Restaurant: Juici Patties
Cuisine: Jamaican/Caribbean/Fast Food
Last visited: October 8, 2011
Location: Multiple locations in Jamaica
Address: Multiple locations in Jamaica
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Since 1980
• Restaurant chain/franchise
• Famous for Jamaican patties
• Authentic Jamaican patties
• Some modern flavours
• “Best in City”
• Fast food
• Some “healthier” options
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Eat in/Take-out
• Open daily lunch & dinner until late

**Recommendations: Beef Patties, Beef & Cheese patties

Jamaican patties! It’s one of the more popular Jamaican foods in North America, and it’s nice to know that they are still just as popular in Jamaica. There’s a constant debate between Juici Patties and Tastee Patties, which are the two biggest Jamaican patty chains in Jamaica. Both claim to carry the best patties, but I probably came across more locals that took a liking to Tastee Patties.

I had tried Tastee Patties a few days ago at my visit to Belcour Preserves, but they were take out and reheated so it didn’t count. Therefore I can’t really say which I liked better since I had Juici Patties on the spot, but there are differences that I want to show. They’re both considered “creme de la creme” of Jamaican patties, so it’s really based on personal preference.

I was invited on a culinary bloggers tour in Jamaica and we had just finished lunch at Scotchie’s Jerk Chicken and a second lunch at the only Irish pub in Jamaica. Most of us were ready for a nap, but I was ready to try Jamaican patties!

Well actually, to be honest, I wasn’t planning on going for patties, what I really wanted was dessert! In particular Devon House Ice Cream, which is supposed to be the best ice cream in Jamaica. So technically I shared 6 softball sized scoops of ice cream before these Jamaican patties. *Oink*

It was after ice cream and we were on our way back to the Sandals Resort when our driver drove by Juici Patties. I couldn’t hold back and asked him stop. I had to make the pit stop to try Juici Patties before I left Jamaica. I was determined and still craving an authentic Jamaican patty experience since my Tastee Patties experience didn’t count. I was also curious to try Juici Patties for comparisons sake.

Juici Patties started in Jamaica and they have restaurants all over there, and their other factory is actually in Toronto, Canada. You may have come across Juici Patties in the freezer section of some specialty grocery stores, but I’ve never tried them.

I’ve only had a couple Jamaican patties to date, so my expectations were rather neutral. Nonetheless I was excited to try them fresh on the spot! This post is more for my self-satisfaction of having a point of reference to draw back to when I come across another Jamaican patty outside of Jamaica. Sure, it won’t be fair to really compare them, but as a “foodie”, I think it’s important to know the difference and what they should taste like.

On the table:

**Juici Jamaican Patties – 5/6

• Jamaicans actually feel really passionate about their Jamaican patties, so it was nice to know it wasn’t an Americanized Jamaican specialty.
• The traditional Jamaican patties are beef, but nowadays there’s a lot of non-traditional flavours and even patties made with whole what pastry and soy.
• I think of them as Jamaican style “pop tarts”.
• They’re served piping hot and I could barely hold them.

**Juici Jamaican Beef Patty – 5/6

• $85 JMD = $.99USD
• Beef is the traditional Jamaican patty.
• If it was my first time trying these outside of Jamaica, I would think that they bastardized the recipe by skimping on the filling, but it turns out that’s how they are there too.
• So there isn’t much filling and the beef and onions are really minced up that it almost seems pureed and more like a creamy meat sauce.
• It was very saucy with some curry and spices and a bit spicy from perhaps scotch bonnet pepper sauce.
• The pastry I was more impressed by.
• It was super light, crispy, tender and flaky with multiple layers, and it was likely made with butter and shortening.
• It was really good, but you’re not chewing into any beef and it could almost pass off as mashed beans with a little ground beef.
• The filling seems like it’s made with a lot of fillers, but if that’s how it’s authentically made, then that’s how it’s authentically made, so I can’t complain.

Tastee Jamaican Beef Patties - n/a

• Just for comparisons sake, this is the Beef Patty from Tastee Patties which is the other local favourite for the “best Jamaican patties”.
• I tried these reheated so it wasn’t the same as fresh on the spot, therefore I can’t rate them.
• The beef was more like a beef stew and it was still very creamy.
• I know the photo looks dry and more like beans, but it wasn’t the case.
• This is apparently the best beef patties get in Jamaica, so it’s nice to have for reference.

**Juici Jamaican Cheese Patties – 5.5/6

• $125JMD = $1.45USD
• These are modern day Jamaican patties and the cheese is an Americanized twist.
• Despite them being not traditional, I actually like them better than the authentic beef ones.
• It was the same thin and flaky pastry with the rich spicy beef sauce, but with added cheese .
• The cheese was almost like Velveeta. There wasn’t much, and it’s probably really bad for you, but bad stuff always tastes good, and this was really good!

Juici Jamaican Chicken Patties – 4.5/6

• $110JMD = $1.28USD
• This one definitely had a stronger curry flavour, but it was the same creamy pureed texture and it was more like a chicken sauce than a hearty chicken stuffing.
• I was expecting shredded pieces of chicken with diced onions and veggies, but I guess that’s not how they’re authentically made.
• However the chicken patties at Tastee’s Patties did have actual pieces of chicken in it, although not much.
• It was perhaps even spicier than the beef ones, and there was some also potatoes in it so it came across as “filler” stuffing again, but I guess that’s just how they are.

Tastee Jamaican Juice Patties – n/a

• Again, just for comparisons sake, this is the Chicken Patty from Tastee Patties which is the other local favourite for the “best Jamaican patties”.
• I tried these reheated so it wasn’t the same as fresh on the spot, therefore I can’t rate them.
• They looked really different and they even tasted different than Juici Chicken Patties.
• I could actually bite into pieces of chicken (thigh I think) and it also had some mashed potato, but less curry flavour.
• It was moist, but not as saucy and kind of reminded me of chicken pot pie.
• It definitely had more of a chicken flavour and stuffing, which I liked.

Juici Patti’s CoCo Bread – 4/6

• $55JMD = $.64USD
• The CoCo Bread was a last minute decision and it was because they looked like they were being freshly baked in house and I couldn’t resist.
• I totally ate this wrong and I wish it came with a manual!
• I thought it was a dessert bread, but it’s actually a sandwich bread!
• You’re supposed to sandwich your Jamaican patty into this! That’s heavy!
• To me that sounded like major carb overload and way too much bread, but now that I know that’s how you’re supposed to eat it, I want to try it again properly!

• It was super fluffy and almost layered and it tasted just like those fluffy Chinese mantou buns.
• I was almost peeling it and I thought it would be much lighter, but I don’t think there’s much sugar in it and it’s not dessert like at all.
• It was a sweeter bread, but it was hardly sweet and it’s definitely milk based and made with white flour and likely some egg.
• Apparently it’s made with coconut milk, but I couldn’t tell in this one and it just tasted like regular milk.
• It looked better than it tasted, but I also ate it wrong.

Follow Me Foodie to Resort Dining in Jamaica

Dining around Sandals Royal Plantation & Resort Restaurants

This is the view from my bedroom on a cloudy day of October in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Can’t complain. The water was still sparkling blue and crystal clear and had it been sunny it would have been even nicer. Oh, how I miss Jamaica!

If you prefer staying on resorts when you travel, then you’re likely familiar with the luxury Sandals resort brand. I was invited on a culinary tour in Jamaica and the Sandals Royal Plantation was where I stayed for a portion of the trip. The purpose of this post isn’t to brag about the fancy accommodations or even promote them, but I was able to try some of their restaurants and it did help me better understand authentic Jamaican food in various styles.

Honestly, the accommodations at resorts excite me more than the dining options. Being a foodie in Jamaica a hotel restaurant doesn’t really appeal to me. However, I understand that I’m not representative of their clientele who would prefer familiar foods and flavours that are closer to home. Needless to say they are touristy restaurants for tourists in paradise settings.

On the other hand, I’m not sure how many of you would go to Jamaica just for the food and I think many would choose to stay on a beautiful resort like Sandals, where everything is all inclusive. Sure it makes things a lot easier and some of the food I tried here was impressive and enjoyable, but I do encourage travelers to explore beyond the resort to really see and taste what Jamaica truly has to offer.

If you need a little guidance please see my posts for authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken from Scotchies, authentic Jamaican seafood from Prendy’s on the Beach, and an authentic Jamaican breakfast from Jamaica Pegasus.

In the end, I dined around three restaurants on the Sandals Resorts which included one flop, one solid authentic Jamaican gourmet breakfast, and a memorable 5 course fine dining dinner.

Sandals Grande Riviera – Dinner at Bayside Restaurant

The fist night was a buffet dinner at Sandals Grand Riviera’s Bayside Restaurant. Featuring an international menu including a sushi bar, nacho bar, salad bar, pasta bar, sweet and sour chicken and a few Jamaican specialties, it was just not for me. There are 14 other casual and fine dining options on the resort, and unless any of the above excites you, then I would advise you to check out the other options, or be adventurous and try something off the resort.

Sandals Royal Plantation – Breakfast at The Terrace Restaurant

Sandals is a luxury resort, so in terms of ambiance, it doesn’t really get any better if you want to dine literally by seaside. The next morning featured their breakfast buffet, but it was much more impressive than the buffet dinner at Bayside Restaurant. The breakfast was actually very representative of a fancy Jamaican breakfast. It didn’t feel as home style and authentic as the one I had at Jamaica Pegasus, but it was still very enjoyable on another level. It was presented gourmet, had more variety, and the fruits were more exotic.

The flavours were a bit Westernized, as expected for a resort, but it was still very good and included all the standard Jamaican breakfast items like Ackee & Saltfish, Callaloo (similar to spinach), boiled plantains, breadfruit, and Escovitch (made with Lionfish) as well as other American breakfast items.

Ackee & Saltfish – Jamaica’s national breakfast dish.

Lionfish is actually a poisonous fish, but after it’s handled and cooked (in this case deep fried) it becomes safe to eat, and the same goes for the ackee fruit in Ackee & Saltfish. I don’t know what’s up with Jamaican ingredients being poisonous before it’s cooked, but they make it work and taste great! For more on Ackee & Saltfish see my post here.

This Ackee and Saltfish (looks like scrambled eggs) was more refined and catered for Western tastes, but it was still delicious. In Vancouver it’s often served for dinner in our limited Jamaican restaurants, but it is traditionally a breakfast item.

