Food in the Dominican Republic

I suppose that most of the food at Iberostar Bávaro won't be Dominican but I want to know what it is so that I can identify it when I see it.

Malta con leche condensada

BuzzFeed has an article on "What to Eat and Drink in the Dominican Republic" that lists 45 dishes and drinks.  In the realm of drinks they mention the local beer, Presidente, which is supposed to be the only beer available at Bávaro Suites, the rums by Brugal and Barceló, and the herbal potion Mamajuana.  Then there is Malta, a sweet malt beverage like Pony Malta, which is mixed with sweetened condensed milk, creating a beverage that rivals the English gypsy tart in sugariness.  Hard on its heels is Merengue Soda, a cream soda from the local Refrescos Country Club beverage company.  A final Dominican drink is Morir Soñando which is orange juice and sweetened evaporated milk, which have to be kept at a low temperature so they don't curdle.

Pastelon de Platano Maduro

Then the savory dishes and you can find recipes for many of these dishes on the website Dominican Cooking.  We might as well start with the starches.

Plantains.  The Dominicans boil and mash up green plantains into a dish called mangú which is served topped with pickled onions alongside fried egg and fried salami for breakfast.  They also fry green plantains into tostones and mash fried plantains with garlic and chicharrones into mofongo, a Puerto Rican dish that has become a Dominican staple.  Finally there is a Pastelón De Platano Maduro which is mashed sweet plantains layered with ground beef and cheese.  I'd like to try that.

Casabe bread

Yuca or Casabe.  Yuca is served stewed or boiled and fried as in Colombia but it is also made into casabe bread, a very typical staple used by the Taino Indians that were native to the Dominican Republic.  Because yuca is more indigenous to the Caribbean than is corn, it was used for making bread instead of corn.  Yuca or plantain and other root vegetables also replace corn masa in the tamal-like Dominican pasteles en hoja, which are wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks.  These are mainly made at Christmas so we might not run across any.  Then there are Bollitos de Yuca (Cheese-Filled Cassava Balls) made with mashed yuca, stuffed with cheese and then fried.

Majarete

Corn is used in a few typically Dominican dishes like majarete, a pudding made from fresh corn, milk and sugar and flavored with cinnamon.  There is also gofio, which is roasted corn meal mixed with sugar and eaten as a snack.  Next there is chenchén, cracked corn pilaf which is the Dominican take on the Haitian Maïs Moulu (corn grits typically served at breakfast with avocado and fish or eggs).  Unlike the Haitian dish, chenchén is dry like pilaf and not to be confused with Maiz Caquiao or Chaca (Cracked Corn Pudding) which is like the Colombian mazamorro.  Chenchén is often served with chivo guisado or habichuelas guisadas.

Moro de habichuelas

Moving on to the next starch: Arroz!  Chofan is the Dominican version of chow fan or Chinese fried rice.  Asopao is a soupy rice dish that can be made with chicken or shrimp.   Locrio is a Dominican paella made with chicken or pork.  Moro de habichuelas is rice with black or red kidney beans (Moros y Cristianos) and Moro de Guandules is rice with pigeon peas.

To see what a Dominican restaurant might serve that is typically "Dominican", look at the menu for El Canuco in Santo Domingo.

Those Tropical Cocktails

Naturally when one goes to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, one needs to take advantage of the free drinks and tropical juices.  I've never been so lucky so I'm going prepared.   Not having much experience with bar drinks, I have a lot to learn and the blog Savored Journeys has a post meant for me:  Best Beach Drinks to Order at All-Inclusive Resorts (with Recipes!).  The recipes are in case the bartender has no idea what drink you are talking about.  Why do I need to create a list?  It's because "Making a list is necessary if you want to try a bunch of different drinks, because most resort bars don’t provide drink menus."   You wouldn't want me to go to Punta Cana and limit myself to Cuba Libres, Piña Coladas, Margaritas and Mojitos would you?

Here are my new favorites:

Hurricane

Hurricane:  2 oz dark rum; 2 oz white rum; 2 oz Lime Juice; 3 oz Passion Fruit Juice; 2 oz Pineapple Juice; 1 oz Orange Juice; 1 Tbsp Grenadine.  With all that rum and fruit juice (especially passion fruit), what's not to love?  Except it doesn't have carbonation.  By the way, passion fruit is called chinola in the Dominican Republic and since they have a local name for passion fruit, it must be grown there and we shouldn't have trouble finding it.  Camila said that the chinola juice in Santo Domingo was wonderful.

Caribbean Rum Punch:  This is a weaker hurricane without the passion fruit juice and more orange and pineapple juice, and so the color is more orange than red:  1/2 oz lime juice; 4 oz orange juice; 4 oz pineapple juice; 1 1/2 oz dark rum; 1 1/2 oz light rum; a little grenadine for color.  It's similar to Planter's Punch, I think.

