Norma's on the Beach at Sea Splash

Description:

• The very durable matriarch, Norma Shirley, is hailed as the finest chef in Jamaica. Although it's unlikely that she'll appear on the premises at the time of your arrival, the chefs use her recipes for their inspiration -- a cookery characterized by such regional products as callaloo (a spinachlike vegetable), papaya, and corn-fed free-range chicken. To reach the place, you have to proceed down a long, jungle-landscaped pathway from the parking lot (near the sea-hugging boulevard), through the gardens of the Sea Splash Resort, to a pair of lattice-ringed wooden decks and pavilions beside a stretch of Seven Mile Beach. Pick your preferred dining venue -- there are at least two, one of which lies at the top of a flight of wooden stairs. The menu is seasonally adjusted, with items that may include grilled red snapper marinated with herbs and served with a garlic butter sauce; or jerk penne pasta with slivers of chicken, fresh basil leaves, and sun-dried tomatoes. A specialty is jerk pork marinated in jerk sauce and grilled and served with a pimento jerk glaze. That's a lot of jerk.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010