The Chef
Mr. Paul Zijlstra serves as the Executive Chef for Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives. Originally from the Netherlands, Chef Paul attended the Culinary Hotel School in Amsterdam, and trained in Holland with Dutch Master Chefs. In 2008, he moved from Bonaire to Aruba and began working with Divi Resorts as the Executive Chef at Windows on Aruba and Mulligans Restaurant. He had the honor of cooking for numerous members of Dutch, Arubian and foreign governments, members of Parliament and King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during their stay in St. Maarten at Divi Little Bay Resort. In 2016, Chef Paul became one of the Executive Chefs for the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives, where he was responsible for sourcing the best quality food for their buffets and a la carte restaurants. He also introduced theme nights with special presentations and a variety of fresh market foods.
The Food
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Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort - Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
- Fine Dining at our Tamarijn Aruba All-Inclusive Resort
Grass Fed Beef
We believe in serving our guests quality and tasty ingredients like Argentinian sourced grass-fed beef which can be found on the menu at any of our restaurants.
Spirits
Kick back and relax with your favorite tropical cocktail on the beach or by the pool. We offer a variety of top-shelf liquors as part of our all inclusive package.
Smit & Dorlas Coffee
Locally roasted in the Caribbean and served at our resorts, Smit & Dorlas coffee is a delicious way to start your day!
THE INGREDIENTS
At Divi & Tamarijn Aruba, we take pride in providing the best guest dining experience. Ingredients are responsibly sourced for all of our restaurants. We use Argentinian sourced grass-fed beef proven to be higher in certain vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats. We grow herbs and spices in our gardens and make every effort to incorporate locally sourced ingredients into all of our sauces, dishes and desserts. Our breakfast buffets serve fresh local fruits each morning. Some of Aruba's local food sources include:
- Mango
- Papaya
- Limes
- Pineapple
- Watermelon
- Plantain
- Mushrooms
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Coconuts
- Mahi Mahi
- Red Snapper
- Okra
THE RECIPE
Grilled Mahi Mahi Fillet with Pineapple Chutney served at Our Signature Red Parrot Restaurant
GRILLED MAHI MAHI
Ingredients
4 Mahi Mahi fillets (6-8 oz.)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Process
Heat grill (Charcoal grill) to medium heat (about 400 degrees)
Oil the fish lightly and place fish on the grill, skin side first
Cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping
Cook opposite side for 4-5 minutes
PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY
Ingredients
2 ripe pineapples, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 of a large red onion, chopped into bite size pieces
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp crushed pink pepper corns
Process
In a large frying pan, heat coconut oil
Add pineapple and cucumber to the frying pan and saute for 1 minute
Add red onion and continue to saute for 1 minute
Add the lime juice and crushed pink pepper corn
Stop saute, turn off heat
All ingredients are bite size and correct temperature to serve
Boston Top Chefs Visit Aruba
This October, Aruba welcomed two top chefs from Boston to collaborate on a culinary adventure. Locals and guests of Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives were offered a dream foodie dinner at the exciting Fusion Restaurant Wine and Piano Bar. Those who took part in the promotion were treated to front row seats while chefs Chris Coombs and Adrienne Wright painstaking prepared and perfected each Aruban inspired plate.
Chef Chris and Chef Adrienne worked in close collaboration with Divi & Tamarijn’s own Head Chef, Paul Zilstra and his team. The chefs visited local markets in Aruba and discovered a variety of fresh vegetables and garnishes to incorporate into their dishes. Everyone worked together for nearly 16 hours to prepare a 4 course meal with 2 amuses. Together they prepared and plated over 70 meals for our delighted guests at Fusion.
Chef Chris Coombs brings with him to Aruba an extensive resume of hospitality restaurant management and culinary skill. He is well known in Boston for his impeccable culinary technique and his love for seasonal, local ingredients. You’ll currently find him at Deuxave, a fine dining mecca in Boston concocting absolutely stunning and artistic plates. Follow him here on Instagram to see more.
Chef Adrienne Wright brings her own impressive achievements to Aruba. She started off with her culinary training while growing up on her small family farm. While growing up she learned how to grow her own food and how to prepare it. She also spent time studying abroad throughout Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Italy to further her education. Die hard fans of the show Top Chef may recognize her as one of the finalist on season 16. She is currently the executive chef at the Boston Urban Hospitality restaurant group. She and Chris work closely together to bring their creativity and skill to the menus of three great Boston restaurants, Deuxave, Boston Chops, and dbar. Be sure to follow her on instagram for more delicious plates
First course at Fusion was ceviche of yellowfin tuna & Japanese hamachi with cucumber. A nice fusion of Aruba ingredients and Adrienne’s Asia culinary education. This was paired beautifully with Jayson by Pahlmeyer, a Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley California wine.
Second course was another sea themed dish inspired by the island. Chilean sea bass “A La Plancha” udon noodles with garlic grilled bok choy, yellow curry and togarashi. Togarashi is used in Japan as fluently as salt and pepper are used in the United States. Togarashi contains Korean chile, orange peel, seaweed, ginger, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds. In this dish it was combined with the noodles to really enhance the personality of the dish. This dish was perfectly paired with a chardonnay by Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley of Sonoma California.
Third course was a spiced long island duck breast covering sweet mango scented red quinoa with charred broccoli and red pepper mustard. This dish was a nod to the chef’s very own signature dish at their Boston restaurant, Deuxave. This dish was paired with Elouan Pinot Noir from Oregon.
