Cooking with Love: Chef Jonnathan Lesire of Ike’s Bistro puts his all into Ike’s vegan menu
Chef Jonnathan Lesire is chill, but don’t let the relaxed demeanor of the 28-year-old Chef de Partie at Ike’s Bistro distract you from his focus: this is a young man going places.
— By Ivy Lerner-Frank
— Photography Kenneth Theysen
— Cover: Jonnathan Lesire, Ike’s Bistro, Manchebo Beach Resort
Lesire started as a cook’s helper at Ike's Bistro at the Manchebo Beach Resort six years ago. Since then, he’s been rising up the ranks under Executive Chef Sandro Herold to become Chef de Partie, and he’s not finished yet.
Lesire grew up on the island, enjoying his dad’s family barbecues and his grandparents’ cooking, especially their typical Aruban stews. Lesire holds them close to his heart. “My grandparents cooked with a lot of love,” he says, “and that’s how I cook, too.”
Lesire originally wanted to be a welder, but when there wasn’t room in the program he wanted to follow, he started working in kitchens – and got hooked. He loves the environment, learning from chefs and working with the students who come through for training. “I’ve always been very passionate about my job,” he says. “I’m there for my team. I can listen to their situation – I give them feedback and suggest options to them for working through any issues.”
Chef Lesire loves cooking vegan food and pleasing his customers with the menu. “I can see the difference when people eat this way,” he says. “A lot of our guests from the island and beyond are focused now on eating really healthy, and we have some great dishes for them to try at Ike’s.”
In our conversation, we worked our way through some of his favorites on the menu.
Lychee Ceviche:
“It’s so refreshing! We prepare it the same way as a fish or seafood ceviche: we marinate the lychee in fresh lime juice, with salt and pepper and some sweet and spicy pica di papaya. Then we add bell peppers, red onions, and cilantro, and put it in the fridge to concentrate the flavors. The pica di papaya adds something special, because it’s from Aruba – it’s like a little blazing in your mouth, but not too much.”
Pulled Jackfruit-Almond Salad:
“We make this with green jackfruit and a vegan mayonnaise. It’s like a chicken salad, kind of like a vegan Waldorf.”
Lentil Steak:
“I can’t tell you all the secrets about this one – I have to save some magic! But we put our art into it, first cooking the lentils with bay leaves and vegan broth. Once the lentils are done, we shape them into loaves. We serve them with two kinds of quinoa – red and white – and gluten-free soy sauce, along with sautéed mushrooms and steamed broccoli.”
Porcini Risotto and Crispy Marinated Tofu:
“I love this crispy marinated tofu, and I wanted to pair it with almond milk risotto made with vegan cheese. I had one customer who wasn’t vegan and wanted to try it, just to check it out. When he was finished, he said it was the best risotto he’d ever had. I really appreciated that compliment!”
Those Desserts:
“All of our desserts are 100% home-made by our Pastry Chef Joyce Dijkhoff, and they’re intense! Right now, one of our most popular desserts is the Caribbean Snickers. It’s a thick and high slice, with a tart shell underneath – on top there’s a layer of chocolate, peanut butter in the middle, and then some shredded coconut. And then more peanut butter, more chocolate, and walnuts.”
The Special Local Taste:
“We make a local cucumber stoba (stew) with orzo pasta sometimes on Sundays when we have locals coming for our menu. It can get crazy – I remember a few times we ran out of this dish and I had to tell the servers ‘86! 86!’, which means that there’s no more left. When you’re in the middle of service, that’s all you can do, but those dishes are really popular.”
The Tasting Menu:
“We can do a special tasting menu for vegans or vegetarians, which is a lot of fun to create.
I might try some of the dishes out first with my team, and then we’ll think about what works and how to make it better. For the tasting menu, the customers will get three courses, but we also create a special dish for them – a surprise.”
And What About the Customers?
“Because the menu is vegan and gluten-free, a lot of people really appreciate it, and they’re coming back year after year. We have one couple who has been coming for three years now, and they told me they just come for our menu. If we change anything, they ask us ‘Why did you change that dish? We loved it!’ So, if we have some notice, we can also make something special for them, just the way they like it, with a lot of love.”
Ike’s Bistro
Manchebo Beach Resort & SpaJuan E. Irausquin Blvd. 55
Eagle Beach
(297) 522-3444
