DELICIOUS
When we got to Caribbean Canadian it was 12:05, mere minutes after the restaurant was to open, according to the sign in the window.
A sign on the door stated they were closed and would be back by 12 but we didn’t fret. Nor did a man waiting outside with us.
Had he been there before? He’s a regular.
“Worth the wait, then?” my companion asked.
“Absolutely,” was the response.
We decided to run to Candi Werx down the street, to grab some treats for later that day. When we returned, not 15 minutes later, the restaurant had begun to fill up.
A man with two young children was waiting for a pickup order; two other guys were hanging out at a table. Waiting at the counter, we looked over the menu on the wall split into “curry,” “chow mein,” “fried rice” and “other dishes,” five selections under each heading.
After a few minutes, the owner came out from the back and greeted us. She was all business, taking our order quickly and advising us that what we’d ordered was a lot for two people. We tacked on a ginger beer (the spicy one — there was a mild version, too), and I asked for a soursop juice.
We sat just on the other side of a shoulder height wall that separated the small dining room from the entryway, where people waited for their pickup orders.
The decor was pretty no nonsense as well, with a single potted plant on the grey tiled counter. The walls were bare except for a TV playing an infomercial on mute: Dr. Ho and his pain therapy system. Light entertainment while we waited.
It was a bit of a wait before we got our food — I could see why call ahead pickup might be a good idea if you were in a rush. However, my companion and I were not, and I was enjoying the murmurs of approval from the table behind us as they ate. And worth the wait it was. I tried the jerk chicken first: two dark legs and thighs slathered in jerk seasoning, on top of rice and beans, with a side of coleslaw. I was happy to see the slaw but even happier after I had taken my first bite of the chicken. It was the only dish labelled spicy and boy, was it ever.
My lips were stinging with the heat but I couldn’t stop eating the fall-off-the-bone meat. The slaw tempered the heat, everything was seasoned perfectly and the rice was cooked just right.
The next container held pieces of stewed potato and plenty of goat meat. So much so, I could barely see the yellow rice underneath. I loved it; lots of curry leaves were used, giving it an herby, earthy vibe.
The rice had soaked up juices from the stew, as had the potato — making every bite comforting and delicious.
I could feel the spicy ginger beer through my nose and down my throat, and the soursop drink was sweet and refreshing.
Which brings us to the last dish: chow mein. I had to order it, since I had never seen Chinese food on a menu at a Caribbean restaurant. But my companion put on her professor hat and informed me that there is a large Chinese immigrant population in the Caribbean islands.
The noodles weren’t your average, everyday Chinese type, but more like Chinese mixed with Southeast Asia — a light hand with the soy sauce, an undercurrent of subtle spicing. Their pale orange colour made me wonder if a bit of tomato was involved. Corn, beef and seafood in the mix; sliced green onion sprinkled on top. Different yet still satisfying. And satisfied was definitely how we felt as we headed out, with plenty of leftovers to look forward to.