Karrie Williams - Cruise Contributor
So which Saint Thomas food item are you longing to try out? Let’s start with the national dish.
The national dish of Saint Thomas is Fish and Fungi. Several Saint Thomas restaurants serve this dish on a daily basis, as it is also a favourite of locals on the island.
A firm-fleshed fish called Old Wife is popularly used in the preparation of the national dish.
The fish is boiled (or pan-fried if you prefer) in a special Creole sauce flecked with green herbs and served with a cooked mixture of cornmeal, butter and water, called Fungi. From the pic, you can see the Fungi just below my knife; in my view, the taste for Fish and Fungi is one that must be acquired.
Other favourite Saint Thomas food dishes include goat water; which as the name suggests, is a stew made primarily from goat meat and other garden vegetables and seasonings.
This dish is very similar to Jamaica’s own manish water; however unlike on the island of Saint Thomas where goat water is customarily consumed for breakfast, manish water is normally a lunch or dinner starter meal.
Whelks and Rice is another favourite Saint Thomas food dish which is also considered a delicacy on the island. This is made from marine snails cooked in garlic butter and served with white rice.
The day I landed in Saint Thomas was a hot summer’s day. I flew in from Atlanta and immediately after I checked into my hotel, I headed into town for some grub and a drink. I was famished!
Anyhow, I was very much taken by surprise when I walked into literally all the restaurants in Charlotte Amalie and discovered that the food prices were way more than I had factored into my budget.
Being from Jamaica where it is possible to eat on a budget of US.00 a day per person, I simply assumed that I could do the same in a similar Caribbean island such as Saint Thomas. I was wrong.
After walking around for almost an hour, I settled on the Green House; fabulous dining experience, great hang out spot, BEST tasting Saint Thomas food on the island (That I experienced). Their burger special is to die for, literally! Still the Green House is not exactly what I would classify as cheap but it’s worth it.
After my meal, I went back to my hotel and chastised myself for not doing proper research on the cheapest restaurants to dine at in Saint Thomas. So I decided to do some last minute research at my hotel’s front desk and from the taxi drivers parked out front.
I asked them specifically which were the low priced restaurants that the local residents of Saint Thomas dined at and Gladys’s Café, Fungis on the Beach and Mr. T’s were frequently mentioned.
I tried the last two but could not find Gladys’s which is located in the center of Charlotte Amalie. The fact is the capital of Saint Thomas; Charlotte Amalie is quite intricate with many streets going in and out. You might need to ask for your free map at the airport for easier access.
You can also find equally in-expensive food being served up at small shops that occupy some beaches such as Coki Point beach. Here you can get anything from sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken and all your favourite mixed drinks.
American fast food outlets such as Wendy’s, KFC and McDonald’s are also on the Island.
As a general practice, tips are automatically added onto your bill at most restaurants. Tips start at 15% and can go upward from there so make sure you check your bill when you are tipping.
Now that you have an idea about Saint Thomas food, click here to access some of the best restaurants on the island.
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