Old Traditions, New Takes: Elevated Costa Rican Cuisine at Finca Rosa Blanca
Walking through the gates of Finca Rosa Blanca is more of a reality shift than a time warp: Yes, there is a certain quality of yesteryear– a timelessness that seems to overlay the modern with the traditional – but the grace that imbues our resort is more an embodiment of the quiet dignity and the gentle traditions that define Costa Rica’s past, rather than an effort to replicate it.
Nowhere is this past more palpable and flavorful than at El Tigre Vestido, Finca Rosa Blanca’s onsite restaurant. Here, where sunbeams stream and breezes whisper, where sunsets streak the sky and the stars wink into nightly existence – here, we honor our country’s culinary culture and gastronomic history. We know: Food has always been an essential part of human connection and experience.
Because tradition and culture and heritage endure, for as long as there is someone to honor and uphold and appreciate them. Finca Rosa Blanca and El Tigre Vestido are rooted in both: not only in Costa Rican tradition, culture, and heritage, but in our dedication to honor, uphold, and appreciate all three. And your tastebuds will appreciate honoring and upholding them, too!
What Can You Expect from Costa Rican Cuisine?
Costa Rica is considered part of the middle or transitional Americas: areas too far south for the Aztecs and too far north for the Incas. The result, for Costa Rica’s cuisine, at least, is that the nation’s culinary history and traditions developed independently in different regions and pre-Columbian societies, with a touch of influence from the Mesoamerican traditions that reached into what is now northwestern Costa Rica.
Add to this, Costa Rica’s biodiversity: by all measures, one of our greatest strengths, even when it comes to culinary experiences. There is so much fresh produce – so many things that grow in our diverse microclimates that are so close together geographically, yet so very different in their growing conditions.
This long cultural history and vast biodiversity translate to quality in our final product – and to incredible variety, reflected in our flavors and ingredients and dishes, which are full of zest, color, and freshness. Because, above all, Costa Rican cuisine is dynamic: In a single dish, we can take you from an ancient tradition to a modern approach, from the highest mountains to the richest coastlines.
Costa Rican Cuisine, Updated and Elevated
Our approach to Costa Rican cuisine: years of tradition, fresh garden harvests, and a deep understanding of modern tastes, woven into farm-to-table cuisine that honors our past, innovates our present, and takes El Tigre Vestido into the menu of tomorrow.
As part of our joy and heritage explorations, we’re constantly innovating new dishes: fresh innovations for timeless ingredients and new takes on age-old traditions, updated for the modern palate and available only on our menus.
And so, we’re happy to share that our new 2022 menu offers plenty of fresh inspiration, culinary tradition, and new dishes for you to try. Among them:
Good Morning! New Breakfast Items
At Finca Rosa Blanca, we know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your reservation includes an à la carte breakfast, which now includes two of our guests’ new favorites: the tortilla aliñada, a hand-palmed corn-and-three-cheese-tortilla served with fresh sour cream; and our avocado toast with egg, featuring our housemade sourdough toast topped with avocado from our farm and eggs from our henhouse.
View our full Breakfast Menu.
Try Me! Intriguing Lunch Items
Begin your meal with a small indulgence in our three-cheese empanadas, served with a traditional encurtido (pickled cabbage, radish, and carrots) to balance out their rich flavors. Or try our trio de gallos, a delicious trinity of tortillas topped with pickled veggies and pulled pork, chicken, and a traditional vegetable hash known as picadillo.
For your main, savor tradition with our Caribbean chicken with rice and beans, one of the country’s most beloved dishes: de-boned chicken, slow-stewed with coconut, thyme, and tomatoes, served with coconut-infused rice and beans. Or, go modern fusion with our grilled chicken burger, topped with gooey mozzarella and just-spicy-enough chipotle mayonnaise.
View our full Lunch Menu.
Can’t Miss Tradition: Our New Afternoon Cafecito Menu
One of Costa Rica’s favorite and most enduring traditions is an afternoon cafecito: a cup of coffee and a little snack to pair with it.
Our completely new Afternoon Coffee Menu invites you to anything from a light meal to a sweet something: from a hearty El Tigre steak-and-caramelized onion sandwich to a thick slice of our signature macadamia-and-carrot cake (it cannot be missed!)
View our full Afternoon Coffee Menu.
Delicious Dinner: Fresh Flavors, Tantalizing Textures
Begin your meal with vigorón, a signature Costa Rican dish crafted from crispy pork belly and a terrine of yucca. Or, go light with our perfectly balanced warm watermelon salad, which pairs grilled watermelon with goat cheese, caramelized cashews, and a mesclun mix with a watermelon rind vinaigrette.
For your main, take a culinary journey with pejivalle gnocchi, a very Costa Rican take on an Italian favorite. Instead of potatoes, our talented chef employs pejiballe, or palm fruit (literally, the fruit of a heart of palm tree) to create pillowy gnocchi, which are topped with a roasted vegetable sauce and cheese. Or choose our grilled octopus, accompanied by spicy pineapple salsa and our signature fried yucca.
View our full Dinner Menu.
Cuisine at El Tigre Vestido Restaurant.
Reserve Your Table
The new menu at El Tigre Vestido is a culinary love-letter to Costa Rica – a flavor voyage from light and fresh to savory and substantial.
From sustainably caught local fish and just-picked produce, to fresh herbs and spicy infusions, this menu is built to make both your palate and heart sing. To soar. To take you on a journey as tasty as your Costa Rican adventure is thrilling. And if you care to pair your meal with wine, our talented chef knows just the right white, red, and rosé to complement each course.
For reservations at El Tigre Vestido, please stop by the Front Desk. Or, if you'd like to make reservations in advance for a special occasion or one of our tasting menus, please contact us at info@fincarosablanca.com or via Whatsapp at +506-8368-6697.
