A good friend recently came back from a vacation to Jamaica and in fit of jealousy this week, I took myself to Jamaican Pizza Jerk on Commercial Drive. I’ve also been to Riddim & Spice, another Jamaican place on the Drive, recently and not blogged about it, so here goes the showdown.
It’s actually not much of a showdown, more like a blowout for Jamaican Pizza Jerk. When I walked in at lunchtime, there was only one other table occupied, but warm smiles greeted me all around the vibe was happy and mellow. I’m sure that the Bob Marley concert playing on the television did much to add to the ambiance, as did the colourful Caribbean decor. My entrance to Riddim & Spice a week earlier was not really noted and while I floundered around the sparse room deciding on where to sit, I actually considered leaving. It lacks warmth and, at least while I was there felt empty and apathetic.
Even though Jerk Chicken must surely be the national dish, I was after the curry goat. They did have it at Riddim & Spice but the tiny Asian waitress seemed to think I should have the jerk chicken, so I did. It was pretty good. The meat was tender and fell off the bone, but I didn’t find the meat as flavourful or spicy as I was expecting. It was, however, a lot more food than I was expecting and I was stuffed by the time I left to collect my laundry from across the street.
Curry Goat is only available on Tuesdays and Fridays at Jamaican Pizza Jerk, so I ordered the chicken again and eventhough I am not actually a chicken conoisseur, I was quite enthralled with this dish here. The dark meat of the chicken was very tender being so close to the bone and cooked to perfection. The brown sauce was much thinner than at Riddim & Spice (where it seemed like more of a glaze), but tastier. Both came with rice cooked in coconut milk and spices and a salad; at Jamaican Pizza Jerk it was a tangy homemade coleslaw and at Riddim & Spice it was a green salad with a thick yellow dressing. In this respect, both opponents faired equally. I found the coleslaw somewhat more interesting, but in both instances they were delicious. Serving sizes at Jamaican Pizza Jerk are noticeably smaller, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re starving.
So, the verdict? I am planning on going back to Jamaican Pizza Jerk as early as next week to try the curried goat, oxtail and ackee and saltfish dishes, while I’m pretty sure I won’t revisit RIddim & Spice. Sad, because Riddim & Spice clearly has the more prominent storefront and I’m sure many diners stop in one time only thinking they’ll get an authentic Jamaican experience. Incidentally, I actually have no idea which place is more authentic. I’m waiting on my friend to check them out and let me know, but in the meantime I’ll be at Jamaican Pizza Jerk.
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2707 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Riddim & Spice
1945 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
1 response so far ↓
gigi // July 23, 2008 at 1:48 am
It is pretty funny that we both blogged about Riddim & Spice at the same time and also had basically the same opinion! :p I’ll have to give Jamaican Pizza Jerk a try…it sounds like it was quite tasty.
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