HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A local couple is bringing the taste and vibes of Haiti to Broward County.
Their restaurant/lounge is called Pearl of the Island, and some of the ingredients they use are from Haiti.
And although Haitian Heritage Month just wrapped up, that doesn’t mean the celebration of the culture and food ended with it.
The restaurant has two locations in Broward County -- Hollywood and Margate -- but they plan on expanding with another location sometime this summer.
Pearl of the Island was created by Nathalie Pearl and Wilton Antoine.
“Pearl of the Island in French is ‘perle de l’île,’ which is what they used to call Haiti back in the day,” Pearl explained to Local 10 News.
At the restaurants, every dish is seasoned with tradition and is bursting with flavor. It is literally culture on the plate.
“The food actually reminds me of Haiti,” Pearl said.
Every item on the menu is crafted by Wilton.
“I started in the kitchen and selling food on the street as a vendor in Haiti since I was 6 years old,” Wilton said. “I came here, went to culinary school and learned day-by-day.”
And now, they’ve brought a piece of Haiti to Hollywood.
“I’m a Haitian that has not been to Haiti in like a couple of years, and this is the closest thing to me. You get the food, you get the music, you get the vibe, you get the people,” Pearl said. “Because there’s people that cannot go to Haiti right now, but we try our very best to bring that to them.”
“At times, we will bring out the Haitian bands,” Pearl added. “You know, the people love that.”
“Every food we have back here, everything is deep fried fresh,” Wilton told Local 10’s Alexis Frazier as she tried the food at the Hollywood location.
“Every dish that comes out, it’s a letter to Haiti,” Pearl said. “I always said that Haiti will always stand. No matter what’s going on right now in our country, hold onto our culture.”
For more information on Pearl of the Island, click here.