Le Bistro at Santorini

Overlooking CuisinArt's tranquil pool-side setting, Le Bistro at Santorini ("Le Bistro" for short) is high-end in every way.

The focus here is fine French dining with a Caribbean flair. A restaurant that Chef Jasper holds dear to his heart, each creation is made with the utmost attention to detail, designed with true love and passion.

All is prepared together with his Sous-Chef, Jonathan Hughes. Kind, soft-spoken and talented, we were not surprised to learn that Chef Jonathan comes from a long line of chefs. His family owns E's Oven!

Jonathan Hughes

First, the bread.

“How can a nation be great if their bread tastes like kleenex?” – Julia Childs

... indeed! It may sound like a trivial part of the meal, but how the bread is crafted is a good indication of a chef's level of care for the complete dining experience, from bread-basket-beginnings to espresso-endings.

Bacon-Cheese Bread

Baked fresh, in-house daily, Chef Jasper and Jonathan offer a variety of breads. The bacon-cheese won us over. Warm and crisp, with a salty savory flavor, one piece is barely enough but I suggest pacing yourself for the meal ahead.

Appetizers at Le Bistro include tuna tartare with meyer lemon (add caviar for $7), bacon & organic egg with truffle vinaigrette on country bread and tomato, watermelon and cucumber salad with goat cheese and yuzu.

The open-face foie gras sandwich appetizer is one of the best on the appetizer menu...

Foie Gras Sandwich

Ham, dates and a fried quail egg are layered on country bread with black truffle and foie gras parfait on the side.

The only appetizer this might be second to are the oysters on the half shell...

Oysters on the Half Shell

I must commend Chef Jasper on this dish. In a French restaurant, one could easily "get away" with serving standard oysters. But, that's not Chef Jasper's style!

Always thinking and balancing innovative qualities with taste, he adds a whipped pickled shallot mignonette to each oyster and serves them on a bed of sea salt. Refreshing, with a touch of zest. Perfection.

Spiny Lobster

Pork cheek with pork belly and grits, organic chicken with fennel pollen, tandoori-roasted lamb chops (prepared with a 300-year old spice imported from Northern California) are a few selections off of the entree menu.

The crayfish and lobster are two of our favorites.

Butter-poached with the gentlest of Thai curry flavors, the light broth lets the lobster's taste and texture come through. Far from typical, and delicious.

Dinner at Le Bistro is both sumptuous and something completely different.

More on Le Bistro at Santorini.

Tokyo Bay

Across the pool, inside CuisinArt's Spa building, Tokyo Bay delivers a dining experience worlds away from French influence. This one is Japanese.

Here, Chef Jasper works with his "Chef de Cuisine," Yuki Sugimoto. Both having worked at Sushi Samba (Chef Jasper opened the one in Coral Gables), their experience in preparing modern Japanese dishes speaks for itself.

Yuki Sugimoto

The menu is split into hot and cold dishes, maki rolls and sushi/sashimi. The concept is small plates whereby you order many to share, as is typical with dining in the Orient.

The cold menu features crispy rice topped with spicy tuna sashimi, local snapper with tiradito, octopus with a coconut jalapeño leche de tigre sauce and fifteen other choices. One of the very best on the menu, and unique indeed, is Chef Yuki's oysters.

Japanese Oysters on the Half Shell

If you love Asian flavors, these oysters will have you swooning. There are two types of oysters served. One with wasabi, the other with a soy yuzu.

Soft shell crab with ponzu and pea sprouts, foie gras with eel and sweet potato, and duck duck goose dumplings can all be found on the "hot" side of the menu.

Dinner at Tokyo Bay is never complete without a plate of rock shrimp tempura and duck duck dumplings, and now we are adding this to our must-order list...

Pork Belly Buns

Perfectly warm and puffy pork buns feature yuzu kosho aioli-seasoned pieces of pork belly, layered with kimchi baby bokchoy and a slice of daikon.

Most all vegetables are sourced from CuisinArt's on-site hydroponic gardens, which adds a fine, fresh crispness to each bite.

"Pink" Tiger Shrimp Tempura Roll

Lastly, Chef Yuki shines with his sushi abilities when it comes to the final part of the menu. Maki rolls include signature creations such as the "pink" tiger shrimp tempura and the hamachi dream, as well as classics including spicy tuna and hamachi scallion.

The sashimi and sushi (there are also vegetarian sushi platters available) are not to be overlooked, either, even if you only order a piece or two. Expertly sliced, the "catch of the day" sashimi/sushi is melt-in-your-mouth good as is the yellowfin and salmon. Truly, world-class.

More on Tokyo Bay.

A big "thank you," to Chef Jasper. He has brought distinct modern style to CuisinArt and Anguilla.

I've never considered myself a "true foodie," but after an evening at CuisinArt with Chef Jasper, you sure want to become one! ;-)