Travel writers are always in a rush and seldom stay long enough in one place to truly enjoy the restful experiences on offer.
A case in point is the Four Seasons Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica where we could easily have stayed two weeks and never become bored with their pampering.
It is the same thing when it comes to a menu, look down the list of goodies on offer and you know you want to spend more than one night in the restaurant. Sol y Sombre at the Four Seasons has a menu that could last weeks to plough through so what do two time conscious writers opt for?
The choice was made for us by the resorts Executive Chef Mario Alcoes who wanted to showcase many of the new dishes the restaurant will feature after its up coming makeover. “Sit back and relax,” he commanded “And we will serve you a tasting menu with a different beverage for each course!”
So we did! and ate too much and drank just the same but boy was it good! Chifijo is a dish of rice, crispy pork belly and beans. Delicious!
Caldera Ceviche uses Mai Mai and Rock Fish fish together with fried plantain to make another exciting twist on local dishes.
On the Caribbean side of Costa Rica they serve “Patties” as street food wrapped in brown paper. Mario has used this concept to create his own Four Seasons Up Market version that sees these mini crunchy empanadas filled with spicy meat filling and served inside a brown paper bag. Oh yes, more please!
Meanwhile our barman was enjoying the challenge of coming up with a beverage for each course. Among the many liquid bevies to pass our way were Guaro Sour a mix of local Casique Guaro, lime and sugar. Do not try more than one if you want to dance while standing up!
Local beers from a local boutique brewery included Segua an Indian pale ale whose label depicts the local legend of a lady scorned by 4 different lovers turns them all into ogres while the label on Libertas, a tropical golden ale, tells the story of a 15 year old girl who having discovered she is with child drowns her self in a river.
Neither are happy stories but we promise the beer goes well with local Gallo de Pinto a dish of rice, beans. beef skirt, caramelised onions and braised plantain.
We also recommend Guyo a small tortilla wrap thick enough to be a taco and filled with with a spicy minced beef concoction that is not for the feint hearted!