Lava Flow

Lava Flow:  This is like dessert: 1 oz Light Rum; 1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum; 2 oz Strawberries; 2 oz Pineapple Juice; 2 oz Coconut Cream. Although wouldn't you think this should be brown instead of pink?

Sex on the Beach:  Maybe I'm too old for this one and it doesn't have rum.  1.5 oz peach schnapps; 1.5 oz vodka; 2 oz cranberry juice; 2 oz orange juice; 2 oz pineapple juice.

Bacardí Rum has a more extensive list of rum cocktails, including the following:

Bahama Mama: 1 oz Bacardí 8 Rum; 1 oz Bacardí  Black Rum; .75 oz Kahlua; .75 oz Crème De Cacao Dark; 1 oz coconut milk; .5 oz Maple Syrup. It reminds me of my first cocktail (aside from rum and coke) in Mexico: an Alexander.  Bacardí has other interesting cocktails but for me they are too strong and would require a shot of soda water, like Dragon's Bite, which is just Dragon berry-flavored rum with coconut-flavored rum over ice.

Blue Zombie

Missionary's Downfall: 1 1/2 parts Bacardí Superior Rum; 1/2 part peach schnapps liqueur; 1 part Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice; 2 parts Freshly pressed pineapple juice; 1/2 part Sugar Syrup; 12 fresh mint leaves.  I admit that it's the name that attracted me to this one and also to the next one.

Zombie: 2 oz Bacardí Superior Rum; 1.75 oz Bacardí Gold Rum; 1 oz Triple Sec; 2 parts Orange Juice; 1 oz Lime Juice; 1 oz Simple Syrup; .25 oz Grenadine.  Even more interesting in color is this blue zombie from Modern Tiki which uses white rums and blue curaçao, as well as a Caribbean liqueur  or sugar syrup that I've never heard of called falernum with flavors of almond, ginger, lime, and sometimes vanilla, cloves, and allspice.  Maybe we can pick up a bottle to take home.

And, because we should experience the local Dominican food and drink, we'll have to try Mamajuana, a concoction of rum, red wine, honey and various barks and herbs that is let to sit for a while.  You can buy bottles of herbs and bark and add your own rum, wine and honey; sort of like licor de hierbas except for the wine.  Or you can buy it ready made.  I'd like to try it before I buy it or try to make it.

For those of you who like papaya (called lechosa in the Dominican Republic, there is a Batida de Lechosa (or Lechoza), a papaya milkshake.  Some people add a banana to it and I'm sure you could add a jigger or two of rum as well.  Even if the bars can't make me all the exotic cocktails, I'll be happy enough with jugo de chinola and freshly squeezed orange juice without the alcohol.

A Few More Dining Options in Punta Cana

Iberostar has 3 adjoining hotel complexes in Punta Cana and residents at one can also eat at the restaurants of the other two hotels.  So that increases our dining possibilities.  A helpful Trip Advisor review mentioned that you could only make 3 reservations at a time so you would have to come back the next day to make more.  He mentioned that they really liked the Great Seafood Stew special with Langoustines, mussels, scallops by the beach on Sunday.  Will we make that arriving on Sunday?  In any case, here are the dining options at the two other hotels.

Iberostar Dominicana and Iberostar Punta Cana
There are two buffet options: Higuey in the Dominicana lobby and Hispaniola in the Punta Cana lobby.  Neither require reservations and have the casual/formal dress code: "For gentlemen, shirts with sleeves at breakfast and lunch, Bermuda shorts and shoes or sandals at dinner. Ladies may wear shoes or sandals."  Higuey is open for breakfast 7-10 am; Lunch 12:30-3 pm; dinner 6:30-10 pm just like Los Haitises at Bávaro Suites.

Maria Bonita
This is a Mexican restaurant requiring reservations with 3 seatings for dinner: 6:30, 8:00 and 9:00.  Again there is a Dress Code: Casual/Formal. Gentlemen may wear Bermuda shorts and sandals. Ladies may wear shoes or sandals.

La Cana Steakhouse
On the beach with the same Dress Code and requiring reservations with 3 seatings at 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00.

La Sibila
Classic French gourmet cuisine in the lobby of the Dominicana requiring reservations with 3 seatings at 6:30, 8:00 and 9:30.  The Dress Code is stricter:  "Formal/Elegant. Long pants are required. Jacket and sleeved shirts or polo shirts, dress sandals or shoes for gentlemen. Ladies may [wear] shoes or dress sandals.​"  I'll need to bring a skirt and sandals dressier than the Keens.

La Marimba
Seafood in front of the beach by Punta Cana. 3 seatings requiring reservations: 7:00, 8:15 and 9:30. The dress code is Casual/Formal like Maria Bonita.

La Pagoda
Located in the Punta Cana lobby, La Pagoda offers food from China, Japan and Thailand with 3 seatings requiring reservations: 6:30, 8:00 and 9:30.  Casual/formal dress code.

There is also La Cana which is snacks on the beach requiring reservations and their no reservations Star Rock Café with American classics but we probably aren't interested in those.

