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Tonga Food
Tonga impressions - fresh seafood!
I have two main memories concerning our food in Tonga; the first is the freshness of the fish and seafood. All of our dinners came from the sea and was at most 24 hours out of the water. At the Sandy Beach Resort, a boat would stop by each morning with fresh catch. One night we had a parrot fish fillet that was quickly pan fried and then drizzled with garlic butter - it practically melted in your mouth, as the parrot fish has light, flaky white meat. (For those not familiar with tropical fish, the parrot fish is one of the most beautiful fish in the ocean . . . I knew this before Tonga, what I didn't know is that it is also one of the tastiest fish in the ocean). Another great meal was a bunch of fresh lobsters that came in one morning . . . nothing fancy, just fresh lobster.
The second thing that I particularly liked about the Sandy Beach Resort was the dinner ambiance created by the German owners, Sigrid and Jurgen. The resort has an open air bar that overlooks the ocean; they have placed several small tables on the patio between the bar and the ocean. Every evening the guests congregate on this patio and converse with each other and Sigrid and Jurgen. Jurgen usually serves the drinks; one night I wasn't sure if I liked the type of wine he was serving, so he poured me a glass (for free) to test. This type of hospitality was consistent throughout the stay.
Since everyone at the resort had traveled rather extensively (I don't think many people make the long trip to Tonga without being travel lovers) and had a love of the water, we all had plenty to talk about. After several drinks everyone sat down for a four course dinner in their small dining room. As I mentioned earlier, we all shared tables (4 to a table) but the conversation was always fresh and lively. Everyone had just returned from a day of diving or snorkeling and anxious to share their experiences. Also most of the guests were professionals, so we could discuss jobs and careers.
These evening meals definitely added to our experience; and the mood established by Sigrid and Jurgen is one that I have rarely seen in resorts.