Welcome Back...to Sweet Potatoes

On our last day at the resort, Hubby and I woke up early to grab brekky, then waited around in the lobby for our cab. I was actually amazed at their punctual service up until our last day, because everything seemed quite orderly. Somehow on the last day, the cab that was supposed to show up at 10:30 came at 11am. I guess their cabs still run on vacation-time.

So I took the time and liberty to snap a few last photos of our picturesque resort, including the flowers and leaves that amazingly seem to even line up beautifully.

If I ever built a house/hut, I would want to to look exactly like this:

We got to the airport still about 2 hours early, so we wandered around the duty free shops amongst all the American tourists. The prices there are still pretty steep - the only thing I could afford was a bottle of vanilla, but even that was $5. 

So I was pretty glad that I had this banana (and various other assortment of fruits) with me on the plane. We'd swiped it off the tree from the spa, and I left it inside the ice bucket for the duration of the week so it would ripen. I ate it on the plane, and it was probably the best small banana I've ever had. It was tart yet starchy, just the right combination of banana-ness for me.

After we got home, we made some ramen, just about the only thing we had left in the cupboard. I almost forgot how to make it lol. Compared to the food at the resort, this was definitely something from different realm.

The next week it was back to domestic living. Hubby got off work early one day, and I made him some eggs n tomatoes, along with a cucumber, orange pepper and Korean seafood sausage stirfry. It was pretty yummy for the most part, except he complained that the sausage wasn't cooked still. So I had to go back to fry it again.

Three Color Stirfry

I also reheated some pita bread, which went well the eggs n tomatoes to soak up the juices.

I also popped some sweet potatoes in the oven to make sweet potato fries. It was pretty difficult to cut these babies, so I didn't manage to get it out on time. But it provided for a sweet ending to the meal.

Sweet Potato Fries

Last Meal in Paradise

If had to eat your last meal tomorrow, what would it look like? If it looks something like this, would you still be afraid of the afterlife? 

To answer that question, I'd look forward to the first day of mine (afterlife). We started the day at Aquamarina for sit-down breakfast. I decided that since today was my last meal here, I would go all out and eat whatever without any reservations for the calories.

I started with a cup of cappuccino and a cherry cream danish, the combination of which was pure bliss - the bitterness of the coffee complemented the sweetness of the danish wonderfully.

Tulum Juice: Pineapple, Pear and Guava 

Then I got a Tulum juice to imprint the flavors of the tropics into my tastebuds. The drink was freshly squeezed and savory as usual.

Motul Style Eggs

Hubby got the Motul style eggs, sunny side up over fried tortilla, with a side of plantains, sweet peas, ham and fried beans. He also got a side of hash browns on the side. It's hard to believe that normally that's the amount of food and calories I would eat in a day!

Here's a sideview of the Motul style eggs. It wasn't quite cooked the same as the one I'd ordered earlier, because the egg here was a tad on the runny side.  It's also hard to eat this thing because when you bite down everything spills over, throwing out bits and pieces of tortilla chips and beans.

Eggs Benedictine

I went a bit boring on the side and got the eggs Benedictine with hollandaise over english muffin, with a side of cambray potatoes.

Here's another look at my beautiful eggs Benedictine. I really liked how the muffin absorbed the richness of the egg and sauce.

As we left to go, I took one last sweeping view of the beach. I also took a little dip into the ocean to remember the freshness of the waters.

I'd never imagined my experience in Mexico would be like this - I'd always envisioned Mexico as a land of tacos and burritos. But now, Mexico will forever have a place in my heart as my little piece of R&R.

Third Time's the Charm

It's funny how we have so many sayings about numbers in life, like "two's a party, three's a crowd", "sweet sixteen", "sixth sense", and the likes.

But these aren't just a play on words - sometimes, they actually carry predictive meaning.

On our last night at the resort, we decided to have our last dinner at Amber. The first two times, if you recall, ended not-so-spectacularly. So we thought that third time has got to be the charm, and decided to venture again into the unknown space of fine dining.

