Frommer's Review
Before the advent of most of the fancy restaurants that now dot the edge of West Bay Road, many Caymanians lived on a diet of fried fish, deep-fried fritters, and "fish tea," a hearty seafood soup thickened with mashed plantains. A handful of native cooks survive from the era prior to mass tourism, and at least some of them have achieved local fame and widespread approval. One of these is Tunny Powell, a native Caymanian who sets up an informal takeaway restaurant every weekend in a battered, wood-sided building that was originally a garage. During opening hours, as many as a dozen cars at any time might be parked on the shoulder of Boggy Sand Road, located in a residential neighborhood in the district of West Bay. Don't expect grandeur, but know in advance that you're approaching something of a cultural icon.
Only two menu choices are available: Styrofoam containers filled with spicy, steaming fish tea (a fish soup enriched with plantains and potatoes) and Styrofoam containers filled with fried fish, usually mahimahi or kingfish, served with large, fluffy fritters wrapped in newspaper. Enjoy your meal at one of a few battered plank-wood tables and benches. Bring your own beer, or buy sodas or fruit juice here. The charming and irrepressible Tunny Powell is always available with his pithy insights into development and recent changes in the Cayman Islands.
A nearby storeroom, loaded with rusted and dusty industrial artifacts and minor curiosities, functions as an informal museum, which may or may not be open at the time of your visit, depending on the inclination of Mr. Powell. The entrance fee is CI$3 (US$3.75/£1.80), but in many cases, the fee is waived. Boggy Sand Road is interesting in and of itself -- it's a prestigious residential street that's home to some genuinely interesting buildings, both compact and historic, and very large and modern.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
