LeVeLs UltraBar and Lounge

A dining experience is altered when you are invited to see a true Chef at work preparing your food. When skills displayed were honed over years and bare hands shape and form your meal, feeding the eyes before the mouth can taste. When knives work as an extension of the hand and raw is artfully combined with cooked in perfect balance, a meal is transposed to a pleasure.

Soft Shell Crab, Fresh Vegetables rolled in Rice

Usuzukuri - slices of Tuna with Ponzu Sauce

Yeah, I LOVE sushi. The pomp and circumstance of every roll, the performance art with the ability to satisfy and nourish and LeVeLs is may favorite place in Trinidad to get it.

Located at the western end of Ariapita Avenue in the capital of Port of Spain, this Ultrabar as they call themselves caters for a wide range of clients on four (4) levels, hence the name.

Beautiful Sushi Sandwich with Tuna and Avocado

My longstanding favorite - Acevichado Roll

Why My Favorite for Sushi

With a number of popular places in our small Republic now offering sushi, why is this my place to go to? Three (3) reasons: 1. Consistently great quality (head sushi Chef José rocks!) 2. Meaningful variety (no identity crisis reflected in the menu) and 3. Great, friendly service.

The LeVeLs menu serves up amazing quintessential hot and cold sushi items and includes LeVeLs specialty rolls, Specialities of the Itamae (japanese chef) from their kitchen like Japanese fried chicken - Katsu and their Epicurean delights - Guava Bar-Be-Que Ribs and Crab Cake Sliders alongside creative cocktails like Wasabi Martinis. What more could you want? Maybe something in your choice of atmosphere; outdoor spaces and a deck share the pulse of the avenue (great 'máco' points to see and be seen), the ground floor housing the sushi and drink bars are lively and at times loud, if that's your style, and the first floor with it's large comfy couches and leather armchairs more suited to the intimate art of conversation. The top level is a large private room opulently outfitted for those who can afford its exclusivity.

Classic Harumaki (Riceless) Roll

Must Tries on the Menu

The Acevichado specialty roll, a Tuna based roll topped with a white sauce so delicious I could drink it out of a cup. Ceviche Nikkei; Shrimp, Scallops and Octopus in their LeVeLs Ceviche Salsa topped with Sweet Potato Tempura. The Crunchy Roulette is LeVeLs' spin on pizza with Salmon, Tuna, Tobiko and Acevichado Sauce. The Curfew Roll with Octopus, Mushroom in Garlic Butter is fully cooked and flavorful. Try them all.

LeVeLs Specialty Crunchy Roulette -
a new spin on Pizza

Steak topped sushi

Visit LeVeLs any day of the week except Mondays and make new friends. 

LeVeLs is located at 1 Taylor Street and Corner of Ariapita Avenue Port of Spain and check out their Facebook page for details of their menu and specials.

For more pictures of the great food we've tried and highly recommend, visit the Belly in Hand facebook page and BellyinHand Foodspotting link.

Professional Culinary Classics 2010

Events such as these do our little islands proud by featuring the passion, skill and creativity Trinbagonians have for food.

Stuffed Chicken Breast presented by the team of Comedians

Hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Group of Professional Associations (TTGPA) and under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, TC, CMT, Ph.D President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Professional Culinary Classics 2010 delivered outstanding food and a great time for participants and attendees alike.

Bar-B-Qued Pig Tails and Traditional Curried Duck
from the Safety Council Team

The Dapper Crowd filling all seats 
at this year's Event

Sixteen teams presented main dishes competing for Best Display, Chef of the Year, People's Choice and Overall Winners. Their chosen themes were resourcefully expressed in the titles and ingredients of their dishes like NIHERSTS' 'Science Makes it Delicious' with offerings of 'Atomic Duck', 'Galactic Fish' and 'Lamb Proton.' The 'Atomic Duck' was a flavorful curried duck with a kick.

