Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant

September 17, 2018

Windsor Hills (Los Angeles), California – While driving through the area, I saw the sign for this place. Any sign advertising a Jamaican restaurant is bound to catch my eye. There was no question I’d eventually visit this place. So I made plans to visit after an appointment the next time was in the city.

The sign for Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant can be seen from a distance. Getting to the restaurant itself can be a bit of a challenge. It sits in a small lot behind Wienerschnitzel. My advice is to park on Ladera Park Ave (note that it’s a one-way street), on Slauson, or on La Brea. I wouldn’t recommend trying to park in the tiny lot. It only has a couple of spaces and it is not very easy to get out once you get in.

As you walk up to the restaurant, you’ll pass a huge menu on the outside window. The patio is right out in front of the door. It has two umbrellas providing shade to a round table and circular bench seats. There are two more umbrellas but these cover tables that sit on barrels. These are attended by chairs ingeniously cut from barrels and brightly painted.

Once you enter the restaurant, you’ll notice the walls are painted green, yellow, and black – the colors of the Jamaican flag. There are a handful of framed posters, including, of course, Bob Marley. Along the walls are a couple of red vinyl bench seats. A half-dozen or so wooden tables with metal posts each have two faux wicker chairs. Two flat screen televisions hang on the wall. Jamaican music plays over the speakers. The display case is filled with Jamaican snacks, coffee, sauces, drinks, trinkets, and Little Kingston gear. Along the west side are three tall tables with modern wood and metal chairs.

I stepped up to the counter and placed my order. Since this was my first time here, I knew I had to try their jerk chicken. I decided to get the Small Jerk Chicken Plate ($13), and the Small Short Rib Plate ($16). Beef patties are a must, so I got one beef and one chicken patty ($3 each or 2 for $5). For drinks, I got one Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch and one Tropical Rhythms Ginger Sorrell.

(On subsequent visits, I’ve noticed they occasionally have a run on popular items, and at times run out. Grizzada and roti are the two they seem to be out of by time I get there late in the afternoon. “It’s finished,” is usually what I’m told).

I got all this to go. It would serve as lunch and dinner for the next few days.

After I arrived home, the first meal up was the jerk chicken plate. The plate comes with steamed cabbage, rice and peas, plantains, and festival.

The perfectly steamed cabbage has carrots, a few peas, Lima beans, green beans, and a few kernels of corn. Even with being steamed, the vegetables retained a bit of crunch. I could taste a slight hint of seasoning. This brought the flavor up a notch.

I am not really a fan of plantains, but they came with the meal. They did have some firmness, which is good. Even though I’m not a plantain fan, I especially dislike soggy ones.

Rice and peas? Delicious! I could actually taste the rice and it was seasoned nicely. The peas (beans) were firm and tasty. Just about perfect. A sprig of thyme was added on top for good measure. The festival was a bit small but still good. I liked the slightly sweet taste. It helps to slightly temper the heat of the jerk seasoning. Slightly.

When I tasted the chicken, I was pleased to find it was tender and boasted a smoky flavor from the grill. Next, the jerk seasoning hit. Careful. That jerk spice hangs back a bit before it rushes your taste buds…and your lips.

The chicken is good enough to eat just as it is. But Little Kingston gives you a small container of jerk sauce on the side. Remove the lid and the heat from the spice hits your nostrils. Are sure you want to do this? Absolutely! Bring it on! (A word of caution: If you prefer a milder level of spice on your food, do not add the jerk sauce).

This sauce does bring it. It goes very well with the chicken. Had my mouth singing its praises for several minutes after I finished. Ok, feeling the heat for several minutes afterward.

The beef patty and the chicken patty were both very good. The pastry shell was nice and flaky, just as it should be. The ground beef and the chicken filling were both creamy and nicely spiced. I wish I could tell you some of the spices in there but I just can’t distinguish any of them.

The short ribs plate also comes with steamed cabbage, rice and peas, festival. The ribs were tender, though not quite fall-off-the-bone tender. But the bone pulled away from meat with no effort. It is a bit hard to describe the sauce, but it complements the meat well. I had some Grace Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce at home and decided to put some of that on the ribs. Oh, man! What flavor! (Shhhh. Don’t tell Little Kingston I did that).

The first time I had jerk barbecue ribs was in a hotel in Ocho Rios. They were mind-blowing. I made some at home using the Grace barbecue sauce. They were mind-blowing, too. These short ribs, after adding the Grace sauce, were better than both of them.

Grace Jerk BBQ sauce is good enough on its own. It almost makes you want to drink it straight from the bottle and bypass the middleman, er, meat.

Let’s talk about the Tropical Rhythms drinks for a moment. Starting with the fruit punch, it has mango, guava, pineapple, grape, orange, lime, passion fruit, and papaya juices. I could taste almost every one of those fruits in there. It has the consistency of a thin puree. Only thing missing is the rum. Hmmm. That gives me an idea…

I would love to tell you how the ginger sorrell tastes. Heck, I’d like to know how the ginger sorrell tastes myself. But I was goofing around, spinning the bottle on my palm and flipping it into the air while I waited for the meal to warm up…and dropped it. Fortunately, the bottle itself didn’t break into too many pieces, but the contents went all over the kitchen floor.

