Birch Jerk

On Wednesday, I headed over to Chris Jerk on Birchmount for lunch. Although there are a few small tables, most people do take out at this popular and busy Jamaican joint. As such, there were several cooks behind the front counter grill, and several more in the kitchen in the back.

I got a substantial jerk chicken dinner for $8.95. Overall, the dish was good. The freshly steamed vegetables and hot fried plantain added some variety. The chicken was tasty but not the best, partly because the skin lacked that crunchy crispiness. But the rice and peas was a bit of a head-scratcher. Instead of the usual plump and soft rice, it was a thin pilaf-like grain. This didn't really mesh well with the earthy and rich flavour of the other ingredient. I don't know if Chris Jerk is worth a trip for its typical Jamaican fare. However, it does carry other intriguing selection, especially the "sharwarma" that seems to use roti instead of pita, and more Caribbean-style chicken rotating on the spit.