Meat Stews, moist Fried Fish and Stuffed Pork Loin
from the School of Higher Education

The Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting with their theme of 'Curry Bobol' (Bobol is local parlance for scandal) with dishes like 'Stanforde Chicken,' 'Guanapo Pork' and 'Made-Off Goat' (hilarious) were popular that night. All rich local curries spiced just right.

Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting
with an All Curry Menu

Creative names and fun aside, this skillfully coordinated and well attended occasion (over 800 patrons) showcased culinary talent of an incredible calibre. Deserving mention; the Association of Doctors' 'Cosmetic Lamb' with its deep well balanced taste, the Association of Real Estate Agents with a Hawaiian theme and Guava Glazed Baby Back Ribs - the perfect balance of sweet and savory along with TRINRE's Mahi-Mahi, Salmon and Shrimp fare, all simply blissful.

TRINRE team's Amazing Salmon

It was difficult deciding what to eat that night, if you were smart, while sampling fine wine from the AMCO wine station, beer from the Heineken booth or having a premium drink from the bar, you ambled around and viewed the competitor's stations and had a look into the veggie, carbs and dessert booths located at either end of the auditorium. When time came to dine, you would have formulated a scrumptiously winning game plan for which of the three entrées you would sample and know where to acquire the veggies, carbs and desserts to tickle your fancy.

Did someone say Drinks? A great Bar all night

This annual affair was designed to strengthen the camaraderie among the professionals and their associations and as a fund raiser. The fundraising goal being to improve the capacity of the TTGPA to work with government, private and community based organizations towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty.

Juicy Guava Glazed Baby Back Ribs from the
Association of Real Estate Agents

Though many hours of strategizing and planning must have gone into the team's meat dishes, Dessert was no after thought, I had Ice Cream and Coffee from respective stations with Cakes and Pastries (courtesy the Hyatt Regency Trinidad) to savor while soaking in the live entertainment on stage.

Many colorful and flavorful
Salads to choose from

This deliciously successful affair held on November 13 at the Center of Excellence, Macoya Trinidad has undoubtedly helped the Professional Culinary Classics (PCC) earn a premium place in the Annual Culinary Calendar of Trinidad and Tobago. The TTGPA plans on hosting other food and drink related events during the year leading up to the PCC 2011, and I look forward in eager anticipation of their announcement.

His Excellency presenting the Overall Winner's
Trophy to the TRINRE Team

PCC 2010 Winners: 

• Best Display - Association of Real Estate Agents "Real Hawaiian Delight"
• Chef of the Year - NIHERST "Lamb Proton"
• People's Choice - Association of Real Estate Agents
• Overall Winners - TRINRE "When Sea Food Comes Sailing In"

More comprehensive Belly in Hand coverage here; I really had fun at this event :-) 

        

Saltfish Buljol

Trying to capture the essence of true Trinidad and Tobago culture and cuisine is going to be a challenge. Seizing a moment; any given time, a snapshot of what its like to be here-now and transposing the real everyday wonders and miraculous nothings. I will forever endeavor to do it justice.

Saltfish Buljol Trinidad Style

In Trinidad and Tobago, when someone offers you Saltfish, or you see it on a menu it means a Buljol of Salted Fish. I have seen a number of meanings for the word Buljol, but from my experience of Caribbean Fusion expect the meal to be prepared almost like a salad with sea food as the base. Usually a fleshy fish is used (though I have had it with squid), it is cooked and chopped finely or flaked, mixed together with chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, tossed in olive oil and fresh lime or lemon juice and served at room temperature. Buljol recipes using salted fish, all over the Caribbean are really not that different, their variations are subtle; adding hot peppers, sweet peppers, chives or avocado. 

Salted Pollock

To me these are all things you can add to the base recipe if that’s your preference, and if you are purchasing it prepared from a restaurant in Trinidad, you ain’t getting avocado in it (expensive and popular item) nor are they lacing the whole public offering with hot Scotch Bonnet Peppers (the local flamer measuring 100,000-350,000 on the Scoville Scale).  

