Oct 17, 20223 min read

Restaurant Review – Meet & Eat

Feature Story Xp Bonaire IslandLife

“Every dream could be willed into creation by those strong enough to believe in it." - George Bernard Shaw-

With full conviction, Marleen and Maarten Marchal opened their dream restaurant Hofí, located in the side street of the Kaya Grandi, next to Gio's. In our opinion an asset to Bonaire, but unfortunately there was a lack of enthusiasm for that kind of beautiful, high-quality food. Then as an owner you can do two things. Throw in the towel, or show your balls, change course, let your dreams fly free and make something beautiful that is easier to sell. Marleen and Maarten showed those balls and chose the latter.

The cozy garden restaurant was renamed Meet & Eat. Accessible to everyone, friendly to the wallet and also an atmosphere that is perfect for a night out. Because nothing has changed in the management and service, it is still very friendly and hospitable with a slightly more casual touch.

The interior has been adjusted and the biggest change is of course the menu. Maarten, responsible for the kitchen, is still figuring out how the menu should eventually look like, but the foundation has been laid in any case and in our opinion has enough choice for a wide audience.

Appetizers

Since burgers and hot dogs do predominate the menu, we were pleasantly surprised that oysters could also be ordered. Perhaps a hint to the luxurious Hofí, but whatever it is, we prefer to start with oysters, so the evening had already started well for us.

Besides the oysters, served with an onion vinaigrette, we choose (even though it's maybe not the best combination but hey, it's a review) the Cajun chicken skewers with lime mayonnaise. 3 Sticks, wonderfully marinated and with a tender texture. Perhaps somewhat simple, but the hand of the master can also clearly be found in a simple dish.

Main courses

The same goes for the rest of the menu. It would never occur to me to order a hot dog as a main course, but the “Bacon Blue” with bacon, gorgonzola honey/mustard mayonnaise and apple created an irresistible urge to try it. And yes, this was indeed not just any hot dog, this was a very tasty one! We had seen a hamburger being served at the table next to us and its hefty size prevented us from ordering it. After all, we also wanted dessert.

In addition to the hot dog, we opted for a Bao Bun, the well-known steamed fluffy bun, with pulled pork, hoisin sauce and pickled onions.

Of course, we couldn’t miss out on Grandma's beef stew served over French fries so we ordered that one too. All in all, of course, a bit much, so we didn't finish part of the fries. My Dutch mother would say; “your eyes were bigger than your stomach” (again) The score at that time is extremely positively high! We sit comfortably and the dishes are all very delicious.

Dessert

While my table companion orders a second cocktail from one of Marleen's refreshing elderberry creations, we decide to go for the 2 desserts. Lime tiramisu, in Hofí's review I already wrote about it being very tasty and fresh and nothing has changed about it. New was the 'spekkoek', also known as a layer cake, served with vanilla ice cream and fresh coconut flakes. We conclude the evening with a pleasant conversation about food, while enjoying a nice whiskey and a Grand Marnier, about the possibilities that are available when you hire Maarten as a private chef and the plans that Maarten and Marleen have in addition to Meet & Eat in the tube. Those plans are beautiful and above all very tasty. Just like this evening.