At the Canadian Red Cross “Red Carpet Soiree” at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 20 Most Memorable/BEST Restaurant SAVOURY Dishes & Food in Vancouver!

Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

The list is limited to what I tried this year. Again, not necessarily “the best”, but very memorable.
Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Be ‘Wiched Cafe – Chain Gang Chili, Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast

2. La Belle Auberge – Seared Foie Gras with Apple Tart Tatin, Pork Belly Spring Roll

3. Café Régalade – Braised Short Ribs in Pepper Sauce

4. Pair Bistro – PAIR Signature Oysters

5. El Barrio Restaurante – Tostada Carnitas

6. Mis Trucos – Sezmu Beef Flatiron Steak

7. C Restaurant – Parsley Veloute, Northern Divine Caviar

8. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill – Pappardelle

9. L’Abattoir – Poached Egg

10. Cobre Nuevo Latino – Maple Chipotle Tamarind Glazed Wild Boar Belly

11. La Quercia – Stinging Nettle Risotto for 2, Gnocchi

12. Hog Shack Cook House – Burnt Ends

13. Hawksworth Restaurant – Confit Pork Shoulder, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio

14. Anatolia’s Gate – Iskender Kabob

15. Market by Jean-Georges – French Toast, Sweet Pea Soup

16. The Well – Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

17. The Apron – Side Stripe Prawn (Change of chefs)

18. EBO Restaurant – Albacore Tuna

19. Mochikas Peruvian Cafe - Chupe de Mariscos

20. Nicli Anitca Pizzeria – Margherita Pizza

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.

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.

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.

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: Don Guacamole’s
Cuisine: Mexican/Tacos
Last visited: October 12, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End/Downtown)
Address: 1333 Robson Street
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3.5 – 4 (based on few items I tried)
Service: 2 (friendly, but very inattentive)
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Mexican owned/operated
• Specializes in ‘authentic’ Mexican tacos
• Home made fillings & salsas
• Extensive menu
• No seafood options
• Casual/good for the game
• Affordable
• Vegetarian friendly
• Beer/Wine/Cocktails
• Patio seating
• Dine in/Take-out
• Mexican brunch/breakfast items available
• Mon-Sun 11am-10pm (Sometimes until 11pm, but depends)

**Recommendations: Lengua (Beef Tongue) tacos, Lamb tacos, Carnitas tacos, Alambre

My one taco visit to La Taqueria turned into a taco binge. I ended up trying TacoFino Cantina, Doña Cata and now Don Guacamole’s in search of a great taco. I can’t really even compare them all because they’re slightly different in styles, especially TacoFino. TacoFino serves Baja (Californian) style tacos that are more like Chronic Tacos, but way better. Anyways, I promise this is my last taco post for the time being, because I don’t know about you, but I need a bit of a taco break.

It’s already been 3 years since Don Guacamole’s opened and I have a feeling the passion and care in the food has dropped a bit. This is just from comparing my photos with some others that were taken in its earlier days, but the difference is visually noticeable. Anyways I can only judge by what I had, and things can change over time, but usually I hope for the better.

I came specifically for the tacos since I was on a taco hunt. I do think it’s somewhat fair to compare them to La Taqueria and Doña Cata since all three places claim to serve authentic Mexican tacos. I won’t go as far as to say whose was more authentic, but I do think there are levels of authenticity. In the end it comes down to which I liked the best in terms of flavour, but authenticity is something I respect.

I’ll just restate what I said in my previous post about Mexican food in Vancouver. It struggles.

Now moving on, I did find these tacos good for Vancouver standards. The meats are actually the most seasoned and flavourful compared to La Taqueria and Doña Cata, but the quality of the meats weren’t as good as the other two. It was just a bit fattier and chewier at times, but it wasn’t the greasiest. The other two offer a lot more home made salsas to dress up your taco, but their tacos are reliant on the salsas and they can’t hold their own without them. I liked the large variety of home made salsas at Doña Cata, but I liked La Taqueria better than Doña Cata. If La Taqueria and Don Guacamole’s hooked up, and took the prices from Doña Cata, there could be something worth bragging about!

Just for quick and easy reference, here’s a Taco chart.

Comparing Mexican Tacos in Vancouver

Doña Cata, La Taqueria & Don Guacamole’s

Note: There are certainly more taco options than this in Metro Vancouver, I just took the three most popular restaurants for authentic Mexican tacos. These places aren’t necessarily the best, but it gives an idea, and my taco hunt is not finished.

