Screaming Eagle, Aruba, (Dec 2013)

I’ve posted about Screaming Eagle restaurant before, but it’s been quite a while. Last night, I enjoyed a very good meal there, complete with excellent service and ambiance. This is an upscale place, located along Aruba’s Eagle Beach, close to the “low-rise” area. Seating is both indoor and outside. Take your pick and enjoy. Let’s get to the food. This little plate was served as a “gift of the chef.”

"Gift of the Chef" plate served at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

“Gift of the Chef” plate served at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

All bits of goodness on there, including cheese shaved into the shapes of flowers, a touch of orange, piece of walnut, a delicious “mayonnaise” and tiny circle of brioche. Flavors blended perfectly with subtlety that hinted of good things to come. Next came a pair of appetizers including a “truffle spaghetti” that you see below. (It included serano ham and a poached egg.)

Truffle spaghetti with serano ham and a poached egg.

Truffle spaghetti with serano ham and a poached egg.

Again, flavor here was off the chart, the combination working together in ways one might not expect. Then there was a Caribbean salad that included all the greens and goodness I need to have several times a day. Check it out:

Caribbean Salad at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Caribbean Salad at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

The chef dresses the salad in the kitchen, adding the right amount without overpowering the ingredients. Thus, you get to taste it all, which is the point, right? Moving on to entrees, let’s first look at the simple chicken and vegetables:

Chicken and vegetables at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Chicken and vegetables at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Standard fare here, prepared the way I like it with lots of crispy contrasts. Now for the exotic. The next dish was a special for the week. Here’s grilled kangaroo with apricot chutney:

Grilled Kangaroo with apricot chutney at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Grilled Kangaroo with apricot chutney at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

That’s a zany dish with unique flavor that those with a adventuresome taste buds will have to sample for themselves to get the full effect. Finally, we selected a traditional Dutch Christmas desert of almond flavored cake with ice cream that you see in the final photo:

Dessert at Screaming Eagle, Aruba, December 2013.

Dessert at Screaming Eagle, Aruba, December 2013.

One very, very good meal here in a pleasant setting with attentive service. I found it worth every penny and will be back again to try some other dishes.

Screaming Eagle, again

Screaming Eagle, the restaurant, is one of Aruba’s best. That’s just my opinion, but after several visits during the past year, I can say that the place has earned the title. It is located in the low-rise hotel area and features both indoor and outdoor seating. Here is a look at the exterior and the interior, photos gleaned from the restaurant’s own website.

se_exteriorQuite nice with those tensile fabrics overhead. And here is the bar.

se_barThey also offer the option of “eating in bed” but that’s not my thing so there is no photo here. Instead, let’s talk about the food. My wife started with the escargot, which she reports as very good. My friend began with calamari sauteed instead of fried. It was an interesting twist and tasty. I went with a plain old shrimp cocktail that met all expectations. Then came the entrees. My wife went with the grilled scallops shown here.

grilledscallopsMy friend’s wife choose the garlic shrimp, seen below.

garlicshrimpMy friend selected the red snapper filet.

redsnapperFinally, I choose the broiled veal chop.

vealchopThat was one delicious piece of meat, broiled to perfection with a flavorful sauce that did not overpower the natural essence of the underlying chop.

Everyone at the table thoroughly enjoyed the meal, all the way down to the desert which was an edible chocolate cup filled with orange sorbet and topped with whipped cream. Very nice indeed. Service here is highly trained, friendly, and accommodating. If you have limited time in Aruba and want to enjoy a first class meal, I highly recommend the Screaming Eagle.

Of course, now I’m over budget for the month as this place is not inexpensive. So I’m back to soup and sandwiches at home with maybe a foray out to one of my working man joints if a treat is to be had.

Bon dia from Aruba.