Kat's 9 Lives

I have been meaning to post this return to Eva's Caribbean Kitchen in Laguna Beach with Tofu. Mango and Coconut were suppose to come with us but they bailed on us. Their loss. =9 We had a nice drive to the beach and found parking easily on the street since it was earlier in the day. We arrived right as they opened and were welcomed in. I really liked how everything was so luminous because the sun was still out strong. This time I have improved my camera skills 10 folds, so the picture are much better than our first trip. You will be able to tell when the photos are taken a while ago or recent. ^_- The plants are nicely placed outside and I loved how they turned out in the photos.
We were sat near the patio so it was very refreshing and nice to get a closer look at the patio decor. As soon as the bread was baked they brought out fresh rolls that are always very tasty with the butter. I love hot bread that just melts the butter away and absorbs the flavor. Each bite was great and we ate a lot of fresh hot bread.
To start off the night we ordered drinks. I am not one to order drinks a lot unless I see something I really like or there is something I want. Since Tofu was leaving soon and there were so little meals left, I decided to splurge a little. He ordered the Guava Mimosa and I got the Mock Mango Tango. Sorry, I don't like alcoholic drinks all that much... Despite what others may think =P **Burumun!** lol I really liked my drink. It was sweet and flavorful. The mango they used was delicious! I even ate the skin! ^_^ The drink looked so beautiful and cute. Eva is always as sweet as ever and as I finished my drink she poured the remaining liquid in the blender into my cup before I could order another. She's always so sweet and nice.
Tofu and I decided to share and try the Crab and Sweet Corn Cakes. It's Dungeness Crab meat and Sweet Corn seasoned with Herbs & Spices from around the Caribbean served with Pineapple, Mango Salsa. We both really enjoy them. I liked the crisp texture of the outside and moistness within. The flavors were good by themselves only enhanced by the salsa.
I wanted to try something new so I got the Cornmeal Louisiana Catfish. It's fresh Catfish Filet seasoned with Garlic, Shallots, Thyme, Scallions, Chilies, Bacardi Limon and dredged in Cornmeal. This dish was great. It was extremely flavorful. You could smell the dish as they brought it out. I was ecstatic that it was boneless and it was a huge piece of fish. The fresh vegetables were good as usual. I love the Plantain that comes with every dish. Sometimes I wish we could order a side order. ^_^
Tofu decided to try something new too. He ordered the Curry Chicken. It's succulent pieces of fresh Chicken sautéed with Madras Curry, Garlic, Cumin, Katchula, and Potatoes. This dish was plentiful too. The flavors were good and there were a lot of chicken in the dish. There is a lot of sauce for you to mix with the rice.
Like I said, we were kind of splurging a little and ordered a dessert to share as well. Okay we are very silly together, we often can't come to a decision. We debated for a long time. It was time to pop out a coin and let the gods of fate choose. lol So we decided to try the Coconut Crème Brûlée only to find out that they didn't have any that night. Back to the drawing board again. We decided to try the Banana Passion Flambé. It's sliced Bananas sautéed in Passion Fruit Liquor, Sweet Butter, Brown Sugar, and set ablaze with Dark Rum served with Vanilla Ice Cream.
I agree that the show would have looked much nicer at night so that you can see the flames rising. Bear with me on the collage. I tried my best to catch the flames in the bright light. Luckily Tofu was wearing a darker shirt so that you can see it better on his shirt maybe? lol This dessert was totally drenched in alcohol flavor. It was a little too strong for me. The presentation was great, but I am not that into alcoholic things. I tried to eat as much as I can, but Tofu was able to finish more. The ice cream helped mellow it out. I mean the dessert was good, just not my cup of tea.
All in all the food was great and the service was great as usual. I like it best when Eva came around. That night I talked to her about having my B-day dinner here, which I will post really soon! ^_^ I think it's a very quaint and adorable place. It gives off a wonderful feeling and experience. So I thought it would be nice to share with all my friends. And of course to meet Eva who is such a sweetheart! ^_-

Eva's Caribbean Kitchen
31732 Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 499-6311