Elegant Shoes or Sandals

We have to be ready to make our reservations at the various restaurants at the Iberostar Bávaro Suites in Punta Cana on the first day we arrive.  They say there are six restaurants we can choose from but I count seven on their Dining page.  I think it is because Los Haitieses is the main buffet restaurant that doesn't require reservations; all the other do.  The only restaurant that doesn't allow kids is the French one so Will and Jen can go there one night on their own while we and the kids pig out at Los Haiteses.

Here are the restaurants.

1. La Dorada:  A family style restaurant serving fine Mediterranean dishes, with seafood and shellfish as a specialty.  6:30-9:30 pm
2. Kabuki:   A Japanese restaurant with teppanyaki tables and a sushi bar. 6:30-9:30 pm
3. Jambalaya:  Cajun and Afro-American cooking offered up family style.  6:30-9:30 pm
4. La Coupole: Fine, classic French gourmet cuisine in an intimate setting for adults only.  6:30-9:30 pm
5. Los Bohios: A classic family-style grill that offers a great variety of delicious grilled meats.  7-9:30 pm
6. Los Haitises: As the main restaurant of the hotel you can experience all kinds of global fares in a buffet style. Themed menus from different nationalities are featured each night and you don't need reservations. Breakfast: 7:00 -10:00 am. Lunch: 12:30-3:00 pm. Dinner: 6:30 -10:00 pm.
7. Il Forno: Italian. 6:30-9:30 pm

For all of them there is a dress code: 

"Casual, yet neat attire is requested for ladies and gentlemen, including elegant shoes or sandals. Gentlemen may wear dress Bermuda shorts but only shirts with sleeves will be permitted."

Dress Bermuda shorts?  What does that mean?  Elegant shoes or sandals?  Does that mean I can't wear my Keens?

Here's a YouTube video of the main buffet.  I don't think we will go hungry and I'm not sure we even need to patronize the restaurants that require reservations.  In fact, I think Los Haitises might become Fernando's favorite breakfast buffet.  Needless to say we will have to go on a diet when we return home...

Punta Cana

While we are waiting to go to England in September, we booked a week in the Dominican Republic with Will and Jen and the kids at the Iberostar Bávaro suites.  It's all-inclusive so we shouldn't have to worry about a thing except hurricanes and hot weather.  It will be like the Celebrity cruise we took with Juan and Mandy on their honeymoon and hopefully Iberostar will have some good food too, although maybe not filet mignon and crème brulée every night.  However, the drinks are free so maybe that will make up for any failings in the food.

The Iberostar Bávaro is owned by Grupo Iberostar, which in turn is owned by Spanish billionaire Miguel Fluxà Rosselló, the third generation heir to a shoe-making business, headquartered in Mallorca, Spain.  (Camper is one of the shoe lines of the family.)  Since it is Spanish, we should expect some Spanish food, like paella.

Here's a video to introduce you to our all-inclusivity but it will be a lot more crowded than the video shows.  It looks nice and cool from the vantage point of snowy Pittsburgh but I know it will be very hot and humid and we will be thankful for air-conditioning.  I'm just hoping for cloudy days to make the weather more bearable (but does that forecast hurricanes?).  Cancun in August of 1994 was scorching on sunny days.

The kids should like it:  they can choose their own food at the buffet, there is a pirate ship in the kids' pool, and the hotel offers kids programs.  There's a kids club from 10am to 5pm and then from 7pm to 11pm, while the parents go to the casino.  The playroom even contains a foosball table which should keep Papi entertained.

For the adults they have pétanque every day from 10:30 to 11:00, or so they say.  I'd like to check that out.

Bungalows

There are more than 10,000 reviews for Iberostar Bávaro on TripAdvisor and they run the gamut from "wonderful" to "terrible".  The negative reviews complain most about poor service, especially at check-in, and the hard sell to sign up for Iberostar "timeshares".  Others complain about the awful food, cockroaches (it is in the tropics, afterall) and seaweed on the beach (it is on a sea).   The positive reviews rave about the friendly service and the wonderful food.  For the same period of time you will get one reviewer who hated it and another one who loved it, so take your pick.

Junior Suite

TripAdvisor also has more than 10,000 photos but they tend to be surprisingly similar.  Instead of high rise hotels, the Bávaro accommodations are in two-story multi-apartment bungalows.  The Junior Suite that we booked looks quite comfortable with a sitting area and a balcony.  One reviewer said all the rooms were the same and the price depended on location and whether you had an ocean view.  No, they don't have a kitchen but with all the meals included, who needs to cook?  They do have a minibar that is restocked every day with water, soft drinks and beer, which is good because one review said that the tap water was not "potable".

Below is a map of the properties.  Iberostar has three hotels together and you can go from one to the other and I believe eat at the restaurants on the other properties.  One reviewer preferred to swim at the Dominicana beach because there was less seaweed but liked the Bávaro for snorkeling because it had a reef and more tropical fish to see.  Give me flora and fauna over pristine beaches any day.