The first time we visited Playa Potrero in December, we dined at Numu twice (in three days). On our second trip, we visited again with new friends. Numu is an easy five minute walk from the beach and was easily the best food I have had in Playa Portrero. It is a lovely, open air restaurant with a massive palapa and a romantically lit bar. A purple lit cocktail pool and several small cabinas lie beyond the dining area to provide additional ambiance. The menu is Asian influenced and extensive, offering salads, curry bowls, Pad Thai, ribs, burgers and fish. Everything we had over three visits was excellent, and the service was wonderful.
Compared to most of the other restaurants we had visited in Guanacaste, the wine list was a bit more adequate, with Argentinian, Chilean and California offerings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Pinot Noir. The locals often drink their Malbec slightly chilled which we found to work well in the tropical climate as beverages warm so quickly there. The Matetic Corralillo Riesling was our go-to white given that most of our meal choices were on the spicy side. The Riesling opened with notes of peach and apricot and finished with a touch of minerality. This wine hails from the Casablanca Valley in Chile, which is one of the cooler regions. Due to the cool climate, the Riesling is able to preserve acidity and usually will have a bit of a lower alcohol content for a refreshing, light drinkability.
Both my husband and I have ordered the Red Curry as our main dish multiple times. We really just can’t get away from it. The coconut based red curry is served with tofu, shrimp or chicken and is simply delicious. With just the right amount of spice, the tender meat or seafood is stir fried with fresh onion, green pepper and carrot, served with jasmine rice and presented with a beautiful little edible flower. The Pad Thai was equally as good and just as nicely presented. Thai dishes aside, the star of our most recent meal was the Jerk Chicken. The menu describes this dish as “unbelievably good,” and they are not exaggerating with that claim. Opposed to a jerk spice rub, the dish gets its spice from a saucy, jerk marinade that I am sure included the traditional Scotch Bonnet peppers based on the sheer heat level. The half-chicken was tender and juicy, and served alongside a vertical stack of grilled vegetables and a small salad. The Riesling we chose, with its acidity and minerality, was a perfect counterpart to the heat of the dish. The fish dishes are also highly recommended as the fish is sourced locally when possible. The seabass was flaky and tender and is offered on the menu with a pink peppercorn sauce and capers. On the most recent time I ordered this dish, I ended up with the mango salsa prep that normally comes with the red snapper given that the pink peppercorn sauce was unavailable that evening. The sweet chunks of mango with avocado and red onion nicely complimented the white fish and the sides were healthy and fresh.
If you ever find yourself in Playa Potrero, go see the good people at Numu and have a romantic night of fine dining in paradise. Tell them I sent you.