We strive to make the experience at Flying Fish a special experience you can't have elsewhere. Chef Tim Tibbits of Flying Fish Restaurant
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There seems to be a lot
of chatter on the internet these days about restaurants and service.
There also is a long discussion recently about Flying Fish. It seems
like there are a lot of misunderstandings about what we do, and want to
do, at Flying Fish Restaurant. I would like to take a moment to try and shed some
light on our thoughts for the restaurant.
From the
inception of the concept of Flying Fish my goal was to create a place
that had quality and luxury never before attempted on Grand Bahama.
Lots of people said we should do it in Nassau; that's where all the
people are. Many said you should do it in Abaco; that's where all the
big wallets are. We said we should do it in Freeport because that's
where we are. We live here. Our lives are centered around here and we
are committed to doing our part to making Freeport a better place to be.
Many
people on the island became used to seeing us at all the big functions.
Our catering company was well known for the level of quality and
service it always provided. Flying Fish has taken that to whole
different level.
There are a lot of things about Flying
Fish that set us apart from every other restaurant on the island. Most
of these things are in the details. The entire restaurant and almost
everything in it was designed by myself. I did enlist help in making
the vision come true and those involved did a wonderful job. I designed
the cutlery myself and had it made in England. It is one of a kind. Our stemware is Austrian Stotzle stemware. Most restaurants in Grand
Bahama spend less on the entire glassware for the restaurant than we did
on the white wine glasses alone. Not that that matters to some, but it
matters to us. Great wine glasses make your wine taste better. And
adds to the experience. And the experience is all we wanted to give
people while staying true to ourselves and what we stand for. I won't
even get started on the plates;)
Some things you may not know about Flying Fish:
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We
make our own bottled water on site with our reverse osmosis machine.
It serves both sparkling and still water and we bottle it in recyclable
glass bottles. It save us between 5-10 bags of garbage in plastic
bottles per week. I think it's one of the biggest things we did to make
an impact.
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We installed our own laundry on site to make sure we could use real towels in the bathrooms instead of wasting paper towels.
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Our staff only use real cups for their own drinks. Disposables are not allowed.
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Flying
Fish does not provide service. We provide hospitality. Flying Fish is
my home. When you visit, you are my personal guest and I hope for you
to feel like you were treated that way. Our food sometimes can be
difficult for people to understand and we understand that. Our staff
are trained to make you feel at ease with your selections.
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Our
service staff must learn our 129 cardinal rules of service. They are
tested on the menu, techniques and wine list every week. If they fail
the test they are not allowed to take a table. We encourage our staff
to take pride in their job and that it is a "we" operation run by team
work.
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If you don't want to select your food, I will. We
have a chef's 5 course tasting menu for those who just don't feel like
choosing. Try the wine pairings, it enhances your meal incredibly.
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Rebecca is the only certified sommelier on Grand Bahama Island.
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Our wine list is 90% under the $60 price point for amazing wines carefully chosen for their quality and value.
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Flying Fish has the largest wine list in Grand Bahama and keeps growing.
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Flying
Fish serves the most unique brunch food in the Caribbean. Our
64-degree, 75-minute egg is beyond good. We cook eggs at 64 degrees
for 75 minutes to create the most creamy yolk you have ever had.
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Flying
Fish only serves sustainable seafood, fresh not frozen, only in its
season. This is a big thing for us. We live on an island and the ocean
is what sustains many people here. Mismanagement of the ocean will
destroy the Bahamian economy and way of life.
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Our meats
are all small farm raised, no antibiotics or growth hormones. Humanely
slaughtered. Never in factory processing plants like IBP. My beef is
Hereford breed, a rare Irish breed of cattle with exceptional flavor and
texture. The pork belly is Kurobuta pork; the Kobe beef of the pork
world. Even on the bar menu these remain. The bacon for our BLT
sandwich is cured and smoked in house using the same amazing pork. The
burger that is becoming legendary is ground in house using the same
Hereford Beef. Short ribs, Top sirloin and chuck are all ground by
myself using no eggs, breadcrumbs or other fillers.
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We
serve non seafood items too. On the menu is beef, duck, pork, lamb,
vegetarian and seafood too. We called the restaurant Flying Fish
because of the amazing experience some of us are able to experience when
out on the ocean and a flying fish comes out of the water. It's a
special experience only to be had here, at the right time in the right
place. We strive to make the experience at Flying Fish a special
experience you can't have elsewhere.
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Everything is made from scratch every day. Nothing comes from a can, a packet or a box. We make everything ourselves everyday.
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Our
kitchen staff all have culinary education. We believe in surrounding
ourselves with people who strive to make themselves better with
education. Our staff are paid a living wage. They work hard and are
loyal because we try our best to look out for them. I have watched
employees grow from living on friends' and family's couches and floors
to having to sign letters for them now for their first apartments. We
are making a difference in their lives and they are contributing every
day in a positive way to our community and our economy.
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We
also serve our staff a family style meal every day. For some it may be
the only meal they get for the day. We feel it's important to maintain
the family feeling of what we do here. That way we know everyone has
each other's back.
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We are committed to educating youth.
We have work study culinary students working in our kitchen with real
hands on learning. They get to participate in real cooking. Not just
peeling vegetables, but using the advanced techniques we use here every
day.
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Our staff is 100% Bahamian. There are no work permits at Flying Fish.
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There
are many people who said that our food was too small and was too
expensive. We listened. We have changed our menu to a traditional 3
course format. We have very substantial main courses now. All of which
are lower priced than some other restaurants in the direct area. As
well, we have an even more affordable menu on the outside patio. Happy
hour 5-7pm everyday with drink prices comparable to the cheapest bars in
town but with the best service and view and the detail in the food
simply not available anywhere else.
Attention to detail: Chef Tim Tibbits of Flying Fish Restaurant
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All of this may mean
nothing to some people. They want as much food for as little money as
possible. That's their choice, I guess. Myself, I'll choose quality
over quantity every time. However, with our new menu options, now I can
have quality and quantity together.
Hopefully you will
help us spread our word. We need the help of our supporters to share
this philosophy throughout the community and the world. Please take the
time to share this with anyone you think might be interested.
If
you have any questions or concerns about the menu, please email me at
chef@flyingfishbahamas.com and I am happy to walk you through the menu
or answer any questions you may have.
Hope to see you all soon.
Respectfully,
Chef Tim Tibbitts
Flying Fish Restaurant
Please visit our website for details and our menus:
www.flyingfishbahamas.com
Located in Lucaya, Grand Bahama, adjacent to Pelican Bay Hotel
and The Grand Lucayan Resort
(formerly the Ferry House Restaurant)
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