WE have only three weeks of Lent left before Easter, and of course, I’m late with my opinions. I saw an article published about places in Saipan where you can eat during Lent. It offered only a few recommendations.
Many of us skip meat all Lent, but everyone tries on Fridays. And we should be restricting our intake as a sacrifice. But there are so many good restaurants that deserve your support, which is another kind of sacrifice we can make for Lent. So I thought I’d compile my own list of places to eat to share some of my Lenten choices. Choices without “meat” for Lent.
I know there are many other restaurants not on this list that also have great options, and I encourage others to express their views, too!
Best fish sandwich: Shirley’s. Breaded mahi-mahi burger. Comes with a side of fries. (You can ask them to hold the Thousand Island sandwich dressing if you want to control that, too.)
Best shrimp: Too many options!
Shirley’s. Deep fried butterflied shrimp is great, especially with an upgrade to garlic-fried rice and a side of kangkong.
Wild Bill’s. Yam Woon Sen (glass noodle salad) with shrimp.
Pho Tam. Shrimp Ban Mi.
Best mixed seafood: Milo Sun. Pan fried mixed seafood, served with crusty French bread.
Best sushi: Himawari. Everything! I like tuna maki and California roll. What do you like?
Best in other choices:
Zoom Café. Stir-fried squid, in a Korean sweet-spicy sauce. I also like their kimchee fried rice with egg.
Shirley’s. Fried pompano fish.
Wild Bill’s. Green curry with tofu. Also fresh spring rolls. Also Som Tam (papaya salad).
Godfather’s. Cheese pizza!
Best soup and salad: The Sushi Spot. Miso soup! Green salad with sesame dressing. (Yum, and friendly on the budget.)
Shirley’s. Sinigang (with shrimp or milkfish). Skip the salad; vegetables are in the soup.
Best lunch “specials.” Plumeria Steak House. Soup, entrée. Delicious. (Call to confirm they have non-meat options for the day).
Best quick sandwich: Aiko’s. Spicy tuna on wheat from the deli case.
And if you want to make your own sandwiches (like peanut butter and jelly!), the white bread at Marg’s Kitchen is great.
Saipan is a small, remote island, but we have so many good places to eat. So much to give thanks for. So many opportunities to support our restaurant community. So many blessings during Lent and a reason to prepare for Easter.
