Buttery
Dauphinoise potatoes and sauteed vegetables usually accompany
the main courses. Kitchen assistant Karen Vargas, whom Burkhardt
is training sometimes contributes a side dish that's difficult,
at first, to identify. The mystery side turns out to be camote(sweet
potato) mashed with cream and butter, topped with a coconut-pecan
crumble, reminiscent of the American Thanksgiving casserole.
Depending on what the fisherman bring her, Burkhardt always
has fresh fish, often, blackened Cajun-style with a side of
pineapple salsa. She serves the jumbo shrimp straight out of
the gulf and straight up, grilled with lots of garlic. There's
always a pasta special and a chicken breast dish, often with
a mustard and tarragon sauce, but Burkhardt uses whatever unexpected
ingredient comes her way. The weekend my friends and I sampled
Jade Luna, Burkhardt's US houseguest had brought her dried sweet
cherries, so the chicken of the day was blanketed in a cherry
balsamic sauce. In the three years before she opened the restaurant,
Burkhardt established her reputation in Puerto Jimenez by whipping
up smooth ice creams and refreshing sorbets, so the desert menu
leans heavily on CONTINUE
