Taste The New Manapany: Creole Food In St. Barth

It tastes like a comeback at Le Manapany. As a foodie on the prowl for an authentic taste of Creole food on St. Barth, I've picked out some of Le Manapany's most mouthwatering dishes. 

Photography property of SVADORE

Following Hurricane Irma, restaurants finally started to reopen beginning and mid-March, just in time for our arrival. One of the latest openings was Le Manapany and its beachfront restaurant. When I say beachfront, I mean beachfront. Imagine your toes in the sand during dinner, palm trees surrounding you and the sound of the crashing waves behind you. Elegant yet casually chic, the restaurant was quiet for it’s second night after reopening. The new renovation created a true harmony and balance between the hotel and St. Barth’s nature, the restaurant felt at one with its surroundings. We had booked a table by the beach, but unfortunately due to the wind (Anse de Capes is a very windy bay) and the fact that they still had not set up the night lights out by the water, we sat at a table a bit further inland—but don’t worry, still with our toes in the sand. As we flip through the menu, we begin to note the Creole influence in each dish. The menu draws on the islands traditional foods with the common elements being fish, seafood, and a variety of herbs, fruits and vegetables. Being my first night on the island, I have to go with the obvious choice here—the Creole Style Poached Red Snapper, Risotto al’verde (green risotto) and Cardamom & Lemongrass Emulsion. Now, I know what you are thinking: Sveva…you are on an island, risotto sounds a bit heavy for this climate. But on a breezy summer night, a light risotto with poached red snapper and a blend of cardamom and lemongrass actually works. We order a bottle of Sauvignon and start chit chatting about what to do on the island the next day. The waiter brings out a basket of fresh bread and we proceed to devour it. But not without Patrick making his first gaffe of the vacation. The waiter brought out a bottle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and a side of butter. Entranced by his hunger, Patrick proceeds to take the olive oil and pulls over what to him looks like a serving dish, but in reality is an extremely clean ashtray (after all, we are in a European territory!) Luckily, I stopped him before the damage was done. The entire table burst out in laughter and the waiter chuckled and brought over the actual serving dish. After 20 minutes or so my risotto al’verde was brought over. The risotto al’verde is a classical reinterpretation of my hometown staple food in Lombardia and Piemonte, Northern Italy—risotto all’erborin (or parsley risotto). The risotto takes on the characteristic color of the parsley, hence earning its name as risotto al’verde or green risotto. In this Creole and Asian fusion spin, Manapany uses cardamom, a common Creole spice, and lemongrass, a common Thai plant, to create the illusion of a green risotto. Add in a sprinkle of cheese that melts in between the grains of warm rice (I believe it was Brie but I could be wrong, it had a delightful bight to it!) and you’ve got yourself a Creole-style risotto. The preparation of the risotto is not an easy task…but I must say, Manapany’s risotto was spot on and absolutely fantastic. Putting the right amount of ingredients in a risotto and cooking it correctly is as important as fueling your Ferrari with the right kind and amount of gas. The mix of intricate flavors paired with the subtly of the spices made for a truly authentic St. Barth dish. All in all, Manapany’s risotto is a must try, and this is coming from 3 Italians (myself, my mom and dad) who as we all know are harsh critics when it comes to their risottos. Following our premier cours, we went straight for the dessert. Sweets are abundant on the island and you can NEVER go wrong, no matter what you order. Knowing that I would have the island’s prominent Hot Chocolate Lava Cake at least 2 other times, I decided to indulge in something different at le Manapany. The group was split amongst two cravings fruit vs. chocolate, so we ordered one of both and shared the delicacies. The first to come out was the men’s Tout Chocolat, All Chocolate. If you are craving chocolate, then this is the dessert for you as it is super rich and extremely creamy. A blend of 65% chocolate mousse, 70% creamy chocolate, and 85% Chocolate rice puffs, you can see why this Tout Chocolat is rich. It is layered on top of a chocolate biscuit and topped with cacao jelly and tonka bean ice cream. The men raved about it, but personally it was a bit too rich for me. Nonetheless, if you’re in the mood for chocolate I have it on record that this is the dessert for you. The dessert my mother and I indulged in was a variation of the French Nantes cake—the Softly Candied Apple Shortbread Cake with Salted Guérande Caramel Ice Cream. Usually Gâteau Nantais (Nantes cake) is a solid cake, but in this rendition Manapany creates an applesauce like flying saucer with a crispy thin layer of caramel. The apples are blended with what seems to be a hint of the island’s local rum and lemon zest into an apple sauce-like consistency. The ball of sauce is then topped by a thin layer of crispy caramel and accompanied by a small scoop of caramel ice cream topped with salted Guérande sea salt. The tartness of the rum and lemon zest helps intensify the taste of the apples, balancing out the sweetness of the sauce. This dessert was a perfect pairing to my risotto and a light, refreshing and utterly delicious alternative to the rich Tout Chocolat. For a first night in St. Barth, this meal could not have gone better. It set the tone nicely for the remainder of the trip, laidback vibes, elegant service, out of this world food that brings an innovative and foreign flavor to your taste buds, and exclusivity. The next day, Pat and I visited le Manapany again but for lunch during our meeting with the President of the St. Barth Tourism Committee, Nils Dufau. You can read on about my lunch experience at Lunch With Nils Dufau, President Of St. Barth Tourism. Get insider travel tips and lifestyle content on the world’s most exceptional destinations, experiences and products directly to your inbox. Don’t miss out–sign up for travel blog SVADORE on the right hand side to stay up-to-date on where to go, what to do, what to see, where to stay, and where to eat around the globe. Follow Svadore on Instagram: @SVADORE Follow Svadore on Twitter: @SvadoreTravels Follow Svadore on Pinterest: SVADORE Follow Svadore on Facebook: SVADORE