On the table:

Complimentary Chips & Salsa

• Doña Cata serves complimentary chips and salsa too.
• Salsa Roja – spicy red chile tomato salsa. This was the spiciest, but it wasn’t hot. It was medium spicy.
• Pico de Gallo – or salsa fresca, fresh salsa with chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, onions and cilantro. It had some citrus lime juice and spicy heat.
• Green Tomato Salsa – or salsa verde, this was actually a bit spicy and I’m used to it being mild.
• All of the salsas actually carried a decent amount of spice which surprised me. They weren’t hot, but a mild-medium to medium spicy.
• They don’t have as many home made salsas as La Taqueria or Doña Cata. The salsas here weren’t anything special, but the meats are more flavoured than the other two, so it didn’t require them.

**Birria (Lamb) Tacos – 3.5/6

• Marinated steak (or your choice of meat) with green peppers, onions and bacon. Served with 5 tortillas. Chicken $12, Arrachera $15, Grilled steak $14.50Vegetarian $11.50. add cheese +$2.75. I special ordered mine with al pastor (slow roasted marinated pork) for $15
• I asked my Mexican server what his favourite was, not the most popular, but what he would eat. He said his option wasn’t really on the menu. It was the alambre with al pastor instead of grilled steak. I requested his dish and it wasn’t problem.
• I never requested the extra cheese, but when the bill came it was added for an extra $2.75, not a big deal, but I didn’t request it.
• Alambre is supposed to refer to a shishkabob of grilled steak, so this version wasn’t traditional.
• Anyways this was a very hearty and greasy dish and it almost reminded me of Chinese stir-fry meets fajitas, but with melted oozy gooey cheese on top. It might sound odd, but it worked because the sauce was obviously Mexican, and not Chinese.
• The portion is generous and it would be enough for 2 for lunch.
• It was really oily, greasy, and saucy, but it tasted pretty good!
• The layers of melted cheese throughout just made it that much more rich.
• There were more fried onions and sweet green bell peppers than pork, but the pork that was there was quite tender although very hard to find since everything was so diced up.
• The al pastor (slow roasted marinated pork) just tasted like baked pork chop, but I couldn’t taste its marinade under all that sauce.
• Al pastor is supposed to be cooked in chilies and pineapples, but I lost that aspect in this context and there were no pineapples or spice.
• I would have preferred larger chunks of al pastor, but since they were using the al pastor for the tacos, it was all minced up. It ended up being almost smaller than the vegetables.
• On another note I’m not sure if the tiny pieces of really fatty pork was the bacon… ? Regardless, the bacon came unnoticed especially having it with al pastor, and I had no idea it was in there.
• The sauce was quite smoky and earthy and reminiscent of adobo sauce. It had some garlic and paprika, but it wasn’t spicy or bitter. I liked the flavour and it had a slight acidity which I thought was from a tomato base, but it’s likely from a touch of vinegar.

• It was served with 5 individually grilled tortilla shells and I could have eaten it with or without the tortillas. I could have eaten this with nachos or even rice.
• Meat + gravy + cheese… you can’t really go wrong with that combination… did someone say poutine?
• If they let me choose my own meat, next time I’d possibly order this with carnitas, but it is traditionally supposed to be a steak kebob.

Restaurant: Doña Cata Mexican Food
Cuisine: Mexican/Tacos
Last visited: October 11, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kensington)
Address: 5076 Victoria Drive
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 3 (3.5 if you use the salsas and based on tacos only)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Since 2011
• Mexican family owned/operated
• Specializes in authentic Mexican food
• Popular for tacos
• Homemade/Homestyle
• Home made salsas
• No seafood options
• Very casual/quick
• Budget friendly/cheap eats
• Vegetarian/Vegan friendly
• Cheap drinks/sangria
• Good for watching soccer game
• Dine in/Take-out
• Mon-Sat 11am-7pm (Sometimes until 10pm, but depends)

**Recommendations: Must use their salsas with tacos. Longaniza (cured sausage) tacos, Carne Enchilada tacos, and the horchata and mole sauce is good.

Gaahhhh!! I have such a love hate relationship with our Mexican restaurants in Vancouver, BC. Actually it’s not even a love/hate, it’s just a frustration because of the lack of selection for it, and I just know it gets better. I guess we win in other areas like Asian and Japanese cuisine though. Anyways this week I’ve been posting about tacos, and this is another popular choice for authentic Mexican tacos in Vancouver.

