Super disappointing....
I should of known from the time I saw the outdated country style decor and furnishings ... Should have known when I noticed a different business name printed on the receipt ... I should of known when the guy at the counter reassured us that the food had plenty of taste before we left ...
It was a Sunday night not to far before closing and my family and I decided to try this place out for the first time to satisfy our home cooking craving. We were hungry and wanted something that tasted like it came straight out the pot from back home but quick. Our mind was set on oxtail and jerk chicken. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 9 pm (restaurant closed at 10). We then quickly put in our orders for 2 large oxtails and 2 large jerk chickens ... #Biggest waste of money of 2016 so far. We waited the 20 minutes for our orders... Not to sure why because the only other people there already received their order. We noticed that the gentlemen who took our orders (handled the money) was also the cook on duty and table busser. As we waited a bit longer we started hearing the sound of a microwave go off every 5 minutes or so. Had I known I would be buying leftovers I would have just saved the 50 bucks and spent the time and just cooked the food myself. Other factors such as touching the face and coughing contributed to my feelings toward this business.
About the food...
The meal included the protein, rice and peas and coleslaw. There was no choice for the type of rice which only meant he was trying to get rid of it. At fist glance you can still see the formation of spooned rice. Rice is not suppose to clump together like it did. At first "bite", the rice resembled rice pudding with the "oxtail gravy" being the liquid. Definitely Pot bottom rice.
The coleslaw seemed okay but had a tangy aftertaste. Then I noticed him finishing up with the packaging and he shared out the coleslaw at the front counter which can only mean the mayonnaise doused side had been sitting Without refrigeration for who knows how long.
The "oxtail" tasted like it was cooked in a poutine beef gravy with no seasoning. There was no carrots or butter beans (which are traditional ingredients for the dish) and the 3 pieces of bone that I received had little to no meat on it. What seemed to be a filled container was just a container fill with mushy rice and thick gravy.
The mouthfeel of the overcooked oxtail reminded me of jello.
The jerk chicken was smothered in the same "gravy" as the oxtail, which was probably to mask the bitter taste of the chicken. I can tell that the chicken was not cleaned properly or marinated and just thrown into the oven. The only taste came from the gravy it was covered in. Jerk? What jerk? The only spice that came from this restaurant was in the name. After 2 bites of chicken and rice my mother became sick almost instantly and my mom has a strong stomach so this was weird.
Maybe a visit from the health inspector is well over due because their business practices are affecting the quality of food. This review wasn't meant to bash the business but to save the unknowing patron with a craving for real food. I only came here based on the reviews which I assume is how most of you readers decide where to go. I gave one star because this was the only place open. Maybe I should open a late night pop up kitchen and show Mississauga some real Caribbean food.
Look out for my reviews! I'm on a quest to find the best Caribbean spot in peel