Chris Jerk

As summer inching closer in my lovely city, one of the things that absolutely heightens the summer love is good Jamaican food. I used to travel to Jamaica to escape the horrible Canadian winters annually (a few years in a roll now), the music, the food, and the slower pace just takes me away to a different mental place. Good authentic Jamaican food may be hard to find, which is why I rely on good word-of-mouth recommendations and I know I'll be getting top notch finger licking goodness. today I'm going to tell you about.. Chris Jerk. But promise me not to tell too many people, this place gets so busy as is.

Chris Jerk is located in a little strip mall on the way to work (or more like on my way home, cuz that's when I pick up take out most likely). Though we are still in lock down with COVID restrictions, Chris Jerk is sort of unaffected. They didn't used to have any indoor-dining space anyway, nor does it have any patios, it's meant for take out and it seems it's always been like this, get in and get out. Definitely good to see the popularity remains during pandemic. Amazing.

This recommendation came from an uber reliable fellow foodie who enjoys tasty, spicy, authentic food (you know who you are!). I had to give it a try when I finally ventured into a new part of town. So I have been to this shop twice, once right at when it opened, things moved quickly. The second time after work on a friday, oh my god the line up AND wait for food pick up was ginormous. As I was just about getting antsy and impatient, when I had the beautiful food in your hand, the amazing scent permeating through the takeout box make everything better, I promise. 

What I ordered:

curry goat meal

- curry goat flavor is amazing, i love the curry sauce poured over the traditional rice and peas. it give this wonderful mouth feel and just the right amount of umami. 

- every standard meal set gets you rice and peas in heaping amounts. the meat and sauce poured all over, a few pieces of steamed vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and cabbage. and oh, 3-4 pieces of perfectly grilled plantain slices. Balanced or not, it makes one feel like this is a balanced good meal with all the fixings. 

 

oxtail meal

- so good. The oxtail sauce is delicious and the meat is super tender and moist. The pieces of tail is huge but must have been stewing for hours and hours to get it done like this. Fork it over rice, it just melts in your mouth goodness. Oh the bones? you will be licking the sauce off the bones. One of the best oxtail meals I had.

jerk chicken sides

- with the purchase of meals, you can get sides like the awesome jerk chicken legs. I am a huge fan of dark meat so this is right up my ally. 3$ extra per side, which is about a quarter chicken (divided to 3 pieces). I love this add on for a small fee, who doesn't want some extra spicy meat on the side?

Other notes:

- only 5 people allowed to line up in the store, so everyone's far enough from each other. This unfortunately mean that anyone else will have to wait in the sun or cold, aka parking lot. 

- the chef Chris is typically on site, i have seen people say hi and bye to him and it's great knowing the guy is onsite doing the work and ensuring the food is just how he would make it.

- the wait is really kind of long. Chris Jerk doesn't take phone orders so you pretty much have to go in, line up and see where it gets you. not the best use of time, but perhaps that's part of the charm. Slow down, listen to some tunes, be patient, and wait for deliciousness to be brought over to you.

Overall, fantastic dinner fare. Check it out if you are in the area.