EAGLE BEACH, June 4, 2014 – On Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8 a unique culinary event will be held at all-new Ike’s Bistro, the open-air restaurant of Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa in Eagle Beach. Here Japanese-born celebrity chef Yoji Tokuyoshi of Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy along with Ike’s Bistro Chef Ever de Pena will prepare a special 5-course tasting menu.
Tokuyoshi briefly worked at the worlds’ most famous restaurant, El Bulli and holds eight years at Michelin Star Osteria Francescana, rated # 3 on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. Tokuyoshi met Ever de Pena last year at the Mistura Festival in Lima, one of the largest food events for culinary influencers in the world.
Venezuela-born De Pena grew up in Aruba, studied at EPI and finalized his AI-program in 2010. A chef at Manchebo since 2011, he was responsible for the transformation of former Italian restaurant Giorgio’s into Ike’s Bistro, which opened in November 2012.
To mark the completion of Ike’s Bistro US$350,000 re-do and this weeks inauguration of its brand new bar and lounge area, De Pena came up with the idea to fly in celebrity chef Tokuyoshi and create a festive, culinary 2-day event. Tokuyoshi practices the Contemporary Cuisine, adding techniques and cultural influences of his own Japanese background to each meal, even if that is a traditional Italian dish. “At the Ike’s Bistro tasting event for instance, I will prepare a traditional Risotto Parmesano, served with 3 different sauces and presented in my own, creative way”, says Tokuyoshi.
De Pena is excited about Tokuyoshi’s approach and wants to learn from his expertise and Contemporary Cuisine influences, as his style is based on fusion cooking, blending a variety of (international) flavors and tastes. “Bringing Yoji to Aruba is an exciting experience for our customers, yet also an inspiration for me and our future menus. I can’t wait for this weekend and our unique collaboration to start”, De Pena states.
The 5-course tasting menu, including a wine pairing is available at US$90 per person with a choice of 3 seatings each night, at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 pm. Both chefs will make an appearance in the restaurant at a live-cooking station where guests can have a closer look at their culinary magic. Reservations for this unique culinary event can be made by calling 582-3444 or via email HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected].
The re-do of Ike’s Bistro is part of Manchebo’s 3-year, US$ 3 million renovation project that completed this week, with the addition of the new lounge and bar at Ike’s. “Our vision for Ike’s Bistro is to make this restaurant a culinary hotspot in the Caribbean – says Edgar Roelofs, the Resort’s general manager. “Bringing a Michelin-star chef to Aruba, inspiring our own chef Ever de Pena to bring his cooking to a higher level is a step in that direction, along with our brand new look and feel”.
Responsible for the interior design and overseeing the entire renovation process at Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa is US-based interior designer Rachel Bowden of DesignYogi. “Our goal was to create a timeless, elegant, yet completely casual environment that would showcase the natural beauty of Aruba, its turquoise ocean and clear blue sky. We relied on nature for our earth-toned color palette, and used sustainably grown and harvested materials wherever possible”, Rachel explains.
The new Ike’s Bistro Lounge features reclaimed wood, sea grass, rattan and bent bamboo furnishings in mellow browns, tans and ivory. Thick hand woven sisal rugs complement each sitting area creating the perfect island vibe. “The rugs are my absolute favorites,” says Rachel. “They really make you want to kick off your flip flops and settle in to read, or enjoy the view while sipping on a refreshing cocktail.”
The center of the new Ike’s bar area features 3 custom hanging driftwood light fixtures. “We went searching for the most interesting pieces of driftwood we could find on the island, brought them to the resort, wrapped them with lighted copper wire, and suspended them over the bar,” Rachel elaborates. “To me, attention to detail and these one-of-a-kind touches reflect the heart and soul of the resort.”
Ike’s Bistro is open daily from 7am-11.30am for breakfast and from 5.30pm – 10.30 pm for dinner. Ike’s Bistro has a total capacity of 88 seats. For more information, visit manchebo.com or facebook.com/manchebobeach