Dessert was a lovely Bolo Borracho, a traditional Aruban dish which translates to “Tipsy Rum Cake”, topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut with chocolate décor. The cake is paired with a pastel quenelle of cherry sorbet. Guests enjoyed a classic Moly’s Irish Cream of Ireland with dessert. All wines were perfectly paired in collaboration between the Chef’s and Divi & Tamarijn’s Food & Beverage Manager, Freddy Zedan.
After the meal the Chefs came out of the kitchen to rounds of applause and standing ovation in appreciation of the amazing meal they prepared. They spent time talking with guests about the dishes and taking photos.
Culinary Week / Guest Chefs
On a pair of lovely summer evenings in Aruba, guests were treated to a very unique and sold out event. At Windows on Aruba restaurant, dinners enjoyed the very first Aruban Michelin Chef culinary event.
Plates were design and prepared by 4 Michelin Chefs with a total of 8 Michelin stars between them. Using fresh ingredients straight from Holland, each chef prepared their own hors d’oeuvres and a course for the evening. Between the wonderful dishes, guests were entertained by live music from a DJ and received lots of interactions with the chefs and host. The event was hosted and initiated by Carsten Klint, the culinary specialist and board member of the Amsterdam Diner Foundation.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming guests and locals to Windows on Aruba for an unforgettable night of fine dining with fantastic, award-winning chefs. Each dish is carefully crafted by the chefs with fresh, exotic ingredients, bold flavors, and exquisite presentations.”
Dominique Bauduin, Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort's Director of Food & Beverage
To pair with such amazingly bold flavors and textures were a special selection of wines provided by Pepia Est. One such wine, Alexander vs The Ham Factory is a bold red wine paired with Chef Francois Geurds dish, Stoba, which is a sucade crispy with sereh foam and gravy of beef. (Pictured below/left/right).
Guests were well attended to by a professional team of servers. The servers brought out signature cocktails, 4 hors d’ oeuvres, 3 starter courses, 1 entrée and a mouthwatering coconut desert. Each Chef brought with them their own teams of sous chefs to help prepare the dishes. Some the sauces used in the event took 2 days or work to prepare. The chefs also leant their knowledge to Windows on Aruba’s current chef, so expect some creative dishes there in the future.
The nights ended with a round of applause for everyone who worked hard to bring the event together. The chefs are very excited to return again and make this an annual event.“I have no doubt that Aruba’s culinary world will be put in the spotlight.”
Danguillaume Oduber, Aruba’s Minister of tourism, Public Health & Sport
The DIshes
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The Chefs & Team
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The Location
MEET THE CHEFS
Edwin Vinke DE KROMME WATERGANG ** IN HOOFDPLAAT
Edwin Vinke and his wife Blanche started restaurant De Kromme Watergang more than 25 years ago. A childhood dream come true and resulted in no less than 2 Michelin stars. An old village school is converted into a stylish restaurant with continuously growing ambition for perfection. Blanche has furnished and added 4 stylish suites to the restaurant so that guests can stay overnight. Edwin has a love for regional products from Zeeland: fish and salty flavors predominate and an ambition to work as personalized and self-sufficient as possible. Producing products ranging from home-made butter, honey from their own bees to vegetables and herbs from their own gardens. He also keeps his own cows and pigs. All dishes are organic and contain no preservatives or sugar. This results in healthy, but especially tasty food. No nonsense. Just like Edwin himself.
Juliën van Loo RESTAURANT PARKHEUVEL ** IN ROTTERDAM
Restaurant Parkheuvel (**) is not far away from the Rotterdam Euromast, directly next to the river “De Maas”. The round building designed by architect Klunder has undergone various tasteful metamorphoses in recent years. Erik grew up as a butcher's son in Mechelen in the south of the province Limburg. He worked in his career at culinary (training)institute Prinses Juliana (at the time **), as chef de cuisine at Vreugd & Rust (at the time *), Duurstede (at the time *) and De Zwethheul (at at the time **). Erik is known for his sauces and cooks classic French with a modern touch and presentation. In addition to his restaurant, Erik is the consulting chef of restaurant The Park, which has been awarded by Michelin with a Bib Gourmand (price-quality). After first gaining wide experience in various restaurants in the Netherlands and Australia, his son Juliën also joined the company for some years now. As Creative Chef he is responsible for the innovation and future of the most famous restaurant in the Netherlands: Parkheuvel. Unable to attend the event, his well established son, Juliën, took his place.
Jermain de Rozario DE ROZARIO * IN HELMOND
Jermain de Rozario was 26 years old when he really became infected with the cooking virus. And now, at the age of 34, he can call himself the owner of restaurant De Rozario, which this year was awarded with a star from Michelin. His story reads like a book - Jermain makes no secret of his turbulent past: As a 15-year-old he left the house, used drugs, had many side jobs, debts and could not pay his bills. He eventually rolled into the hospitality industry and the chances he received from restaurant De Lindehof (awarded 2 stars by Michelin) proved to be his salvation. It was a struggle but through hard work he managed to ultimately achieve his own restaurant. He got in touch with an investor who paid all his debts and before he realized it, everything was arranged for his own restaurant. He increasingly develops his own style by letting go of all the rules and cooking what he likes. “He combines and presents Indonesian and Asian flavors with a lot of creativity. Playful at times, but always striking. A kitchen with punch and finesse! ", written in the Michelin guide 2019.