If you have ever cruised the Caribbean, you’ve probably experienced Caribbean cuisine. It’s a blend of African, Cajun, Chinese, Creole, European, Latin American, Indian, and Middle Eastern. Immigrants from these countries influenced this cuisine. One brand new restaurant, Mia’s Kitchen, features dishes from the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Mia’s Kitchen is located on Rosecrans Ave in Manhattan Beach. Owner Lisa Salinas occupies a very small shop a couple of doors down from El Tarasco just south of the El Porto section of Manhattan Beach. In front of the restaurant, there is a single patio table and three bar stools.
Due to local social distancing requirements, only a single person may enter at a time. Once your order is placed, expect to wait about 20-30 minutes for your food because all of their dishes are made from scratch and are prepared to order.
Salinas plays homage to her mother with the restaurant. Everyone that knew her called her “Mia”. Salinas uses the recipes that her mother created when she ran a successful food cantina in Trinidad. She locally sources her ingredients to provide the freshest food possible.
Dhalpuri Roti is one of the most popular Trini flatbreads. This vegan flatbread is extremely thin and is filled with ground and well-seasoned split peas, curried potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. In Trinidad, it is enjoyed on special occasions.
I enjoy a good beef stew and I was curious about their Beef Stew Bowl. To me, it was more like beef chunks with steamed cabbage and carrots and a side of basmati rice and did not include a sauce. The vegetables are steamed in coconut milk to enhance the flavor.
Curry Crab with Dumplings is another popular dish in Trinidad and Tobago. The curry sauce is thick and rich with spices. My issue with this dish is that the crab legs are served shell-on and require a fair amount of work to obtain the delicious crab meat. The flour-based dumplings lack flavor, but that is the way this dish is traditionally made.
Their rice is seasoned with ground annatto (an orange-red condiment), shadon beni, a Carribean herb also known as Mexican coriander. Diced carrots, peas, green beans and corn give the corn a lot of color. This rice dish is nicely flavored.
During the weekends, they offer additional items like goat curry and goat roti. Mia’s Kitchen considers Goat Curry to be its signature dish. If I didn’t experience a reaction to goat, I would definitely try it.
Even if you haven’t experienced Caribbean cuisine, Mia’s Kitchen is worth trying. Their food brings me back to my travels to the Caribbean and that alone is worth it.
Mia’s Kitchen, 312 Rosecrans Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266; 310.546.1044
miaskitchen.info