Dining in is nice. You get the full atmosphere with Jamaican music and a lot of Jamaican Patois being spoken. But be forewarned, Little Kingston does a very brisk take-out business. Sometimes it can get quite crowded as people come in to pick up their orders.

Though I’ve been to Kingston, Jamaica a couple of times, I’ve never dined in any of the restaurants there. So I can’t vouch for whether or not Little Kingston brings the taste of Kingston. But I have dined in Ocho Rios many times, including roadside jerk centres. Little Kingston’s fare tastes more like the food in Ocho Rios; closer to it than any other Jamaican restaurant I’ve tried in the States.

Little Kingston Jamaica Restaurant – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. Big up, Little Kingston!

 

Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market

September 11, 2017

Inglewood, California – I had unknowingly passed by this place several times during my visits to Inglewood. It wasn’t until I stopped at a traffic light some time later that I saw it in the corner of a strip mall. When I noticed it was a Jamaican restaurant, I made plans to visit the next time I was in the area.

As I mentioned, Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market sits in a strip mall. There’s plenty of parking in the lot, but be aware that a couple of the stalls are in tight and/or precarious locations. 

Once you walk in, you’ll find yourself in a large area of mostly unused space. Not sure if they use all that space for any other purpose but it certainly could be used for dancing and/or dining for larger events.

The interior of the space is painted green. A large map of Jamaica and her parishes is painted on the north wall. Maybe a dozen tables with chairs are scattered across the room. The counter has a handful of stools posted in front of it. There is a flat screen TV above the counter.  A small ‘market’ sits off to the left side of the counter. It felt like being in a market in Jamaica.

After perusing the menu for a minute or two, I decided to get a large order of Jerk Chicken ($13.50), a side order of short ribs ($11.25), a Ting ($2.75), and a Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch ($3.25). I got all this to go.

While I waited for my order to be prepared, I checked out the market. I was sold when I saw that they carried all my favorite Jamaican foods, sauces, and drinks all in one place. In addition to the meals, I ended up with some jerk BBQ sauce (you have got to try this on jerk pork ribs), Walkerswood jerk seasoning (I use this when I make jerk chicken at home), and a can of callaloo. 

Let’s get started: The jerk chicken comes with rice and peas with ‘gravy’ on the rice, plantains, vegetables (cabbage), and festival. 

Those vegetables will wake you up. They are seasoned with lots of pepper. The broth they cook them in is flavorful yet still allows the taste of the cabbage to come though. I enjoyed these.

As you may know by now, I am not a fan of plantains so I ate these fairly quickly without paying much attention to the taste. The festival was good but did not make much of an impression on me beyond that.

The rice in the rice and peas was pretty fluffy, not dry. I was glad to see that. The extra ‘gravy’ also carries some heat. That is not something I expected. Mixed together, it takes just a tiny bit of attention away from the flavor of rice and peas while at the same time taking the taste up another level.

Careful, that jerk chicken packs some heat. It’s just about right for me but if you are sensitive to very spicy foods, you might want try a different dish. Lee’s does a good job cooking the chicken; it was very tender. Though it is quite spicy, it is not overly so; you can still taste the chicken itself.

I had the Ting with the jerk chicken. Even though it is a carbonated drink and doesn’t do anything to alleviate the heat of the chicken, it is very cool and refreshing. I’ve come to believe that Ting is the perfect accompaniment to jerk chicken. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that Ting always reminds me of the first time I had it in Jamaica.

Moving to the short ribs, they were very tender. So tender in fact, meat from one of the ribs had already fallen off the bone by the time I opened the container. As far as the taste, it carried a subtle but hearty beefy flavor. The ribs were cooked well and still had a lot of the juices. The Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch went very well with the ribs.

I was very glad I stopped in here. A restaurant with good food and a market with my favorite Jamaican products in the same place? What more could a lover of Jamaican food want?

Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A virtual one-stop shop for Jamaican food and drink. Except the rum part.

 

Front Page Jamaican Grille

December 7, 2012

Inglewood, California – How did I end up here today? By violating one of the guidelines I had established for Kanale Eats: Don’t read reviews of the restaurant before you visit. The plan was to visit another restaurant today, but reviews of it were only so-so. This place was noted – twice – as a better option. So I bit, so to speak.

Front Page Jamaican Grille is located in Airport Plaza, a nondescript strip mall with very tight parking stalls. Look for the Airport Plaza sign as you approach. Take care turning into and leaving the mall.

When I walked in, it was like I had walked through a portal straight into Jamaica. No need for a description as you can see from the photos what it looked like.

Dining inside were two guys, one of which worked there, and a husband and wife (I think). One guy was at the counter. Three more people came in during the course of my visit. I say all that to make this point: I ended up speaking to every one of the people there. I have never had that experience before. By speaking to them I found out that all were regulars, some coming in weekly. All LOVED the food. Think I came to the right place? I thought so, and I hadn’t even seen the food yet, let alone tasted it.

