Kapi Kapi, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica - November 2008

UD and I absolutely loved our dinner at Kapi Kapi during our recent trip to Costa Rica. First of all, the restaurant is lovely inside. It is open-air (as are most restaurants in the area), but the decor is more upscale than most. Sitting in such a pretty environment while being surrounded by the rain forest and its cacaphony of songs made for a very romantic dining experience.

There was a special soup available the night we dined at there (roasted pumpkin) which I had to try, and it was like velvet on the tongue...some of the most wonderful soup I've ever had. My husband got the Asian Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Citrus Slaw as his starter, and the bite of them I was able to steal was delicious as well. Although everything on the menu sounded divine, I finally settled on the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with Sweet Chili Plum Sauce, Jasmine Rice and Stir Fried Vegetables. Oh my gawd! I get my share of tasty seafood living in Florida, but this may have been the best fish dish I've ever eaten. It was simply sublime and incredibly fresh. My husband was equally impressed with his Fire Roasted Red Snapper with Roasted Chili Butter Sauce, Citrus Salsa, Smokey Lentils and Crispy Basil. We finished up by splitting an order of Mangos Foster, which was pretty unforgettable, too. All of this, plus a couple of glasses of wine apiece, set us back a little over $100 U.S. which was a bargain in my book considering the food quality and atmosphere.

We loved our meal so much that we returned the following evening for dessert after a much less impressive meal at another restaurant in Manuel Antonio. We tried the Mandarin Lime Pie and the Hot Chocolate Souffle that night, both of which were as wonderful as we expected. We wanted to meet the creator of these gastronomic masterpieces, and chef Darren Remy was kind enough to come out to the dining room and chat with us briefly on that occasion.

I can't recommend Kapi Kapi enough. I have been to Costa Rica three times, and have always commented to others that "you don't go to Costa Rica for the food". Kapi Kapi made me think I might've been wrong about that.

Asian Glazed Baby Back Ribs

My Pumpkin Soup - To Die For!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi

Fire Roasted Red Snapper With Roasted Chili Butter Sauce, Citrus Salsa, Smokey Lentils & Crispy Basil

Digging Into The Mangos Foster

I got to meet Chef Remy when we returned the following evening.  Do I look a little tipsy?  Not sure what could've caused that!

http://www.restaurantekapikapi.com/ourvitals.html