This was a breakfast item I really wanted to try and I hadn’t come across it yet, until I saw it being offered at The Terrace. It’s a Jamaican peanut porridge I had read about. It’s pretty much a peanut flavoured oatmeal made with freshly ground peanuts, evaporated milk, flour, sugar and nutmeg. It tasted more almondy than peanutty and it wasn’t creamy and didn’t resemble any qualities of peanut butter at all. It tasted like that hot walnut soup they serve for dessert at Chinese restaurants, but mixed with the listed ingredients. Just like American oatmeal you can top it off with dried fruit, coconut and nuts etc.

They also offered a buffet of seasonal fruits which I was all over.

Sweetsop or Custard Pear – These are my favourite! I know them as Custard Pear, what they’re called in Asia, but in Jamaica they’re called Sweetsop. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I was so happy. It pretty much tastes like a gritty, grainy, overripe and creamy Bartlett pear. It’s richer than a Bartlett pear in texture and flavour and custard like. I think I ate at least 6 of them at breakfast. The white part is the fruit and you spit out the black seeds. The bumpy green skin isn’t meant to be eaten. It takes a bit of effort to eat, but they’re amazing and worth it!

Sandals Royal Plantation – Dinner at La Papillon

My last meal in Jamaica was a hosted 5 course dinner at Sandals Royal Plantation’s La Papillon Restaurant. Since it was my last day (not my last post for Jamaica) I had crammed in as much food as I could. After Jamaican Jerk chicken at Scotchies, a feast at an Irish Pub (I know that’s random, but it was on the itinerary), six scoops of Devon House Ice Cream (considered the best ice cream in Jamaica) and three Jamaican patties from Juici Patties (considered one of the best patties in Jamaica), I was not necessarily starving for dinner, but I was ready.

Restaurant: Sandals Royal Plantation Resort & Restaurants - La Papillon
Cuisine: Jamaican/Caribbean/French/Fusion/Seafood
Last visited: October 7-8, 2011
Location: Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Address: Main Street, P.O. Box 2, Ocho Rios 2, Jamaica
Price Range: All inclusive

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Although La Papillon was a resort restaurant the food was actually very good. I know! I was quite surprised. It was French inspired Jamaican food so it was something different, which I can’t get at home. Authentic Jamaican food isn’t gourmet and it’s very home style, so “fine dining” for authentic Jamaican cuisine is almost a contradiction. The chefs are Jamaican and professionally trained, so they still brought Jamaican flavours and fused them with French techniques. Therefore I appreciated it on another level that wasn’t authentic, but just unique, refined and good. If you want something like this, you basically have to get it at a resort. I did also go to EITS Cafe (Europe in the Summer Cafe) in Jamaica which was another European take on Jamaican food, but on a more casual level and in the mountains – see here.

On the table:

Red Stripe Beer Steamed Mussels – 5/6

• Red Stripe is the most popular beer in Jamaica and it’s a very light beer with characteristics of a lager.
• I found it very representable of a Jamaican meets French dish and it was excellent.
• There was no bitterness, but I could still taste a bit of the beer and it was a switch up from the classic wine.
• It was more buttery than anything, sweet from some onions, and a little tangy from some lemon juice, followed by a hint of beer to give it a spark and dynamic flavour.
• The broth was rich, but drinkable like soup, and the mussels were tiny, but not gutsy and still sweet and tender.
• I’ve had beer steamed mussels in Vancouver before, so the idea wasn’t new to me, but it was still great!

Traditional Gungo Peas Soup – 4/6

• A complete Jamaican meal will almost always include a soup for starters, just like many Asian cuisines. They’re all cultures that are big on soup.
• It reminded me of split pea soup, but instead of peas it was Gungo Peas, or Pigeon peas, and red kidney beans which they also call “peas”.
• It was made with Gungo peas, kidney beans, kale or callaloo, carrots, onions, potatoes, beef, chicken, pork, thyme and coconut milk.
• It was a hearty soup and had all of Jamaica in it. It’s a meal in itself.
• Traditionally it should be made with salted ham or pig tails, but this one had pieces of boneless skinless pork, and the beef and chicken was in the form of stock.
• It was a bit spicy from some scotch bonnet peppers and the coconut milk cut the heat and gave it a little creamy richness.
• The broth is very meaty tasting with the peas, beans, and vegetables cooked down to thicken it.
• There were also some dumplings in it that looked like short noodles and tasted like chewy rolled perogie skins. It was almost like thick, doughy, and short pieces of dense udon.

Island Vegetable Salad with Jamaican Goat Cheese – 4/6

• This was French in style, but the ingredients were seasonal and representative of what Jamaica has to offer.
• The lettuce was wrapped with a thin strip of cucumber to hold the green leaves together.
• The tower was composed of cucumbers, June plums, and pickled beets and there was a nice sweet and tangy balance. I loved the texture of juicy fruit and crunchy vegetables too.
• The June plums tasted like mango and papaya and they were dyed in the beets and that’s why they’re pink.
• I had a June plum fresh and it actually tastes like a green apple meets a green mango and it’s more tart than sweet.
• There were two Jamaican orange segments on the side and the dressing seemed like a balsamic vinaigrette.
• The Jamaican goat cheese tasted like salty feta and it wasn’t very gamey at all. It was creamier than feta and not crumbly and it was the only salty aspect of this salad.
• It was an interesting set up for a salad and I think the only vegetables I ate all day.

Smoked Pork Chop and Pineapple with Curried Lobster – 4/6

• Served with cinnamon pumpkin and sauteed vegetables.
• The pork chop was a bit dry for me, but the smoky roasted cured flavours were well developed and infused.
• It was topped with a sweet and syrupy fresh pineapple and the sauce tasted like tangy orange juice, pineapple juice and honey.
• It was probably a bit sweet for me, but the flavours were that of roasted ham and pineapples which I’ve always been a fan of.
• The creamy pureed pumpkin mash was spiced with cinnamon and it reminded me of sweet potato pie filling. I think there may have been some pureed apples in it too.

• Curried Lobster – 4/6
• The curried lobster was sauteed in butter, lemon and a simple tomato broth for some acidity, and some fresh parsley.
• The lobster was tender and sweet with a hint of curry and the spice of scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce.
• I loved how it was served and it was quite a gourmet side to a pork chop.

Coffee Bavarian – 2/6

• With stewed June plum and rum sauce
• And where’s the rum sauce?

Oh, never mind, there it is! A free flowing shot or two of it!

• I wasn’t a fan of this dessert, although the presentation was impressive.
• It reminded me of those Asian jelly roll cakes, but dome shaped with a cream filled centre.
• It was a sponge cake with lots of thick coffee flavoured cream and it wasn’t too sweet, but the cream was really rich, buttery, heavy and a bit overwhelming. It just wasn’t my favourite Bavarian cream.
• It was almost soaked with rum and it was all I could taste, so it reminded me of rum balls without the chocolate coating.
• The June plums were stewed, tender and tart so it was nice to have along with the creamy cake, but I ended up eating them alone.
• The spoon tasted like a thin crisp fortune cookie and that was enjoyable.

Restaurant: EITS Cafe (Europe in the Summer Cafe)
Cuisine: Jamaican/European/Fusion/brunch
Last visited: October 6, 2011
Location: Blue Mountains, Jamaica (Near Kingston)
Address: 17 Mile Post Newcastle Road, Irish Town Blue Mountains Jamaica, St Andrew
Price Range: $10-20+USD

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Off the beaten track
• On Blue Mountains
• Incredible view
• Father/Daughter operation
• European-Jamaican cuisine
• Popular to tourists
• All vegetables grown on site
• Almost all organic
• Vegetarian friendly
• Meat/Seafood available
• Cocktails
• Mount Edge Guest house available
• Brunch/Lunch/Dinner
• Reservations: foodbasketjamaica@gmail.com

**Recommendations: Tropical Cocktail, Pea & Mint Soup, Callaloo Rice, Carrot Cake

We stopped here on our way down from our visit of the Blue Mountain Coffee coffee bean farm (see here), which is famous for being one of the best coffees in the world. After trying raw coffee beans and enjoying an afternoon “coffeetime” of traditional Jamaican pastries, alongside freshly brewed 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, it was time for lunch! This was all part of my invitation to explore Jamaica’s culinary scene and it took my definition of “coffee break” and “lunch break” to a whole new level. A much, much higher level.

EITS Cafe, which stands for “Europe in the Summer Cafe”, was our pit stop lunch on Blue Mountain before heading back to the city. It’s definitely off the beaten track and from the outside I would have thought it was a house, not a restaurant.

From a North American perspective it comes across as a little hole in the wall eatery, but in Jamaica it’s not. Although this is technically along the roadside, this is not a roadside diner or shack. EITS Cafe is actually a European influenced Jamaican restaurant and it is considered quite nice. Even if the ambiance isn’t your style, the view is incredible and it’s a unique and affordable mountain top dining experience in Jamaica.

Although I consider it first and foremost a cafe before a guesthouse, it does also operate as the Mount Edge guesthouse. It’s father and daughter operated and owned and they actually live here as well, but the top floor is available for tourists to book. It’s suitable for tourists who are low maintenance, not accustomed to resorts, and those looking for a sense of nature and adventure… you may or may not be an European backpacker or a hippie.

When it comes to farm to table, Jamaica could easily put us to shame. On the other hand how we treat the idea of “farm to table” is very different. In Jamaica, they’ve always been doing it. It’s a country that has relied on its natural resources and surroundings, however in North America it has almost become a new trend in the dining scene, or revived idea of the past. To be fair, it’s a lot easier to provide this experience in Jamaica due to the climate and overall landscape.

It’s also a lot easier when your farm or backyard looks like this!

This is the source for the ingredients at EITS Cafe. It’s literally their backyard. They own acres of this land and grow almost every (legal) herb and a wide range of greens used at their restaurant. The cafe is mostly organic, but not certified organic, although they say they have plans to eventually become certified.

I was actually very lucky to get the previous photo, because just an hour before it looked like this!

