New Steelpan Kitchen brings Caribbean fusion to Sonesta hotel
Fans of Floribbean food might have a new fave. The Steelpan Kitchen and Bar promises a fusion of Carribbean and American cuisine when it opens Wednesday, April 17, in the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach
The hotel’s website says the new oceanside indoor/ outdoor eatery “brings forth the flavors of the Caribbean and the island cultures that have long influenced the cuisine of South Florida – from the Bahamas to Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, The British Virgin Islands and West Indies.”
Chef Kevin Baker goes along with that, but adds that he is giving the menu a bit of his own flare honed from the kitchens of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Fort Lauderdale, the Forge in Pompano Beach and 1826 Restaurant and Lounge in Miami Beach.
He says Steelpan will “give everyone the chance to taste the flavors of the Caribbean, the freshness of the Caribbean, the tropical fruits of the Caribbean and twist it around so that everyone here in America can enjoy it. What is unique about Steelpan, on the menu from breakfast to dinner, you find something that is different. Starting out with our healthy bowl, which is something completely different. [One of ] the signature dishes that is on the menu is a whole snapper that is completely deconstructed and also our guava short ribs or Jamaican Caribbean jerk wings with authentic flavor from Jamaica — the spices, so you dig in. And our fresh Caribbean ceviche, which is different — it comes inside a coconut shell, which is unique. You got an ‘impossible burger,’ which is all plant based.”
Bringing his Jamaican home to his SoFlo home
The tropical fare — like a “Sea-Sar salad” with sugarcane-grilled shrimp or crab and corn chowder with coconut curry broth — comes naturally for Baker, who grew up in Jamaica’s St. Thomas Parish, a small town about 10 miles from Kingston.
“Every morning I would get up and go to the ocean,” he recalls. “And one day I turned to my parents and I say, ‘You know what? I’m 19 years of age and I want to do something different.’ [And they ask] ‘What you want to do?” Alaska. Everyone laughed at me. So my first visit to Alaska was totally different — 22 hours of sunlight, two hours of darkness. So my life was always trending to something different and creative. And the menu we have here is something different.”
He has lived in South Florida for about 14 years, eventually settling in Lauderhill while launching his career.
“But now I find my home,” Baker says. “My home is right here. Each and every morning I get the chance to stand and look across the street and I see the beautiful ocean. This is actually a dream come true.”