Aruba’s First Glatt Kosher Restaurant
This week’s “Kosher Today” newsletter reports that a glatt kosher restaurant has opened in Aruba, Kineret Aruba Glatt Kosher Deli:
Kineret Aruba Glatt Kosher Deli opened on December 30 th at the Playa Linda Beach Resort, amidst the high-rise resort hotels. Carlos Sommerstein, owner of a bagel factory and several bagel stores on the island, said he opened the restaurant after receiving many requests from tourists for kosher food. “I just felt bad to see so many people looking for kosher foods and then decided it was an opportunity as well,” he said. Sommerstein told Kosher Today that the initial response has been “extraordinary.” Kineret opens at 11 for tourists who wish to catch a brunch and stays open until 11 p.m. While he imports most of the kosher foods from the US, including Rubashkin’s and Meal Mart glatt kosher meats, Sommerstein bakes his own bread and bagels. Kineret Aruba also has a take-out department for those tourists who wish to dine in their rooms or want food for the Shabbat. The restaurateur said that he initially had difficulty finding a mashgiach (supervising rabbi) but that he has now retained a rabbi from Buenos Aires and that he was concluding negotiations with the OK Certification to certify his restaurants which has some 40 tables on a magnificent outdoor veranda. “I hope that Aruba will now be a major destination for kosher tourists,” Sommerstein says enthusiastically about his latest venture, which he hopes will be open year-round. He thanked kosher consultant Joshua Shuchatowitz for his help in setting up the venture.
It’s nice to see a kosher establishment take hold in the Carribbean, where flying in pre-made meals from Miami is, as far as I know, the best any hotel can do.
Update: They didn’t receive OK certification.
Reading this news had me rolling on the floor. Why? Having spent time at Playa Linda (as a guest), I can assure you that: one, there are indeed many, many Jews that vacation in those incredibly expensive time shares; two, that most of those Jews are more interested in the all-you-can-eat shrimp at the seafood buffet than a kosher meat joint. One fun activity I saw at Playa Linda when I visited was getting up early to start each day - not davening, of course - no, it was to race to the beach to stake a claim for the prime chairs and shaded huts. And I assure you, the ladies beachware fashion would have frummies fainting at first sight.
A true, fun Aruba story: My wife and I had worked with the resort activities director to setup an afternoon mini-cruise for ourselves to go diving in the stunningly clear water offshore. He was a charming, buff surfer kinda young man with curly blond hair, green eyes and thick accent; Carlos is his name. Later in the week, on a lark, we took our young children to the only shul on the island - built by a few vacationing NY Jews, of course - to visit their Purim celebration. Our family was just starting to get “into” some religious observance, and Purim is a great time for all, so we went for it. When we arrived at the shul, after a short while, we ran smack into Carlos - and his family. My wife blurted out, “Carlos - what are YOU doing here?” Celebrating Purim, of course, with the rest of his family from Curacao with it’s noted little Sephardic community. It turns out not every Real Jew is pasty white skinned, dark haired, and has a thick New York “Jewish” accent. Who knew? ;-) Surf’s up, dude - Barukh HaShem!
Curacao has a pretty active Ashekanzy community; I wonder if the Aruba restaurant delivers to the next Island?
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CURACAO. LIKE IS THERE A MINYAN DAILY? IS THERE A KOSHER RESTAURANT THERE? AND WHATS THE WEATHER LIKE IN JULY? THANKS!
Very exciting news. I was waiting for something like this, and now am putting Aruba on my vacation map.
Thanks
G-d bless.
jabbett: can you tell me more about it?
I’m afraid I don’t have any more information on the subject. If I see anything interesting, I’ll be sure to post the details.
Just came back from Aruba - Playa Linda. Have been visiting since 1994. Our party of 4 has had many great meals at Carlos’ outdoor grill and breakfast establishment — great food! friendly service! great prices! He’s open for lunch before many of the other places which allows us to have a great meal before heading back to the airport. What an asset to the island! Carlos and his wife are truly great people — hardworking and genuinely concerned about its clientele.
