If you have been following me for a while, you'd know I'm big on (1.) burritos and tacos; and (2.) trying exotic cuisines. When Tommie reached out to me and asked if I could try out his new items at his Grand Opening to give him some constructive feedback, I said okay without second thoughts. I'm not gonna say no to burritos and tacos, and in Jamaican style? Heck yes!
I think this guy is pretty freaking bold because (A.) he's doing a grand opening during COVID season when there are a lot of restaurants closing down, and (B.) everyone knows that I'm super fussy with my food and I can be quite ruthless when it comes to food critiques! So that tells me that this guy is pretty confident!
Twice he had said to me, "If you like my food, that's awesome! If you don't, your feedback helps me improve. So it's a win win for me. Please don't be afraid to hurt my feelings, Joyee." As a cook myself, I can totally relate to this because this is exactly what I always tell my friends too when I go through my experimental cooking/ baking.
When I first arrived, the location smelt like camp fire and I could see this charcoal grill from afar, but nothing was in it. Apparently they grill all their meat in this charcoal grill in the morning, and store them in a slow cooker after. So everything's made fresh daily. I asked for the Jerk Chicken Burrito since Tommie recommended that, and when I was watching them making my burrito, I noticed that they've used chicken breast. I cringed slightly because I've always avoided ordering chicken breast in restaurants as they always turn out dry.
Observing closely, I also noticed that they are extremely generous with the meat. Just watch the video.
Wait a second! Have you noticed that there's no filler in it? There's no rice in it. The burrito is also massive. As I was walking towards my car carrying the burrito, I thought I was in Dallas for a minute. I couldn't help and took a selfie with it. Just want to show you guys how massive this thing was (Sorry my arm's not long enough and part of the burrito got cut out.)
Honest to God, here's my truthful review:
I was really surprised at how tender the chicken turned out and I don't understand how grilled chicken could be so moist. The filling was herby, exotic, mildly spicy, and slightly sweet from the sweet sauce and the pineapple salsa. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jamaican food are generally very spicy? I had it once at White Rock at the Jamaican restaurant and I pretty much lost my taste bud from all that fiery heat, and my ears hurt from it. I think Tommie had toned it down to cater it to the general crowd in Cloverdale who can't take the heat like me. I don't mind it to be a bit spicier but definitely not like the kind of heat I experienced at PG's Jamaican in White Rock.
When eating out, some food can taste very commercialized, some are very country like, and some tastes very homie. My favourite kind is the homie kind because you can taste the secret ingredient in their food, which is love. (That's why I love the restaurants in Sunshine Coast - most chefs are retirees and everything tasted like your grandma's cooking). I can't say that this taste very homie but you can tell that he had put a lot of love into his cooking and he takes his food seriously. I have so much respect for that.
Overall, this is a great burrito with great seasonings, and it's an excellent choice for those who are more health conscious. For what you are paying, I think this is a steel!
Congratulations Tommie's Jerk! With the kind of attitude you have and care you have for your customers, I trust that you will go a long way with your business! Thanks again for having me.
📍Location: Cloverdale
💵 Price:$7 - 11
🤤Taste: 4.7 / 5
🕯Atmosphere: ⭐️⭐️
🪑Seating: NA
📈 Price Performance ratio: 5 / 5
Rentention Rate: 100%
