ICE Island Steak and Ice Desserts Restaurant on Friday held a grand opening for its outdoor bar and grill that offers authentic Turkish, Thai-Malaysian and Chamolinian barbecue.
Located at the corner of Beach Road and Coconut Street in Garapan, Ice Island also offers Taiwanese delicacies in a safe indoor dining setting.
It likewise serves beverages, such as boba tea and coffee, and snow cones or shaved ice drizzled with mango, strawberry, taro, durian, honeydew, chocolate and many other syrup flavors.
Ice Island Steak and Ice Desserts Restaurant is the first new restaurant to open in Garapan’s tourist district since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down local tourism and turned the once lively area into a virtual “ghost town.”
Managing partner Alex Hu said they want to bring something new to the island: barbecue with unique flavors at affordable prices.
These include authentic Turkish barbecue prepared by Turk chef Tuncay; the Chamolinian barbecue of Joaquin Dowai; and Thai-Malaysian barbecue.
“We want to be a fun, lively environment where people can enjoy beer and wine with different kinds of barbecue in an outdoor hangout,” Hu said.
Ice Island’s indoor restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m., while the outdoor bar and grill is open from 6 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
The restaurant location is ideal for people driving or walking by, Hu said. “They can stop by, relax and enjoy the drinks and the barbecue in an island-life ambiance.”
Opening a restaurant amid a global pandemic may be a very risky business decision, but for Hu, “there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
He noted that Saipan remains one of the safest places in the world, “thanks to the CNMI government for doing a great job in keeping the island and everyone here safe. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we are doing our best to support the local community and bring unique and new dining options to the people of the CNMI.”
Hu said he and other businesses are optimistic about the government’s ongoing effort to revive the tourism industry through travel bubble arrangements with South Korea and Japan.
He added, “Yes, business is tough right now but guess what, this pandemic is going to pass and tourists are going to come back and we are all going to be doing well. So that is the idea. Life goes on.”
Ice Island accepts reservations for private events. For reservations or more information, call 233-4455.
Turkish chef Tuncay, left, and Joaquin Dowai, center, stand next to their grills at the Ice Island Outdoor Bar & Grill in Garapan on Saturday
Ice Island Steak and Ice Desserts is located at the corner of Beach Road and Coconut Street in Garapan.
Ice Island’s Malaysian Chicken Satay with peanut sauce.
Ice Island’s delicious spicy clams
Ice Island’s grilled fish
Ice Island’s Chamolinian barbecue
Turkish Kebab party platter
