Menu suggestions for a 2 week stay

[Sam Bernik]

Heading back to Bonaire for a couple of weeks in March and I was hoping to get some ideas for meal planning for the dinners we'll be cooking in the apartment. Specifically foods available in the grocery stores and leaning towards vegetarian options. I haven't seen anything like this on the forums and it's one of the things you forget during trip planning. Maybe we can start something here...

 

[bcaderunr]

Heading back to Bonaire for a couple of weeks in March and I was hoping to get some ideas for meal planning for the dinners we'll be cooking in the apartment. Specifically foods available in the grocery stores and leaning towards vegetarian options. I haven't seen anything like this on the forums and it's one of the things you forget during trip planning. Maybe we can start something here...

Google: "Van Den Tweel" and pull it up on the map. You will also see "Warehouse Bonaire" and "Bon Di Gro" along the same road: Kaya Industria". EU standards items in the first, local produce (from So. America nearby) in the second and more of the same in the 3rd. Anything you can find in the US will be available among those three places. There are also numerous other grocery stores scattered around the area, but those are the Big 3 and are close together.

 

[arew+4]

Usually, plenty of beans dry and canned, rice, eggs, fresh produce, bakery items. It's more difficult to find meat cuts like you get in the states, all the sausages have strange names, but if you like sausages they are all good whatever they are.

 

[Sam Bernik]

Thanks for the tips. We'll try to put together a suggested shopping list based on what we find (and of course our tastes) and post it. Back in the day it was always the late great Cultimara with a limited selection, but the last several years we hit Warehouse and Van Den Tweel with much better choices and parking. The foods are different enough from the States that it's always hard to plan ahead.

 

[MrChen]

I didn't realize the Warehouse had food! I will definitely swing by in my upcoming trip.

 

[SoccerDad]

Heading back to Bonaire for a couple of weeks in March and I was hoping to get some ideas for meal planning for the dinners we'll be cooking in the apartment. Specifically foods available in the grocery stores and leaning towards vegetarian options. I haven't seen anything like this on the forums and it's one of the things you forget during trip planning. Maybe we can start something here...

It is a good idea to download a translator on your app helps with shopping. Our first time there got unsalted butter.

 

[parzdiver]

Van Den Tweel was the most typical (from a US perspective) supermarket (didn't go to Warehouse) and had a good selection. Definitely get a translator app for labels unless you want to be adventurous. We stayed at Buddy and were close to the Zhung Kong market. There are many of the Chinese markets around the island. The selection was interesting and we bought a few items outside our normal stuff.

 

[Nettles]

Van den Tweel is the Whole Foods of Bonaire, Warehouse is more like Tops, if you have those in PA. The Cultimara was like food roulette, as nothing was in English and our Dutch stinks, but it was it was way more fun. The smaller markets like Zeng Khong are a little spendier but can have things the others don't and are worth it if you are at Buddy's and don't have a ride.
You are going to love the cheese.

 

[MrChen]

Van den Tweel is the Whole Foods of Bonaire, Warehouse is more like Tops, if you have those in PA. The Cultimara was like food roulette, as nothing was in English and our Dutch stinks, but it was it was way more fun. The smaller markets like Zeng Khong are a little spendier but can have things the others don't and are worth it if you are at Buddy's and don't have a ride.
You are going to love the cheese.

We had fun shopping at Van den Tweel. There were a lot of pastries and meats we'd never seen before. Is Cultimara nearby? Time to go google it.

 

[MrChen]

Is Cultimara now called Top Supermarket?