Simone’s Carribean Kitchen – 596 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1R1
Country: Jamaica
Must-try Dish: Braised Oxtail
Dinner Guest: Darth-Sid and Suited-Sebastien

With the cold weather attacking the 6ix, we wanted to warm up with some Jamaican food that could give us the warm comfort of the islands. We grabbed a few cold beers and set to making some food decisions based on recommendations from our server as well as peeking at some of the dishes on our neighbours’ tables. Not surprisingly, some amazing-sounding dishes had to be cut from the order, but we did save room for dessert, as Darth-Sid’s sweet-tooth was in town. 

We started with fried plantains and the cod-cakes, both of which were delicious, but the fish cakes were the hit. Not really knowing what to expect, they were almost the size of a large plate and were like biting into a cloud upon each bite. As for the plantains, can you really go wrong with them? It’s a tried and tested classic, and we weren’t disappointed.

Our four main plates consisted of the obvious jerk chicken, braised oxtail, johnny cakes, and the shrimp curry. Another visit is necessary to get some curried goat in… Everything was served in generous portions including some side orders of rice and peas to accompany the protein.

Let’s start with the jerk because that is the most iconic dish, and Simone’s gives homage to it. The dish was perfectly spiced, not too spicy, even though this group can surely handle hot flavours! When the chicken was gone, we could still enjoy the sauce with the rice and peas, so it really is the gift that keeps giving. 

The crowd pleaser of the evening was the ox-tail strew, or known at Simone’s as the braised oxtail. This piece of beef falls off the bone, and as a result, melts in your mouth. Although we were there to try different dishes, I would have been happy having a whole plate to myself. 

We opted for a side of the Johnny cakes with our jerk chicken, which are marketed as dumplings, but aren’t so in the traditional sense. These were also a hit with the group, as they’re deep fried cornmeal stuffed with vegetables. As we typically do with Darth-Sid and ordered too much food, we were glad to have gotten the Johnny Cakes as a side dish as they still offered 5 large cakes which was the perfect amount to appease our hungry bellies.

The shrimp dish came highly recommended by our server as her favourite dish. It was the most colourful of them, as the bright yellow hues in the curry was attention grabbing. It was lighter compared to the others, and had flavours that brought you back to summertime. 

Although the staff wasn’t forcibly asking us to say “yeah mon” at the end of every sentence, which I encountered on a recent trip to Jamaica, the place felt authentic and certainly warmed our bellies before going out into the Canadian winter. There was a cheerful vibe at Simone’s, likely because of the colourful decor and the friendly faces. Jamaican culture has a reputation of being chilled-out and happy, so they’re doing something right because Simone’s gives you exactly that.

If you’re thinking of getting some Jamaican grub on the Danforth, look to Simone’s and don’t go without the oxtail stew.

Eat with you soon,

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)