Salsa Pica, Aruba (December 2013)

There are many Colombian people in Aruba. Naturally, the local cuisine is influenced by their tastes. On the table at the Colombian and other local restaurants, you’ll frequently find a small cub containing a spicy sauce usually referred to as “salsa pica.” Here’s a look:

"Salsa pica" or Colombian spicy sauce as seen in Aruba.

“Salsa pica” or Colombian spicy sauce as seen in Aruba.

The sauce is fortified with Madam Jeanette peppers as well as onions, carrots, peppers, and a few other treats. It has a sort of bulk to go with the heat, traits that I find particularly appealing. Put a dab on your meat or fish of choice for a surprising taste. You might like it. Bon dia.

Yemanja, Aruba (December 2013)

Another great meal at Yemanja, a wood-fired grill restaurant in Oranjestaad, Aruba, DWI. This place gets things right from start to finish. There are various seating options including inside, outside, and at the bar. Have a look:

Seating at Yemanja restaurant, Aruba.

Seating at Yemanja restaurant, Aruba.

And here’s the bar:

Bar area at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

Bar area at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

You can have a nice drink there before or after your meal. Moving on to the food… as mentioned, this is a “wood-fired grill” place, so there are some great meat options. But let’s start with our greens, namely the salad with prosciutto that you see in the next photo:

Salad with prosciutto at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

Salad with prosciutto at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

If you’d like a salad with scallops, well, take a look:

Mixed salad with scallops at Yemanja, Aruba.

Mixed salad with scallops at Yemanja, Aruba.

Those are just two ways to begin a great meal. There are other options that you’ll find on the menu to satisfy various tastes. Now, for a couple of meat choices, you might like the rib eye that you see here:

Yemanja, Aruba serves this rib eye.

Yemanja, Aruba serves this rib eye.

Or, you might like the filet mignon that is served in two pieces, which is a favorite of mine.

Filet mignon at Yemanja, Aruba.

Filet mignon at Yemanja, Aruba.

I like the french fried onions as a garnish, just the right flavor kick. Service here is excellent and mindful of all things, including my water glass. Sorry, no room for dessert, maybe next time. There will be a next time, because Yemanja is on my regular list of places while in Aruba. Hope to make a video there soon. Bon dia.

Learning Languages

Languages are fascinating, if a bit difficult to learn, especially when the characters are completely different. Here in Aruba, there are many Chinese people, and they operate various businesses, including restaurants. Each December they give away calendars for the new year coming. An example of a particularly nice example is seen below:

Calendar with Chinese characters.

Calendar with Chinese characters.

That’s a nice looking hand out that serves the usual purpose of keeping the days of the week. But you can also use it to learn Chinese characters for months, days, and numbers. Take a closer look at the numbers here:

Chinese and western style characters on a calendar.

Chinese and western style characters on a calendar.

The western style numbers and Chinese equivalents are side by side, giving you the opportunity to see and learn them easily. Not that it is all that easy. You have to write them regularly to make them stick in your mind. Here’s a close up of more:

Detail from a Chinese calendar with western characters as well.

Detail from a Chinese calendar with western characters as well.

By trying to write the characters and pick up a few words in the course of a meal, you’ll be surprised how much you learn. Plus, it’s lots of fun. Not to mention, it would come in handy depending upon where you travel and who you encounter along the way.

Published in: on December 22, 2013 at 9:51 am  Leave a Comment  
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Cultural Mashup in Aruba

In Aruba, you’ll find a crossroads of various cultures including Caribbean, European, South American, North American, and Chinese to name a few. A perfect illustration of this is the “Refresqueria Banzai” which is a little rum shop in the middle of Oranjestaad that you see in this photo:

Refresqueria Bonzai in Oranjestaad, Aruba, DWI.

Refresqueria Bonzai in Oranjestaad, Aruba, DWI.

Here you can get cold drinks, snacks, and more. Not sure exactly how the “banzai” fits in, but I’ll check it out soon. Going to make a little video of the Chinese operated rum shops and restaurants very soon. Therefore, you’ll want to check back frequently here at BentPage to view the latest. Bon dia.