Restaurant Review: Chris Jerk

CHRIS JERK CARIBBEAN BISTRO

2570 Birchmount Road Instagram: @chrisjerkbistro ~ Twitter: @ChrisJerkCB Co-Diner: Tim Golem

If there is one thing that Toronto does better than anywhere else in Canada: it's jerk. This city has a beautifully robust community of people cooking up the most incredible Jamaican and Caribbean food that you've ever tasted. It's incredibly legit and you won't find it anywhere else (unless you go on vacation). Chris Jerk has been celebrated as the city's #1 Best Caribbean Restaurant as per blogTO and since they're located in Scarborough, you know that they've gotta be good. Their biggest claim to fame is that they're the original inventors of jerk chicken shawarma - and as someone who loves both jerk chicken and shawarma, this is something that I absolutely had to try for myself. You'll find Chris Jerk in Huntingwood Square, a strip mall plaza, which is exactly where all of the best jerk places are found. In fact, Chris Jerk is located a 10 minute drive from the original Allwyn's and a 5 minute drive from the original Fahmee Bakery. You have officially entered the mecca for the best Caribbean food of your life. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and I came ready. The shop has a big, obvious sign with a recognizable logo. Upon entry into the fairly small space you are hit with the spicy aromas of jerk. There isn't very much going on for decor (save for the faux brick wallpaper and a few pieces of art) and there are a couple of tables if you prefer to eat in. You don't need more than this. The focal point is the long counter where all of the magic is happening. A steaming hot table houses deliciousness under each lid. For a small restaurant the chalkboard menu is pretty large and exciting - all of your favourites are here. Approaching the counter, a friendly staff member took my order and made sure that each dish would be prepared just right. (The menu does state that the smiles are still free, after all.) First things first, I ran my eyes over all of the bottled beverages, looking for something interesting. Sure, they've got Ting (because it would be ridiculous if they didn't) but they didn't have any peanut punch which happens to be my favourite. No matter, I found something called Mauby Fizzz ($2.50) which I'd never seen before in my life. That'll do!

Unfortunately, this carbonated beverage imported from Trinidad was not my favourite. The flavours are; mauby bark, caramel, aniseed and vanilla. Combined, these create a very bittersweet drink that I found too far on the bitter end for my taste. It's similar to chinotto except the bitterness lingers just a little bit too long. Regardless, I am always pleased to experience something new. Let's begin with some Sides! Which I kind of considered to be like appetizers. I grabbed some Fresh Fried Plantain ($2.95) because they're a must.

Golden, sweet, perfect. I love these as a side because they're piping hot and they add a perfect little sweet treat to the rest of the meal. Dipping them in hot sauce is the actual best. I also made a point of ordering a Side Jerk Chicken ($3.50) because while I ordered other things with chicken in them, I really just wanted to try their straight-up jerk chicken.

As a side, this was decently generous. It came with a leg and pretty much an entire thigh (which are the best parts of any chicken). What I found different about Chris Jerk's jerk is the sauciness! The jerk at some places is a bit more like a dry rub. But at this place everything is covered in a rich, dark sauce that embodies an incredible level of depth and spice. While this jerk chicken was tender and delicious... I think that I still might lean slightly more toward Allwyn's for jerk chicken alone. OK. Let's dig into it. Chris Jerk has a beautiful section of the menu devoted to Fish Entrees and clearly when I saw my favourite Ackee & Saltfish ($15.45) it was coming with me. I was asked if I wanted this as a meal (I didn't think that they serve it any other way) which includes rice and peas. Yes to all of this.

Apparently it also comes with an amazing big dumpling and fried plantains which I didn't know were a part of it but were welcome additions! This dish, the national dish of Jamaica, is my favourite. Typically eaten for breakfast, I will crush one of these any time of day. This version was absolutely amazing. Probably the best that I've ever had. Made with the ackee fruit (which also happens to be the national fruit of Jamaica) and salted codfish, the dish is sautéed with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices. The whole thing becomes stewy, oily and delicious. This one was extra good because there was tons of ackee and saltfish used, and let's be real, that's what I came for. All of the sides on this dish were great too. I loved the big, long dumpling which almost reminded me of a Chinese youtiao. It was dense and perfect for soping up all of the saucy juices. The rice was nice and I definitely wasn't upset about having more plantains. The main thing that sets Chris Jerk apart from the rest is their invention of jerk chicken shawarma. It's practically the first thing that you'll see upon walking in the door. The slowly turning spit, piled high with jerk-marinated dark meat. The juices drip and caramelize. Why did it take so long for someone to do this?? Naturally, the Jerk Chicken Shawarma Wrap ($8.95) was born and it put Chris Jerk on the map.

Jerk chicken from Jamaica combined with shawarma from Turkey perfectly describes what makes Toronto so special. I was asked if I wanted a white or whole wheat tortilla and I chose white. I was asked if I wanted "everything" on it and I answered "yes" even though I wasn't entirely sure what "everything" involved (it didn't matter). I was asked if I wanted garlic mayo or BBQ mayo, was then told that I could have both, and obviously I went with that option. And lastly I was asked if I wanted hot sauce, and hell yeah I did because the hot sauce at Chris Jerk is legendary. In fact, they bottle it and I should have bought some. Regret! What surprised me the most about this shawarma was how fresh it managed to be. It was packed with crunchy coleslaw, pickles that brought a great acidity, and a delicious creaminess from the sauces. And there was heat! Plus the beautiful, flavourful, spicy jerk chicken. I love how they managed to fill this wrap with full-on Caribbean flavour. It looks like a shawarma... But it's also not. Is it better than a shawarma? I think it really depends on which cuisine you're craving. If you're in the mood for Middle Eastern then a traditional shawarma is still going to be your best bet. Last but not least... This was my favourite thing: The Jerk Chicken Shawarma Poutine ($9.45).

This giant mess is famous in its own right. How could I not? And now we're combining Jamaican with Québécois - does it get any better? YOU NEED THIS. The fries themselves are fine. The shredded cheese would normally be a massive problem for me (see this incredibly particular blog) but somehow it seemed easily forgiven in this case. I'm pretty sure that the gravy is just the same jerk sauce that was slathered all over the chicken? So that right there is genius. And then the whole thing is covered in an abundance of spit-caramelized jerk chicken, which is delicious. This dish is an insane mess and it's special and it's unique. If I had to pick one must-try item at Chris Jerk, this would be it. Otherwise, what are you doing with your life? Toronto knows its way around jerk. Chris Jerk knows its way around jerk shawarma. When you come to this city, this is the food that you need to be eating.