The time: 6:30 PM
The watch: Zenith Chronomaster Open
For the culmination of my trip to Puerto Rico 🇵🇷, I decided to visit La Cueva Del Mar, a restaurant recommended by my friend Nelson Acosta of AO Watch Collection. It’s a vibrant eatery known for celebrating the island’s rich coastal cuisine.
For this adventure, I brought along a watch that shares this same emotional cadence: the Zenith Chronomaster Open. Bold, refined, and unapologetically complex.
I got together with my brother, uncle and 3 other friends for dinner, so here we go.
First, we started with the Surtido de Chicharrones. A greatest hits sampler of Puerto Rican fried favorites, this platter brings together crispy chicken bites, sorullitos (corn sticks), cheese balls, chicharrón de pescado (fish bites), and carne frita (fried pork), with dipping sauces and sautéed onions. It’s an unapologetic celebration of texture and crunch. Just as the Chronomaster Open showcases the heartbeat of its El Primero movement through a window on the dial, this dish boldly reveals everything upfront.
Mofongo is a native dish from Puerto Rico, made from green plantains, sliced into pieces, fried and mashed with ingredients like garlic and pork rinds. Now…this one from La Cueva Del Mar is a knockout: stuffed with strips of certified Angus skirt steak, all draped in a garlicky cream sauce. The mofongo is smooth and dense but holds texture, and the steak is rich, juicy and tender. It’s comfort food elevated, much like the Zenith, engineered for precision, but designed to stir the soul.
Even though tacos are originally a Mexican dish, this Puerto Rican restaurant does them right and they’ve become wildly popular on the menu. Battered fish portions are folded into soft flour tortillas and layered with slaw, fresh cilantro, and a creamy chipotle mayo. The result is a bite that’s at once fresh, spicy, and comforting. Like the Chronomaster’s blend of classic tri-color subdials with an open dial at 9 o’clock, these tacos balance familiarity with modern edge.
If the ocean had a signature, this would be it. Plantain mofongo is loaded with lobster, shrimp, squid, mussels, clams, and tender fish draped in a luscious creole sauce that’s fragrant and comforting. The seafood is perfectly cooked, the sauce bold and peppery. This is island elegance on a plate. It’s the kind of dish that turns heads the moment it hits the table, visually striking, emotionally resonant. It is a SHOWSTOPPER. The Chronomaster’s open dial is much the same, drawing you into its complexity without saying a word. Both the watch and the mofongo are designed to be noticed, savored, remembered.
I know, I know. Fettucine??? Hear me out though, my brother ordered this and said this: “eso está cabrĂłn.” Google translate that when you get a chance to 🤣. This dish brings together three powerhouse proteins: chicken, skirt steak, and chorizo, tossed with creamy Alfredo sauce and crowned with a snowfall of parmesan. Every twirl of pasta is rich, savory, and deeply satisfying. The grilled garlic bread adds a rustic touch, perfect for sopping up every last drop. It’s a robust fusion of Italian comfort and Puerto Rican heart. Just like the open-worked design of the Zenith Chronomaster invites admiration from every angle, this dish delivers a visual and flavorful impact that commands your full attention.
Delicate slices of chicken breast nestled into a mound of mofongo, covered in a rich Parmesan white cheese sauce. It’s mellow, savory, and undeniably satisfying. This dish doesn’t need boldness, it leans into elegance. Just like the Zenith’s stainless steel case and refined silhouette, the beauty here lies in the restraint. Not every beat needs to be loud to be felt.
A “paella style” dish that keeps you wanting more. Golden rice simmered with shrimp, calamari, mahi mahi, clams, and mussels makes this dish a true standout. Topped with tender sweet plantains and finished with a sprig of cilantro, it’s as comforting as it is layered. Each grain of rice carries a whisper of the sea, a nod to the restaurant’s coastal roots. Like the Chronomaster Open’s intricate movement, every bite is a small miracle of orchestration.
The Pairing
La Cueva Del Mar celebrates the soul of Puerto Rico, bright, proud, and rooted in flavor. The Zenith Chronomaster Open brings that same spirit to the wrist. Its open dial isn’t just a design flourish, it’s an invitation to look deeper, to appreciate the mechanics behind the magic. And that’s what this experience is all about: looking past the surface to find the richness within.
The Chronomaster’s steel bracelet catches the light just as easily as La Cueva’s seafood catches your breath. Both are bold without shouting, refined without being cold, and unforgettable once experienced. Here, on my home island, I found the perfect rhythm between plate and pulse.
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