EITS Cafe serves European-Jamaican cuisine and I would say it is frequented by tourists. The food was good and the ingredients were grown in their backyard, but personally I would prefer more Jamaican flavours and it seemed very Westernized. I know that’s their theme, but even so, I was looking for more delivery in the food. In the context of Jamaica, it’s considered a gourmet cafe, but I found the story behind it more interesting than the food. The father and daughter owners of EITS Cafe are incredibly sweet, and even with the tropical showers, the view is something to experience and that is what I appreciated more.

On the table:

**Tropical Cocktail - 5/6

• Around $450JMD or $5.20USD
• I don’t remember the exact name for this cocktail but it was made with fresh pineapple juice, passion fruit, ginger and sparkling wine.
• The fruits were naturally sweet and the ginger gave a nice aroma, subtle warmth, but not spice.
• It was almost like a Jamaican Mimosa and it wasn’t too sweet or tart. I loved it!

Complimentary Scotch Bonnet Peppers (Condiment)

• Just seeing this photo makes me start to sweat.
• I didn’t see many authentic Jamaican restaurants serving it as a condiment like this, and usually it was just an ingredient in the dish or served as a hot sauce on the side.
• Do yourself a favour and avoid the seeds at all costs, unless you handle “authentic Indian food hot spicy” or “authentic Thai food hot spicy”.
• This is “authentic Jamaican food hot spicy”, but even Jamaicans avoid the seeds and don’t eat them whole.
• The pepper is initially sweet, then in 5 seconds it’s spicy, then it gradually gets spicier and hotter, and by 15 seconds your mouth is burning!
• Do not drink water if you need to kill the spice. Drink milk, eat sugar and never touch your eyes or eat these with your fingers.
• I had a bad experience with them at an authentic Jamaican seafood restaurant – see my post for “Spicy Shrimp” at Prendy’s on the Beach.

Complimentary Condiments

• Parmesan Cheese – This was for the salad.
• Smoked Shark – 4/6
• They kept calling it “smoked shark”, but I think it was smoked Marlin.
• When I heard it was “shark” I was pretty “no-no” since I gave up eating shark’s fin years ago, but shark meat was new.
• To be polite I did try it, and I received confirmation from the owners of the restaurant that it was ethically caught from a local fishery.
• It was almost like pounded smoky, salty tuna sashimi but a bit tougher and more fiberous.
• It was my first time trying it and I did really enjoy the flavour.

**Pea & Mint Soup – 4/6

• Served with organic mixed green salad and house baked bread About $450JMD or $5.20USD
• It was a creamy pea and mint soup made from herbs and vegetables grown in their backyard.
• It reminded me of a lentil soup meets a split pea soup with added carrots and okra, and it was all blended and pureed until creamy and smooth.
• I could taste a hint of mint and a bit of all spice for some warm cinnamon like flavours, and it was peppery, but not spicy.
• It wasn’t sweet for being a pea soup, but more savoury and spiced.
• I found it almost Middle Eastern in flavours, and it was more European than Jamaican, but it was still good.
• An authentic Jamaican soup would be a lot more hearty and the vegetables wouldn’t be pureed.
• Although different, an excellent pea soup in Vancouver is from Market by Jean-Georges – see Sweet Pea Soup.
• Bread
• It was baked in house in an antique oven and it was very doughy, moist and chewy and almost like half cooked bread.
• It seemed a bit stale, but I’m not sure if that was the style.
• Organic Mixed Green Salad
• The salad was no doubt fresh from their garden, but the leaves just seemed a bit wimpy. They weren’t wilted, but just less developed.
• It was romaine, basil, small tangy cherry tomatoes, and arugula, but arugula in Jamaica tastes different. It was less peppery and very mild.
• It was lightly drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken Pasta with Arugula Pesto - 2.5/6

• About $1200JMD or $13.97USD (I’m guessing)
• The chicken is grown on the farm and it was seasoned with rosemary, cilantro, thyme, oregano, two types of parsley and mint which was also grown on the farm.
• I couldn’t really taste all the herbs that went into making the chicken.
• The chicken was fried in olive oil and then steamed, so it resulted in a very flavourful, moist, and juicy chicken skin, but it was also soggy and the meat was drier.
• The pasta was overcooked and a bit bland and it was dressed in a home made arugula pesto, but it just tasted like pureed arugula, garlic and olive oil so it was quite bland.
• I needed to use a lot of Parmesan cheese for the pasta and I just wanted much more sauce and flavour for it.
• There was also some roasted eggplants, bitter green peppers, tiny sauteed mushrooms and organic green salad as a side.
• I appreciated that everything was organic and homegrown, but the vegetables and flavours just seemed under developed.

**Callaloo Rice with Prawns – 4.5/6

• About $1400JMD or $16.80USD (I’m guessing)
• I didn’t get to try a prawn, and I doubt that’s grown on the farm…
• The rice on the other hand was delicious! It was one of my favouite rices on the trip.
• I couldn’t really understand the owner’s accent but I think he called it Callaloo Rice. I didn’t see any Callaloo which is a kale like vegetable and it wasn’t the variety of rice either, so I’m not sure what kind of rice it was.
• The rice was extremely nutty, fragrant, firm and aromatic with fried garlic, herbs, toasted sesame seeds and carrots.
• The grains were well toasted, infused with flavour, separate and very well fried yet not oily or greasy.
• They fry the herbs in olive oil first, toast the rice in it, and then add a little chicken stock and leftover water from the boiled carrots to make it.
• It was simple, but there was effort and it was almost like a fried rice meets a pilaf.

**Carrot Cake – 6/6

• Around $550JMD or $6.36USD
• In all honesty, this is the one item that I would actually go back for and still remember in a couple years.
• The other carrot cake I’ll remember is the Organic Multi Seed Carrot Cake I had at Life Cafe in Hong Kong about a year and a half ago.
• This is one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever had.
• A carrot cake really isn’t a big deal, but when it’s baked in an antique oven, topped with whole walnuts, and covered in a sweet sticky ooey gooey caramel sauce like a cinnamon bun, it’s memorable.
• It was fresh from the oven, warm, ultra creamy, moist and very heavy and rich and it was a dessert you had to have taken away.
• The caramel sauce was very sugary with a hint of rum and the whole thing tasted like cake batter meets a half baked cake.
• It had some shredded carrots, currants and walnuts, but it was much more of a dessert than a bread.
• It was a full on cake and almost like a bread pudding and it was incredibly decadent and delicious!
• If it was served with ice cream, it would have been even better! And FYI they do serve ice cream.

• It seemed almost fried around the edges, but it wasn’t crispy.
• Along with the Rum Cake at Blue Mountain Coffee, I would take this cake back home to Vancouver, BC with me.
• It’s one of their must try specialties, and I can see why.
• If you’re in Vancouver, this will also do the trick – see Beet and Carrot Cake with Blue cheese cream and candy walnut from The Oakwood Canadian Bistro.

Restaurant: Prendy’s on the Beach
Cuisine: Jamaican/Caribbean/Seafood
Last visited: October 5, 2011
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Address: 7 South Ave Kingston 10, Kingston
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3 (for a weeknight)
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Authentic Jamaican seafood
• Local favourite
• Famous for seafood
• Catch their own fish
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Good for groups
• Beer available
• Some dance nights
• Covered outdoor seating
• Eat in/Take-out
• Mon – Thurs 9am-9pm
• Fri – Sat 9am-11pm
• Sunday 8am-2pm

**Recommendations: Fish Tea, Steamed Pumpkin & Conch, Escovitch, Roast Snapper, Garlic Shrimp

I was invited on a culinary tour of Jamaica and when the itinerary read “Prendy’s on the Beach” for dinner, this isn’t what I was thinking. We were advised to dress nicely, but not formally, so I was imagining some type of romantic atmosphere along the beach. I think I thought it was going to be like Bali, so this was not what I was expecting. Forget the all inclusive, expat favourites or resort dining choices, this was the real deal. Hello Jamaica!

From the outside it looked like a preschool, with the Crayola crayon like fence, and I’m actually not even sure if it was on the beach. We came at about 8pm and it was too dark to tell, but research shows that it is. Apparently they have dance hall nights and the place gets pretty lively on weekends, but for a Wednesday night dinner I unfortunately didn’t get to experience that atmosphere.

I definitely considered this a hole in the wall, but again, in Jamaica, this is not a hole in the wall. Their definition of a hole in the wall is literally a shack, or some hut along the roadside. Prendy’s on the Beach is an actual restaurant and despite the plastic lawn chairs, it’s considered kind of a “nice”restaurant for a nice seafood dinner.

This was my first dinner in Jamaica and they threw us in the cold water fast. It’s popular for seafood since they catch their own fish and prepare it in house. The prices will vary accordingly to seasonal fish.

In a way it reminded me of Chinese food and how they prepare fish. Everything was served whole, but after a while, just like many ethnic cuisines, everything started to taste the same. At times the seafood was overcooked, but traditionally I think it tends to be the Jamaican style. It was no doubt the most authentic Jamaican dinner I had for seafood. As for the meat it was probably my authentic Jerk chicken I had from Scotchies.

I was looking for the sign, so you would know what to look out for if you’re ever visiting Jamaica and want to try this place. And there it was! Exactly what I expected. Beat up, faded from the sun, and ghetto. In fact, I was surprised there was a sign at all and this is considered a “nice sign”. Most of the restaurant signage in Jamaica is non-existent or just written on a piece of wood.

To be honest, if you’re the average tourist in Jamaica, chances are you won’t come here. However, if you’re a foodie like me, and you crave what the locals eat and something not watered down for Western tastes, then I strongly recommend it. Compared to the other places I tried for dinner, this just felt the most legit.

What’s more is that when I spoke with other locals, they also recommended Prendy’s on the Beach for an authentic Jamaican experience. Perhaps it was because it was the only one they could direct me to since there was legit signage and a registered address, but the way the food was prepared and presented was reassuring as a local Jamaican favourite.

On the table:

**Fish Tea (Fish Soup) – 5/6

• Almost every traditional Jamaican meal starts off with soup, which I found very Asian.
• They start it early in the morning and it just sits on the stove all day so the flavours are really intense.
• Fish tea is a local favourite and expected from a restaurant that specializes in seafood.
• It was very fishy, but not in a non-fresh way and it was almost like a semi-creamy fish stock soup.
• It’s not rich and I’m quite sure dairy free, and there’s no actual tea in it either.
• It’s made with fish heads and the entire fish to reach that fishy flavour.
• Usually the bones and skins would be included, but most of it was removed from this one and there were pieces of tender flaky white fish throughout.
• It almost tasted like a fishy vegetable and lentil soup, even though there were no lentils.
• It was starchy and thickened from potatoes and carrots that were so cooked down they almost melted into the soup.
• There were some eggplants that were so cooked that they became a bit slimy as well.
• The overcooking of vegetables almost makes it more authentic and it’s supposed to be like that, however usually the vegetables for fish tea are potatoes and plantains rather than eggplants and carrots.
• It was quite salty and spicy with a bit of scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, and thyme, so it carries a lemony tang and mild-medium heat.