It’s another hole in the wall eatery, right by the other hole in the wall Mexican eatery El Caracol Mexican Cafe. The area is known for dive-ish looking restaurants and it’s full of hidden gems. Both of these places are supposed to fall into that category and are popular with neighbourhood locals and the small Mexican population that exists in Vancouver. I’ve been meaning to try Doña Cata Mexican for ages now since the only time I’ve tried them are at catered events. Well I stopped waiting!

Doña Cata Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria rivals the other popular and well known taco joint La Taqueria. I hate saying this, but I find both are good in the context of Vancouver, but outside of Vancouver, it just falls short. Due to the lack of selection for this type of cuisine, they both become the “best tacos in Vancouver”, and I can’t say I feel too good about that theory either. It’s like if Hon’s was the only Chinese restaurant in Vancouver, then of course it could be “the best”… but if you put it relative to everything else, it can get so much better.

I actually found this part the most charming! The pull down projection screen that plays the soccer (or as they call football) games. The place has cheap drinks and it attracts a young local Mexican crowd on game nights. It just made the place feel so legit.

This was the other highlight for me. The large variety of home made salsas which I really appreciated. It was something to show off and I loved that it was self serve and complimentary. Just like La Taqueria, the tacos are reliant on the salsas to give it flavour, which actually kind of bothers me. I do want the meats to be able to carry their own flavour too. Regardless, it’s a bang for your buck kind of place, but if you’re going to go into detail, then they might not rise to your expectations for authentic Mexican tacos.

It’s definitely not as Americanized, but in the cateogry of “authentic Mexican tacos” it can taste better. In Vancouver it’s considered excellent, but on the grand scheme of things (even just comparing to places as close as Seattle, not even Mexico) it’s considered mediocre. In short, Doña Cata Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria is a Mexican owned and operated eatery, but it just looked and felt more authentic than it actually tasted, at least for the tacos. I was rooting for it and actually really wanted to love it too.
Just for quick and easy reference, here’s a Taco chart.

Comparing Mexican Tacos in Vancouver

Doña Cata, La Taqueria & Don Guacamole’s

Note: There are certainly more taco options than this in Metro Vancouver, I just took the three most popular restaurants for authentic Mexican tacos. These places aren’t necessarily the best, but it gives an idea, and my taco hunt is not finished.

On the table:

**Horchata – 4/6

• A refreshing homemade rice and cinnamon based drink lightly sweetened with sugar $2.50
• I love this drink, and it was pretty good here, but it was a bit sweeter than I like.
• It’s sweeter, slightly thicker and richer than the horchata at La Taqueria. It’s also a bit stronger in cinnamon flavour, but it’s not spicy or anything.
• It was almost custard like compared to others, and it’s sweet and refreshing drink that works well with all the spices from the salsas.

Complimentary Chips

• It’s free and appreciated so no complaints really, but if you want fresh corn tortilla chip nachos, I would also recommend the nachos from El Caracol Mexican Cafe (see here) just a block away.

Homemade Salsas (Left to right)

• I loved the variety of self serve complimentary home made salsas.
• I just wish the tacos weren’t so reliant on the salsas to give them flavour.
• Green Tomato: It was actually quite sour, but not necessarily sour with lime juice. It had an aftertaste I wasn’t keen on.
• Regular Tomato: This was just a simple puree of stewed tomatoes. It could have even been a base to marinade meat.
• Chile: This one was my least favourite and I found it spicy, very bitter and very smoky, but the flavour wasn’t pleasant.
• Peanut: I loved this because it was different! It was made with lots of ground peanuts and it seemed more Thai than it did Mexican to me. It was a citrusy peanut sauce with a bit of heat. I liked it with the nachos, more so than with the tacos though. It works well with the chicken.
• Chipotle: I knew this would be my favourite, and it was. It’s sweet, tangy and spicy and it just had the most well rounded flavours to me. I felt the same way about the chipotle salsa at La Taqueria.
• Mexicano: This was a classic fresh tomato, onion and cilantro salsa. It was refreshing and not spicy.
• Avocado: It was really thin and not a guacamole, but an avocado sauce. It was quite refreshing with lots of lime juice and I used it a lot for the tacos.
• Jalapenos and Onions: They were what they were.
• Very Hot Salsa: It was quite hot, and the spice gradually builds and lingers. It was thick and pasty, a bit mustard like and quite bitter. It’s not particularly my favorite hot salsa.