We decided to sit on the outside terrace this time overlooking the cenote, because I'd noticed that couples outside tend to be louder than the elderly couples inside. Or perhaps it's because of these round balls of decorations that make it more festive.

We noticed a lot of new face that evening. I noticed that the tourist turnover rate at the hotel is about a week. By Friday of every week there tends to be more and more new faces, like our fresh, untanned faces a Friday ago when we'd first arrived there. Sitting beside us was a couple from Montreal who probably have a few drinks too many before coming in. 

Amber's menu pretty much remains consistent throughout the week, with daily specials now and then. They usually put the daily specials at the beginning of the menus so you can see right away what is new and different.

Our waiter was ironically the same waiter who'd served us earlier that day at Ceviche when we grabbed some late-afternoon snacks. He told us that they change shifts in the afternoon, working at multiple locations around the resort. 

By now we'd recognized all the service people's faces, and it was kind of sad to think that we'd leave their warm tutelage soon. 

  

After perusing the drinks menu, we settled and this and this:

 

Yea I know what you're thinking, "Boring!" Trust me, we'd get booze if we could, because the entire drink menu is dedicated to the fine art of well, getting drunk. But we decided to be good-two-shoes and drink "healthier" options instead. I got the guavapple drink and Hubby his usual lemon water. Speaking of lemon water, I like how the waiters come around with a plate of lemons, limes and cucumber to ask you which one you'd like in your drink.

The meal started with some seared tuna croquette, which was dainty yet refreshing. I was worried that the tuna was raw, but when we bit into it (yea I know, I probably should have asked first), it was surprisingly warm. 

Since this was the last dinner here, Hubby told me to go without reservations and order whatever I wanted. I got this red bell pepper cream soup as my appetizer.

Red Bell Pepper Cream Soup

It was pretty creamy, so much so that I couldn't finish it. I had to dip my entire bread in it to dampen the flavor. Hubby chided me for being picky with my food, so I had to shove more of it into my mouth.

Surprisingly, the more spoonfuls I ate, the less heavy it became. I managed to finish all of it, albeit with some help of course.

Hubby on the other hand got the endives salad with grapefruits, which was surprisingly light but flavorful.

For my main, I got the shrimp breaded with coconuts with a side or rice served in a cute dim sum basket with a plantain chip. Not sure why I didn't get this earlier, because not only did it look positively charming, it was delicious as well. Here's a closer look at that dim sum basket of rice-y goodness:

I really couldn't get how they managed to make the shrimp so crispy yet tender. It was the perfect combination in terms of texture and taste. I actually managed to polish off the whole thing.

Hubby got the beef flank sad with chimichurri, beet puree, and grilled eggplant. I'm not sure why he didn't get it earlier either, because this was so flavorful and tender, even though he'd ordered it well-done.

I also liked the pieces of eggplant and carrot on the side, because this time it was actually grilled to an edible state, unlike last time when it was still semi-raw.

We thought we'd go all out with dessert as well. I got the chocolate torino with carmel sauce and vanilla ice cream, while hubby got passion fruit gelee.

While the passionfruit looked positively radiant in its presentation, it was devoid of much flavor, putting it on the bland side. Again, the only "good" part was the fig.

The chocolate torino on the other hand was overwhelmingly sweet, but it worked with a cup of dark Americano. The ice cream? Nothing but divine.

So after that long and filling meal, we lingered around, listening to the laughter and watching the (obese) chef cook up a storm with the guests who were pouring in (it was around 9pm already, but hey they operate on vacation-time there).

You know it funny how we remember things - our memories have a place not only in our minds, but also in our heart. I know I'll remember this meal for a long time to come.

Good Morning

Food is about memories, it's about who we are as a people. Some would even say that it defines a civilization. It's also our way to channel out all our negative thoughts, daily stress, and pains from broken hearts. 

For me, food is life. Looking back now at this wonderful breakfast spread we had during our vacation, I can't help but reminisce the good times in a land free of worries from everyday life. I also wonder if I can bring that back to my daily life, that is, life at home. 