Front Page seems to do a brisk business during lunch. Most order ahead for take out, a few dine in. The clientele is very diverse: Asian, Black, Indian, Middle Eastern, White. Most look like they are regulars.

Quite a selection of foods was available on the menu. That included ribs. I asked the lady behind the counter if they were jerked. She said they were. When I casually mentioned that I should try them next time (mind you, I still hadn’t tasted anything yet), “You should!” was her exhortation.

The owner says they have curry goat every day, not just on Sundays. I told the lady behind the counter that in addition to the ribs I would have to try the curry goat next time. Her reply? “What are you waiting for?”

After drooling looking over the menu, I decided on:

Short ribs ($12.75 lunch) and jerk chicken ($10 lunch). The lunches and dinners come with sides of mixed steamed vegetables, fried plantain, and rice and peas. I also ordered a beef patty ($3.00), Reggae Wings ($6.25 for a 4-pack), and festival ($0.75). There was no question what my beverage was going to be: Ting ($1.80). This was all to go as it was going to be my dinner for tonight and lunch for the next couple of days.

If you want to order seafood, you’ll need to have some patience. As it is prepared specifically to your order, Front Page asks that you place your seafood order 45 minutes in advance.

It did not take long to prepare and package my meal. I would’ve have loved to have stayed and eaten dinner here but I needed to brave the traffic to get home before the real rush hour started.

I arrived home and sampled everything. First out of the bag was the beef patty. The beef patty was large. Lots of flaky pastry enveloping the meat. The meat itself was well seasoned and moist. Delicious! Just like being back in Ochi. My mind went right back there after just one bite. I shared some with my son. He liked it, too. It was so good I wished I had ordered another one. If you prefer, Front Page also serves chicken and vegetable patties.

For the uninitiated, Ting is a grapefruit soda. Ting is getting harder to find outside Caribbean markets or Jamaican restaurants so I will order it at nearly every Jamaican restaurant I visit. Served chilled, Ting is very refreshing. With its light, citrusy flavor, I find it goes well with just about any type of Jamaican food. Today’s meal was no exception.

Now let’s talk about those Reggae Wings. They smelled like barbecue when I opened the container lid. So far, so good. Then I tasted them. In a word, they are hot! These wings bring the heat… and then some. These wings will, pardon the cliché, put hair on your chest and burn it back off. Warning: If you are sensitive to spicy food, do not even think about trying these wings, no matter how macho you think you are.

You can see the peppers on the wings so there is no doubt about what’s coming. The meat is very tender. I could taste a little of the jerk seasoning on the chicken itself. Though I really like spicy foods, I think I will go easy on these.

The festival was very small. You only get one piece. It was slightly sweet, a tiny bit sweeter than most. After a while I kinda liked the sweetness. Really helps put out the flames from the wings. I just wish there was more of it. Maybe two pieces or one larger piece.

The mixed steamed vegetables were cooked cabbage, greens, with a couple of chunks of what looks like red and green bell peppers. Nicely seasoned. Not sure what kind of broth the vegetables were cooked in but it lends a very nice flavor. Once I dug into them, I ate almost all of them right away.

You get two slices of fried plantain. I am not a big fan of plantains to begin with. And I was not really feeling these. They had kind of a mushier consistency than other plantains I’ve tried. But I ate them anyway.

The rice and peas were a little dry. It took a few forkfuls to really taste the flavor of the rice. It could use a splash of coconut milk. After several more forkfuls, the flavor grew on me but I still think coconut milk would help. Nothing really special about the peas.

The lunch size short ribs come with two ribs. They were fall-off-the-bone tender. Because short ribs have a distinct, strong flavor, it was a little hard to ‘read’ the meat. I couldn’t tell if it was marinated or seasoned before cooking due to the jerk sauce. My palate tasted short ribs, then sauce. The two flavors didn’t really compliment each other. They didn’t clash; it was just that the flavors didn’t work together. More like they were separate flavors.

For my jerk chicken, I got a leg and a thigh. Somewhere along the line I bit into a piece of meat from near the bone without sauce. It tasted naked. The chicken must have been cooked to near done, then finished in a sauce. The jerk sauce heat level ranged from medium to hot depending on how much sauce was on each piece. You can see all of the spices, which is good. It was the right color and flavor, too. The taste reminded me of the meats served in jerk centres in Ocho Rios.

Yes, that was a lot of food. I ate well for the next couple of days.

If you want to try your hand at cooking some jerk meats at home, Front Page sells its own jerk seasoning and reggae hot sauce by the bottle.

Front Page is the real deal. Just ask the regulars that stop by. Ask them how often they dine or take out from here. If you decide to dine in, solo diners, couples, or smaller groups of four or less work best.

Front Page Jamaican Grille – 4 forks. Recommended. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Catering? Yah, mon. They do that, too.

