Restaurant Review: The Reef

THE REEF CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT 4172 Main Street ~ thereefrestaurant.com

Twitter: @thereef

Co-Diner: Tim Golem

I’m a huge fan of Caribbean food and I really love knowing where to get the good stuff. Reef Restaurant Main Street The is one of the most solid places in Vancouver to keep in mind when you’re craving those unique and spicy flavours. They have two locations in the city; one on Main and one on Commercial (and a food truck too!). You might have seen them on You Gotta Eat Here! and Westender named them as #1 Best Caribbean 2017.

We decided to visit their Main Street location on a Saturday evening and were immediately welcomed by the warm atmosphere. Even though the weather was cool, the patio out front was warm enough to sit and eat thanks to the heaters. We sat inside though, right next to their toasty wood-burning oven. The vibe is very laid back and the decor is lively and colourful. The space feels very much like a cross between a casual Canadian restaurant and a little joint that you might find in Jamaica. I enjoyed finding things around the room; such as the steel drum and the surfboard hanging above the bar. The server helping us was extremely friendly and accommodating.

I wanted a cocktail (and I wanted to feel like I was on a beach!). I really liked how each cocktail is accompanied by the name of the place that it’s from. I found myself in the “De Coconuts” section and assumed that getting a beverage served in a coconut was the way to go. I chose The Original “Get Juiced” Beach Punch ($12.00) from Jamaica and was ready to get juiced.

3oz J. Wray overproof, dark & white rum & tropical juices.

As promised, a cocktail in a coconut. It was boozy. But in a really great, not too alcohol-tasting way. Just what I was looking for! Refreshing and fruity, this is the perfect way to get juiced, even on a winter’s day in Canada.

I looked to the “Small Tings” section of the menu and happily found a Jamaican Patty ($4.00), one of my favourite things.

House made, lightly seasoned ground beef or tofu.

I ordered this with beef inside, of course. This version was nice and obviously made with care. I liked the flaky pastry and the beef inside was savoury and very good. I could have used a little bit more spice. Not the best patty of my life, but pretty good. Next time I would probably favour an order of their incredible Plantain Chips (so thinly sliced and deliciously seasoned!) or the Cheesy Crab Dip... Actually, the Tasting Platter may be the true way to go.

For my main I ventured to the “Caribbean Special Tings” section and bee lined on over to the Ackee & Saltfish ($19.00), my favourite Jamaican food.

Jamaica’s national dish of ackee fruit, salt cod, onion, tomato & peppers with rice ‘n peas & coleslaw.

This was a really excellent version of a dish that I enjoy a lot and have tasted in several differe

nt restaurants as well as in Jamaica. Sometimes when I order this I find that there isn’t enough salt cod included and that the little bits of fish are barely noticeable. Not so in this case, in fact this was probably the best example of beautiful large chunks of salt cod, bursting with salty flavour! I did not find myself searching for fish at all, as it was there, in every bite. The ackee was tender and scrambled egg-like, which sounds weird but becomes an endearing part of the experience. All of the vegetables were bright and fresh. The entire mixture was deliciously oily and a perfect embodiment of this unique cuisine. The rice on the side was nice (but quite plain) and the coleslaw added a good crunch.

Next time I will absolutely be excited to try their Jamaican Jerk Chicken. It sounds like they have an expert recipe for it and I cannot wait to try it for myself.

Another thing that I appreciated about The Reef are the clearly designated menu items for various dining preferences such as vegetarian or gluten free. They are also partnered with Ocean Wise. And they serve breakfast too! The quality of this Caribbean food is some of the best in town, treat yourself to a tropical vacay on over to this restaurant!