Kat's 9 Lives

This is a back post, but I really liked Eva's Caribbean Kitchen on South Coast Highway. The ocean is a skip and a jump away. It can be quite chilly at night so be sure to bring a jacket. I originally wanted to have my birthday party here. It's a very small place so they told me that I would have to book the whole restaurant and each person has to spend $60 minimum. Needless to say that would be too much to ask each person to spend, especially since the food was not even that expensive. So I decided to come back with a bunch of friends at a later time and boy am I glad I did! Go early! We went when they opened and the service was SUPERB! So attentive and friendly.
We started the night off with drinks. I got their non-alcoholic drink, a Mixed Tropical Fruit juice. It was delicious! My friends tried the Mango Mojitos and they were okay. The best part was Eva was so nice & sweet, she brought us a free drink. It was like a Cinnamon Apple Martini, which tasted really good. Hey anything free is awesome! One of our friends didn't drink her mojito so she took it off our bill and brought a different drink that our friend still didn't drink. Eva even took that off as well, SUPERB service!
I love coconut shrimp so I had to get their Punani Shrimp. Yes, many of my friends have told me that punani would not be a word you'd use to describe food or in general. It was jumbo shrimps seasoned and breaded with coconut served with mango chutney. They were decent, but I must say that I still love Outback's much better. Eva gave us a free eggplant appetizer to try as well. Did I mention, AWESOME service!
For my main course, I got the Pineapple Glazed Pork Loin. It was grilled boneless pork loin marinated in dark Puerto Rican rum and garlic served with pineapple chutney. The side dishes were a vegetable medley and mashed potatoes. I thought this was decent because the flavor was lacking a little. The meat was cooked tenderly and I actually liked the vegetables. Shocking I know! My friends got the blackened dishes and they were delicious! They really packed a punch. The best part was Eva gave us free prawns in a SPICY madras curry. It was extremely flavorful and spicy, which would have went great with rice. Word to the wise, stick with the blackened or spicier stuff and you won't be disappointed.

Oh my goodness! What service! Lots of yummy food and lots of free goodies! We also shared the Guava Cheesecake at the end, which was good but nothing special. All in all the food was not bad, but it wouldn't blow me out of the water to be honest. Service, on the other hand, did I mention SPECTACULAR! I must say it's one of the best dining experiences I have had! All my friends were amazed by the service and praised me for choosing this restaurant. It's truly a mom & pop shop. They treat you like kings & queens and they truly care about your dining experience! We went early so I think she was extra attentive, until more people showed up. I will definitely be back!