Intimate, luxurious, informal: these qualities characterize El Dorado Maroma’s three restaurants.
There is a relaxed dress code. Dress shorts are acceptable, as are sandals (not beach, though).
Mio, Italian cuisine, and Kiyoko, an Asian restaurant, share the same building, although the décor is very different. Candles light Mio and there are white tablecloths. Kiyoko represents the toned down Japanese aesthetic. There is a long narrow table with water flowing down the middle and a few tables, for two, along the sides.
The Kiyoko chef slices, dices, and cooks most of the dishes for the guests to see. We had spring and summer rolls, a spicy Malaysian soup, tuna, duck and rice, all fresh and nicely done.
Sabores, which faces the spectacularly blue pool and ocean, is the only restaurant open for breakfast at El Dorado Maroma. (Room service is always available.)
A few guests, we included, enjoyed the cooking lesson arranged at poolside. El Dorado Maroma’s head chef wheeled out a cart and we took turns slicing fish that we then made into a delicious appetizer cocktail. This was followed by creating a liquid cocktail from lime juice and beer. A few drops of Tabasco sauce were added. This drink wasn’t the culinary highlight of our stay.
There was a highlight that was a standout not only for El Dorado Maroma but, in our opinion, one our most memorable food experiences: A fishing skiff pulled up to the beach and on it was the day’s catch of red snapper and cod.
The staff stood by a kettle of boiling oil. The gutted fish was sprinkled with seasoning and deep-fried. Not one, not two, but three fish were eaten by each of us — and we probably could have had another. Such things dreams are made of.
