Kiawah Island Golf Resort Courtesy of
you welcome in Clubhouse eatsWhere we celebrate the tastiest food and drinks in the game. I hope you have brought your appetite.
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If you’ve ever been to South Carolina and oceanfront golf meccas like Charleston, Hilton Head, or Kiawah Island, you’ve likely noticed one item that always (thankfully!) makes its way onto the menu: shrimp.
Indeed, the Low Country is famous for this delicious crustacean, and has prepared all kinds of ways in its food restaurants too often to mention, but, perhaps, nowhere is it more delicious than in Kiawah Island Golf Resort Atlantic Room and Ryder Cup Bar. There, Crispy Shrimp has spent more than a decade as a signature show and a favorite among knowledgeable guests.
“People come from all over to get it,” Atlantic Room Executive Chief John Ondo He says. “It’s one of the things you have to order when you’re on the island.”
Ondo estimates the dish was served 20,000 times last year, which equates to consuming roughly 7,000 pounds of shrimp.
As a Charleston native, Ondo prioritizes local sources whenever possible. His relationship with Abundant Seafood, a local “one boat show,” has lasted over 17 years. But because of the volume of shrimp required to fulfill Kiawah’s Crispy Shrimp orders, Ondo sometimes has to outsource.
“When we run out of local produce, we make sure we only buy wild-caught American,” he says.
To prepare the shrimp, the Ondo crew first coats it in buttermilk, then breads it. So, prep cooks use cornstarch, jalapeño powder flour and some black seasoning. The shrimp are then fried and tossed in a sauce made from Duke mayonnaise, Thai chili sauce, sambal (an Indonesian chili-based sauce or paste), sriracha and lime juice. It is then sprinkled with yuzu aioli and topped with toasted black sesame seeds.
According to Ondo, part of the shrimp’s charm is its ability to retain crunch despite the generous tossing and splashing of sauces.
“It’s different. It’s not Charleston shrimp and grits,” he says. “It’s something a little off the beaten track. They stand out. The yuzu—that great acidity with it—makes it pop. It’s a really interesting dish.”
According to Ondo, crispy shrimp can be divided into five sensations of flavor and texture. It starts with the bite — that satisfying crunch when you sink your teeth into bread. Next, it’s the prawns themselves, light and savory, followed by what Ondo describes as “creeping heat”—not quite spicy, but a sensation that builds up as you chew. Then there’s a splash of tartness and citrus from the yuzu aioli, followed by a parting crunch from the sesame seeds.
Good. Who is hungry?
While Ondo says most people choose to order the Crispy Shrimp as an appetizer, some will double up on the dish and eat it as an appetizer. He says you can’t go wrong with a crisp white wine or any cold beer as a pairing of drinks. And for those looking for a matching hors d’oeuvre, Ondo suggests one of the Atlantic Room’s other specialties: the Seafood Commander, which includes shrimp, oysters, crab meat, mussels, and a piece of the local catch of the day paired with Carolina golden brown rice. Mild yellow curry with chilli and tomato. Tasty.
Ondo has a great culinary reputation, and in 2022, he’s named a chef ambassador to South Carolina, an appointment set by the governor. Given his extensive experience in a Low Country kitchen, I asked Ondo how he would improve on Crispy Shrimp, if given the chance.
“I was specifically told when I was hired that I wasn’t allowed to change two dishes, one of which was the Bagger Burger [in the Ryder Cup Bar] The other is the crispy shrimp,” says Ondo. “So I’m just a patron of the dish.”
“I think for the safety and security of myself and my staff, I wouldn’t change a bit,” he says with a laugh.