 

Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant

October 21, 2013

Honolulu, Hawai’i – This week I had the opportunity to keep a promise to visit a friend on Oahu. While we discussed where to meet for dinner, she mentioned a Jamaican restaurant she and her husband had gone to and really liked. (She knows of my love of Jamaican food. What she didn’t know was that I happened to be wearing a Jamaican shirt that day.) Say no more, I’m sold!

I arrived early since I was unfamiliar with the area. Parking in the lot was not a problem. I walked around the inside of the lot looking for the eatery. Then walked around the outside of the mall looking for it. I walked down about two blocks and then back up, and still didn’t see it. Then I turned down 11^th street, and walked back into the parking lot ready to make a second circuit. Back at the car, I turned around and headed toward a walkway that led back to 11^th street. And there it was! I had parked right in front of it. Looking up, I noticed the microscopic sign above the second seating area.

Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant has two small seating areas: a small bar-stool-and-counter patio-style area that faces the parking lot. The main dining area is down the walkway I mentioned earlier. That breezeway has a really cool tropical vibe about it – as it should. The front has a thatched covering. You’ll also find the stenciled graphic of Guy Fieri; yep, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives was here. Take a minute to view the mural on the wall. (I didn’t bring a camera today so you’ll have to go to this Food Smackdown page to see photos.) And the lighting is very colorful and relaxing. You’ll really appreciate the Jamaican artwork on the walls, especially if you’ve spent time in Jamaica.

By now you’re probably thinking you’re already in Jamaica and you haven’t even gotten inside yet. When you do walk in, you’ll be greeted with a friendly smile and usually seated immediately. If you arrive at the right time, owner Chef Cassie will come out to greet you. Feelin’ irie yet?

Maybe I should back up a minute and talk about something that may have you scratching your head: A Jamaican restaurant in Hawai’i?! And one that fuses Jamaican fare with Hawaiian flavor?! Yes! You’ll find the fusion running through the music here on this island, too; Hawaiian style based on a heavy Reggae beat. Jawaiian. Got it?

With some music wafting through the restaurant, we quickly settled into the vibe of the place. Because there was only one other small group in the restaurant when we arrived, our orders were taken promptly and we were served quickly.

Our trio ordered the Jerk Shrimp with Coconut Curry Sauce ($8.25) as an appetizer. As if the décor hadn’t already scored points, the presentation of the shrimp scored even more. The plump and juicy shrimp come skewered on a sugar cane spear. Using sugar cane is a stroke of genius; the heat from the shrimp drew out a bit of sweetness from the cane, which you can get a hint of when you bite into the shrimp. It’s just the tiniest hint, but when you do taste it, it cuts through the spiciness of the jerk seasoning quite nicely.

Chef Cassie’s skill is on full display with this dish. He is able to add just the right amount of jerk seasoning to the shrimp without overpowering it. Trust me, that is not an easy feat. Then he is able to do the same thing with the coconut curry sauce by reining in the spiciness of the curry so that the coconut had a chance to come through. Now put them both together. My taste buds have been taken up a few levels. I really like how the flavor of the jerk shrimp, which was addictive just by itself, was elevated by the coconut curry. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

For my drink, I decided to try something new. Ginger beer is very popular in Jamaica yet I never had one before. Jawaiian Irie makes something called Pineapple Ginger Brew ($4.95). “Made from the skin of our local pineapple and fresh ginger with Aunty Vicky’s twist”. Intriguing, especially the pineapple part. It took only two sips to get used to this new taste. Following that, the next thing I noticed was how refreshing it was, especially in Hawai’i’s climate. The ginger was not as prevalent as I expected. But it had enough bite to ensure that I took my time drinking it.

For the entrée, it was a close call between the Jerk Ribeye and Jamaican Curry Goat. In the end, I went with the goat. It came down to price, although one of the members of our trio did order the ribeye. As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, finding curry goat outside of Jamaica is a real treat and when I do find it, I’ll order it almost every time.

Jamaican Curry Goat ($18.95) is served with rice and peas (the correct way to say it in Jamaica; not beans and rice). The rice and peas were fluffy. Actually tasting coconut milk in the rice and peas was another affirmation of Chef Cassie’s credentials. It went well with the curry goat.

When ordering curry goat in the states, I always compare it to the first time I had it in Jamaica. I may need to rethink that strategy because the bar was set incredibly high there. Jawaiian Irie’s curry goat had a good amount of spices in the curry without being very hot. The meat itself was very tender and not gamey. Not many bones, which I appreciate. Joining the party were carrots, peppers, onions, and a few other vegetables. I did enjoy the dish but there was something missing. Or maybe it was the fusion that threw me. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I ate half of the meal and decided to take the rest to go for lunch/dinner the next day. I ended up eating the rest at the airport. Of course, by then the flavors had a chance to really mingle together and work their way into the goat.

