Curacao: Asia de Cuba

In order to drive home the point that Curacao is such a diverse place that the locals have far fewer hang-ups about political correctness than America, my dive master Kurt wanted nothing more than for me to call him a nigger.


I got myself into this pickle all because my friends and I chose not to treat our two dive masters: Kurt and Jugo like they were crazy people when one of the first things they asked after the boat returned to dock was, "Do you like shrimp?"




Not such an easy question when you've just spent the past hour fifty feet below sea-level. Turns out the query was in regards not to a rare spotting of wire coral shrimp, but shrimp as in two pounds for about $35. In other words, how the rest of the non-diving world understands it: shrimp to eat.

We tried three types : Garlic Parsley, Thai and Chimi Churri. Garlic Parsley was maybe the best, but it did have a slightly watery taste that suggested frozen shrimp not well-defrosted. Though it might have masked the flavor of the crustacean, I would have preferred an even more robust seasoning on the shrimp, as with the watery background flavor the herbs and spices didn't quite seem to penetrate and give a real fireworks on the palate experience.

The deep fried yucca with the chipotle mayonnaise, however, were pitch perfect and gave me the mental stamina to navigate a discussion of racial politics with a verbal a-bomb dangled before my lips like it was a perfectly harmless treat.

Asia de Cuba, Zuikertuintjeweg z/n (next to Bloempot Shopping Center and near Grand Café De Heeren), Curacao