Eating is usually my #1 priority in daily life, and especially on vacation! Tahiti is a French territory and has dominant French influence in the language, culture, and of course food. Steve and I ate our way through Tahiti and were very surprised to see the variety of French, Chinese, and local island cuisine all mixed together.
Our favorite thing to do in other countries is to take a trip to the grocery store and explore the local staples and unique finds. We were fortune to have a kitchen during our week’s stay, so we made several trips to the grocery stores to stock up. Carrefour became our favorite place to go!
We loved Tahiti’s European influence and at times felt like we were in European dining on fresh baguettes, choice cured meats, rich cheeses, and delicious wine. Also, the majority of the meats like beef found in the grocery store were imported from New Zealand, so they were usually top quality. Fresh fish was expected, but Chinese chow mein, cheeseburgers, and large portions of French fries were not.
Roulottes (French for caravans) are very popular Tahiti. They are like a food truck in America where vendors can get their food out to customers quickly and inexpensively in any location. We tried many different roulottes all over the island from local fares to Chinese to crepes. The roulottes all have basic tables and seating around the trucks for dining convenience. We tried a handful of roulottes and got a mixed bag. Some served excellent food and some where sub-par. One roulette you really can’t go wrong with was the dessert ones that served waffles, crepes, and/or ice cream.
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