Jawaiian Irie does serve desserts, which they warn you to eat in moderation because they are addicting. I’ll have to prove that claim next time. And when I do come back, I will definitely have their Jerk Ribeye. Fred, one of our trio, obviously enjoyed his ribeye because there was nothing left. Oh, and I’ll have to try their jerk wings. And…

You don’t need reservations, but as I said above, Jawaiian Irie is a small place with not a lot of seating. If you have a group larger than eight, you will need to call ahead. Personally, I think the ideal group size is four or less. Although I dine alone often, I’d rather enjoy some company here. The food and the atmosphere make for a fabulous experience.

Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A must if you are on the island and craving Jamaican food.

Update: May 26, 2019. KHON2 reports that Jawaiian Irie closed on March 30^th of last year. Owner Caswell “Cassie” Simmonds is moving back to Jamaica. Chef Cassie sends his thanks to the people of Hawaii for their support.

 

Little Boston Bay Jerk Centre

March 2, 2013

Boston Bay, Portland, Jamaica W.I. – Ever since first learning that the Portland parish is where jerk cooking originated, I’ve been wanting to come to Portland to see for myself. It took eleven years but I finally made it to Portland this time.

Knowing about Little Boston Bay Jerk Centre, much less finding it, requires, I would say, expert knowledge of the area. My driver for the day, Glen Garwood of Jamaica Xplored, certainly qualifies. Little Boston Bay is one of dozens of jerk centers in the area, one of perhaps hundreds on the island. When I told Glen I wanted to try jerk cooking in Portland, this is where he brought us.

Little Boston Bay is a small blue shack, one of about a half dozen other centres on the street. When we arrived, one other patron was there. Uneven handmade wooden benches sit in front of a tile counter. Corrugated roofing provides shelter from the sun and rain. I noticed that the ‘ceiling’ on the side of the shack were the pork was being cooked was black from all the smoke. The ‘chicken side’ was getting there.

Most of the cooking was being done on the floor, where it looked like half of the cement foundation had been broken up and removed. Wood is lit on one side of the shack, and when it becomes red hot, it is placed under a rack made of pimento wood poles. On top of this, the meat is cooked. Corrugated zinc sheeting covers the meat while it cooks. At the time we were there, sausage and pork were being cooked. Every so often the cook would lift the sheet to check on the food. Every time he did so, smoke billowed up from beneath it. Chicken was being cooked in a traditional drum smoker over on the other side of the shack. I caught sight of a lobster on a rack in the back of the shack. A sign on the building said they served lobster so I asked the cook if he had any ready. He did. A separate grill elevated by brake drums cooked the lobster.

At most jerk centres on the island, you order meats by the quarter pound, half pound, or full pound. I’m not sure exactly how much of each Glen and I ordered, but we ended up with yams, festival, chicken, pork, sausage, and, yes, the lobster.

A couple of other customers drove up and stopped in. By now there were maybe five or six people there, all talking. Everything was irie…until someone asked me if I wanted anything to drink. I asked him if he had any Carib beer. Wrong answer. All conversation ceased. Sudden and complete silence. My mind raced trying to figure out what I had said. It quickly dawned on me which faux pas I had just committed: Carib is brewed in Trinidad and Tobago. Without getting into economics or politics, let’s just say that a lot of Jamaican jobs have gone southeast down to Trinidad. I probably should’ve asked for a Red Stripe but I asked for a Ting instead. The gentleman that asked what I wanted to drink went down the street to another store and returned with my soda.

Our food was now laid out in front of us. We were all set to eat and I was more than eager to find out how different jerk cooking here in Portland is from anywhere else on the island. In no specific order, here’s the rundown:

You can taste the smoke flavor in the yams. The flesh was not too firm, not too mushy either. The festival was your typical festival. I liked the taste but there was nothing about it that really stood out.

Moving over to the meats, the chicken was very tender. It was good enough to eat without needing any sauce. I would prefer a bit more jerk spice, though. As with most chicken you get from a jerk centre, watch out for the bones.

As with the chicken, the pork was so good it didn’t need any sauce, either. It was very well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Pretty much says it all right there. It was served on butcher paper.

The sausage links were sliced and served on butcher paper as well. They were very well seasoned. Kicking in pretty quickly, the spiciness really gets your attention. It’s just enough to take the flavor to another level without burning your mouth off. I’ve had jerk sausage once or twice before, but nothing like this. It was by far the best-tasting jerk sausage I have ever had! Just writing about it makes me crave another quarter pound right now.

Our whole lobster came to us on a Styrofoam plate, grilled, spiced, and split lengthwise. I was a bit nervous because I had never had jerk lobster before. Since it has a thicker flesh, it should handle jerk seasoning fairly well but I know, like with fish and even shrimp, too much seasoning can very easily overpower any type of seafood. I needn’t have worried. I took one bite and whoa! What an incredible flavor! It was seasoned well enough so that you know it is jerk seasoning but you can still taste the lobster itself. Ok, I am officially spoiled now.

By now the cook had put more meat on the fire. The smoke emanating from the pits smelled so good that even though we were already eating, it made me even hungrier.

If you are looking for a place that represents why the parish of Portland is known as the birthplace of jerk food, Little Boston Bay is about as good as it gets. Residents come from all over the island to get their jerk fix from here and the Boston Bay area. Next time I visit Jamaica, I will have to come back here to Little Boston Bay.

