Golden Spoons Review: The Hungry Iguana Restaurant & Bar
(CNS Foodie): The Hungry Iguana on Little Cayman is located right by the airport but cannot supply an early supper as you wait for your plane as it doesn’t start serving dinner until 6pm. It is nonetheless a pleasant place to wait with a drink on the terrace overlooking the sea or chatting at the bar, where there is television to watch and the bar staff are friendly and helpful.
The night I went for dinner was rather quiet. Whilst I ate at the bar there were two parties sitting at tables. I was advised not to try the terrace at dusk for fear of mosquitoes — it is not bug-proofed.
I ordered a mango daiquiri, which I found somewhat disappointing. Lots of ice, but the mango tasted rather like the long-life carton juice. On reflection, it may well have been. I don’t suppose it is easy to get fresh mangoes on Little Cayman.
The starter, conch fritters, really improved my mood. They were made with minced conch, reshaped, spiced, battered and fried. Delicious!
Feeling more optimistic, I went for the special that night: freshly caught red snapper with fruit salsa. This came with plantain, breadfruit and lightly fried cho cho and carrot. To my taste the fish was overcooked and underseasoned and the breadfruit dry, but I enjoyed the plantain, cho cho and carrots. The fruity salsa was very sweet. Altogether the main was disappointing. I choose a glass of Pinot Grigio, which was a bit rough, but drinkable.
There was a limited choice of desserts, which I took as a good sign, likely indicating homemade. There was ice cream, rum cake or brownie. I checked and found that the rum cake was a Tortuga cake, which is nice enough but not something you need to go to a restaurant to eat. I went for brownie with cream and ice cream. The brownie was very dry — just about palatable — with the cream and ice cream but really not worth the calories.
The staff were very pleasant and it felt very comfortable at the bar. However, with the exception of the conch fritters the food was very average. Inevitably the cost of eating on Little Cayman was high and 15% gratuity was added to the meal automatically. To pay around $60 for a mediocre meal without the benefit of a view felt somewhat excessive. I might return there for the conch fritters though!
Readers’ Ratings for The Hungry Iguana
Food 2 spoons
Service 4 spoons
Ambience 3 spoons
Value for money 2 spoons
Category: Uncategorized
