Courtesy of: Aruba Daily
The FunchiGals spent a lovely afternoon at the ultimate Caribbean hang-out/restaurant Arubaville, munching on the best beef carpaccio salad ever, relaxing and chatting away with manager Bas Frijters & Chef Rawlin Silvania about this exciting reinvention of a lovely little restaurant pier where Jair and I celebrated our wedding almost 11 years ago!
The view here is stunning! Looking out on Barcadera’s calm lagoon with occasional boats and jet skis passing by, the colorfully decorated eatery screams ‘Bon Bini’ (Papiamento for ‘Welcome’) and defines a new kind of ‘Caribbean-cafe-by the sea’ with a deliciously fresh menu to match the ambiance. The place is so inviting, it should come with a warning! You will feel at home, as you are encouraged to do so by the friendly staff and on looking fauna, iguanas that are well-fed by the waiters and Chef. I just can’t imagine who could not love hanging out at Arubaville!
On the hunt for some Hot Summer cool off and inspiration for our upcoming tasting, the FunchiGals asked local Chef Silvania about Arubaville’s menu items and inspiration. His reply; Mama and Grandmama of course! “You aren’t taught that in (cooking) school!” says Chef Silvania, who is bent on including local flavors and ingredients into his dishes. He is currently working on a new and improved menu, but his lips are sealed with a smile when asked about it!
What he did tell us is that the entire crew is very close, so close that they have even spent their off duty hours together. Chef Silvania believes that this true closeness and friendliness is what spills over to visitors of Arubaville, and thus we get to experience a genuinely nice service.
Manager Bas is Dutch, and he is happy to explore more on the Aruban culture, foods and approach. He’s attracted to the creativity that encompasses the atmosphere at this restaurant. Behind the scenes, Arubaville hosts ambitious plans to expand the fun factor on and off the pier! For now, Bas invites everyone to come out for their weekly Sunday BBQ starting at 1 PM or Friday’s Cocktail Happy Hour.
The FunchiGals asked Bas to interpret our current theme Hot Summer, and his advice was to go all out with the “Hot” part of it! “Think local spicy peppers and hot dishes!” he replied enthusiastically. I’ll have to think about that one…hesitating a bit, since my instinct is to head to the beach to beat this summer heat!
Check out Arubaville’s facebook page for more photos, specials and contact info!