Little Boston Bay Jerk Centre – 4.5 forks. Very highly recommended. A true gem in the jewel of the Caribbean.

 

Scotchies Too

March 1, 2013

Drax Hall, St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica W.I. – Today marks my second visit to this restaurant. I was so impressed last time that I promised myself next time I return to Jamaica, I would come back here. Promise kept.

Scotchies takes its name from the Scotch Bonnet pepper. (It’s similar to the Habanero but a little sweeter – not that you’d notice with that fire burning in your mouth.) The eatery is located on grounds that resemble an estate’s botanical garden. You wouldn’t think there is a restaurant here when you first drive up.

Park in the dirt parking lot and head toward the hanging Scotchies sign. Vines and other plants cover the long walkway leading around to the counter where you place your order. The dining areas are octagonal gazebos, one large main one and three smaller ones. All are wooden. Tables and chairs and the fences are made from debarked tree branches, which blend in very well with the environment. (Apologies for the photo quality. I put it in so you could see how Scotchies does this.). A well-stocked bar is on site.

Glen, my driver for today and tomorrow, suggested I get the fish. That wasn’t part of the plan, but since he recommended it, I decided to follow his lead. What we finally ended up with was a veritable smorgasbord of food: Jerk fish, half a chicken, pork, festival, roasted breadfruit, sweet potato (yam), Guinness, and a Malta. Total for all of that was only US$32. Several sauces are available to go with your meal. We chose the green sauce. We also mixed another container of green sauce with ketchup to cut some of the heat from the spices.

What initially sold me on Scotchies, aside from the taste of their fare, was their traditional way of cooking. The meats are cooked over pimento wood and covered with corrugated zinc sheets. You’ll find that most of the best jerk centres around the island cook this way. What distinguishes one from another is their jerk seasoning

Everything is constantly being cooked so it shouldn’t take long to put your order together. Ours was presented to us after only a couple of minutes. We took our haul back to a table and dug in. Here’s how it breaks down:

Starting with the festival, it was slightly sweet. Light in consistency so it won’t fill you up too fast. They were a little longer in length than most.

A new experience for me was jerk fish. Scotchies did a wonderful job here because it was well seasoned without overpowering the fish. It is topped with okra, onions, and red bell peppers, then wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire. The juices from the fish and vegetables inside actually end up steaming the fish inside the foil, with the vegetables imparting their own flavors into the fish. The result is a very tender fish with a light jerk flavor. Very juicy. Though I much prefer grilled fish to steamed fish, I was pleasantly surprised as Scotchies’ version was much better than I expected it to be. I wouldn’t mind ordering it again. Thanks, Glen.

A dry jerk seasoning was used on the chicken. The seasoning could have been a bit stronger. It did taste like most of the flavor was in the skin. The meat itself had a light smoky flavor. Our half chicken seemed to have two personalities: the white meat was a little dry while the dark meat was much more moist.

The pork was cut into chunks; cubed, basically. Like the chicken, most of the flavor was in the skin. And, like the chicken, it could use a tiny bit more jerk seasoning. I did taste some of the smoky flavor in the pork.

Breadfruit, to me, is very bland. I will usually only have it if it is roasted. When roasted, the breadfruit takes on some of that smoky flavor. Scotchies’ version was roasted just about right. I did like their breadfruit. It was a nice compliment to all of the meats we had.

Glen says there are about 18 varieties of yams across the island. I’m not sure which type we had. It did taste a bit gritty, but other than that, it tasted like a roasted yam. No much else to say about it.

After coming up empty three times in a row at Cuban restaurants back in the states, I finally got to try a Malta…which I promptly knocked over right after I put it on the table. What remained in the bottle tasted a lot sweeter than I expected. Kind of like, um, a malt. It was also heavier than I expected. Though it was sweet, it did cleanse my palate very well in between the different meats.

If you could try jerk chicken in only one place while you’re in Jamaica, make sure it is this place. Traditional jerk cooking is what brings people in. Be aware that it is fast losing its ‘island secret’ status as more and more visitors from outside of Jamaica are finding out about it. Even guests from cruise ships make a point of visiting. Of course, locals love it here, too. I plan to stop at Scotchies each and every time I visit Jamaica.

Scotchies now has four other locations: Ocho Rios, Discovery Bay, Montego Bay, and Kingston.

Scotchies Too – 4 forks. Recommended. Authentic cooking in large portions. And they take credit cards.

 

Mongoose Jamaica Restaurant & Lounge – Pt. 2

March 3, 2013

Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica W.I. – I had such an enjoyable experience here last time, I came back for the second time in three days. And, like last time (review link), this visit was the result of a recommendation.

My plan was to visit another restaurant across from Turtle Park where I had an unforgettable dinner in 2007. However, when I asked another person at the hotel where I was staying which restaurant is better, again Mongoose was recommended without hesitation. So here I am again. Turns out the other restaurant pretty much rested on their laurels while other restaurants in the area, including newcomer Mongoose, stepped up their game.

