Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor
Left: Cocunut Curried Shrimp Kebab. Right: Baked Curried Crabcakes Sliders.
THE SOUTH Beach Wine and Food Festival ended on Sunday. What an excitement. I am renewed, enthusiastic, filled with hope. I have met the top chefs of the world, asked questions, informed myself and literally eaten (and drunk) every tiny bit of knowledge that was possible to assimilate in such a short space of time. Let me assure you of one thing. Food is in.
At prices that ranged from US$30 to US$600, the show was sold out. Not a ticket to be had. Not an inch of space left for 'intruders'. There's much to write about over the next few weeks and much to be learned from those in the know, and I am continuing the trend set by my last two reviews with Delius Shirley and Cindy Hutson - their vision of a factor niche having put Caribbean food on the gourmet map.
A Caribbean/Jamaican food concept that began with Norma's On The Beach some seven years ago, is today moving rapidly through the process of becoming a mega-business. Much began when well-known African-American entrepreneur Bob Johnson entered this tiny spot on South Beach, Miami, tasted that touch of the Caribbean from the hands of Chef Cindy Hutson, and understood the business mind of Delius Shirley. He immediately joined this team and the climb upwards was on. Not an easy one as Delius will tell but, today, there's Ortanique, Las Vegas and Ortanique on the Mile, Miami - Delius at present busy getting Cindy's and his own restaurant in Baltimore - Copra - up and running.
FINE PRAISES
Before we go any further, let me just touch on some of the accolades received by 'self-taught' Executive Chef Cindy Hutson and her 'Cuisine of the Sun' - her signature method of cooking - so one can get the full essence of what this vision, hard work and total professionalism has achieved. 'Best New Restaurant of the Year' for 1999 by Esquire magazine; Exceptional (top rating) from The Miami Herald; five stars (top rating) from the El Nuevo Herald; one of the 'Top 20 Best Restaurants', 1999 for Florida Trend magazine; 'Best New Restaurant' by Bon Appetit magazine; Mobil Travel Guide's - Four Star Award (2001-2002); Top Ten Best list in the 2002 and 2003 Miami ZAGAT Survey; 'Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence' for 2002 and 'Best Mojito' from WHERE magazine; Las Vegas Life magazine '100 Best Things About Las Vegas'; America's '75 Hot Tables From Boston to Beijing' by Conde Naste Traveller for 2003 - and the list goes on and on to the present date when Hutson was awarded the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Award for 2005 and 2006, deemed "one of the finest chefs worldwide" by this body.
To add to this, guest appearances on the Queen Mary cruise line, food shows across the country, 'Cuisine of the Sun' demonstrations in Europe and you might understand why this self-taught chef's partner says laughingly: "I only pay the bills." Truth be known, apart from being an astute businessman, Delius Shirley's creative mind has manifested itself in the interiors of the restaurants and, most recently, in a colourful, personalised Ortanique label for their own private stock of wines.
FOR A TASTE OF JAMAICA
Shirley left his busy schedule in Baltimore to be at Cindy's side at the South Beach Show where thousands of very 'hungry-for-flavour' people throng the Ortanique booth yearly to taste Jamaica. This year Cindy added a little South American/Cuban touch into the mix, coming up with one of the most popular dishes served amongst the thousands covered by enormous tents right down a section of Miami's South Beach - Citrus Brined Pork Tenderloin with South American Moros and a Mojo Demi with a Cuban Ailoli. I was lucky enough to get them both together for some pertinent questions about the restaurant business before the melée began, and on the following day was part of the 'goings-on' at Ortanique On The Mile, experiencing for myself what they had reported.
Before waiters even begin to work with this couple, there's an extensive training programme that includes how to interact with patrons, be mindful of their needs, i.e. do they want to be pampered, told what to eat, suggested to or simply left in peace and quiet. Then its all about service, service, service and knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. Every member of staff at Ortanique must savour and understand the ingredients and methods of the dishes served; learning the wines, cocktails and mixed drinks available.
Every day (and I mean every single day) the menu specials (and problems or little quirks) are discussed at a round table of chefs, managers and floor staff - the kitchen having already been informed about the extras on the already extensive menu and the exact manner in which each dish will be prepared and presented. There are to be absolutely no shortcuts. Between Cindy (when she is in-house and not training or checking up on the other restaurants) and the sous chef, every little detail, every taste of the particular dish is explained together with which wine goes well with what for, this is the most frequently asked question after "what would you recommend for me to try?" Hutson says: "I rather my service staff ask me a foolish question than to be dumbfounded at one of my tables!" There you go - communication.
KEY INGREDIENTS
For Hutson as a chef - passion and creativity (that include learning, experimenting, reading, knowledge of trends), the use of top-quality ingredients, absolute cleanliness in kitchen and restaurant, ambience and just a general happiness among the staff who must work as a team - all make for a successful audience to your cuisine. For Shirley as a businessman - attention to detail on every cost. With four per cent profit on the restaurant chart being the norm every year, proper accounting of stock, utilities - even an unnecessary phone call - is where it all starts and ends.
By the way, Cindy Hutson's Cuisine of the Sun is nothing short of divine, the ambience is all about Jamaica's Ortanique and every member of staff is a delight!
Rosemary Parkinson will be decoding the genius of Spain's Ferran Adria next week.
