Vamos a comer – Let’s Go Eat!

           

            I read so many contradicting Trip Advisor reviews of the Gran Bahia’s food. You know, they say that there’s no accounting for taste. Even so, if you can’t find any food you like at this resort, then you must be one picky Chiquita.

            The buffet serving area alone is as large as a restaurant. I can only list a fraction of the food that was available. If you prefer to eat restaurant food that you’re already familiar with, you’ll be happy with the daily offerings of pizza, pasta, and fries. There’s a section just for kids that provides hot dogs, grilled cheese or PBJ sandwiches and Kraft Dinner. Make yourself at home.

            One thing I should mention is that the labels accompanying each dish were not always well-translated. Or else they had been placed over the wrong food. My mothering instincts urged me to go around and put everything in its proper place, but I resisted. Why spoil the fun for everyone else? The funniest one was presented as “crushed grains.” Translation: oatmeal. There’s nothing quite like tropical oatmeal made with plenty of honey, cinnamon and vanilla. The texture is soupy, but not terrible. If you’re health conscious, it provided the only source of whole grains that I can remember.

            Darling Hubby and I are on the adventurous side. At first, we were overwhelmed by the possibilities. After a day or two, we gravitated to certain sections of the buffet. I love fresh seafood and discovered a new favourite: Grouper! Who knew that those large, ugly fish would clean up so well?

            Let’s see if I can remember all the different sections from the buffet: Japanese, Mexican, vegetarian, an entire counter of assorted bread and rolls, soup (both hot and cold), salad, omelettes to order, desserts, fruit drinks…Nope, I can’t. But you get the picture. How about if I just mention some of our favourites?

            We loved the cold drinks. They had papaya, pineapple, mango and melon water. I have no idea how they made these beverages, which were tasty and refreshing without being at all sugary. For breakfast they had pitchers of “milkshakes”, which were actually smoothies, but still oh so yummy.

            Most days, my meals included some authentic Mexican food: flat breads, quesadillas, beans with rice, and sauces/salsas as cool or as hot as you can handle. Mexican cheese is wonderfully smooth and creamy, so remember to look for it in the salad section.   

            If you’re there in the rainy season, you might find that it’s too humid for the salt shaker to work. Just unscrew the lid and sprinkle.

             While some buffet selections were a surprise, only two things proved to be a huge disappointment. Both the panna cotta, which I’ve only heard about on the Food Network, and the fresh melons were surprisingly bland. But don’t despair if you have a sweet tooth. There were lots of cakes, tortes, ice cream and sorbet. The pastries were presented in small portions, so you could try a selection. I was so pleased when we got home to discover that I’d only gained half a pound. Miraculous!

            Speaking of sweets, the desserts at the restaurants were excellent. We qualified for eight à la carte meals during our stay. Make your dinner reservations as soon after your arrival as possible. Ask about them when you check in. They fill up rapidly, so you might find yourself dining later than you are accustomed to eating. The food is well worth the wait.

            We met a wonderful Canadian couple at the restaurants. Paul and Sandra were a lot of fun to hang around with. They introduced us to Spanish coffee, made with cream and some sort of brandy or liqueur. What a great presentation! Our waiter performed the ritual with finesse and panache, ending with a two-tiered blazing stream that cascaded from both pitchers into the coffee cup below. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker (or not fond of alcohol, which burns off during the performance), maybe you can convince someone else at your table to order this. The show alone is worth it.

            So there you go. If you’ve been putting off a trip to Mexico because you don’t think you’ll like the food, think again. The Gran Bahia truly has something for everyone.