A Marvelous Food Experience in the Outdoors of Pinilla
February 1, 2017
Properties in Costa Rica
The increasing offer of sustainable restaurants is a worldwide trend and the North Pacify Coast of Costa Rica, Guanacaste is not falling behind. You can easily find homemade products, organic suppliers, specialized shops, responsible restaurants and much more in the area. This is because sustainability is not a new or temporary trend, and it isn’t a secret the food culture is changing worldwide. In some regions more than in others, but at the end, this trend is all over the industry, from retailers to restaurants.
When purchasing goods at supermarkets people, are caring more about where does their food comes from and its green credentials. They want products with proven ethical and environmental sustainability. This behavior also exists when choosing where to dine out. You can see this demonstrated in the increasing offer of sustainable, vegan and vegetarian restaurants all over the world.
Sustainable restaurants are those who intend to be environmentally and socially responsible. Using ingredients that do the less impact and spending the less resources. Buying to local producers and using alternative or green procedures makes possible to reduce in transportation and electricity footprints.
Sustainable restaurants are definitely what we should choose when dining out. Just 25 min from Tamarindo and 5 min from Hacienda Pinilla in a very exclusive and unique way, we have the perfect option to spend some quality time and enjoy a delicious, healthy and responsible dinner. HiR, is the new restaurant in the area that rose quickly to top 10 fine dining in Guanacaste according to TripAdvisor. It’s owned by a business coach and private Chef originally from Belgium, who has lived all over the world, and decided to settle down in Costa Rica.
The philosophy behind this 8 seat restaurant is to generate surprise and wonder at all moments. From the moment, the guests walk into a garden in the jungle, and sit at the only 2 wooden tables with no waiters, no menus and nothing that feels like a fine dining restaurant; to the moment they start receiving 6 to 10 beautiful and intricate plates that look like coming from top restaurants in Paris, London or NYC.
The dishes at HiR are mostly fish and seafood based or vegetarian. Elaborated from organic vegetables, provided by a local supplier or grown in the property. The zero waste policy characterizes dishes at this exceptional place. “The more you travel, the more you are able to discover that what is considered waste in some cultures might be considered high value in others” is what the Chef says while explaining how he came up to with plates done with avocado seeds, estragon flowers, papaya seeds, and watermelon peels. The defeat of food waste is defiantly a topic among Top chefs, such as Tom Colicchio owner of Fowler & Wells the restaurant at the new Beekman hotel in Manhattan’s Financial District and one of US biggest culinary heroes, Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain is been collaborating with the Rockefeller Foundation on a documentary movie this year that shows “how everyone can make changes to minimize what we throw away.”
Mindfulness and awareness are key ingredients in every dinner at HiR, which is why there is no menu nor introduction to dishes you’ll have that evening, until the moment they are served. We often live like time travelers, looking into the future or the past without being completely aware of the present. When information of that close future is restricted we are forced to live the present and enjoy it as well.
In the chefs words, “It’s not just food. It’s an experience that stimulates the five senses. The reason why people don’t know the menu is so, that it’s a constant discovery. I spend an insane amount of time preparing every dish for 3 moments of magic: first when people see their plate, then when they taste what I cooked and finally when they learn about what they are eating. I love the joy, curiosity and sense of wonder, people have during their experience at HiR.”
HiR’s chef Noam Kostucki is mentored by Quentin Villers, another Belgium chef who has a one Michelin star. Chef Quentin Villers is now a regular guest chef at the restaurant, and the owner looks forward to create special invitations and culinary adventures working with other international chefs throughout 2017. Guests are invited to start as early as 4:30 to enjoy the view of the jungle between the sunset and the orchard in the property, until the evening falls, where food starts coming and people begin being delighted with 5 stars dishes and the beautiful sky of Pinilla with a million stars. Locals, both Ticos and foreigners have been charmed with this new concept of dining, hopefully more dining concepts like this will be developed in the near future.