Kinneret Restaurant is CLOSED!!! My family went there on Friday,December 23, 2005 to take out dinner for Shabbat and restaurant is permanently closed. Oh well, we had to live for 10 days during chanukah on fish and pasta. I guess a previous comment on this blog site is correct– that the Jews who go to Aruba only care about their shrimp and other treif than to patronize a kosher establishment.
I would like to know, which hotel is linked to this restaurant, in order to reserve the hotel-rooms just next to this restaurant.
I would also like to know if Curaçao has a kosher restaurant.
Thanks !
OK….Is Kineret open or closed?????? Anybody please. Thanks.
Rick
http://www.arubakosherfoods.com/
kineret
Located at Playa Linda Beach Resort
Tel: 011-297-582-1327
would like to find out if kineret would supply meals for a wedding in curacao in july 2006 for a few glatt kosher guests.awaiting your prompt response. thanks
well i just found out there is restaurant any more. that ia a pity
has anyone heard of anything kosher opening in aruba for the 2006/2007 winter season ???
Better advertising would be helpful. i just found out about the kosher deli in the “Nights Aruba” magazine on my last day here. had my sister-in-law known about this deli, she would have joined us on this trip.
We have been going to Aruba around Channukah time every other year. There is a deli that CARRIES Kosher items, but as far I know, they have NEVER been certifed or supervised. Keep in mind that, as others have said, they have a non-kosher menu AND a kosher menu…so I don’t think it is anything that can be relied upon. BLT anyone??? We did however, kasher our timeshare grill and oven, buy lots of food from the grocery stores and make due. We did buy a package of Aaron’s hot dogs, frozen from the deli — I was sure that was “safe.” There are TCBYs on the island and, if you hold as so, many places will clean their knife –double wrap your fish with the most basic of spices.
Does anyone know if the kosher restaurant is still open in Aruba?
We are heading to Aruba for “Yeshiva” week in January. Have a week at a timeshare. What is the overall food situation? Do we need to bring everything with us, or are their kosher supplies available? Don’t need anything fancy, so if they have the basics in canned and bottled kosher goods, that saves packing it all in. And if there is a certified kosher restaurant, even better. Any info would be helpful…
Thanks,
Lewis
I am going to aruba soon. is there any kosher resturants or a place to buy kosher food?
There are several large grocery stores on the island filled with food imported from the States and Europe. I know that the rabbi and his family do keep kosher, so I can email Rabbi Bater and find out which store he gets his foodstuffs from. I don’t remember if there was Empire or the like imported (I don’t tend to pay attention to the meat counters in the groceries.)
To the commenter who wrote that the shul was built by visiting New Yorkers, I have to disagree. As a member of a family who worked so hard to have the synagogue built for the local Jewish community I take a little offense to the comment. Before the synagogue was built, services were held in my great-grandparents house, and my grandfather was very active in getting the shul built. The synagogue is Conservative and a wonderful small congregation.
I am going to Aruba next week with 10 people. We want to have kosher food. Is there anything on the island? Thanks
i want to know if in aruba i have a kosher restorant or kosher food.
which supermarkets sell kosher certified food like cans of tuna and mayo and which areas are they in and what other kosher types of food can you buy in aruba
i think his is incredcible….the foood is great
i thought they closed?
i will be in aruba in oct. is the kosher restaurant opened
we have a week at the Marriott Surf Club in Aruba from Jan. 18-25, 2008 and would like to rent it out. If you, or anyone you know is interested, please email me at dcjohnston@comcast.net
does anyone have any idea if basic kosher food (ie. tuna, mayo etc.) can be purchased in Aruba??
Who can I arrange with to get kosher food in Aruba? Any answers?
There is a lot of chatter but know one has
answered the question…… IT THERE ANY KOSHER
PLACES TO EAT IN ARUBA??????? thank you
Saw — You are correct. “know” one has answered the question.