Original Tacos

• $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• Since I was on a taco mission, I only tried their tacos. I give it the benefit of the doubt that the rest of the menu could be better.
• I didn’t not like the tacos, but I was expecting more from them. I found them very okay to good.
• I found the meats generally a bit dry and under marinated and under seasoned. I couldn’t taste the flavours from the cooking techniques either like roasting or braising.
• I understand that the salsas are meant to give it flavour, but it was very reliant on the salsa and alone the meats were almost bland.
• The tacos were very greasy, but not as flavourful with meat juices, it was more so just oil.
• They’re double corn tortilla shells, as they should be, and I liked how filled each taco was, but the meats just seemed quite ordinary.
• These are authentic Mexican in style, but in terms of flavour they were lacking. They just tasted the way they looked…
• In the end for $2/taco it’s a bang for your buck.

Barbacoa de Borrego (Lamb) – 3/6

• Slow-braised lamb loin in a secret house blend of chiles and spices $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• The lamb was bland and I couldn’t see or taste any chiles or spices, but it was tender and well shredded, but not juicy or very moist.
• It had a slight gamey aftertaste, but it wasn’t overpowering. If you’re extremely sensitive to game, you’ll probably still taste it in this.

Carnitas – 3/6

• Succulent pieces of slow roasted pulled pork and herbs $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• This is my favourite kind of taco, so I have higher expectations for it.
• It usually is oily because it’s roasted pulled pork fried in fat, but this one was oily without the flavour.
• It was dripping with oil, but it wasn’t flavourful pork juices, it just tasted like shredded pork in oil.
• The meat was slightly dry and brittle too, and if anything this one should be the least dry.
• I like carnitas with pickled onions on top so I prefer the one at La Taqueria – see here, and although different, I strongly recommend trying the Tostada Carnitas from El Barrio – see here.
• Just for reference, the most authentic carnitas taco I’ve had is from Riviera Maya Mexican Cuisine.

Al Pastor - 2.5/6

• Marinated pork loin, slow-roasted with spices, chiles and pineapple $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• The pork loin was marinated in a tomato base with a mild heat and this one actually had some flavour without requiring salsa.
• It was braised with the pineapple and I actually like it when they also top it of with fresh pineapple like they do at La Taqueria, however that method isn’t really authentic. I just like that extra pop of flavour when it’s fresh.
• I liked that it was pieces of pork rather than the crumbled pork they have at La Taqueria though.
• I couldn’t taste any pineapple in this one and the pineapple flavour had disappeared from even the pineapple pieces.
• The pork was lean, so it was naturally drier, but it was quite dry regardless if it wasn’t for the marinade.

**Carne Enchilada - 3.5/6

• Shredded pork loin bathed in a chile sauce $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• This one had more flavour than the Al Pastor and it had a meatier bite.
• The meat was quite lean, so naturally a bit drier, but it was also just a bit dry too.
• It was marinated in a slightly spicier chile sauce so this one had flavour without the salsa as well.
• I wanted some more seasoning and spices and I just missed juiciness. It was already the second most flavourful though.

**Longanitza (Cured pork sausage) – 5/6

• Cured pork ground sausage with chili and spices $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• This was easily my favourite taco of the night!
• It had the most flavour and it was so obvious compared to everything else.
• It was like bland, bland, bland, FLAVOUR! I could have eaten this meat by itself.
• The meat had a good amount of fat (being cured pork sausage) and it was moist, and juicy and well seasoned.
• I don’t know if everything else just seemed ‘meh’ that I was so impressed by this, but I would order this again.
• The meat was already salty being cured, and it was also well marinated with spicy chilies and spices throughout.
• I would have rather had 6 of these than one of everything.

Pollo (with Mole sauce) – 1.5/6 for the chicken, 4.5/6 for the sauce

• Chicken poached with Mexican herbs & shredded $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• Doña Cata’s family recipe for mole rojo boast over 25 ingredients including Mexican chocolate & five different dry chiles.
• This was a special request because it’s not offered as a taco, but I wanted to try the mole sauce. They had no problems with the request.
• This chicken was all white meat and it was the driest of them all. It wasn’t only because it’s white meat chicken, but it was just overcooked and hard to chew and swallow.
• The chicken was very bland as you can see too.
• The mole sauce on the other hand was fantastic! It had so much flavour and it required no salsas.
• The sauce wasn’t as sweet and chocolatey as the mole sauce at La Taqueria. This one was more sophisticated, dark and smoky rather than sweet.
• The mole was very thick and creamy and very well textured with ground nuts (?) and seeds used to make it.
• It wasn’t really spicy, but bold and robust with flavour and I loved the grainy paste like texture it had which made that fresh home made quality really stand out.
• From what I’ve tried, it was the second best mole I’ve tried next to the Pollo En Mole from El Barrio.
• One thing is that I do wish the chicken was cooked into the mole sauce before serving and not just poured on top like it was.