**Steamed Pumpkin and Conch - 5/6

• This is one of their signature dishes.
• They steam pumpkin with any fresh seafood and the lobster is a popular choice, but we had the conch.
• Pumpkins are really popular at this time since it’s Fall, and what they call a pumpkin is what we would call an Acorn Squash in Vancouver, BC.
• It was the sweetest dish we had which helped balance out some of the spicier things.
• It was conch (sea snail) which I’ve had numerous of times in Asian cuisine. It’s like firm chewy clam meat without the mushiness.
• The conch was steamed and cooked in a sweet, creamy and slimy pumpkin stew, and the okra made for the slimy texture.
• It had a nice seafood flavour throughout and it was an easy dish to warm up to even if you’re not an adventurous diner.

**Garlic Shrimp – 4/6

• This reminded me of a shrimp scampi with more spices, but it wasn’t spicy.
• The shrimps were a bit overcooked and didn’t have the shells which kind of surprised me.
• It was quite oily, but very aromatic with green onions, thyme, allspice and lots of nutty minced garlic which infused into everything.

Curry Shrimp - 4/6

• I was thinking it was going to be like a South East Asian creamy coconut milk curry meets a creamy Indian curry, but it was neither.
• It was a very thin sauce that was quite tangy with lemon juice and it had some garlic, scotch bonnet peppers for heat and some sweet onions and bell peppers.
• The shrimps were a bit overcooked again, but the flavours were there.
• The curry flavour almost seemed more tomato based and acidic than a traditional curry.

Spicy Shrimp - 3.5/6

• This was so flavourful and pretty greasy, but I almost shut down after I accidentally ate a whole scotch bonnet pepper in it.
• The shrimps were a bit overcooked again, but the sauce was good, just like the other shrimp dishes.
• The initial bite of the dish is sweet and garlicky and it seemed to be cooked in jerk seasoning and jerk sauce and lots of scotch bonnet peppers.
• There was also some fried onions and bell peppers for a bit more sweetness to balance out the spice.
• This was a hot spicy and the spice gradually creeps up on you and lingers, but the pepper starts off sweet so it tricks you.
• Scotch Bonnet Peppers
• Remember my Follow Me Foodie to Jamaica post where I mentioned a scotch bonnet pepper experience that made me want to puke? This was it.
• Almost every dish had scotch bonnet peppers, but they didn’t include much of the seeds which is where the spice is. However this one had way more scotch bonnet peppers and the seeds!
• I thought the scotch bonnet pepper was a vegetable and I ate the whole thing with the seeds and all.
• At first it was sweet so I thought it was a bell pepper and didn’t panic, but it gradually started to get spicier and then my whole mouth was burning within 10 seconds.
• It took about 5 minutes before I started tearing uncontrollably and my nose started running. If you ever need to clear your sinuses, this will do it.
• The spice was in my lips, tongue, throat and face and I just couldn’t stop it. It sneaks up on you and it doesn’t go away and lasted about 30 minutes.
• I could feel the heat travel down to my stomach and then later on that night I could still feel it.
• If this ever happens to you, drink milk or eat sugar. Unfortunately they didn’t have either here so I had to eat the deep fried breads which helped a little bit.
• Do not drink water, that’s adding fuel to the fire.
• Do not eat this with your hands and do not touch your eyes. I’ve accidentally done that before too.

**Escovitch – 6/6

• I give this a 6/6 based on what it is, not on a scale of culinary enjoyment, although I did really like it.
• I had lots of Escovitch in Jamaica, but this was one of the best and most authentic ways I had it.
• Escovitch is a style of cooking with vinegar that was introduced to Jamaica by the Spanish and Portuguese.
• It’s almost always done with fried fish, and to have it served with the whole fish is a treat since most restaurants will serve boneless skinless fillets to appeal to the majority.
• Being Asian, I’m used to seeing fish being served whole, so I loved this.
• It was a roasted fully cooked red snapper marinated and cooked in vinegar and topped with chilled pickled onions and scotch bonnet peppers.
• There’s also a lot of whole allspice used so it lends an aromatic flavour of warm and sweet spices. The flavour is similar to cloves and it was quite strong.
• The fish was crispy, tangy and moist, and sour and spicy with a fresh crunch of chilled onions and scotch bonnet peppers for a nice contrast.
• This was basically the only fish that had a distinct flavour from the rest, the others just started to taste the same after a while and I found the Escovitch refreshing.
• My first time trying Escovitch was actually at Jamaican Pizza Jerk in Vancouver, BC – see Spicy Snapper.

Roasted Parrotfish in a Brown Stew – 4/6

• Again, the fish is caught in house and served whole which is great and the bones are long and easy to remove.
• It was crispy and roasted, but overcooked and dry so it was a bit like jerky and I couldn’t taste the flavour of this delicate tropical white fish.
• I actually found a few of their fishes overcooked, but I think that’s the authentic Jamaican style.
• This tasted like sweet and sour sauce to me and it was topped with a stew of vegetables including carrots, okra, onions and bell peppers.
• There was some whole allspice for that warm and sweet aromatic flavour and it wasn’t spicy.

Steamed Parrotfish with Okra – 4/6

• This was another Parrotfish cooked in a different way with a different sauce. It was lighter and seemed healthier.
• The sauce was more savoury than sweet and sour and it almost reminded me of the fish tea soup, but not spicy.
• The sauce was au natural with fishy flavour and it was sweetened with the natural vegetable juices and perhaps the zing of some lemon juice.
• It was topped with carrots, bell peppers and lots of tender slimy okra and it wasn’t spicy.
• I enjoyed the Parrotfish most this way because I could really taste the flavour of the fish, which is moist, delicate and tender with easy to remove bones.

Deep Fried Parrotfish – 2/6

• This was the third version of Parrotfish we had and it was sauceless.
• It was crispy and deep fried, but overcooked and dry so it was a bit like jerky.
• I couldn’t taste the flavour of the fish as much and it was quite firm and it’s supposed to be a delicate and tender fish, so I didn’t enjoy it as much.
• The crispy skin was good and the bones were easy to remove, but even if it wasn’t overcooked, it was a bit bland.

**Roast Red Snapper – 6/6

• This was one of my favourites.
• It was simple, not overcooked, and well flavoured.
• It was the biggest fish on the table and the meat was moist and flaky and the head was stuffed with carrots and onions to develop aromatics.
• It was funny because almost everyone ate the body of it and considered it finished… I happily ate the rest, which there is a lot of. Double fish cheeks for me!

Roasted Butterfish with Okra – 3.5/6

• This was a rich and oily buttery fish and it was cooked in an okra and vegetable stew so the texture was all a bit slimy.
• The fish was roasted and the sauce was almost the same as the Steamed Parrotfish with Okra I mentioned above.
• At this point a lot of the fish and sauces started to taste the same.
• If the fish came with a sauce it was likely topped with okra, carrots and onions.
• I felt like I was eating Chinese seafood when almost all the sauces are some variation of soy sauce, or Indian food when all the curries start to taste similar.

Festivals, Bammys & Plantains

• These are the most typical authentic Jamaican starches to serve with seafood.
• Festivals is deep fried bread that is similar to Hush Puppies. They reminded me of Johnnycakes, but they’re different and served as logs rather than round balls. These absorbed the sauces of the fish well and they’re often served with Jerk chicken. The best Jerk chicken I had in Jamaica was at Scotchies – see here.
• Bammys are another deep fried bread and it’s made out of cassava root, which is a starchier more fiberous potato, or yam. It was very crispy and almost like fries, but it’s an actual bread and not crunchy like a crouton. They didn’t come up as often as festivals, Johnnycakes and plantains.
• Plantains are in the same family as the banana, but they’re not sweet. These were deep fried once, creamy and obviously oily. I often had them like this, or at times deep fried twice like patacones or a patty, but most places do offer both. I also had them boiled for breakfast – see here.

Jamaican Deep Fried Dough Patties? - 1/6

• I actually have no idea what these were. It looked like dessert, but I think it’s meant to be a side.
• They were super dense chewy deep fried patties soaked in a sweet and savoury syrup, but more sweet.
• It was very doughy and tasted like heavy and hard perogie skins meets a stiff mochi made of cornmeal.
• The only flavour was from the sauce and I just didn’t understand them.
• I didn’t see them come up anywhere else in my trip.
• I actually had a boiled version of them at Jamaican Pizza Jerk in Vancouver, BC – see here.

This is just the communal salad and they also served a potato salad which was similar to an American one.

Restaurant: Jamaica Pegasus
Cuisine: Jamaican
Last visited: October 7, 2011
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Address: 81 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Jamaica W.I.
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5 (for breakfast)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: n/a
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Hotel restaurant
• Jamaican and Western food
• Buffet/A la carte items
• Breakfast buffet
• 24/7 Cafe
• Sunday brunch 10:30am – 3pm $1700 ($19.69 USD)

**Recommendations: n/a

Welcome to Jamaican breakfast 101! I was invited on a culinary tour of Jamaica and “true Jamaican breakfast at Jamaica Pegasus” was something I was looking forward to. However when I discovered “Jamaica Pegasus” was a hotel, I was a bit bummed. I was thinking it was going to be ‘watered down’ Jamaican breakfast and not the ‘real deal’. I tend to have that assumption since hotel restaurants usually cater to tourists who may not be as adventurous in trying food from another culture. But luckily, my assumptions proved me wrong.

Jamaica Pegasus is a hotel restaurant and they do offer Western and Jamaican cuisine. However at this privately hosted breakfast they made it a point to only showcase the authentic Jamaican food, since that was the purpose of this dining experience. What we had is what is actually served at their restaurant’s Sunday Brunch buffet, so this is representable of what they offer to the general public.

