It's pretty much torture thinking about that trip, now stuck in the cold snowy/slushy weather, I would give anything to go back to the Caribbean!
Our first night, we thought it would be a good idea (with money still in our pockets) to go to Cafe Martinque- one of Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurants located on Paradise Island on the Atlantis Resort.
I was very excited as I have always been wanting to try one of his restaurants- as there are many, and was happy to be able to share this experience with Eric!
Upon entering, we were welcomed with elaborate Christmas decorations and soothing music (sung by the restaurants very own singer!) We were very excited to start our delicious journey!
I started with the Butternut Squash Soup and got the Salmon while Eric started off with a salad and got the Duck entree.
The soup was amazing! Usually, I find Butternut Squash Soup too sweet and rich but this one was done perfectly. Light and fragant from the saffron, the soup was hearty and creamy but not too rich or overpowering. Yum! The best part? Of course, the truffle flake that was on top. (Sorry no pictures this time)
My Salmon was good- cooked medium with a sweet saffron sauce, I very much enjoyed it. But the star of the night was by far Eric's duck. Eric got the seared duck breast with a sweet glaze paired with foiegras. Oh my god.
I at first wanted to get the duck for myself but having a fear of white meat- I was scared to get the duck breast (I forgot that I was asian and I eat duck all the time and that the breast meat is far different than chicken breast meat). Boy did I kick myself for it. The meat was tender and juicy and melted in your mouth- the glaze on top gave the duck a 'candied' touch and reminded me of some sort of candied apple you would get at a carnival. Delicious! Of course, the foie gras was great (rich and decadent) and Eric was nice enough to give me most of his foie gras since he knew I liked it 1000 times more than him- what a guy!
The meal at Cafe Martinque was truly great, I very much enjoyed the experience and really am starting to think that French cuisine is one of my favorites. Maybe even more than sushi?
If you are ever down at the Atlantis and want a truly great meal- stop by Cafe Martinque for some great French cuisine. We also hear that Dune (another one of Jean-Georges restaurants) is also a great place to enjoy his food- we wish we went!
Looking back on it, it was a great start to a great vacation!
Price: $$$$
Ambiance: A+
Food: A
Service: A+
