New mouthwatering delights at PIC

Saipan’s favorite sunset hangout—the Seaside Grill restaurant at the Pacific Islands Club—is expanding its operations to offer an array of international cuisine for local residents and tourists so they could enjoy a sumptuous lunch at affordable prices by the scenic San Antonio beach.

With New York-trained chef Robert Stern joining PIC as its new executive chef, the restaurant vows to offer guests with unique food preparations, including world-renowned cuisine that have become favorites at the U.S. state.

As the saying goes in New Orleans—Laissez les bon temps rouler—the good times will roll at the Seaside Grill at noontime, when the restaurant launches its lunch menu on Aug. 23, a la carte style.

The restaurant’s ambiance is itself relaxing, with its bamboo-motif setting overlooking Saipan’s blue waters. Add to this the taste of food especially prepared through Cajun-style cooking and patrons will surely revel in the sensory overload.

At the restaurant, one can enjoy the “dirty rice,” which comes with a mix of ground beef and spices. Its Pulled Chicken with Grilled Tomato and Shaved Red Onion will certainly give a new variation to the traditional chicken sandwich. Seaside Grill also offers pita bread with cheese and beef filling.

The Korean-style “Bibimbap”—barbecued beef with spicy ginger vegetables, and soy sauce, and rice topped with fried egg—will surely be satisfying, while the Roast Beef and Carmelized Onion Wrap with Pickled Vegetables appeals like Indian-style shawarma.

Stern said the lunch menu includes an array of Western and Asian cuisine. “Being on the islands surrounded by waters, we’ll give seafood,” he added.

The Seafood Salad with Daikon, Carrot and Green Onion with Lemon Dressing has a mix of shrimps, mussels, squid and green vegetables.

Besides an array of salads, sandwiches and wraps, and barbecue selections, Seaside Grill also has variations of pastas to choose from, including the Linguine with Baby Shrimp, Clams and Broccoli in a White Wine Broth, as well as the Penne with Chicken Bolognese and Green Onion.

One can conclude the meal by ordering dessert such as the healthful Sliced Fruit Platter with Feta [Greek] Cheese or the Apple Cobbler, a kind of pastry topped with sautéed apples and cinnamon. The restaurant has a kids’ menu that lists sandwiches, pasta and dessert designed to please children’s tastes.

PIC’s director of Food and Beverage, Steve Balakrishna, said the upcoming lunch at the Seaside Grill is part of the hotel’s thrust to tap the local market.

“What we want to do really is to attract our local residents,” Balakrishna said. “PIC has always been a local hangout.”

Last Saturday, the restaurant had a soft opening of the lunch menu, serving hotel guests. For two consecutive days alone, the lunch had about 60 customers, even though the soft opening entailed no announcement. Balakrishna said lunch would be served from 11am to 2pm daily.

Seaside Grill has become a favorite sunset hangout on the island, serving food and drinks by the beach in San Antonio. It remains open from 5pm to 7pm for sunset, and from 6pm to 9pm for dinner.