Restaurant owners Luigi and Christina Moxam of Cayman Cabana and Thatch & Barrel, the stars of the second episode of the VICE Munchies X Cayman Islands series, take viewers on a culinary tour of their island.
The three-part docuseries, which features Cayman’s culinary and hospitality industry, is produced by international media company VICE in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.
In the nearly 16-minute second episode of Caribbean Chef’s Night Out: A Taste of Paradise, which premiered on 5 Feb., the couple explores Cayman’s vibrant food-and-drink scene with the show’s producers.
Intertwined with familiar spots on the island, the show captured mouth-watering local dishes which include signature Caribbean spices and seasonings, and fresh-to-the-table ingredients.
During the episode, the pair heads out on an evening boat cruise with their son, Kaius, taking in the fresh breezes and making marinated conch ceviche. They then head to the historic Pedro St. James to tour the grounds, followed by dinner and catching up with family and their closest friends at Thatch and Barrel restaurant, rum tasting by Cayman Spirits, and barhopping at Door No. 4 and Cask Whiskey for cocktails. They wind down the night at Cayman Cabana, dancing and celebrating with friends and listening to steel pan music.
Against the backdrop of George Town’s waterfront, the husband-and-wife duo provided insights into their journey of farm-to-table-inspired menus and daily celebration of Caymanian-style cuisine and hospitality.
Both of the Moxams’ restaurants boast seaside views and locally sourced food.
Dressed in his own Cayman-inspired clothing collection and Caymanian thatch hat, Luigi said in the VICE video, “We meet people from all over the world every day, and that’s why we do our family-style dinner because we have people that are from here, visiting, returning, coming for years … and all those people come together [to] experience Cayman and appreciate it. That’s what we feel is our little gift to share with people.”
In an interview with the Compass, Moxam said of being featured on the show, “For Cayman Cabana and our crew to have a featured episode on one of our favourite culinary TV shows is pretty special and is certainly an incredible experience.”
He added, “We are thankful to the Department of Tourism for the opportunity to be a part of this series and appreciate their efforts to represent, and to highlight Cayman’s unique culinary community on such an incredible platform with VICE is top notch. As is our Ministry and Department of Tourism who are always keen to be proactive and creative in showcasing our unique tourism product.”
He described the ‘Chef’s Night Out’ segments as “very authentic, fun, engaging, insightful and all about great food and communities. We were excited to be a part of it.”
A highlight of the experience for Moxam was showcasing the “extraordinary talent and hard work of our culinary curator and proprietor, chef Christina Moxam, along with our core team members who have been with us for over 12 years: chef Edmar Aldas, chef Erica Williams, Sylvia McLean and Andre Sheldon Davis … who are so incredibly special for us.
“We’re thankful for all of our guests who came out to that evening to be a part of the filming of the show and experience,” he said.
Moxam said he’s always proud to be considered a “landmark for representing Cayman’s culture and hospitality. Very few things excited me more than celebrating and representing Caymanian-style hospitality and food.”
With a global reach of over 5 million YouTube followers, VICE, the Canadian-American digital media and broadcasting company, is known for telling authentic stories about news, lifestyle, politics, culture, food, art and people.
The DoT told the Cayman Compass, “Small businesses are at the heart of our tourism industry, and this project is one of many initiatives led by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, designed to celebrate small businesses and showcase our local culture and flavour, while promoting our identity as the ‘Culinary Capital of the Caribbean’.”
Local chef Diego Smith’s street-food business, D’s Pizza, was the first episode to be featured in the VICE Munchies docuseries. The final episode is set to air in the coming weeks on the Munchies YouTube page.
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