This time I started off with a glass of pineapple juice (JA$200), made from local Jamaican pineapple. Jamaican pineapples are not as sweet as those from Hawaii, but still very good. The fruit is a deeper, darker golden color.

Since my plan was to have steak at the other restaurant today, I decided to have it here instead. Today that would be the US sirloin (JA$1875). To go with it, I ordered the house white wine (JA$550). I forgot the name so I can’t tell you which one it was. No matter. I wasn’t feeling it anyway. It tasted like a watered down chardonnay.

You get a side with the steak. I just had to have those rice and peas again. The steak comes leaning against the cylindrical mound of rice and peas. Drizzled over the steak and on the side of the plate is peppercorn sauce. I ordered the sirloin medium rare but it arrived closer to medium. Still, it was still very tender. Cooked over a grill, it was incredibly flavorful. It tasted like it was seasoned with salt and a bit of pepper. No doubt, though, the flavor of the steak itself did most of the talking. Combined with the peppercorn sauce, the pepper taste was really brought out. I savored the flavor of the sirloin for several minutes after the last bite was gone.

For dessert, I wanted a key Lime Pie but they were out. I went with the Black Forest Cake (JA$425) instead. It is served chilled on a plate drizzled in a crisscross pattern with cherry syrup. The multi-layered affair has cherry frosting between the layers. On top is more cherry frosting. Cream icing frosts the top and sides. Finishing it off are chocolate sprinkles and half a cherry. I admit I am not a big fan of Black Forest Cake – I just wanted something chocolate for dessert – but it did taste fresh and the chocolate cake was moist. The cream frosting and cherry frosting were both pretty good, neither frosting was too sweet.

As I said in the last review, if you are anywhere near the Ocho Rios area while you’re in Jamaica, it is definitely worth stopping here. Don’t forget to check out the Events page on their website.

Mongoose Jamaica Restaurant and Lounge – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Even the locals dine here.

 

Mongoose Jamaica Restaurant & Lounge – Pt. 1

February 28, 2013

Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica W.I. – I had been longing to come back to Jamaica for a few years now. One of the places I wanted to try upon my return was a place called Mama Marley’s. When I arrived in Ocho Rios, I learned they had moved down the street near the Taj Mahal. In its place was a new restaurant called Mongoose Jamaica. I asked one of the hotel workers in the hotel where I was staying which place I should go to. Without hesitating, they said I should go to Mongoose. So here I am.

Mongoose Jamaica just opened in December of 2012; just in time to join the last of the yearlong celebration of Jamaica’s 50^th year of independence.

I approached the building and noticed the Dry-Erase board outside promoting their breakfast fare. There is also an empty chair and table with an empty glass on it. The scene practically speaks to you, enticing you to come inside. You enter through a short walkway. Through the doors you’ll find a hostess station to the right but you’ll usually be greeted before you reach it.

Inside, the walls are painted yellow. Flags of various nations such as South Africa, Mexico, France, Cuba, the US, and, of course, Jamaica, just to name a few, hang from the wooden ceiling. Out back is a bar (there is one inside, too), separated from the main dining area by a large tree. If you go turn right before you head outside to the bar, you’ll notice another larger section of the restaurant for groups and private parties. The main dining area is elevated so watch your step. Tables appear to be brushed aluminum with metal and red plastic chairs. Music is continually playing. I noticed two stuffed mongooses (mongeese?) near the entrance.

It was late afternoon when I walked in so the dinner crowd had not yet arrived. I was seated immediately at the table of my choosing. I opted for the patio. The patio is covered but the windows are open. A group of six plus another couple were there at the time, but as the afternoon turned to evening, more diners slowly trickled in.

The waitress was very friendly. We chatted for a bit about the restaurant and its beginnings. A few seconds later, another server came out and asked if I would like any water. Yes, please. She turned over the large wine glass that was upside-down on the table, and, using a tray and a napkin to support the pitcher, poured the ice water into the glass.

The menu has a large selection. It took me a long time to decide what to have since I was going to be having jerk chicken two days in a row and planning to have a steak over the weekend. I wanted to have something different this time.

The Jerk Chicken Spring Rolls (JA$650) sounded good for an appetizer. It is served on a white saucer. On the edge of the saucer, a dollop of Cole Slaw topped with a tomato wedge sits on a small, nouvelle cuisine-ish lettuce leaf. A ramekin of sweet and sour sauce is served with it. Small as it was, it was, however, fresh and crunchy, and just the perfect creaminess and spiciness.

Moving to the egg rolls themselves, they were surprisingly large. They looked more like miniature burritos. Served hot and fresh from the kitchen, they were almost too hot to heat when they arrived at my table. Just as you’d imagine, they tasted like an egg roll stuffed with jerk chicken. Not too spicy. Complimenting the rolls nicely was the sweet and sour sauce, muting a bit of the heat of the jerk spice.

For the main course I went with the curried chicken (JA$875). In all the times I’ve visited the island, I have never had curried chicken so this was a natural choice. It comes to you on a large plate. You get a choice of starch; garlic mashed potatoes or rice and peas. No question there; rice and peas. Vegetables round out the entrée.

