Originally Written: March 26 2020
I heard about @thebajankitchen_ca just in time to catch their weekend long pop-up at JC Banquet Hall just east of McCowan & Ellesmere. If youâve been to Barbados you probably fell in love with the food, among many other things, and if youâve never been it might still be a while before traveling there becomes a reality so this is a great chance to dip your toe in the Bajan waters without leaving Toronto.
Their menu covers all the staples of this underrepresented West Indian cuisine; Fish cutters (sandwiches), Fishcakes, Cou-Cou (a dish of finely ground cornmeal and okra) and of course the famous Bajan Macaroni Pie. On Saturday and Sunday they will also offer Pudding and Sous, a popular weekend dish of pickled pork with steamed sweet potato and breadfruit.
The Mac Pie, made with long straight macaroni, brought me back to the street food vendors in the St. Lawrence Gap after a late night. After hours mac pie needs to catch on, few things soak up the booze better after a long night! The fish cakes were really on point. Iâve been spoiled on fishcakes by my wife's family and these were the closest Iâve had tothe homemade versions at our family gatherings.
â ď¸Just a warning: good fish cakes are one of the most addicting things on earth.â ď¸
The fish steaks were thick and perfectly grilled in both the cutter and the meal combo. Everything we picked up was really delicious and came in generous portions.
If you could use some warm carribean vibes this weekend you should definitely check out their pop up, but order early because it looks like some things are already starting to sell out. If you miss out this weekend make sure to follow them to catch them the next time!
The only thing missing was the Banks beer and the beach...but you can use the last picture as a substitute. đ
đBajan Kitchen (Pop-up temporarily operating out of JC Banquet Hall) - 1686 Ellesmere Rd