I know I’m not Jamaican, but I had 3 “authentic” Jamaican breakfasts throughout this trip, and this one seemed the most authentic to me. The breakfast buffet at Sandals was more gourmet, but this one felt more home style which I appreciated on another level. All of the breakfasts were quite traditional, but it’s fair to say there are levels of authenticity, and Jamaica Pegasus just felt the most legit and not Americanized for Western tastes.

When I travel, food is a priority. It’s how I learn about the culture, and breakfast is one meal that can always tell you the most. The Jamaican high in carbohydrates and calorie rich breakfast is usually a sign of a hard working culture. Just like any culture, breakfast it what fuels you for the rest of the day, so this did not come as a major surprise. It definitely incorporated ingredients from Jamaica’s natural environment and from a Western perspective, it actually seemed more like dinner. In fact, it kind of is. The quantity of food and ingredients used, makes Sunday breakfast in Jamaica also Sunday dinner. They don’t have these items everyday, but the following does represent an authentic Jamaican morning spread.

On the Jamaican Sunday Breakfast table:

June Plum Juice 

• They named a plum after me! No I’m kidding, but it really is called a June plum!
• Their fruit juices are seasonal, and being in Jamaica I’d expect nothing less.
• I had a fresh June Plum from a fruit stand a couple days before, but the juice tasted different.
• It was quite tart and boiled with a hint of ginger which I really liked.
• The flavour is almost like a green mango, meets a green apple, meets an unripe plum.

Cherry Juice

• I wouldn’t have guessed this was cherry juice. It looked really artificial, but their cherries are a bit different than the North American ones I’m used to.
• Jamaican cherries almost remind me of Maraschino cherries and the drink tasted like a sweet strawberry drink.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

• It’s a good sign when a place serves Blue Mountain Coffee.
• It’s Jamaica’s best coffee and I had the opportunity to visit their coffee bean farms – see here.
• It didn’t taste the same though and I think having it at one of their Blue Mountatin Cafes makes a difference. The way their baristas brewed it just made it taste different.

Assorted Pastries and Toast

• This was pretty American, but pastries and toast are quite universal breakfast items.
• The banana bread is a popular Jamaican baked good (someone ate the one in this basket), but they made it with shredded coconut and raisins which was great.
• A plantain tart or coconut tart like the ones they served at Blue Mountain Coffee are more representable of traditional Jamaican pastries.

Jamaican Breakfast

• Clockwise from 12 ‘o clock: Pineapple, Watermelon, Ackee & Saltfish, Jamaican Fried Dumplings, Breadfruit, Boiled Bananas, Sweet & Sour Fish
• As I mentioned it’s a pretty hearty, high in carbohydrates and calorie rich meal. It doesn’t bother me, but it sure is filling.

Ackee & Saltfish

• It’s Jamaica’s national breakfast dish!
• I’m giving it a 6/6 based on having tried it a handful of times now. For first timers, it could be a bit acquired.
• It’s somewhat of a sweet and savoury dish and I loved it from the first time I tried it.
• I had it once in Vancouver at Jamaican Pizza Jerk before coming to Jamaica, and it is available at almost all of our 10 (?) Jamaican restaurants in Vancouver.
• It’s funny because in Vancouver all the Jamaican restaurants serve it as a dinner course, but traditionally it’s a breakfast dish.
• Most people would consider it heavy for breakfast so that’s why they serve it for dinner. I, on the other hand, embraced this at any time of the day.
• The one at Jamaican Pizza Jerk is actually pretty legit, the main difference is that the Ackee is fresh in Jamaica and only available canned outside of Jamaica.
• Ackee is a fruit and it has the same texture as durian (without the smell), or even the texture of avocado meets scrambled eggs.
• It’s creamy, buttery, silky and slippery smooth and barely has a chew.
• It’s not very sweet or juicy and it almost tastes like Jackfruit and it’s a bit floral, but doesn’t taste like flowers.
• The dish just tastes like Jamaican style scrambled eggs with saltfish, onions, tomatoes, and spices. There are no eggs though and it’s not a saucy dish, but it’s flavourful.
• The saltfish is salted and preserved cod and it’s quite a fishy tasting dish, and if you like salted cod, you should warm up to this easily.
• The saltfish gave the dish flavour and the ackee adds for texture and I could eat it alone.
• It is meant to be eaten with starchy sides which were boiled bananas, roasted breadfruit and fried dumplings (Johnny Cakes).

This is the Ackee fruit still attached to the branch. It’s actually a poisonous fruit and it needs to be completely ripe before you can pick it and eat it safely.

You might recall me showing you this photo in my Follow Me Foodie to the Prospect Plantation post in Jamaica. This is just to show you what the fruit looks like when it’s fully ripe and safe to be picked and later cooked and eaten. It has to open completely. The yellow part is the edible fruit and the black part is the seed.

It’s one of those fruits that have a very rich and creamy texture. Just like durian you know it’s high in cholesterol, so I asked if it was, and low and behold it was. It’s not like you have it everyday for breakfast though, maybe just a couple times a week. It’s not necessarily unhealthy, but it’s something enjoyed in moderation.

These are boiled bananas (see comment below for more info) and they’re not nearly as sweet as bananas, but more starchy. It’s a popular starch to eat with Ackee & Saltfish as well as other Jamaican mains.

This is roasted breadfruit. It’s another starch you can eat with Ackee & Saltfish, but I never warmed up to it. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I didn’t see the point to it. It’s just so starchy and plain and it doesn’t absorb any sauces. It’s airy light in weight, but substantial, and it tastes like a fiberous bland potato meets the white part of a banana, but it’s not bitter. I can totally see why it’s called “breadfruit”, but I’d rather have bread… or fruit. So unless I ate a scotch bonnet pepper and needed something to kill the spice, I gnawed on one of these, but they’re not my favourite Jamaican starch.

This is a roasted breadfruit. It was very light and weighed the same as those dark red balls from PE class in elementary school. When the fruit is raw it’s green in color and I have a photo of it in my Follow Me Foodie to the Prospect Plantation post in Jamaica.

Out of the three side starches, this was probably my favourite starch to have with Ackee & Saltfish. It was just the only one that absorbed sauces and I could eat them alone too. Sure deep fried anything is always good too though. They’re deep fried Jamaican dumplings popularly referred to as Johnny Cakes. It’s pretty much like a hush puppy, but there’s no cornmeal. It’s a sweeter type of bread and they serve them as the complimentary “bread and butter” basket at The Reef in Vancouver – see here.

Sweet & Sour Fish

• This is another very traditional Jamaican breakfast food. They love fish and it’s easily available. This looked more like dinner, but I liked it!
• I’m Asian so I’m used to food not looking appetizing and eating fish with the skin and bones, so I enjoyed this.
• It was mackerel sauteed with onions and tomatoes.
• It was sweet from the onions and perhaps a bit of sugar and then sour from the acidic tomatoes and likely some vinegar.
• I actually wouldn’t be surprised if this had soy sauce in it.
• It was almost Chinese tasting and Jamaican cooking is influenced by Chinese ingredients, so soy sauce does come up more often then one might think.
• There wasn’t anything particularly different except for the fact that it looked like dinner instead of breakfast.
• I actually didn’t come across this at any other hotel breakfast which made me assume it was a sign of legitimacy because other places would serve deep fried fish, fish without the skin and bones, or just no fish at all, which is likely catering to a Western culture.

And of course where would I be without a fresh platter of tropical fruit… not in Jamaica I guess! But these fruits weren’t really exotic. Their watermelons were really bland and watery and that’s because it was out of season. It scared me at first because I expected Jamaica to have good watermelons so I actually asked “do they always taste like this?”, and they said no. I guess I’ll just have to go back when it’s in season to confirm. Until then, I’ll wait patiently and eagerly!

That is a banana pod! And those are baby bananas (or banana hearts)!

Follow Me Foodie to the Prospect Plantation in Jamaica!

Come mister tally man tally me bananas
(daylight come and me wanna go home)
lift six foot seven foot eight foot bunch!
(daylight come and me wanna go home)”
- Day O Lyrics, by Harry Belafonte

Actually me don’t wanna go home quite yet! Why would I want to leave this?!

I was invited on a culinary press trip to Jamaica and we were taken to Prospect Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica to learn about Jamaica’s agriculture. I know. Snooze right? That’s what I thought too, but I’m also the kind of person to be excited about almost everything. So after a hearty Jamaican breakfast at Sandals Royal Plantation, I was ready to hike and learn about where my food that morning actually came from.

And when I say “hike”, I mean sit in this powdered by diesel jitney that took us around on a Jamaican safari!

The culinary itinerary read “visit Prospect Plantation”, and being the foodie I am, I misunderstood what that really meant. I thought we were going to a plantain factory and that we were going to have a plantain chip sampling. I thought it was going to be like visiting the Dole Pineapple Factory in Hawaii! Boy, I was so wrong. I know what a plantation is, but I guess I was just in major foodie mode… but plants?! Visiting plants?! I felt like I was 10 again going to the tulip festival with mom. On the other hand, visiting plants that grow food?! Now that’s more like it!

By the way, there really was a pineapple portion, so it really did remind me of Hawaii! These are pineapple plants.

And this is overgrown Marijuana. No, just kidding! But that’s what our tour guide called it and I almost believed him! It’s actually sugarcane! We also saw cassava, coffee, allspice, lime, ackee, pimento and many other crops on this tour.

I’d never get to see these plants in Vancouver, so it was pretty interesting for a foodie, but I won’t deny that there were times when I wanted to jump off the jitney to actually pick the things. On the other hand, it was October and this isn’t a working farm, so the fruits and vegetables you see are limited. Also, if you really want a true Jamaican coffee experience and to see coffee crops, I suggest visiting the Blue Mountain Coffee – see my experience here.

Along the way we made a stop at the coconut tree where we were greeted by this talented barefoot man. He ended up climbing the tree to fetch us coconuts. I’ve seen this done in Thailand before, but I’m always still in awe! I can’t even climb a rope.

I tried it too, but it didn’t work out so well.

After fetching the coconut, he opened it right on the spot so we could enjoy fresh coconut milk and coconut. I have to give a major shout out to both these gentlemen. They made the tour so entertaining and were half the experience! The whole thing was a comedy show and that’s how they arrange all of their tours. It’s literally a hilarious ride around the plantation and their like for sarcasm was so unexpected and well delivered that I never knew when they were telling the truth. They’re witty and smart jokes and they couldn’t make learning about plants more fun! Unless they were in costumes… hmm.

