Page 8 - aruba-today-20220212

A8 LOCAL
Saturday 12 February 2022

New beginnings after the kitchen table and
beyond with new restaurant:

Infini by Chef Urvin Croes

of the eight-course Chef’s Impression. “It
is a flavor that you cannot define, but
you can create. Take our popular lan-
goustine for example; we combined
elements that are rarely paired togeth-
er: the bitter, sour and salty flavors of
the lemon cream, kombucha, green
grapes, watercress and achiote, fused
PALM BEACH — After spearheading The Kitchen Table with the sweet and delicate taste of the
for five years, receiving notable recognitions in USA To- langoustine induce ultimate umami.”
day, The Daily Meal and earning the #1 spot on Tripad- After hosting the first menu for three
visor’s list of Fine Dining Restaurants in the Caribbean, months, the Executive Chef introduced
Chef Urvin Croes has now moved on to higher heights. a second tour de force in February 2021
Infini, his new chef’s table, which opened at the Blue — this time a pescatarian menu dedi-
Residences in November 2020, allows the Michelin- cated to Lent, of which Croes has to
trained Aruban culinary artist to create gastronomic say: “I wanted to focus on the finest fish
experiences unconfined by cultural or regional expec- in the world, they are the protagonists
tations. The former The Kitchen Table space has since of this season.” Visitors can experience
been renovated into a suitable culinary studio to host the second Chef’s Impression until May
this vision. In describing these changes, Croes says: 2021, at which point Croes and his team
“We opened up the entire kitchen and elevated the will reveal exciting new flavors for the craftsmanship is displayed in the un-
dining tables so guests have a front row stadium-like summer. paralleled wine pairings and signature
view of each step of the preparations. The spotlights, cocktails, which include his personally
which we carefully choreograph, follow the plates’ "Without a great team, there is no great homemade syrups, garnishes and fresh
transition from blank canvas into culinary works of art.” chef” local ingredients. Maître D’ and Junior
“There is very little I can do by myself. Sommelier Jessica Theysen, who previ-
“It is a flavor that you cannot define, but you can cre- Without a great team, there is no great ously managed renowned Chef Dennis
ate." chef”, says Croes, while raving about Huwaë’s Restaurant Daalder in Amster-
the six young professionals sharing his dam, is a true storyteller. From the mo-
He had been sitting on the first menu for over a year. In- kitchen. All graduates of Aruba’s EPI Col- ment she serves the Salinity welcome
spired by umami, one of the five basic tastes, and also lege and familiar faces to the Chef as drink and the culinary tale begins, she
Japanese for “essence of deliciousness”, Chef Croes each one has completed their culinary takes you on an adventure around the
strived to organically produce this palate in each dish internship under his guidance. In fact, world to discover never-before-tasted
Infini’s Chef de Cuisine, Ashwin Maduro, combinations. Then, towards the end of
was Urvin’s very first student, before relo- the night, it is his time to shine — Pastry
cating to Amsterdam, where he worked Chef Jean-Claude Werleman, that is.
at several Michelin-starred restaurants, After spending the last two years per-
including &moshik (formally &Samhoud fecting his recipes in the Pastry Depart-
Places). Having recently returned to ment of the Ritz Carlton Aruba, Wer-
Aruba, Chef Maduro is thrilled to be re- leman joins Infini to continue exploring
united with his first mentor and hopes his passion for experimenting with colors
to secure Aruba’s space on the global and bold flavors.
map of unique culinary experiences.
Similarly, after four years working in the "It's time to show that Aruba is a culinary
two-Michelin starred restaurant Spec- destination of its own"
trum, Chef de Partie Moises Ramirez “The goal is to leave our visitors speech-
returned home to share his vast experi- less. The look on their faces whenever
ence in formulating recipes with meticu- they take the first bite says it all and it
lous attention to detail and consistency. is priceless'', shares Croes, with a smile.
Further down the kitchen line, Chef de Reclaiming the spot of number one res-
Partie Alvaro Yi, who has worked at the taurant in the Caribbean is also in sight,
two-Michelin starred FG Restaurant, is all but this time he will not stop there. “In
about expressing himself through cook- the end, we want Aruba to be recog-
ing and plating to create art that you nized for its culinary mastery. We have
can eat. Mixologist Marc-Anthony Ran- trained the best culinary artists right here
nis brings eight years of experience in on the island and they have proven
the fine dining industry to Infini. His fine themselves internationally in the most
renowned kitchens in the world. Now it
is time to show that Aruba is a culinary
destination of its own. Who knows where
that will take us; hopefully to infinity and
beyond.”

Infini located at Blue Residences cur-
rently serves an eight-course Chef’s Im-
pression to up to 21 guests starting at
6:30PM. To make reservations visit www.
infiniaruba.com or call +297-699-3982.q