Sunday, Mar. 12, 2006
There can't be many chefs trying to fuse Asian and Caribbean cuisine, but Vito Chan is doing just that. From his kitchen at Tao restaurant, in the Body Holiday hotel at St Lucia's Le Sport resort, he turns out exquisite dishes that have a distinctive Asian flavor and yet seem right at home on this volcanic isle. If you can't choose from a menu studded with so many tantalizing items, there's an easy solution: opt for the Tao Taste Plate of grilled beef tenderloin, pan-seared red snapper and wok-fried king prawns. Two other standouts are the conch fritters and the laksa (pictured above)—a coconut-milk-based noodle soup that can be bland when served outside its native Malaysia, but packs a Caribbean punch at Tao. The restaurant's beachfront setting meanwhile provides all the laid-back island ambience you could want. Given Tao's intimate size, reservations are essential; call (758) 450 8551.
- Sue Strachan
- The Cook of Tao