I find it despicable that KosherBlog has not dispatched a single member of its large and highly paid staff to Aruba to find out the answer to this question. I am outrage that KosherBlog does not provide better service given the high fees it charges all of its users.
Oh, HB, the outrage is reciprocal! I can’t believe that my readers haven’t clicked enough Google ads so I can afford to both keep my web servers running and go to Aruba on a fact-finding mission. I’m ashamed to blog, you sorry excuse for an audience.
OK, kosherblog readers - it’s UP TO US. Everyone take it upon themselves to click three ads a day! This is a big mitzvah - a relaxed blogger is an interesting blogger!
I’m reasonably convinced that even if everyone clicks on the google ads, Jabbett will not be particularly relaxed (although I’m sure he will appreciate the clickage nonetheless).
I imagine a trip to Aruba might be very relaxing, let’s not discount the possibility!
Hello,
I also have this question. By reading other people’s questions I did not understand whether
we can found a kosher food on the island.
And can I bring my own food there, especially meat?
I will volunteer to go and find out if someone
will pay for it……………
BS”D my wife and I are going Dec 13th for a few days. Bli neder I would share what I find out re kosher at Aruba.
am also going for 2 weeks to Aruba at Dec. 15th-is there any Minyan’s there?
The OK Kosher Certification never certified this restaurant. They applied and then retracted their application. We would appreciate if you would retract the statement that they are concluding negotiations with the OK for certification.
Dear Miriam,
That comment was nearly three years ago — I think it’s likely a moot point now. Wouldn’t you agree?
-a
I added an update statement at the bottom of the post, but Avi’s right. Would you contact a newspaper three years after publishing an article to say that the information is out of date?
please tell me is there kosher food in aruba thank you
There is a lot of food with hasgacha available in the supermarkets. I even found grape juice and packaged empire deli meat in the Ling and sons IGA supermarket. So finding kosher food is not a problem on the island
What do people generally do about kashering a time share for a week? Do you just eat off of paper goods? Do you kasher the stove and the sink? What about the pots and pans and utensils? Do you kasher them or just buy aluminum foil type pans?
Disposables. If I’m on holiday the last thing I want to do is a lot of work in the kitchen.
Ok first things first: you can find kosher food at LING AND SONS IGA supermarket, milk, cheese, frozen latkes, hebrew national and empire deli meat and hotdogs, all kind of parve and dairy pillsbury and sarah lee stuff, all with different american kosher certificates. the only thing you can’t find is chicken or real meat.
This are the facts about the kosher restaurant in Aruba. in 2005 and 2006 we were in Aruba for some days. the first time we where delighted to find what it seemed to be a kosher restaurant and deli. as in some posts commented, Carlos had an argentinian mashgiach for a while and was asking for OK certification and even tried to arrange with my husband (a Rabbi from a kehilla in Venezuela) to have the hashgacha of the Asociacion Israelita de Venezuela. It turned that he had a KOSHER section AND a NON KOSHER one, not properly separated inside the same grill restaurant kitchen. A day after, the mashgiach was gone and he had put a sign that he had a GLATT KOSHER RESTAURANT WITH MASGIACH TEMIDI.
The next time we went, he had closed the kosher deli and just the non kosher grill was functioning.
hi. I have been to aruba in august of 2008. they have two large supermarkets with the basic kosher foods, however meats, poultry, and bread are not kosher. certain hotels are accomadating in warming up frozen packaged meals for a fee. ther are no minyanim and the shul is not active. all in all its a beautiful island to visit. My next island i would like to visit is barbados. does anyone know if there is kosher food in Barbados? thanks
August of 2008??? Can you tell us anything else about your trip to the future? Perhaps some stock tips?
Thanks for sharing the post. Playa Linda is located just minutes from Aruba’s International Airport.
Im also visiting Barbados and trying to find out if its possible to buy Kosher Meat - does anyone know??