Along with eating the coconut plain, he also sprinkled some cane sugar on top for us to enjoy. It’s such an easy and simple dessert.

This is a breadfruit! It’s a very popular Jamaican ingredient that shows up at almost every meal. It’s treated just like bread and the name could not be more literal. It exists in South East Asia too, but it doesn’t come up nearly as often. In Jamaica it’s one of their side starches and when it’s raw it’s green, but after it’s roasted it’s brown. (That may not sound too surprising). I only tried it roasted, so I’m not sure what it tastes like raw, but when it’s cooked I found it rather bland and boring. It just tastes like a very starchy and fibrous potato or yucca root, but much lighter in weight and not juicy at all. I had it along with authentic Jerk chicken in Jamaica (see my post for Scotchies), and pretty much with everything else.

Since I was visiting in October they were into their fall ingredients and pumpkin is a big one! In Vancouver we would call the above an acorn squash, but they call it a pumpkin, which people sometimes do here as well. It was everywhere though. Pumpkin rice and pumpkin soup came up most often, which I have no problems with since I love pumpkin. I think I was most intrigued by this! It’s a banana pod! So cute right!? He’s actually lifting up a banana petal and underneath are the baby bananas, or banana hearts. They’re not edible yet (apparently they are) and they looked like delicate flower petals and it was hard to imagine that these would eventually grow into bananas! There were so many of them! It was like the Cabbage Patch Kids and I wanted to just take them all home with me! And put them in pyjamas!

Ackee! I was hoping to see this! In Vancouver we can only get canned versions of it, so it was great to see the real thing. Ackee is most commonly used in Jamaica’s national breakfast dish, which is Ackee and Saltfish. I had it numerous times there. I had it once in Vancouver at Jamaican Pizza Jerk, and I loved it from the first time! It was actually very authentic, despite it being canned ackee, but it’s the only resource for the ingredient and therefore very acceptable.

The fruit is surprisingly poisonous. It’s only when it’s fully ripe and opened, like the one above, that it becomes safe to eat. The fruit is the yellow part underneath the black seed and it is cooked in ackee and salt fish. The texture is reminiscent of durian, but it has no rancid smell. I could just tell it was one of those cholesterol rich fruits and it’s super creamy and almost silky smooth like scrambled eggs after it’s chopped up and cooked.

Moo! No I mean ___ ? What sound does a camel make? Hack too? No that’s the sound of people spitting in China (j/k… sort of), but this camel actually didn’t spit, although I’m sure he does. I heard him working up to one, but he never actually did it in front of me. What a gentleman!

I keep calling it a he, but it’s actually a she. Meet Katie! I know! Such a random name for a camel! And I know!! Even more random that there was a camel in Jamaica. This is where the tour got a bit Disneyland, but Disneyland can be fun!

Pretty!! Look how long her eyelashes were!! I should have known it was a girl! I was just trying to get a bit closer and have her hold her head steady… so I could just… do…

This! And there! Tada! Pretty!!

She loved it!

Okay I promise this is my last camel shot! Everyone loves picture day!

And we also got to go camel riding! Okay, now I’m really done.

A chocolate plant! No, that was just Katie’s “chocolate”.

Definitely not as pretty as Katie, but these were also on the plantation. Alfred Hitchcock should have used these birds for his movie!

On another note, I couldn’t help but to think how something so scary looking could be so delicious. No they don’t eat them here and I didn’t see them on any menus in Jamaica, but ostrich is edible. And it’s delicious! It’s more common in Asia (ha! surprise, surprise), but they’re really good! It tastes like super tender and lean beef, but it’s still juicy! If you’re in Vancouver you can get try it at Pink Elephant Thai – see Double “O” Lettuce Wrap.

Restaurant: Scotchies
Cuisine: Jamaican/Caribbean/BBQ
Last visited: October 8, 2011
Location: Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Address: Drax Hall (about 10 minutes west of Ocho Rios)
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: Self serve
Ambiance: 6 (for what it is)
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• 3 locations in Jamaica
• Local favourite/must try
• Famous for Jerk chicken
• Authentic Jerk chicken
• Known as Jamaica’s Best Jerk Chicken
• Seafood option
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Good for groups/family
• Beer available
• Covered outdoor seating (huts)
• Eat in/Take-out
• Mon-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm
• Sunday 11:00am-9:00pm

**Recommendations: Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork

No! I did not eat the camel! There’s no Jerk Camel… just chicken! But after a bit of of camel riding at Prospect Plantation…

… and a bit of bob sledding at Mystic Mountain Jamaica! Love Cool Runnings!

It was time to put away the lucky egg and head for lunch at the one and only, Scotchies! This was definitely one of the things I was looking forward to most on the foodie itinerary in Jamaica.

I was invited on a culinary bloggers trip to Jamaica and with our wonderful local guide we were taken to some local favourites. The itinerary referred to Scotchies as an “authentic Jamaican Jerk Experience”. Being from Vancouver, BC, anything in Jamaica was likely going to be more authentic that what I’ve had before. On the other hand, I did question whether this was a true local favourite and really “the best Jerk chicken in Jamaica”, or just the most popular.

I ended up doing my own research by asking random locals throughout the trip, and I promise you that Scotchies was the name that always came up for Jerk chicken. Sure it could be just the most popular as well, but for good reason!

As soon as I stepped foot onto their parking lot I could smell the smoke and spices of the Jerk chicken grilling already! If this didn’t spark your hunger, then you must be vegetarian.

The hole in the wall ambiance just topped things off! I value these places as much as I do fine dining. But for authentic Jamaican food in Jamaica, the dives are more often than not the places to hit up. To Guy Fieri from Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins and Dives: Jamaica is calling your name! You would have enough material for 50 seasons there!

Although “we” consider this a dive, it’s not even really a dive in Jamaica. It’s more of a fancy man made dive. Their real dives literally look like shacks, and you’re lucky if there’s even a sign for the restaurant. At Scotchies you eat in a hut and it was actually reminiscent of BBQ houses in Texas, like the famous The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que – see my post here, and of course my favourite, Smitty’s Market – see my post here.

I was totally feeling the ambiance and I can officially say that authentic Jerk chicken will almost be impossible to get outside of Jamaica because authentic Jerk chicken is prepared like this!

Okay, but that just looks like an intense outdoor BBQ right?! Wrong!

See the difference? No? Okay, let’s get closer.

Ah, there we go! The chickens are never on an actual grill.

Authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken is grilled over sweetwood and pimento wood logs. Therefore authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken is challenging to get anywhere else because the “grill” is literally made and grown in their natural environment. Of course I won’t have these expectations for Jerk chicken outside of Jamaica, but it was nice to actually try the real deal and have the opportunity to taste the difference.

As a tourist, I would be completely satisfied having Scotchies as my one authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken experience. But as a foodie, I would have liked to try a few more places that are self-proclaimed as “the best”. I did try a few Jerk chickens from other restaurants and even from a Jamaican fast food chain, but unless it’s cooked like this, it’s comparable.

Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork

The place for Jerk chicken before Scotchies was called Ochio Rios Jerk Centre, but I spoke with one of my fellow bloggers who went to both and she said this was better. This is definitely the new kid on the block and this location opened only six years ago. There are three locations for Scotchies in Jamaica (Kingston, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay), but this one is supposed to be the one to go to if you can. Don’t take my word for it because I haven’t been to the other two, but regardless, Scotchies is a must try and one of the best places I ate at in Jamaica.

Oh, and heads up! For intense foodies, there’s an annual Jamaican Jerk Festival in Jamaica (that oddly originated from South Florida) but if you’re planning to go to Jamaica… I’d organize around that time

On the table:

Clockwise from 12 o’clock: Jerk chicken, Jerk pork, rice n’ peas, fish, roasted breadfruit, plantains, and festivals

**Jerk Chicken – 6/6

• 1/4 $300 (about $3.48USD) 1/2 $600 (about $6.96USD) Whole $1200 (about $13.91USD)
• You see the moistness! Aw, and now only if you could just taste it!
• The dark meat was obviously more moist than the white meat.
• The dark meat was dripping chicken juices and it’s not even that greasy at all.
• The chicken was so well flavoured with an earthy and spicy Jerk seasoning that was herby and lemony with fresh thyme and spicy from probably the Scotch Bonnet peppers in the marinade.
• Unlike the stereotypical idea of Jerk seasoning, it wasn’t actually that hot and it doesn’t burn your mouth.
• It was spicy, with a kick, but bearable and I’d consider it a medium spicy.
• To give you an idea, I order my Indian/Thai food medium-hot spicy. I don’t like the spice to mask the flavour and this jerk seasoning didn’t do that.
• The chicken didn’t have a heavy crusted dry rub, or was it drenched in Jerk sauce like I’m used to seeing in Vancouver.
• It was actually more of a marinade with fresh herbs and closer to what you would see on a typical roast chicken.
• The meat was smooth and almost silky and likely brined and tenderized with lemon juice and marinated overnight before it was smoked on sweetwood and pimento wood.
• The pimento wood (all spice) gives the chicken great aromatics, but the chicken doesn’t taste woody or anything.
• I could just smell the aroma of warm spices and it played a subtle but important role in developing the flavour of the chicken.
• The “non-authentic” Jerk chickens I’ve had usually rely on the seasonings and spices to give the chicken its smoky flavour, but here the smokiness was developed through the cooking technique.
• The smokiness was natural and infused into every crevice of the meat and every bite was juicy and deliciously savoury, but not too salty.
• It was nice and charred, but not blackened, burnt or bitter.
• It was very tender and cooked perfectly and I liked how it was still a bit pink.
• It’s fully cooked, but chicken should look like how it does in this picture when cooked perfectly.
• The skin isn’t crispy (it usually won’t be), but it locked in flavour and was flavourful itself without being too thick and fatty.
• Although it’s not “authentic” Jerk chicken, I actually enjoy the Jerk Wings from The Reef and the Jerk Chicken from Jamaican Pizza Jerk in Vancouver, BC.