Clockwise from top: Onions, Garlic, Salted Fish, Tomatoes, Thyme Leaves (centre)

Trini Saltfish Buljol is made from either salted Pollock or Shark. In earlier years Cod was used until the Atlantic Cod population began to decline and its price skyrocketed. You can buy salted fish here at any grocery, established market or any self respecting neighborhood shop (we call them parlours). Easy to prepare and enjoy any time, it is considered a breakfast item and accompanied by your choice of a variety of bread like sides. 

Saltfish being prepared (boiled & flaked)

Done right, the taste of the fish is not salty, but the salting process concentrates the essence of the fish such that it is infused and fragrant with the good fish flavors. The dish is balanced with the aromatics; onion and garlic while the tomatoes add texture and their acidity enhances taste. The oil and fresh lemon put it over the top, cleaning and sharpening up the flavors. The liquid that springs from these ingredients marrying is best eaten by sopping it up with torn bits of fresh bread, bake or nann held with your fingers grabbing the flesh then shoving it into your mouth with lip smacking delight. 

Plan to eat this when you don’t have to make out with anyone soon after, but do plan.

Saltfish Buljol and Garlic Nann (w/red pimento)

Liberty

In our quite little corner of the world….we live.

Life happens here like no other place on the planet, Trinidadians are truly unique; we love our drink, our bellies and we love to be out and about with family and friends (‘liming’ as we call it) no matter what the weather or the circumstance. We live with a flare that has a pinch of the countries and places we are connected to by the blood our forefathers still pulsing through our veins, yet remain idiosyncratic as a people. Distinct in our place as part of the collective Caribbean.

Fireworks and the Port of Spain Skyline

Independence Day celebrations this year was no exception to the bacchanal, recreation and spectacle that Trinis can generate on any Holiday (not that we need a reason). August 31, 1962 Trinidad and Tobago gained it’s independence from the British and the official celebration is recognized with Military style parades in the streets of the capital of Port of Spain, Trinidad and in the sister isle of Tobago in Scarborough.

National Awards are presented in grand ceremony in the afternoon to brothers and sisters of the soil, heros and significant contributors to the county’s good.

Later at around 9:00 p.m. fireworks displays are held, again in Port of Spain and Scarborough. Many have made a tradition of finding the right spot for their gathering, and make an outing of the night.

My husband and I, are two of the many who stay at a hotel (the Trinidad Hilton) overlooking the Port of Spain Savannah where the fireworks display is held in Trinidad. From a balcony (better of course if you get one of the upper floors), you feel as though you can touch the shards of light. The effect can hardly be explained, you don’t just see the two dimensional spread and shower of luminescence, you experience the third dimension of the pyrotechnics; it coming straight at you with the slightly delayed sound (BOOM), resonating in your chest after each explosion of visual sensory deluge. We have seen this spectacle many times over from the same balcony and I must say...It never gets old!

Fireworks Outside My Balcony - Amazing Colour

At the end of it you hear the screams of delight raise out of the dark all around you. From the hundreds of rooms at the Hotel, the crowd lined streets below, the open Savannah and in the hills and environs. The cheers are carried on the wind, undulating, waxing and waning until its no more, and signaling the start of the journey home for many.

The added bonus for those holed up in the hotels till the next day…….you get to party on, or sleep in a great bed that you don’t have to make in the morning and recover from the optical overload. For me, I get to partake of one of my favorite things in the whole world (I kid you not)….room service!

Hilton's Steak & Vegetables

The in-room dining menu at this Hilton is not extensive, but It covers the bases: Callaloo Soup, Traditional Trini curries (lamb and chicken with roti) and the usual suspects for the foreigners (burgers, pizza, panini, clubs etc) along with some fantastic deserts. I go for the steak with local vegetables on the side or the rack of lamb. Yes, the red meat. With their food I have experienced consistently year after year an execution of a basic culinary technique which allows them to score each and every time; they know how to cook a steak! Its heaven in every bite and I can’t wait till next year!