Enough of my ramblings, onto memories of a splendid breakfast. I woke up that morning feeling slightly groggy but happy to begin another day in paradise (but also dreading that the day would be over soon and I'd be sent back to reality before I knew it).

Detox Juice: Peach, Orange, Strawberry and Grapes

I started with some detoxing juice to cleanse the system from the previous night's hefty Mexican dinner - it's a fruity concoction filled with nutrients and vitamins. Actually, it's really just full of fruit juices that hits the spot because of its tangy sweetness.

  

Citric Plate - Grilled Grapefruit with Orange and Tangerine

Then I decided to go a bit healthier with a lighter fruit menu consisting of mandarin oranges and grapefruits, drizzled with honey.

Fruits and Pastry Creme Crepes with Whipped Cream and Nuts

I got the fruits and cream crepes with a side of Calabrese potatoes. I didn't know what they were until I bit into them - essentially pan-roasted potatoes infused with flavor, kind of like spiked up hash browns. The crepes themselves were delectable - a hot, gooey mess of soft deliciousness. Surprisingly, they hold up pretty well, so when you bite into them they don't break up like some other crepes.

Hubby got the egg benedictine with a side of sausage and hash browns. The hash browns dimmed greatly in comparison to my Calabrese. But now, my breakfast of Kellogg granola flakes dim greatly in comparison to that. So I guess in life, everything is relative after all.

Mexican Fiesta

Being in Mexican, you naturally have a craving for Mexican food. Unfortunately being at a resort, it's hard to get authentic Mexican fare.

Thankfully Aquamarina has alternating nights with differently themed menus. That evening, much to our delight, Mexican.

We started with some shrimp ceviche, which was lovely when paired with the chip. My only complaint was that we could have used more housemade nachos like they serve at authentic Mexican joints.

Mexican Salad with Epazote Vinaigrette

I got the Mexican salad with baked tortilla chips on a bed of lettuce, brown beans, radish, coriander and julienned carrots.  It was a nice combination of veggies and carbs, with the crunchy chips accenting the savory veggies, giving this nutritious plate an extra oomph.

Sprouts Salad with Fruits

Hubby got the sprouts salad with lettuce, papaya, mango and annatto vinaigrette. I liked the fruits in this plate more than anything, because it added a tinge of sweetness to the bitter accents of the sprouts. Here's another look at the tiny little alfalfa sprout:

Hubby, being a stickler for things, actually ventured outside his comfort zone of enchiladas, choosing the "Chile en Nogada", essentially poblano chiles stuffed with pork, beef and fruits, covered with a warm nut sauce.

Chile en Nogada

While I liked the stuffing, the chile carried way too much heat for me. I don't know how hubby managed to finish that thing when your whole mouth is exploding with spiciness (it took me a whole glass of water and another glass of mocktail to recover).



I got the beef ribs with potatoes and onions, drizzled with "mocha salsa" and steamed tortillas. When the waiter set down the plate, I was amazed at the portions. Though I was already stuffed with the appetizer, somehow I found a determination to chow down.

Spiced and Braised Beef Ribs with Steamed Tortillas

My will was short-lived though, as the beef ribs were over-spiced, making it too salty for my liking. I really enjoyed the rice and beans though, since that's my go-to comfort tex-Mex food. 

I ate two tortillas, while hubby helped with me the third. But I still had a lot of ribs left over, and much to our mutual dismay, I didn't end up finishing it.

At the end of the meal, I couldn't believe that we had dessert left over. I had to order some French press to help wash down the heaviness of meal and prepare room for the next course.

For dessert, Hubby and I got the dough fritters with dark chocolate sauce, which were essentially churros and chocolate ice cream. I really liked this pairing because the sweetness of the ice cream complemented the crunchy cocoa of the churros. Only downside was that the ice cream melted way too quickly.

Dough Fritters with Chocolate Ice Cream

We left that evening with our bellies full to the max. I wanted to walk or bike back, but it was dark so we took a cab instead. I must have done 10 laps in the bathroom when we got back because I was so full. Another downside of being too full? You can't fall asleep until 1am, which was the heavy consequence I had to face for being a fatty.