GUY: Cara Lodge Restaurant

Chicken thigh topped with a generous amount of chunky mango sauce!

Cara Lodge Hotel is a historical building in Georgetown, Guyana. Built in the 1840s, it was known as Woodbine House when it housed the first Lord Mayor of Georgetown. My BFF and I dropped by the restaurant in hope of trying its well-known pepperpot dish. Alas, we were told that it'd only be available on Sundays during breakfast hours.

As such, each of us went for the Lunch Special, which is changed periodically. The set menu comprising one choice of appetiser and one choice of main course is priced at GY$2,630 (~S$17.20).

Soup of the Day (Set Menu)

Taste: 8/10

One of the appetisers was the brightly-coloured pumpkin soup. Its consistency was thick enough for my liking, on top of the fact that it was adequately rich and full of natural sweetness. It was served lukewarm though, otherwise it'd be even more delectable.

Shrimp-Stuffed Tomatoes (Set Menu)

Taste: 8.5/10

I had a preference for the other appetiser option over the soup. Simple, yet beautiful, each of the two juicy tomatoes was stuffed with shrimps, which were subsequently topped with cheese that was lightly torched. That was a dance of the sweet and the savoury in the mouth. 

Stir-Fried Beef Tenderloin (Set Menu)

Taste: 7.5/10

Out of the four main courses listed on the menu card, we both agreed to give the beef dish a try, without exactly knowing that it'd be done oriental style. The beef slices, which could be tenderer, were stir-fried with carrots and broccoli in something akin to teriyaki sauce typically made of soy sauce, rice wine and sugar.

Mango-Glazed Chicken Thigh (Set Menu)

Taste: 8.5/10

In my opinion, the chicken main course fared better. First of all, the white meat was tender and juicy, topped with thick mango sauce that was seasoned well. It was served with mashed potatoes that were truly milky, as well as stir-fried vegetables that still retained their crunch.

Tiramisu GY$1,000 (~S$6.55)

Taste: 8/10

It wasn't exactly our first choice for dessert, but we settled for the Italian classic upon recommendation from the manager. Claimed to be "an elegant ending to an elegant meal", the dessert consisting of layered sponge cake, cream cheese, coffee liqueur and chocolate didn't disappoint for sure. It wasn't the best, but I enjoyed it as it wasn't cloying at all.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 8/10

Ambience: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

That was our last meal in Guyana before flying off to Sint Maarten. Pika's advice: You may be interested in Pina Colada Surprise, the restaurant's cake version of the widely known cocktail.  It's priced at GY$900 (~S$5.90). Sadly, it wasn't available when we were there.

Cara Lodge

294 Quamina Street

Georgetown

Guyana

(Mon-Sat: 10.30am - 11.00pm;

Sun: 9.30am - 11.00pm)

http://newthrivingonline.com/

*Prices quoted are subject to 14% VAT.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)