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Back to Commewijne: A Fresh Take on Warung Shaqien!

 🚀 Back to Commewijne: A Fresh Take on Warung Shaqien! 🍲 Greetings, Story Time friends! It’s your captain, Shachem Lieuw from Story Time Productions, reporting for duty! 🛸 Today, we are taking a trip down memory lane and heading back to the beautiful district of Commewijne ! 🌿 As you might remember from my previous blog posts, I’ve featured the legendary Warung Shaqien before. But hold onto your seats, because things have changed—and for the better! 💨 A Cool Upgrade ❄️ You know how the Surinamese sun likes to turn up the heat? Well, Warung Shaqien has officially leveled up with new indoor AC dining ! It is the perfect sanctuary to escape the tropical blaze while digging into some classic Javanese comfort food. 🍜 The Feast 🍱 We kept it traditional with some of my absolute favorites—the very same dishes you’ve seen during my many Story Time transmissions: Long Tong Tahoe: Perfectly textured and seasoned. 🍢 Saoto Soup with Ketjap: The ultimate soul-soother. 🥣 I also dec...

Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo

            

" Salmon cooked with passion fruit juice and rice from Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo"

A Tropical Lunch at Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo🍴

Hello to my dearest Story Time Productions friends from around the world! How have you all been? I’m back with another adventure, and today we’re diving into a delicious lunch experience at Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo. 🎥✨

A Journey of Leadership and Culture 🎓

As many of you know, I recently visited the Dominican Republic alongside other youth delegates from the Caribbean. We were there at the invitation of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Out of the many talented students in the Caribbean Youth Fellowship Program, 20 of us were selected to attend the CAPP conference, which focused heavily on public policy and leadership.

Between sessions, we had the chance to soak up the local culture. We visited the beautiful El Centro León and the iconic El Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración. After working up an appetite, we made a pit stop at the famous Rancho Chito. 🍗


" Shachem Lieuw and the Christmas decorations at Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo"



Christmas in October? 🎄❄️

One thing that caught me off guard was the decor! Even though October had barely started, Rancho Chito was already decked out in full Christmas decorations. 🎅 It seems like getting an early start on the holiday spirit is a big deal there! Seeing snowmen and elves in the tropical heat definitely brought a jolly (and slightly surreal) vibe to our lunch.

The Passion Fruit Salmon Challenge 🐟🍹

Out of habit, I always kick off my meals with a fresh cup of coffee. ☕ But when it came to the main course, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. The Passion Fruit Salmon immediately sparked my curiosity.

In Suriname, we grow an abundance of passion fruit—or "Markoesa" as we call it back home. While I’m very familiar with the fruit (and actually involved in the passion fruit business!), I had never tried it cooked in a savory dish. In Suriname, we primarily stick to juice.

When my order arrived, the presentation was beautiful. The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was made from authentic passion fruit pulp. It was an incredible experience to taste such a familiar flavor from home reinvented in a professional Dominican kitchen. The tanginess of the Markoesa paired with the rich salmon was a 10/10! 😋

" Fruit punch juice from Rancho Chito in Santo Domingo"

Travel Tip: Language Matters! 🗣️📱

I polished off the entire meal and celebrated with a refreshing tropical fruit punch. If you plan on visiting Rancho Chito, keep in mind that—like many local spots in the Dominican Republic—the staff primarily speaks Spanish. If your Spanish is a bit rusty, keep your translation app handy or bring a friend who can help!

Watch the Adventure! 📺

I’ve put together a vlog of my full experience at Rancho Chito for you guys to see the food and the festive decorations for yourselves! 🎬


Join the Story Time Family! 🛸

Have you ever tried fruit in a savory dish? Let me know in the comments what you think! 💬

If you want to stay updated on my journey, make sure to subscribe to the blog and hop onto the Story Time U.F.O. 🛸 By subscribing, you’ll be the first to get a notification in your inbox every time I post a new adventure or business insight.

Thank you for all the love and support for Story Time Productions. I can’t wait to take you along on my next trip! 🌴✨



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