Beans – 2.5/6

• $2.00 each, with cheese $2.50
• Originally I had asked for the Bistek (chopped steak) taco and they ran out of it and gave me this without telling me. I don’t mind, but a heads up would be nice.
• The beans were creamy and savoury, but it wasn’t anything different than what you’ve likely had before. It was refried beans.
• I ended up eating it with a side order of cactus.

Nopales (Cactus) – 2.5/6

• Tender cactus paddles $4
• This was a side order. I’ve had it once before, but it is texturally somewhat acquired. For what it is, it could be excellent here, but for me personally, it’s not something I’d order again.
• It’s a bit slimy, slightly crunchy, but tender and it’s a cross between a pickled poblano pepper and stewed okra. I like both, but this one was a bit sour for me.
• It’s quite sour rather than sweet and smoky, but it didn’t really do anything for me.
• It’s great for vegetarians and vegans.

Restaurant: Riviera Maya Mexican Cuisine
Cuisine: Mexican/Tacos
Last visited: September 1, 2011
Location: Bogota, NJ (Teaneck)
Address: 252 E Fort Lee Rd
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 4.5 – 5 (based on couple items I tried)
Service: 5
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Opened summer 2011
• Mexican family owned and operated
• Authentic Mexican
• Homestyle/Home made food
• Lots of variety
• Hole in the wall
• Very casual
• Popular to Mexican locals
• Couple chairs/counter seating
• More for take-out/delivery
• Pay at cashier
• Mini Mexican foods store
• Budget friendly/cheap eats
• Eat in/Take-out/Delivery
• Free delivery minimum $15
• Mon-Sun 10am-10pm

**Recommendations: Carnitas Tacos, Chile En Nogada

I know, I know. What the heck? New Jersey? How random! Yes it was, but I am so glad I tried this place. If you’re in New York it’s not necessary to make the 30 minute trip out here just to try it (unless you’re a hardcore foodie), but it has opened my eyes and taste buds to another level of what “authentic Mexican food” really is.

It’s a little hole in the wall in a densely Mexican populated area of Teaneck, which is a very small town. It’s family owned and operated (sons helping out and all) and it’s not really a dine in restaurant as much as it is for take out and delivery. There’s only a few chairs and a tiny counter if you want to eat inside, and I have confidence that it’s a solid dive despite only being able to try a couple things.

I must say that it just topped the stereotype off by operating as a mini Mexican specialty store. It kind of brought me back to memories of hole in the wall Mochikas Peruvian Cafe in Vancouver, BC, which is also a restaurant/mini Latin food store located in a car wash!

Anyways, regarding the food, if this is what an authentic Mexican taco is, then I haven’t had one until this day. Oh my. It was so different than anything I’ve had before and it just had authentic written all over it. Nothing was dumbed down and it was just one of those places you know is legit.

I recently blogged about TacoFino Cantina Taco Truck (Baja style tacos) and La Taqueria (authentic Mexican tacos) in Vancouver, and this was just in a whole new category. Any place I ever considered authentic suddenly didn’t seem authentic at all. I use that word lightly, but I do think it’s fair to say there are different levels of authenticity. However, just because it was more authentic it doesn’t necessarily mean I enjoyed it more, although I certainly appreciated it!

I feel really strongly about this restaurant and I feel even more deprived of real Mexican food than I did before. Being in Vancouver, we don’t get much of it, and this just showed me what exactly I was missing out on!

On the table:

**Carnitas Tacos – 4.5/6

• $7.95
• I repeat, “if this is what an authentic Mexican taco is, then I haven’t had one until this day”. I mean it!
• Even the way they served it was different! It came with 2 home made salsas, raw radishes, and 2 deep fried chives, which were freaking delicious!
• The chives were very oily as expected, but soft and sweet rather than crispy and I’ve never had tacos served with them before.
• It came with 3 tacos and each had the double corn tortilla shell, as they should, but they were a bit larger than the traditional ones we’d get at places like La Taqueria or Doña Cata Mexican Food in Vancouver.

