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.

Ché Bar, Aruba

Ché Bar is a little joint wedged into the outside corner of the Paseo Hernecia Mall. Just follow the paved sidewalk around the mall toward the Marriott complex and you’ll come to it. Here’s a view to help:

Ché Bar at the Paseo Herencia Mall, Aruba, November 2013

Ché Bar at the Paseo Herencia Mall, Aruba, November 2013

As you can see, there’s room at the bar to have a seat, or you can take one of the tables not shown here. The menu is mostly grilled meats in the Argentinian style. Here’s a look at the platter for 2, which is plenty of food for 2 people, maybe 3.

Ché Bar platter for two.

Ché Bar platter for two.

You have a selection of short rib, steak, chicken, and sausage there as well as one small salad and the french fries, which are particularly flavorful. The little dish of chimichurri sauce does wonders to bring up the flavors. You can also buy that separately at the bar to take home:

Ché Bar chimichurri sauce for take away.

Ché Bar chimichurri sauce for take away.

And finally, here’s a look at the menu, showing you the options as prices as of this writing, November 2013:

Ché Bar, Aruba, menu as of November 2013.

Ché Bar, Aruba, menu as of November 2013.

There you have it. If you’re looking for some grilled meat and a relaxing outdoor dining experience, this may be the place for you. They also sell a special Argentinian beer that adds to the experience. Try it all!