The rare downtime this spring allowed Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort to invest in renovations and refresh its acclaimed Elements restaurant and to create innovative new items on its popular vegan menu. The Caribbean’s healthiest and safest vacation can be enjoyed with a View to Dine For at the award-winning dining destination.
Michelin-trained Chef Marc Giesbers, director of food & beverage at Bucuti & Tara, and his team quickly seized the unexpected quiet time to reimagining the Eagle Beach dining experience. They put on their design hats in the front-of-the-house and turned the back-of the-house into a test kitchen.
Refreshed and stylishly social distanced
Elements restaurant has long featured mostly seating for two, so safe, physical distancing was already the norm at the romantic, adults-only enclave. Couples can also enjoy a special 6-course meal for 2 with a bottle of Champagne or wine included, in a private beach palapa where they will experience an array of flavors accompanied by pastel skies transitioning to bright moonlit stars.
The most notable investment is the all-new dining deck along Eagle Beach, aptly named one of the “Dream Beaches of the World.” The Caribbean’s most eco-certified resort to include being its only carbon-neutral hotel, carefully selected an innovative blend of 95% recycled materials. The earth-friendly manufacturing process recoups factory waste and eliminates the use of harmful chemicals.
Luxury resort designer Dada Designs of Miami led the aesthetic component of the renovations. The same team masterminded the concepts resulting in laidback luxury of the Tara Wing revisions in 2017 and the Bucuti Wing refresh in 2020.
Vegan menu expands by demand
Elements restaurant goes beyond one full menu and offers complete menus for vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free and world cuisine offering prized steaks and sustainable seafood. Aruba’s blossoming vegan and vegetarian scene has become a Caribbean food destination anchored in large part to Elements restaurant for its innovation and equal consideration for those seeking a fulfilling plant-based nourishment. While Chef Marc’s high-end steak and seafood dishes continuously earn high praise, admiration along with increased requests for his innovative and satiating healthy selections prompted the expansion the restaurant’s existing standalone vegan menu.
From dedicated vegans to guests who occasionally seek a healthy, flavorful alternative, the extensive vegan menu weaves in flavors of the world. From the likes of classic comfort foods given a modern twist to a zesty nod to Latin favorites and Far East staples, the team relishes relationships with local farmers and procures as much on island such as its microgreens. A sampling of the full menu includes:
· Layered Roots of the Andes: Towering layers of truffle potato, sweet potato mash, basil-marinated red beets along with chunky seasoned avocado served with carrot chips accompanied with roasted red pepper pulp.
· Gado-Gado Entreé Salad: Elements adaptation of this classic Indonesian dish composed of Tempeh, beansprouts, green beans, carrot, bell pepper, cilantro, pickled cabbage, complemented with a divine peanut sauce atop a bed of rice noodles.
· Range-free Steak: A nod to the West, this ground lentil patty is served with roasted vegetable gravy and partnered with a mosaic of squash, glazed carrots and classic fondant potatoes.
· Agave and Cardamom-infused Pineapple Quinoa Margarita: Latin America inspired, this agave nectar-infused quinoa is crowned with a slow simmered lime and pineapple chutney laced with cardamom and clove, finished with a touch of strawberry sauce.
A fine dining restaurant veteran, Chef Marc recently received on Elements’ behalf the coveted Wine Spectator 2020 Award of Excellence for his diverse, sustainable wine list that exceeds the expectations of the resort’s global clientele.
“After months of research and testing, my talented culinary team and I improved the flavor and healthfulness of both traditional and modern fare, and are very proud of our new vegan menu at Elements restaurant,” shares Chef Marc Giesbers, director of food & beverage at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort.
Elements restaurant is adults-only and available to both resort guests and offsite guests, alike. Reservations are highly recommended. The SandBar is reserved exclusively for resort guests.
Bucuti & Tara: The Caribbean’s Healthiest and Safest Vacation Experience
As the region’s most-eco certified hotel, Bucuti has long had a heightened awareness for the health and safety of both guests and the planet. Its new COVID-19 safety protocols were developed within Center for Disease Control guidelines, World Health Organization recommendations and in-person evaluations by practicing ICU (intensive care unit) doctors and nurses who were hosted onsite this spring at Bucuti & Tara.
With its new touch-free experience combined with the new hospital-grade, high-tech health safety protocols and Aruba’s Health & Happiness Code seal, guests can confidently relax into vacation mode. To learn more, visit Bucuti.com.
