Executive Chef

**lauraff7** · 08-21-2011, 10:42 AM

Report from Hedo II- Joseph is in the house! Spoke briefly with him last night and he is very pleased to now be the new "Executive Chef" here, meaning that he is in charge of all the food everywhere on the resort. We told him that there had been some positive Internet reviews of his arrival and still brief time here, and he was very happy! He is very visible at meals, with his big white tall chefs hat, and at breakfast this morning I heard him promising a recipe to one young lady.

I am happy to report that last night, our first night of this stay, we ate dinner in the main dining room and it was vastly improved. I had (perfectly) grilled fish in a white wine sauce, caramelized roast potatoes, a green/purple salad with orange dressing, and pineapple/cheese salad. Bruce really liked the pot roast with red wine gravy. For dessert, I had pistachio ice cream with a flambe'd amaretto fruit sauce. The young lady doing the flambe was a sweet upbeat Jamaican who seemed to be enjoying her "fire show" immensely.

Quite a change from our last trip....

Laura

**NickandKitty** · 08-21-2011, 11:02 AM

We always enjoyed our interactions with him over at 3. When we needed something from the kitchen (such as yogurt for someone with a little gastrointestinal distress) and the rest of the regular kitchen staff was unable or unwilling to take the extra step he always came through for us. We are glad he made the transition. A couple weeks ago during our stay (and I doubt this hasanything to do with him due to the timing) we found the food at the buffet to already be head and shoulders above what I remember from H3. The only improvement we would ask for is some Chef John style nachos at the nude grill- and maybe a crab salad some people were saying.
Peace and Love-
Nick (and the saucy Kitty)tm

**rickndeb** · 08-21-2011, 11:18 AM

He was great!! When we did a private Catamaran trip he made us some fruit trays to take!!
Talked ti him almost daily!!

**phillygirl22** · 08-21-2011, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by lauraff7

...I am happy to report that last night, our first night of this stay, we ate dinner in the main dining room and it was vastly improved. I had (perfectly) grilled fish in a white wine sauce, caramelized roast potatoes, a green/purple salad with orange dressing, and pineapple/cheese salad. Bruce really liked the pot roast with red wine gravy. For dessert, I had pistachio ice cream with a flambe'd amaretto fruit sauce. The young lady doing the flambe was a sweet upbeat Jamaican who seemed to be enjoying her "fire show" immensely.
...Laura

In May, I thought the food was good! (Perhaps Joseph was "behind the scenes" then??)
But I have to say, I never saw anything "carmelized!" And flambeed amaretto fruit sauce?? I need to get up for dessert in a few weeks!!!

Can you maybe mention to him that the jerk sauce on the jerk chicken needs help??

**CopNkitten** · 08-21-2011, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by phillygirl22

In May, I thought the food was good! (Perhaps Joseph was "behind the scenes" then??)
But I have to say, I never saw anything "carmelized!" And flambeed amaretto fruit sauce?? I need to get up for dessert in a few weeks!!!

Can you maybe mention to him that the jerk sauce on the jerk chicken needs help??

Umm so your saying you want jerk sauce?
Man that one is just tooooo easy
lol
Cop..

**phillygirl22** · 08-21-2011, 03:30 PM

STOP! You are too much!!
My comment was perfectly within context!!!

**CandG** · 08-22-2011, 04:55 AM

We're back home! Yes, Chef Joseph is very visible and involved and the flambe table is a very nice addition. He also made another change that may or may not work out well. On our last night the usual pasta station was a Mongolian Beef station. We ate at Martino's that night because we wanted to have a nice quiet dinner, just the two of us, on our last night so I can't say how good the Mongolian beef was, but the reason I say it may be a problem is that the pasta station was always our "go to" option when we couldn't find anything we liked on the buffet. I worry about losing that option. Having said that, we did see some improvements, but the full effect of Chef Joseph's presence won't be felt fore at least a couple of weeks. He told me he was reviewing things and taking notes right now and had not changed any of the standard recipes and food offerings yet (except for the flambe and Mongolian beef), As I think I posted previously, though, the lobster on both Friday nights that we were there was absolutely awful. There is simply no other way to describe it. It was inedible - tough, dry and tasteless (what taste there was was a "burned" taste). I never thought I would see the day when I would opt for the carved beef on lobster night!

