with a side of coconut rice). It was a great dish, albeit one-note and about half way through you start wondering if it’s okay to leave uneaten lobster on your plate (I decided it wasn’t).

For dessert I tried their chocolate cake, which looked pretty. Unfortunately the texture was off, a sort of congealed mess, as if someone added a few too many eggs to the batter. The most disappointing item on the menu by far.

Breakfast the next day:

I decide to take it easy and just order a fruit plate. If you stay at the Inn, there is a large continential breakfast bar included free, so this fruit plus assorted breads, pastries and muffins are available. The fyffes bananas were a treat, especially as they are not available in the US. The pineapple was under ripe, and I wasn’t able to eat it.

Final Take:

I loved the seafood here, and for that I’d definitely return. It seems like they reuse a lot of menu items, for instance the coconut curry sauce was the same on the coconut shrimp and the lobster and the grilled fish was the same on my seafood trio and breakfast the next day. However stand outs like the conch fritters make up for the repetitive menu items. The little details like fresh fruit were lacking, and while the table service was generally good, I did have to ask for refills on my water more than once. If you get a chance, try their banana gelato and conch fritters, they’re almost worth the trip alone. Overall, worth the trip, but just once.

Restaurant: The Inn at Robert’s Grove

Website: http://www.robertsgrove.com/

Location: Placencia, Belize

How to get here: transfers from Belize City airport are available