Saba shines as a foodie destination, but this time of year brings everyone together when it comes to celebrating its food culture. Not only are the holidays coming around, but two annual food festivals grace the Unspoiled Queen, stirring up gastronomic creativity and a sense of festivity. The Weekender flew over for a few days to get a taste of the island’s hospitality and cuisine during the 10-day Rum & Lobster Fest, which wrapped up over the weekend.
With a packed slate of events, the Rum & Lobster Fest featured all sorts of fairs, concerts, creative workshops and, most importantly, showcased two of Saba’s signature offerings: Spiny lobster and Unspoiled Queen Liqueur rums by Saban Rock Living. Restaurants and bars created special menus around these star ingredients, serving up everything from coffee daiquiris and rum punches, to spicy Korean lobster and noodle soup, to decadent lobster eggs benedict.
Come December, it will be time for the annual Wahoo Tournament and the Wahoo & Seafood Festival – similar line-up of exciting of activities, different source of inspiration influencing the flavours and craft of the culinary experience.
The many flavours of Unspoiled Queen Liqueur were explored with a rum-tasting event at the kick-off of the Rum & Lobster Crawl, and these rums were incorporated not only into the specialty cocktails of the various bars and restaurants, but also into sauces, vinaigrettes, and soups, giving them a subtle hint of something a little different. Rum aficionados, alongside visitors who had never tasted rum before, got to sample the entire line-up of flavours, introduced by Veronica Janzon of Saban Rock Living. Janzon infuses the rums with herbs, fruit, spices and coffee all grown locally on the island. Coffee, Passion fruit & Scotch bonnet, Soursop, and Orange Spice were some of the crowd favourites. The Coffee rum has notes of chocolate – something she attributes to the island’s rich soil.
Tropics Cafe, one of the most well-known restaurants on Saba, added a few interesting creations to the menu for the fest. Their coffee daiquiri included a blend of coffee rum, coffee beans and lime juice. The lobster Korean noodle soup had a complex flavour, with a healthy dose of heat and a shot of Hot Hot Ginger Rum. The spicy broth didn’t overpower the pure taste of the lobster. Tropics Cafe’s lobster tail was flavoured with Wild Lemon rum sauce and topped with cheese before being baked to perfection and served alongside roasted and buttered veggies, with a side of creamy mashed potato. Lobster skewers were also on the special menu, served with soy and a tasty passion fruit and scotch bonnet rum vinaigrette. The menu at Tropics Cafe regularly features fresh lobster that guests can pick from the tank. Try the lobster “escargot” and grilled lobster, that we also had a taste of – both very fresh, buttery and warming.
Another dish that really stood out, and I would travel again just to have, was the decadent lobster eggs benedict from Rendez Vous. The name speaks for itself – a healthy chunk of lobster atop a toasted English muffin, topped with a perfectly poached egg and glossy hollandaise sauce to tie it all together. The eggs were cooked perfectly to the liking of different guests, jammy or well done. Served with a side of onion-roasted potatoes. I may have never had a more perfect breakfast.
Hideaway served up two tasty lobster lunches: Lobster and salmon pasta with creamy lobster sauce and bright roasted veggies, and a lobster wrap. The wrap was my personal favourite, the wrap itself soft, buttery and fresh, filled with avocado, veggies, lobster chunks and a creamy dill mayo.
The lobster pizza at the newly opened Amonhana was fresh, flavourful, and moreish – a star of the pub crawl night which also featured lots of party-snacks including lobster fritters, croquettes and stuffed Johnny cakes. Another great sharer, the lobster nachos from Chez Bubba, were complete with fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, crema, and black beans.
Like what you see? Check out the Saba Tourist Bureau and you’ll be a step closer to the island’s culinary experiences. Keep an eye out for information on the upcoming Wahoo & Seafood Festival, taking place on December 9-15, following the annual wahoo tournament on December 7.
Getting to Saba is easy
Getting to Saba is easy with Winair offering daily flights to the island, including special day-trip fares. For those, who prefer to travel by sea, enjoy a scenic 90-minute ferry ride aboard the Makana Ferry, with service between Saba and St. Maarten four days a week. Alternatively, hop onto The Edge ferry, which operates twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays from Simpson Bay, providing another option to reach Saba. Whether you’re flying or sailing, your journey to Saba is just a short trip away!
