Dominican Michelin star chef says DR restaurants are ready to receive the global award

[Dolores]

Maria Marte, the cooking-loving woman from Jarabacoa who migrated to Spain and went from cleaning woman to head chef and on to win two Michelin stars for the Club Allard in Madrid, expects a Dominican Republic restaurant soon to be awarded a Michelin star.

Speaking during the X Dominican Gastronomic Forum, Marte said that the criteria for a country to participate is that there be at least 50 restaurants of international quality and the residence of a Michelin star chef. She would be that chef.

Marte spoke of how the winning of a Michelin star locally would serve as global recognition of Dominican gastronomy. She says that there are several restaurants that use fresh ingredients, prepare dishes with regional tastes and there is a growing local appreciation for top-notch cooking.

Maria Marte’s cuisine can be tasted at the Sky Europa rooftop tapas bar-restaurant at the Gran Hotel...

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[tee]

I have followed Maria Martes career for several years and she is known as the Cinderella chef, rising from a pot scrubber to a two time Michelin star chef. Watching her rise through the ranks has been amazing. There are so many incredible restaurants here now, especially in Santo Domingo and the caliber of their cuisine is world class. I go to Santo Domingo quite often and we always go to the upscale restaurants and we always like to try different ones. Recently we have been to Turo, Don Pepe, La Meson de la Cava, Pat' e Palo, SBG Kitchen, Shibuya Ichiban amongst many others and all are amazing places. There are many others that I will be visiting soon such as Pearl Urban Lounge, Nacan, La Cassina, Ajuala, Bottega Fratelli, Maraca. There will be many others that I will be adding to the list to visit in the future. I am surprised that the DR is not pushing more gastronomic tourism.
I also discovered a little gem whilst wandering around El Conde, something totally opposite to the fine dining establishments mentioned above but equally delicious. If you want a fast lunch whilst in El Conde, then head to MIX empanadas about half way down the walking street. Freshly made to order they are the best empanadas I have had in the 21 years living here. We tried BBQ pork loin, Smoked eggplant, fresh mushroom with cheese and pesto, Bolognese sauce and pulled pork with caramelized onions. There are about 20 different types and all about 100-120 pesos each...and unlike most empanadas, these are completely stuffed. You can thank me later!!!

 

[LindseyKaufman]

Thanks for posting this. I took a screen shot of your response so I remember to visit the restaurants you mentioned that I have not yet visited.

Sadly, In my opinion, outside the capital good restaurants are few and few between.

By the way Nacan is excellent!

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks for posting this. I took a screen shot of your response so I remember to visit the restaurants you mentioned that I have not yet visited.

Sadly, In my opinion, outside the capital good restaurants are few and few between.

By the way Nacan is excellent!

I just looked at their website. Looks great but pricey. Eight oz Filet is $54 and nothing else comes with it. Tomahawk steak is $122. Oysters sound great. You don't see oysters in the DR often from my experience.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I just looked at their website. Looks great but pricey. Eight oz Filet is $54 and nothing else comes with it. Tomahawk steak is $122. Oysters sound great. You don't see oysters in the DR often from my experience.

I was there once about 2 years ago. The food is great. But $200 for 2 ribeyes with minimal drinks is just too much for me. The environment is very subdued. We much prefer the Outback. Less quality in the steaks, but less expensive and a much more fun atmosphere.

 

[tee]

I agree, the prices are up there, but the quality is incredible. You can dine out for much cheaper and still enjoy a nice meal. I can just as easily go and have a burger at Rolling Steaks (numerous locations throughout Santo Domingo but I go to the one in Agora Mall for lunch) but I do like to take my wife out to the fine dining places too. In most of these places, on average it is about 4000 pesos per person for starter, main and drinks. I don't have a problem paying this amount providing the food is great and the portions are not 'Nouvelle Cuisine' size! As mentioned in my post above, we enjoy the empanadas are just 120 pesos each so we are quite happy to eat food from one end of the scale to the other...it is all about the experience.

 

[JD Jones]

I know it's not a restaurant, but BRAVO carries a line of Angus meats that are pretty impressive. I got a couple of rib eye steaks the other day that were really big; bigger than my 10" pan.
I've been eating one of them for three days now.

Edit: gonna make myself a steak sandwich right now.

 

[Lucifer]

I just looked at their website. Looks great but pricey. Eight oz Filet is $54 and nothing else comes with it. Tomahawk steak is $122. Oysters sound great. You don't see oysters in the DR often from my experience.

Same here.
After I read the list of restaurants, I visited their websites and was marveled at how good the food appears, but I couldn't even dream of eating at one of those places.
Well, I can dream about it, but couldn't afford it.

I guess it's concón, casabe, and day-old chicharrón for me.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

I don’t eat at these places regularly, either. I go to SD 2-3 times a year and I treat it like a vacation. I like to eat at fine restaurants, shop, and do things I normally cannot do in Jamao. And because there are NO real restaurants in Jamao, this is almost the only time all year that I go to a restaurant. Thus the splurge. And it is worth it.