**Jerk Pork – 6/6

• 1/4 lbs $350 (about $4.06USD) 1/2 lbs $700 (about $8.12USD) 1 lbs $1400 (about $16.23USD)
• The pork was perhaps even better than the chicken, but you had to be so selective with the piece you ate.
• If you got a lean piece, it was pretty dry, but the fatty pieces were melt in your mouth delicious!
• It almost reminded me of Chinese style BBQ pork, except the marinade is different and this is a Jerk seasoning.
• It was the same Jerk seasoning as the chicken and the cooking process was the same.
• It was just as smoky as the chicken and the flavours were similar, but just different proteins.

Roast Fish Fillet – 4.5/6

• $650 (about $7.54 USD)
• The fish was boneless, with the skin on and grilled in tin foil pockets.
• It was a flaky white fish that was incredibly tender, juicy and moist with a topping of sweet and pickled vegetables.
• The topping had some okra, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers so they were sweet and well caramelized while being a bit tangy. Their flavours absorbed into the fish.
• Since the fish never touched the wood, it was never smoky in flavour.
• This was very enjoyable, but not what you come here for unless you’re a pescatarian eating with carnivores.

Scotchies house made Scotch Bonner Pepper Hot Sauce

• Any person that enjoys real “Indian people hot” or “Thai people hot” you’ve met your match!
• The dangerous thing about this sauce is that it’s addicting, but it almost hurts.
• To stop the spiciness of the sauce, you almost have to have more of it.
• The initial flavour of the sauce is sweet, a bit tangy and then immediately you’re hit with the powerful spice of roasted Scotch Bonnet peppers!
• It gets gradually spicier and the heat lingers long after you finish your bite and it’s followed by a faint bitterness.
• It’s a very full peppery spice, not like a chili spice, and it’s the kind of spice that makes your saliva glands go.
• When the tongue is on fire it needs to cool down and changing the flavour profile helps, so having something sweet makes it go away temporarily. That’s why you just want more and more of this sauce because the first 2 seconds of it is sweet.
• This sauce was excellent, but 1 spoonful of this with a 1/4 chicken would have my eyes watering and my nose running.
• If you bite into the seeds… I feel bad for you. Eat the starches if you do… or drink milk! Never water!

Festivals, Roasted Breadfruit, Plaintains

• Festivals – 4/6
• $60 ($.70USD)
• It’s almost like a Johnny Cake, or hush puppy, but with added sugar so it’s a bit sweet like a donut.
• This helped to kill the spice from the hot sauce too and I found it the most enjoyable starch to eat with Jerk chicken.
• Roasted Breadfruit – 2/6
• $40 ($.46USD)
• I wanted to like these, but they did nothing for me.
• They don’t absorb sauces and it was almost like eating a yucca root or very starchy and fiberous neutral tasting potato.
• When it’s roasted, it’s lighter and drier than a potato and has no characteristic of a typical sweet or juicy fruit.
• Plantains – 3/6
• $100 ($1.60USD)
• They’re basically roasted unsweetened “bananas”.
• They were done well over the grill, but as a starch to my Jerk chicken it seemed so random, although very traditional.
• Overall I wasn’t crazy about the traditional Jamaican starches to go along with almost everything.
• They’re prepared rather neutral in flavour, which is understandable, but they don’t absorb sauces and they’re so substantial.
• The Johnny Cakes and Festivals kind of do, but otherwise I generally treated them like fillers.

Rice & Peas – 4/6

• Small $60 ($.70USD) / Large $120 ($1.39USD)
• Maybe it’s the Asian in me as to why I liked this as my favourite traditional Jamaican starch to go along with my mains.
• This is typical Jamaican rice cooked in coconut milk and it was at every lunch and dinner.
• It’s not actually peas, but red kidney beans that they call “peas”.
• This was really good with the Scotch Bonnet pepper hot sauce, and the beans helped cut the heat.

Follow Me Foodie to Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Visiting the Blue Mountain Coffee coffee bean farm, picking coffee beans & Afternoon “Coffeetime” in Jamaica!

The Blue Mountain Coffee’s coffee bean farm in Blue Mountains, Jamaica

“‘Cause baby, there ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, baby”
- Lyrics from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross

Except that there is. Poop. No not cat poop coffee (the most expensive Indonesian coffee in the word), but I mean “poop” that there are many mountains, valleys, and rivers keeping me from one of the best coffees I’ve ever had. I introduce to you Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Unfortunately we don’t have it in Vancouver, BC and 80-90% of it is exported to Japan, but apparently sharing is caring and things will eventually change. Vancouver has a great independent coffee scene, but I hope to see this Jamaican gift here one day.

A Blue Mountain coffee plant still in its baby stage. The fruit takes 8 months to ripen.

I was invited on a culinary tour of Jamaica and the Blue Mountain Coffee farm was one of the foodie destinations. Jamaica is famous for coffee, and this is undoubtedly one of the most highly prized and popular high end coffees there. It’s actually considered as one of the most expensive coffees in the world at about $35/pound due to its high quality and limited quantity.

I was brought right to the source to learn all about this bean. This was actually my first time seeing a coffee bean plant and I couldn’t resist picking one… even though it wasn’t ripe yet.

By the way, this private tour of the Blue Mountain coffee farm can be arranged upon request, so it’s definitely something to plan ahead for if you’re visiting Jamaica. I can say for a fact, you won’t get this experience anywhere else.

I also couldn’t resist a preview of what to expect before getting to the top of the mountain. So we made a pit stop to Cafe Blue, their own coffee shop, which is located about half way up Blue Mountain.

When it comes to a coffee bean farm, the higher the mountain the better. We were informed that there was a bit of a hike and the anticipation was killing me, but my preview coffee sure helped.

The berries for this coffee are specific, and they can’t be picked from any part of the mountain. They have to be picked from a legally defined area of the Blue Mountains in order to be certified as 100% Blue Mountain Coffee. The very best coffee beans are grown at high altitudes in a climate with a lot of topical rain (the plants need a lot of rain in the earlier stages), so Jamaica is really an ideal place in general. I also learned that a characteristic of a good coffee farm is the sound of birds, which means the crops are healthy… and I can tell you at first hand experience, that they were chirping!

The coffee culture can be very much like the wine culture, but instead of a grape, it is the fruit of a coffee plant. The fruits (also known as cherries or berries) are hand picked at their ripest point which is when they’re bright red like cherries. Seeing all the berries brought me back to the day I visited the blueberry farms at home – see here.

The coffee bean is not the whole berry, but the seeds inside the fruit. There’s two seeds in each fruit and you bet I tried them!

I thought the flavour would be bold, but I was surprised it was quite the reverse. It tasted like seeds with a very thin layer of clear fruit around it. There’s actually very little fruit on it and the fruit layer was the texture of Dragon Eye fruit. It was a bit sweet, slimy and a bit juicy, but I just felt like I was sucking on a seed. It’s a bit honey-ish and floral, and almost like sucking on the juices of a tapioca pearl that was soaking in sugar syrup. I was amazed at the flavour these coffee beans would eventually produce.

They use a wet processing stage which is more time consuming and expensive than a dry processing stage. The wet processing stage is when the beans are removed from their shells, pulped, and soaked in water for 16-18 hours until the fruit on them is completely removed. The pulp is used as fertilizer and the water is recycled, so there is social awareness and responsibility on the farm, which is mandatory in order for them to be part of the Rainforest Alliance anyways. The beans are then cleaned and dried at their coffee bean plantation.

I asked if they were organic and they are only 75% organic because they do spot spray them, which is better than the general mass spraying technique. A pest can wipe out their entire operation so they have to be very careful.

At the very top of the mountain was the owner’s summer house, which is open for employee use. Summer internship anyone? I was pleased to know that the staff is well treated there and I even spoke with them privately to ask! Such a “reporter” I am . Anyways we were invited inside for an authentic Jamaican style afternoon tea… or I mean coffee!

For a foodie like me, watching them unwrap each one was like Christmas all over again! The lady in the photo is responsible for all their baked goods, and I forgot to ask if these were available at their Cafe Blue locations. I did see them at the cafe, but I’m not sure if it was the same.

On the table:

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

• Of course we started off with a freshly brewed cup of 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee!
• Black. It’s how true coffee drinkers drink coffee.
• If you get the coffee from their cafe, Cafe Blue, it’s filtered brewed with Blue Mountain Spring Water!
• I definitely don’t mind black coffee, but it’s got to be a great quality, and this was.
• The flavour was incredible and drinking black coffee has never been so enjoyable and easy.
• It was a medium roast, not bitter and very fruity, which is ideal for my coffee flavour profile.
• It was very mellow, naturally sweet and had a clean finish.
• I tried the coffee at other restaurants that were serving it in Jamaica, and it just wasn’t the same as it was when it was prepared by their baristas.
• There are other high end brands of Jamaican coffee, but every restaurant I ate at serving great coffee was serving this one.
• It’s also available pre-packaged for purchase, but the brewing is key, so if you’re not going to do this tour, at least try and get it at Cafe Blue!
• Enjoying this cup of coffee at the source, at the tip of the mountain, straight from the owner of the farm, definitely had to do with the experience. However, I can tell you for a fact  that it doesn’t become internationally recognized as one of “the world’s best coffees” without actually being one.

Banana Bread

• For baked goods, it’s almost a Jamaican staple. It may not be “authentic” Jamaican food, but it sure is popular there.
• Jamaica does grow amazing bananas, unlike the ones we get in North America, so I had a slice every chance I got… which ended up being everyday since it was always available at breakfast.
• This was a super moist banana bread and the flavour was almost a bit floral with lots of Jamaican home grown bananas.
• The bananas are sweeter there so although it still had sugar, the flavour was naturally sweet. It was delicious!

Rum Cake

• Omg. OMG. This was hands down the best rum cake I’ve ever had in my life.
• Seriously, I have never shoveled so much cake in my mouth at once. I couldn’t be ladylike about it all!
• This rum cake melted in my mouth! I chewed each piece maybe 3 times before it disappeared.
• It was super tender, fluffy, airy and light and in between a spoke cake and a pound cake.
• It was the lightest thing ever and I felt like I was eating air.
• It must have been made with cake flour that was sifted twice or something.
• Of course there was also some good quality rum mixed into the batter, but it was so light and aromatic, caramelized, and not that strong at all.
• Forget about wrapping slices to go, I wanted to wrap that Jamaican lady who made all these desserts to go! She’s amazing!

