Ela Beach Hotel has reinvented one of its iconic locations and is offering a mouth-watering menu with Asian and Pacific flavours. Zana English reports.

Salt Restaurant at Ela Beach. Credit: Godfreeman Kaptigau

Last year was one of the toughest ever for businesses as they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, however the Ela Beach Hotel took the opportunity to reinvent its beachside brasserie into the new and improved Salt Restaurant.

Upon entry, I couldn’t help but take a moment to soak in the atmosphere and appreciate the modern vibe of the restaurant, which overlooks the beachfront. It is a simple but sophisticated interior – one that suits the beachside, that’s for sure.

One of the wok-fried mains. Credit: Godfreeman Kaptigau

The menu varies from Asian to Pacific flavours. For my entrée, I ordered the tom yum kung soup, which is a classic hot-and-sour Thai specialty. From the first taste, my mouth was bursting in a spicy and zesty feast of flavours.

I tried two main dishes. The first, a classic penne pasta with carbonara sauce, was well balanced in taste and texture. It came with garlic bread fresh out of the oven – perfect.

The second dish, mild-spiced Goan curry prawns, is for anyone who adores spicy seafood. Its flavours come primarily from tamarind and coconut and the prawns were juicy and tender.

For dessert, I chose the layered Ela Beach opera cake. This classic French cake is a work in six acts. Its layers consist of a Papua New Guinean premium chocolate-infused sponge cake, a vanilla cake soaked in Goroka Arabica coffee syrup, galip nut nougat, a berry compote, and coffee jelly. It’s served with a side of vanilla ice-cream.

What you need to know

Tel. 321 2100
Web coralseahotels.com.pg
Open 6am to 10pm daily
Style Asian and Pacific cuisine
Go-to-dish Goan curry prawns (52 kina).

This article was first published in the October issue of PNG Now, Papua New Guinea’s leading lifestyle magazine.