Food is such an important part of travelling. It offers every culture a unique identity created through history and years of traditions. It can tell you the story of a country and it can bring people together. It is always very exciting to try new dishes and discover local ingredients from different regions of the Earth.
Belize was no exception to this exciting culinary journey. The collective influence of the Mestizo, Maya, and Kriol people make up the largest demographic in Belize, while the presence of Chinese and Taiwanese groups adds a different level of diversity. It was very interesting to learn that there are various Mennonite communities living in Belize. As a British colony in the past, it is the only English-speaking country in Central America, and it’s geographic position within Central America and the Caribbean also makes it stand out.
Before coming here, all I knew was that I needed to try a traditional breakfast dish called fry jacks (deep fried dough) – they were delicious. Speaking of traditional dishes, I ended up discovering a new love for stew chicken with beans & rice. If you read my last post, you would know that we learned the ancient practice of making corn tortillas (read about it here). We also discovered an edible plant high in protein called chaya – which reminded me of kangkong used in Filipino cooking, and we got to buy chocolate from a local cacao producer.
With a top industry in agriculture and an emphasis on using local products, the food was noticeably very fresh. Despite a seemingly simple variety of offerings, the food in San Ignacio was great. In this post, I will be sharing my review of three restaurants:
This restaurant is considered to be more on the pricey side compared with other options in downtown San Ignacio, but their high ratings, farm-to-table approach, and pride in using quality ingredients attracted us to give it a try. It has a casual yet intimate setting with outdoor patio seating, and I would say it is relatively more upscale than other places in the area. The menu offers many appealing items, and it was difficult to decide what to order because everything sounded delicious!
Eventually, my friends and I decided to share the Guava Buffalo Wings. Doesn’t that sound interesting? It was described as being coated with “a guava sauce”, which I did not find to be as sweet as you would expect – the taste was actually very subtle and I think it could be developed more. I would probably order them again if I were in the mood for chicken wings.
For my main meal, I chose our server’s recommendation of the Spicy Chorizo & Garlic Shrimp Burger which I did not particularly enjoy. The sweet potato bun, shrimp, and chorizo were a bit dry – maybe this needed more sauce. I was hoping to really like it but it lacked a lot of flavour and I wished I had chosen something else that could have given me a better impression of this restaurant. On the other hand, my friends got the Belizean Jerk Chicken Quesadillas and the Caribbean Shrimp Pasta – both delicious and would recommend. The quesadillas were tasty with lots of cheese, while the shrimp were sweet and fresh. Overall, I liked this restaurant and if I ever come back to Belize I would re-visit Guava Limb to try other things off their menu.
This seems to be one of the most popular restaurants in the area as it was always recommended to eat here. With a wide selection of offerings at reasonable value, I can see why. It is a smaller place with an energetic atmosphere, crowded with locals and tourists. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait for a table.
I ordered one of the specials, so it cost a bit more than most things on the menu. It wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the stew chicken with beans & rice that I had on the first night (I haven’t mentioned it in this post, but you can see it in the post I previously mentioned). I knew I would have to order it from wherever we decided to go the next night.
I also tried Belize’s national beer, Belikin, which I thought was good. If we had more time, I would have liked to come back here to try more things.
On our last night in San Ignacio, we visited another one of the most popular local restaurants. We actually tried to visit the previous night (Wednesday), but it was closed. For a such a well-known place, it was empty on the night we came. It had a very homey vibe.
This time, I finally decided to play it safe and order what I’d been craving the most: stew chicken with beans & rice. I believe that this is the dish Belize is known for, and I don’t know how or why, but it is sooo delicious. It’s a perfect plate that comes with everything you need for a complete meal. The chicken falls off the bone and the stew is seasoned with a nice blend of spices. There are also other versions like beef, but the chicken is so good that I wouldn’t want to order anything else. I am a huge fan of all rice, but before this trip I don’t think I had ever tried beans & rice like this. There’s something about it that is almost addicting – that’s how good it is. We think that the secret ingredient they use is coconut oil, because there’s no way beans & rice can taste this good on it’s own. For freshness, the dish usually comes with fried plantains and coleslaw or garden salad. It seems so simple, but every component compliments each other so well. I love it!
Of the three meals I have mentioned here, I think this one was my favourite. I also ordered a strawberry milkshake, and the whole meal only cost me $6 USD – so worth it. If I return to Belize I would come back here every day to have stew chicken beans & rice.
The last thing I want to mention on this post is Marie Sharp’s habanero pepper sauce. Up until about 3 years ago, I was never a fan of hot sauce. I always preferred to have my food without spice, but my tolerance has really increased over these years and I’m glad because it has allowed me to explore many more flavour profiles. With that being said, this hot sauce is delicious! It has a carrot base that adds a level of sweetness. I brought a bottle back home and put it on everything now. 🔥
I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you!
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xoxo,
♡ 
Thanks Alexus!
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