Let’s discuss this side dish. It is served as a mound, likely formed by a cup then inverted onto the plate. A green onion stalk stands in the center of the mound. Sliced lengthwise at the top, it is tied in a decorative knot. Now, today I’m dealing with another stuffy nose but somehow the coconut aroma from the rice and peas found its way up to my olfactory sense. Putting the fork to them reveals that they were nice and fluffy. Yes! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! That’s how I like my rice and peas. (Didn’t expect to get so excited about just the rice and peas).

Vegetables today are green beans, and crinkle-cut carrots and zucchini. These were perfectly cooked, yet still crunchy. Even though they were seasoned with butter, pepper, garlic, and other spices, you can still taste the vegetables themselves. Delicious!

Another surprise was the curried chicken. It was served in a scalloped pastry bowl. The pastry was flaky but hollow, kind of like a pita pocket. The chicken was extremely tender. Must have been cooked low and slow. It had less of a curry flavor than I expected but don’t let the subtleness fool you. It still has enough of a kick to get your attention. Curry completely infused the chicken. Warning: watch out for the bones.

If you are anywhere near the Ocho Rios area while you’re in Jamaica, it is definitely worth stopping here. Different nights of the week feature a Salsa dancing workshop, live Reggae bands, DJs and dancing. Check out the Events page on their website.

Mongoose Jamaica Restaurant and Lounge – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Their motto “More than a restaurant, it’s an experience!” is just about right.

 

Juicy’s Caribbean Cuisine

July 3, 2010

Washington, D.C. – It’s the Fourth of July weekend and I’m in our nation’s capital to celebrate. My sister was showing me the sights. We stopped at a place called Sankofa across from Howard University where she picked up something for lunch. Nothing on the menu there interested me, but the place itself sure did. I’d like to hang out there for a while.

I was wearing my Ocho Rios Jazz Festival shirt and was in the mood for some Jamaican food. As luck would have it, I spotted a sign across the street from where we stopped. The sign said “Juicy’s Caribbean Cuisine”. That settled it for me. The sign also said that the restaurant was in loving memory of George “Juicy” Lyttle. Lyttle apparently used to be a caterer before his death. At the DC Annual Reggae Music Awards, Lyttle supposedly won the title of Best Reggae Caterer at least 7 years in a row.

It looked like a converted walk-up. We walked up the steps into what looks like the lobby of an apartment building. I assume the stairs in front of you lead to apartments above the restaurant. Turn to the right to enter the restaurant. Pretty small inside. Sparse decorations, mostly flyers from upcoming events. There is the counter and a couple of tables. Its windows overlook the street. A self-serve fridge contains Jamaican beverages like DG products, Coco water, etc. The lone patron inside was watching FIFA World Cup soccer on the small flat screen television.

A lady behind the counter was in the process of preparing another meal. She took my order as soon as she finished.

The menu had a number of things to choose from. I was debating between Jerk Chicken and a couple of other dishes but settled on curried goat because not every Caribbean restaurant has it and it’s a real treat when I can find it. I got it to go. For a drink, I wanted a Ting. They were out. Ok, then, how about fruit punch? They were out of that, too. No fruit punch? On a weekend? And a holiday weekend at that? So I ended up with a DG Cola Champagne. To go with the meal, I wanted a beef patty. When I asked about that, the lady said they were out. This was getting old, real quick. Surely any Caribbean restaurant worth its ackee and salt fish would have festival. Nope. Out of that, too.  Juicy’s loses points for being out of so many of what I call standard Caribbean food items on a busy holiday weekend. And it was only Saturday afternoon!

Back at the hotel, I opened up the box and dug into the meal. Juicy’s serves their curried goat with salad and rice and peas. I sure miss that festival. The meal seemed incomplete without it. The salad was shredded lettuce, paper-thin slices of cucumber, and sliced tomato. I ate the salad first. Next up were the rice and peas. These were actually pretty good. Could’ve used a bit more coconut milk, though.

Now for the main event. One of the first things I noticed was that Juicy’s version of this dish had a different aroma than I’m used to. I took a bite. It had a little kick to it. Other than that, it tasted more like stewed goat than curried goat. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by curried goat served in other places. Not to brag, but my curried goat tastes better. I think it’s more a case of what you’re used to. You may rave about your mom’s spaghetti and meatballs while your friend may not care for it. On the plus side, Juicy’s serves a good-sized portion. I ended up saving half of it for later.

Juicy’s fare tastes like a home-cooked meal, with all that comes with memories of home. If I lived in the area I would probably come back to Juicy’s. But with my wandering spirit, I’d want to try other places in the area first.

Juicy’s Caribbean Cuisine – 3 forks. Recommended.

Update August 20, 2011: Looks like Juicy’s has closed down. The signs out front and on the building are gone. Sad. Even though, as I said in the review, I’d try other Caribbean restaurants in the area before returning to Juicy’s, I wish they could’ve hung around.