IT’S A TRULY CARIBBEAN take on the traditional hamburger, and an effort to raise the level of culinary expression in St Lucia.

It’s called the Lobster Burger, and it’s part of a renewed commitment by the Ladera Resort in St Lucia to “provide the best in authentic Caribbean cuisine, with an international flair.”

Ladera General Manager Olivier Bottois, a veteran of the Ritz Paris and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is behind the effort, aiming to “expose the team to various cooking techniques and presentations I introduced international consulting chefs to Dasheene.”

“But at the end of the day,” he says, “the understanding of local products, truly comes from local people.”

The lobster burger is the brainchild of both Bottois and Nigel Mitchle, the executive chef at Ladera’s Dasheene restaurant.

Officially, it’s called the “GM Lobster Burger,” and uses local lobster and homemade brioche, based on burgers Bottois has experienced in his life, particularly in New York.

The burger uses the mille-feuille principle, with a double-deck brioche, lobster salad, a special seasoning and a “touch of St Lucia.”

Of course, “the presentation is appealing too!” Mitchel says.

— CJ