Plantain Tart

• This is quite traditional. It was a light, tender, flaky and crumbly tart, similar to a pie crust, filled with plantains.
• The filling was very creamy and it tasted like creamy fibrous smashed potatoes with a bit of tartness.
• The pink colour threw me off and I thought it was strawberry and it almost tasted like a slightly tart strawberry and potato fruit puree.
• It’s funny how changing the colour can play tricks on you.
• The pink was just food colouring… which I could have done without, but it’s a traditional pastry, so I have to take it as is.

Coconut Tarts

• This is another very traditional Jamaican dessert which they call Coconut Gizzada (pinch-me-round).
• The coconut tarts are always presented in this style with pointy crimped edges.
• It’s a bit of a dry tart made with freshly grated coconut, brown sugar, and maybe some nutmeg and ginger. It’s combined and cooked before it’s baked.
• I love coconut and this was made with fresh Jamaican coconuts, so it was still somewhat moist.

Cappuccino

• I had this earlier at their coffee shop Cafe Blue half way up the mountain.
• I ordered a cappuccino with a hint of mocha for a chocolaty finish. It’s never too early for coffee and chocolate.
• Again, If you get the coffee from their cafe, Cafe Blue, it’s filtered brewed with Blue Mountain Spring Water!
• I added no sugar and it tasted like caramel because it was so naturally sweet, and of course the chocolate did its thing.
• It was a bit foamy from the steamed milk, mild and mellow, fruity, and just as clean in finish.

And to top things off… there were “pet” peacocks in his backyard! Forget about chasing chickens…

I chased a peacock!

Follow Me Foodie to Jamaica!

I did it to you again! Did you know I was gone!? Well I was! But I’m back, and this time from foodie paradise! I was recently invited on a culinary bloggers press trip to Jamaica, and I think I ate my weight in fish and sweated it all out in Scotch Bonnet peppers. Hot damn those are spicy! But you know what else is spicy? My upcoming Jamaican blog posts! Can I get a “Day O”?! Daaaaaay O… daylight come and me didn’t wan’ go home!

Climbing the coconut tree barefoot at Prospect Plantation in Ocho Rios… that isn’t me though.

But everything has to come to an end, and I can’t complain when home tastes good too! Of course, if you’re familiar with my blog, everything will be based on honesty. So if you’re ready, Follow Me Foodie to Jamaica!

Wait! Isn’t this New York? Yes, but just a heads up, I haven’t quite finished with Follow Me Foodie to New York and there’s still more to come! And of course I’ll never ever be finished with Vancouver, so I’ll have posts for that too. I’ll just be switching things up here and there to keep things interesting. Anyways, I’ll say a temporary farewell to city life and slow things down, and I mean really ssllooww things down… to island time.

The Jamaican “Statue of Liberty”

“One Love! One Heart!
Let’s get together and feel all right.”
- One Love lyrics, by Bob Marley (Photo from the Bob Marley Museum)

If feeling all right meant stuffed, I definitely could relate to Bob Marley’s state of mind. He enjoyed his country’s home grown herbs, and I enjoyed his country’s homegrown food! But wait, can you grow rum cakes?

It was a packed eating itinerary of exploring Jamaica’s culinary scene in Kingston and Ocho Rios, and you can be sure I tried everything in order to report back. I can’t say I was too familiar with Jamaican food before this trip, but now I have a better idea.

I have visited Jamaica on a Caribbean cruise way back when, but at that time I was more interested in the banana boats than the bananas, so that doesn’t really count. Other than that, I think the closest I’ve come to authentic Jamaican food is from Jamaican Pizza Jerk in Vancouver, BC. Okay, but wait, don’t roll your eyes! The word “pizza” might throw you off, but after this tour, I can say that it was actually a pretty good representation of the food there. Pizza is really just a small portion of what they offer.

There’s also The Reef (which is more Caribbean) and a few other Jamaican restaurants in Metro Vancouver, but I have yet to explore them. But now I’m even more eager to do so!

I got to explore the low and higher end dining options in Jamaica and I’m sure I barely scratched the surface of what the country has to offer, but it gave me an idea.

It’s a country that’s reliant on its natural environment. From home grown herbs (legal ones), to tropical fruits and the fish from the surrounding sea (always served fully cooked), it can be a healthy diet, although most of the time it’s served with heavy or deep fried starches. It can be vegetarian friendly, but it’s ideal for fish lovers and pescatarians (vegetarians who eat fish/seafood).

At Scotchies, the place for authentic Jerk chicken.

And if you’re a meat eater, no worries for sure! You’re guaranteed to settle your carnivorous cravings whether it’s from goat curry, oxtail stew, and of course Jerk chicken.

Scotch bonnet peppers roasting for a home made hot pepper sauce at the Belcour Blue Mountain Preserves farm.

I have to give a shout out to these. Scotch bonnet peppers came up often, but not everything is spicy. I wouldn’t say the spices are as strong as they are in Indian food, but there are some cultural influences from cuisines including Indian, African, Chinese and Spanish. I warn you though, these scotch bonnet peppers are ridiculously hot.

I had a horrible eye touching experience with them when I was 11. My mom brought them home thinking they were mini orange bell peppers, and I discovered the hard way that they weren’t.

Anyways, during my trip in Jamaica I accidentally ate one with all the seeds, and all I wanted to do is curl up into a ball, puke, and cry myself to sleep… it was bloody painful. Most Jamaican people don’t even eat them whole and they even try avoiding the seeds… it was an experience I’ll never forget and I hope not to relive.

I must say that it’s really hard to give restaurant recommendations if you’re unfamiliar with the area. Actually even if you’re familiar with the area, it’s still challenging. Mainly because none of the “real deal” Jamaican restaurants have signs. Most of them are literally hole in the walls, or shacks, next to rows of other hole in the walls, or shacks, so describing which shack, or how to get there is near impossible.

I could only go as far as the tour took me, and it was enough to give me an idea of what’s considered a local favourite and what’s a tourist trap. To be honest, I had a taste of both. However, what’s important is that I got familiarized with the ingredients, food and culture, and there’s definitely lots of delicious things to report back on.

Don’t you even think that I forgot about the desserts! I could never. As for the desserts, carrot cake, banana bread and coconut tarts come up often. I was surprised that rum cake actually didn’t, although I did have an amazing one while I was there. I’m trying to land my hands on the recipe, but watch for my posts!

The more traditional Jamaican desserts and candies include Grater Cakes, Coconut Drops, Jackass Corn, Coconut Gizada, and Rum Balls, which I got to try compliments of Jaci’s Multi-Treat Pack.

And of course, for some, there is the dessert after dessert… Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.

So sit back, relax, and let me fetch you a coconut!

Jamaica starts tomorrow!

Restaurant: Tasty n Sons
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/American/Middle Eastern/African/Fusion/Eclectic
Last visited: August 19, 2011
Location: Portland, Oregon (Boise-Eliot)
Address: 3808 N Williams Ave
Price Range: $10-20 for breakfast/brunch, $20-30 for dinner

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5-5
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Since 2010
• Locally owned
• Known for brunch/breakfast
• Local favourite/hot spot
• Very highly talked about
• Seasonal menus
• Eclectic/creative menu
• International flare
• Fresh ingredients/home made
• Award winning
• Great for groups
• Moderately priced
• Lively/energetic atmosphere
• Busy/line-ups
• Cocktails/wine bar
• Happy hour 2:30pm-5pm
• Mon-Sun Brunch & Dinner 9am-10pm
• Fri-Sat until 11pm

*Recommendations: For brunch/breakfast: anything with a biscuit and/or sausage, Griddled Bacon Wrapped Date, Chocolate Potato Doughnut. For dinner: Grilled Bacon Wrapped Date, Shakshuka, Venison Biscuit & Gravy, Pork Cutlet and Chocolate Potato Doughnut. I have confidence in the Polenta & N.Y. Italian Sausage but they forgot it .

Tasty n Sons is one of the hottest and most talked about restaurants in Portland, Oregon right now. Sister restaurant to the finely established and award winning Latin American tapas restaurant, Toro Bravo, this is its more casual counterpart popular for breakfast and brunch. Quickly gaining a strong reputation and now serving dinner, Tasty n Sons is effortlessly climbing its way to the top. With lots of buzz and anticipation traveling up to the foodie community in Vancouver, BC I was eager to check it out.

What started off as a breakfast and brunch joint has now expanded into a full on restaurant with a happy hour, wine bar, dinner menu and even an in house butcher shop in the back. It’s definitely a neighbourhood and local favourite and it’s one of the less obvious choices for tourists too.

I can’t help but to relate this back to a beloved restaurant in Vancouver, BC. For me this seemed like the Cafe Medina of Portland. It’s more relaxed and casual, but the food is just as eclectic and creative with Moroccan, Spanish and Middle Eastern influences. It’s American rather than French in technique and the execution and presentation is more home style and rustic. It showcases an international flare through their unique tapas menu featuring small and big plates for brunch and dinner.

The menu is seasonal and changes frequently. It’s heavily inspired by local ingredients and it has that “farm to table” or “100 mile diet” philosophy, but it’s done with an ode to Southern classics and comfort food. I wouldn’t say any of it is really “healthy” at all, but it sure is “tasty” just like the name suggests! Yes, for anyone who thinks “100 mile diet” means healthy, it doesn’t necessarily.

Tasty n Sons is still very Portland in style and not as “West Coast” as say something of its kind in Vancouver might be. I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and as much as I rarely double up on a restaurant when I’m traveling, I’d certainly come back here to try more things. Since it’s more known for brunch, I’d probably check in for brunch over dinner, but the menus are different with a few popular cross overs.

On the table:

**Griddled Bacon Wrapped Dates – 5.5/6

• With maple syrup & almond  $2 each
• I make variations of these for potlucks sometimes and my first experience with them was at Firefly Tapas in Las Vegas, except those ones were stuffed with blue cheese so they were even better!
• This is one bite of amazing! It’s a must try.
• The dates are plump, soft and incredibly tender, and stuffed with a crunchy almond, and wrapped with a thick strip of salty bacon, which I wish had been crispy.
• These just melt in your mouth with various textures and flavours and they’re saucy and moist and equally as sweet as they are savoury.
• They’re super creamy, sweet from the Maple syrup (which is real maple syrup) and if I hadn’t had them stuffed with cheese before they’d be a solid 6/6.

Radicchio – 3.5/6