**CopNkitten** · 08-22-2011, 06:51 AM

Glad you guys made it home safe. Look forward to a trip report, though your updates from hedo just about covered it all, lol.
Cop..

**cowgirl** · 08-22-2011, 08:49 AM

We didn't get to try the Mongolian Beef station either, but I think it is great that Joseph is providing more options, so that each night isn't so repetitive. He is an awesome addition to Hedo. We saw him at every breakfast and dinner, interacting with the guests. He even gave us his Jerk Chicken sauce receipe (typed neatly on a full page of paper) during the repeaters party. He was so friendly and fun to talk to, and so cute with his tall white chef hat. One night, they were out of the Creme Brule at the pasta rest. He said I could check with him the next night and get a Creme Brule to go! Which I did, of course!!
We were there for 7 nights, and the food at all of the restaurants improved during the week we were there. Joseph had only been at Hedo for 5 nights when we arrived on Sat.the 13th. and yet, he was already making changes. He is just what Hedo needed to pump some life into the food!!
Cowgirl

**Todd&Elena** · 08-22-2011, 01:22 PM

I was blown away by Joseph. His interaction with the guest was great and the quality of the food was definitively up some. Like stated we will see the full affect in a few weeks or so. I personally had no issue with the lobster. Gotta remember it is Caribbean lobster with does not taste like a Maine lobster. The just unfreaze it and grill it.

**Heman** · 08-22-2011, 01:55 PM

glad the trip was a safe one candg

**CandG** · 08-22-2011, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Heman

glad the trip was a safe one candg

Thanks, Heman, it was and there's a lot to be said for that. Maybe it was just that we were there so long, but we saw an unusually high number of accidents and injuries (most minor but a couple pretty serious) in addition to Agustus' accident during the time we were there. Anyone going to Hedo for the first time should understand that they're not in the U.S. and government safety regulations and fear of lawsuits is not what it is here in the States. Therefore, there are any number of "booby traps" (and I don't mean that kind of booby

) around that when combined with lots of alcohol can be dangerous. These range from uneven concrete to loose tiles, slippery floors (including those in your room), glass, etc. We were friendly with a woman who was straddling the toilet seat in the men's room and because of a combination of too much to drink and a slippery tile floor, her foot slid out from under her and she hit the toilet seat in a very sensitive area, if you know what I mean. She ended up in the hospital and got about a dozen stitches on the inner portion of her labia. To her Hedo credit, though, she was back at the pool the next day (not in the water obviously) drinking and having a great time but moving very slowly and carefully and obviously in a lot of pain. She told anyone who asked her (and many who didn't), "I broke my cu*t!" The message is, have lots of fun but be very careful.

**CopNkitten** · 08-24-2011, 11:37 AM

Ummmm
OUCH
"that was from kitten"
Cop..

**lauraff7** · 08-25-2011, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by CandG

Thanks, Heman, it was and there's a lot to be said for that. Maybe it was just that we were there so long, but we saw an unusually high number of accidents and injuries (most minor but a couple pretty serious) in addition to Agustus' accident during the time we were there. Anyone going to Hedo for the first time should understand that they're not in the U.S. and government safety regulations and fear of lawsuits is not what it is here in the States. Therefore, there are any number of "booby traps" (and I don't mean that kind of booby

) around that when combined with lots of alcohol can be dangerous. These range from uneven concrete to loose tiles, slippery floors (including those in your room), glass, etc. We were friendly with a woman who was straddling the toilet seat in the men's room and because of a combination of too much to drink and a slippery tile floor, her foot slid out from under her and she hit the toilet seat in a very sensitive area, if you know what I mean. She ended up in the hospital and got about a dozen stitches on the inner portion of her labia. To her Hedo credit, though, she was back at the pool the next day (not in the water obviously) drinking and having a great time but moving very slowly and carefully and obviously in a lot of pain. She told anyone who asked her (and many who didn't), "I broke my cu*t!" The message is, have lots of fun but be very careful.

We just saw Serena for the first time last night- she had been out the first part of the week because she fell down the stairs outside the disco. Another accident.... makes you want to really step carefully!!!!