Sabrina....how I love thee....

One of the best things I have come to appreciate about living on a tropical island away from your family and friends has to be having them come to visit.  Not only do I get to share the experiences and tastes that have me talking to myself and see me returning for the second day in a row for a little something something, but I get to try those places I haven't quite plucked up the courage to on my own.

SABRINAS falls into the latter category - a bbq outlet I knew was amazing, having many Saturday mornings eaten its delicious product from the makeshift car trailer-come-bbq-rotisserie, but  one whose 'real home' I had never quite managed to get to.  Blame the one way road system,  the queues of hungry Tongans which are forever lined up at lunchtime (or anytime actually), or just the fact that I couldn't face the quizzical look Tongans more often than not give Palagis (yes, even the half caste kind like me) when they venture into the territory usually frequented by Tongans and Tongans alone - something just held me back.  So, with my friend Jen here on her 2nd visit it was was the perfect opportunity to skip the tourist guff and do what we do best - find amazing stuff to eat!

Jen outside vilovilo

Yep, there are a multitude of bbq outlets in Tonga.  A few of them are ok (special mention to Talahiva on hala Taufa'ahau doing its best to bring KFC to the kingdom with its amazing Kentucky, and which pays homage to Nandos by having a sink for hand-washing - a sure sign its eat-with-hands-not-utensils territory).

Sabrina's is a different beast.  It's so heavenly we are not even worthy to step inside - oh no, we must talk through a wire screen door, which only opens for your money to be whisked away from you, and for the  succulent carnivorous delights to be passed on for devouring. 

If you peek through the front window you can see the different cuts of meant being cooked by vilovilo (rotisserie) over burning hot coals.  One dedicated figure sits in the tropical, smokey heat watching the coals, ensuring the remain in the ultimate roasting state.   And although I loathe to mention such a thing, it has to be one of the more, er..healthier ways to eat meat in the kingdom, given the excess fat drips off to the coals below. 

At TOP$5 for chicken, and a fraction more for sipi, and puaka its a perfect option for a snack at the beach, a quick dinner....or...just a snack (ok, I'll admit - a Tongan sized snack).

If you want to eat and run, there are tables outside where you can watch the vilovilo while you eat.  With the makeshift bingo hall right across the road, 'eating in' at Sabrina's becomes an educational experience as you listen the Tongan numbers being fired out across the haze. What more could you ask for?

Where to find Sabrina's?

* One Way Rd/Railway Rd, Nuku'alofa (almost at the intersection with Wellington Rd)
* At the Saturday morning fair on the waterfront on Hala Vuna (follow the whiff of bbq and look for the rotisserie trailer opposite the Red dairy/falekoloa).