Dinner at De Cuisine

De Cuisine

Anguilla is a foodie’s paradise and the addition of De Cuisine to the restaurant scene is sure to make any food lover happy. As a food lover, I savoured and enjoyed each dish we tried during our dinner at De Cuisine. Congrats to husband and wife team Joash Proctor and Denise Carr on this new restaurant. Our experience at De Cuisine was truly a culinary adventure.

Arrival at De Cuisine

Nash and I decided to try De Cuisine for his birthday dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant which is located in South Hill Plaza, Joash came outdoors to greet us. The personal greeting adds to the charm of De Cusine. As I glanced around I noted that there were only three other persons having dinner. This is not surprising as the restaurant only sits 16 persons making it the perfect escape for a romantic dinner in Anguilla. I looked at my husband and smiled anticipating a quiet night where we could truly bask in each other’s company.

The Décor

Diners have the option to sit outdoors on the terrace or indoors.

Outdoors, the creative use of potted plants and flowers, dividers and soft lighting creates an element of privacy and intimacy with the added caress of the Anguilla breeze.

Indoors is air-conditioned and the décor is definitely a conversation starter. It is simple but different. De Cuisine is not located next to the beach but the décor evokes a beach-like yet sophisticated feel. What I liked most about it was that décor would mean something different for everyone. For Nash it felt like our own intimate sophisticated cottage getaway with the added bonus of five star service and delicious food. As we were the only ones inside I totally understood what he meant by this. The lighting was intimate but as Nash said ‘I can still look across the room and see my wife’s smile and her big cheeks.’ The teak tables were beautiful and locally sourced and we had an in depth conversation about the use of driftwood for wall art, seating areas and finishing. I admired Denise’s artistic eye which allowed her to take innocuous local materials and turn a small space into somewhere so beautiful to dine.

The First Dish

Our first dish was compliments of the Chef. It was fried feta with cucumber salad and creamy parmesan. Doesn’t the name alone sound delicious?

Our Starter

Nash tried the Tomato Fennel Puree – Smoked Scallops and I had the Foie Gras Mouse-Spiced Mango Preserve, Hibiscus Reduction. Joash presented the dishes with flourish and they were so pretty that we had to take pictures before even tasting it. When we started to eat, we said ‘wow’ because of the unique combination of taste and texture in our mouths. Nash had never had scallops alone and enjoyed how soft and smooth they were and how the puree just made the taste pop. As for my starter, I was raving about the different flavours and I immediately started to anticipate the other courses.

Main Course

Nash selected an option from Fish. He chose the Red Snapper over the De Seafood Stew. The accompanying description with the Red Snapper was ‘sweet potato fondant, tomatoes, olives, garlic, locally grown herbs citrus sauce, olive oil crumble.’

I decided to order from under the option Meats and I selected Lamb Loin, Rillete of Lamb. The description said ‘Honey glazed eggplant, roasted brunoise carrots, onion, garlic, fresh mint, yogurt.’

After our initial appreciation of the presentation of our dishes when we tasted the dishes we shared a smile knowing that we had stumbled upon somewhere special. We are fortunate enough to have tried many restaurants in Anguilla and abroad and it is obvious when a meal is prepared with immense love. We tasted the love and time that went into our dishes and savoured each bite, appreciating the freshness of the ingredients.

Prior to  dessert we were served sour cream ice with whip cream and ginger syrup. Yummy!

Dessert

We had opted for three courses so we made selections for Dessert. Nash had the Goat cheese cake-passion fruit, pomegranate syrup and I had the Chocolate Decadence – flourless chocolate cake, orange cream, coffee syrup, and Little semifreddo. I think we only shared our desserts with each other because we are deeply in love as that is how good they were.

The Service at De Cuisine

The service was exceptional. We were presented with cold towels as soon as we were seated which was a nice touch. Joash is an old friend and we shared some laughs but he was the epitome of the attentive professional. He ensured that we never wanted for anything and answered all of our questions. What is clear is that he enjoys what he does and takes pleasure in seeing others enjoy his wife’s talent and art through each dish presented.

Nash and I were ardent fans of Sandbar when it was owned by Joash and Denise and we were excited to experience her food in this new setting. Joash explained that ‘the switch from Sandbar allowed Denise to be more creative so she could fall in love with cooking again.’ We are so glad she did.

Chef Denise’s dishes came out of the kitchen obviously created with love and attention to detail. The presentation was well done and the taste of each dish was unmatched.

The Menu at De Cuisine

The menu and cocktails change every few weeks so even though after reading this post you may be licking your lips in anticipation, the menu might be different when you visit. What will be the same is the exquisite presentation and delightful flavours of each dish. For wine lovers, the wine list also changes every few months.

Diners can select a la carte or choose the three or four courses prix fixe options which are highly recommended.

About De Cuisine

De Cuisine is located in the South Hill Plaza .It is open Monday to Saturday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. It is an intimate fine dining experience where each unique dish is created by the Executive Chef Denise L Carr.

Contact Joash or Denise at De Cuisine:

Tel:            1-264-584-3431

Email:        [email protected]

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/decuisineaxa

Location:  South Hill Plaza, Lower South Hill, Anguilla

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Will you be in Anguilla during the month of May or during Summer, then  participate in our Anguilla Day Festivities , August Monday or come out to view the Parade of Troupes. Summer in Anguilla is always a treat!