• Each taco was generously filled with lots of carnitas (slow roasted and shredded fried pork).
• I saw the cook fry the carnitas meat which was soaking in oil, but it was probably one of the most tender carnitas I’ve had.
• It was huge chunks of juicy and tender pork and almost equal amount of fat.
• I’ve never seen a taco served with so much fat, but I have a feeling this is how it’s authentically served in Mexico. They certainly didn’t bother “dumbing it down” for North American palates.
• It was super blubbery, but it was so well roasted and braised that the fat was 100% creamy and tender and not chewy at all. It literally melted in my mouth, although I admit I didn’t eat all of it. It was just way too rich and greasy for me.
• This was almost 100% pork’s belly rather than pork shoulder or pork butt. It was oozing out pork oils and juices, not just grease, and it had a ton of flavour.
• It had some cilantro, onions and tomatoes, but I wanted some pickled red onions or something to cut the immense amount of fat.
• Although it was authentic, my Westernized taste buds did prefer less fat.
• I give it an “A” for authenticity, but an “F” for my arteries.
• It was almost like how they serve duck in Asia… SUPER fatty over there, but in North America it’s less fat, and that’s how the majority of people prefer it here.

**Chile En Nogada - 5/6

• Chilies in walnut sauce $15
• This was the special of the day and chances of finding it in Vancouver are slim, but they do exist throughout certain States and of course in Mexico.
• It’s a traditional Mexican dish that’s popular for Mexican Independence Day as it resembles the Mexican flag. The green part is the pepper, the red is the pomegranate seeds, and the white is the walnut cream sauce.
• It was a gigantic poblano peppers stuffed with shredded meat and topped with walnut cream sauce and pomegranate seeds.
• It was a very substantial, oily and rich dish, but I loved it.
• This was considered quite a gourmet version too and it was very impressive coming from a place like this.
• This wasn’t even that authentic, and it came with a bit of a twist because the sauce was made with cheese which is not traditional.
• It was served with black beans, Mexican rice, fresh guacamole and shredded iceberg lettuce, which was the salad.

• Originally it came with shredded or ground beef, but I requested carnitas just because it was so delicious in the tacos. It’s popular to be served with pork too.
• The pork for this dish should usually have cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin seasonings, but because the pork was from the carnitas, it didn’t.
• The giant pepper was roasted until it was blistering, charred and caramelized with smoky and sweet flavours. It’s not a spicy pepper.
• The pepper was then deep fried and stuffed with a very generous amount of canitas.
• The carnitas was just as soft, tender, juicy and melt in your mouth delicious as it was in the tacos.
• It was a tender smoky pepper with savoury and juicy roasted fried pork and onions.
• It was covered in a sweet walnut sauce that was made with some combination of evaporated milk, cream, port, and four kinds of cheese.
• The walnut cream sauce was made with some blue cheese, goat cheese, Mexican Cotija cheese, and another type of cheese I couldn’t pin point.
• It was a salty and sweet sauce but the cheese was very subtle, so it was more sweet than cheesy, and again the addition of cheese is a modern twist.
• It wasn’t as nutty as I wanted it and I couldn’t tell there were blended walnuts in the sauce at all. I’m quite sure the sauce can get better.
• I was hoping for it to be topped with some actual walnuts and almonds as well. Traditionally there are some almonds used in this dish.
• Eating the pork with the pomegranate seeds was almost like having turkey with cranberries.
• The whole thing was quite greasy and creamy, but the flavours worked well together, especially if you like sweet and savoury combinations.

Mexican Drinks

• The owners were really sweet and they gave me samples of their Mexican drinks.
• Hibiscus Tea – This was more like a hibiscus juice and it was served cold. It wasn’t particularly different than other ones I’ve tried before, but it’s still good. It’s not as sweet as it looks since it is tea based.
• Agua Fresca De Tamarindo (Fresh Tamarind) Drink – This drink is also served cold and it’s made from fresh tamarind pods. It’s a sour drink and it kind of reminded me of sour plums. That’s the flavour of tamarind anyways. I think it was sweetened with a little bit of honey too. It was nice and refreshing and went well with all the greasy food I was having.

Pistachio Popsicle – 3.5/6

• They had a couple home made flans, but I decided to purchase something from their “supermarket”.
• I love pistachio so I went for a classic brand of a Mexican style popsicle.
• It’s more like an ice milk bar and it reminded me of Indian Kulfi ice cream.
• It’s dense and quite thick and there’s isn’t a whole lot of real pistachio, but I did get some pistachio nuts in it. It was pretty good for $1!