Jamaican Restaurants

Jamaican Restaurants in California


Los Angeles area

Coley's Kitchen Jamaican Restaurant
4335 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008
323 290.4010


Derrick's Jamaican Cuisine
6806 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
310 641.7572


Joe's Universal Jamaican Restaurant
5766 Rodeo Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
323 299.4511
Website


Milton's Jamaican Carribean Restaurant
2415 West Slauson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90043
323 296.2641



San Diego area

Fargo's Bar-B-Que & Catering Service-Jamaican Cuisine
7909 Jamacha Rd, San Diego, CA 92114
619 262.0201
Web site


Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant
2820 Market St, San Diego, CA 92102
619 702.9309





San Francisco area

King Jamaican Restaurant
1279 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117
415 567.1294



Sacramento area

Jamaican Restaurant
1704 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818
916 492.9336



Other areas

IRIE Jamaican Restaurant
9062 Valley View St, Cypress, CA 90630
714 484.0661



Jamaica Station Bar & Grill
4929 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, CA 94609-2006
510 597.1539



The Jamaican Grill
E 2943 Broadway,
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 434-3311

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Jamaican Restaurants Dining Guide
Jamaican Food



Ackee:

A handful of islands grow ackee as an ornamental tree, but only Jamaica looks at it as a tree that bears edible fruit. The ackee fruit is bright red. When ripe, it bursts open to reveal three large black seeds and bright yellow flesh. The flesh of the ackee is popular as a breakfast food throughout Jamaica. Ackee's scientific name, blighia sapida, comes from Captain Bligh, who introduced the plant to Jamaica from West Africa. Ackee is poisonous if eaten before it is fully mature and because of its toxicity, it is subject to import restrictions and may be hard to obtain in some countries. Never open an ackee pod; it will open itself when it ceases to be deadly. Ackee is sold canned in West Indian markets.


Arrowroot:

Neutral tasting starch extracted from the root of tropical tubers, used as a last-minute thickening agent for sauces.


Breadfruit:

Breadfruit was also introduced to Jamaica from its native Tahiti in 1793 by the infamous Captain Bligh. The breadfruit is a large green fruit, usually about 10 inches in diameter, with a pebbly green skin and potato-like flesh. Breadfruits are not edible until they are cooked and they can be used in place of any starchy vegetable, rice or pasta. Breadfruit is picked and eaten before it ripens and is typically served like squash--baked, grilled, fried, boiled or roasted after being stuffed with meat. It's even been known to turn up in preserves or in a beverage.


Callaloo

Spelled half a dozen different ways, this colorful word turns up in Jamaican records as early as 1696. This leafy, spinach-like vegetable is typically prepared as one would prepare turnip or collard greens. This variety of callaloo Amaranthus viridis, better known as Chinese spinach or Indian kale, should not be confused with the callaloo found in the eastern Caribbean, which refers to the leaves of the dasheen plant.


Nutmeg:

Jamaican cooks are insistent--when cooking their recipes, skip over the pre-ground nutmeg sold in supermarkets and buy the spice whole, grating it only as needed. The inner kernel of the fruit is more flavorful when freshly grated. The spicy sweet flavor of this aromatic spice makes it an excellent addition to cakes, puddings and drinks.


Okra:

This finger-shaped vegetable, green-ridged and three to five inches in length, is fried as a side dish, used as a thickening agent in callaloo or mixed with cornmeal to make coo-coo.


Scotch Bonnet Peppers:

The fiery Scotch bonnet pepper, ranging in colors from yellow to orange to red, is considered the leading hot pepper in Jamaica, though several other varieties have recently been developed. Some peppers are sold whole, others are dried and ground, and still others are processed into sauces, such as Jamaica Hell Fire. If you can't get your hands (wash them afterward!) on Scotch bonnets, you can substitute habaneras or jalapenos.


Sorrel:

Brought from India by way of Malaysia, this unusual plant was introduced to Jamaica by the British soon after 1655. Also known as roselle and appealingly, flor de Jamaica, sorrel always blooms in December, when its deep red flower becomes an unrivaled floral decoration for two to three weeks before it evolves into Jamaica's traditional holiday beverage. At that time, the flower are dried and then steeped in water to make a bright red drink that has a slightly tart taste and is the color of cranberry juice.

SOURCE: Jamaicans.com