Cook-shop-fly has finally found his true calling. I tried previously gigolo, pimp, epicurean! A gauntlet of trades that Frederick Mahaica, the 1950 gold-mining prospector would have envied. I’ve tried and done everything – anything to avoid working with the M&CC, or a career as a peas politician. Ya think it easy hustling living down deh, in my nativeland?
Wow! My new career – restaurant and food critic. Endless possibilities. So here’s cook-shop-fly’s restaurant critique, from my recent visits back home for the benefit of allya, who planning to visit for Christmas and Carifesta ’08.
I say this categorically – Guyana food is the best in the world: full-course dinner for under $US6; gourmet delights at the Upscale, at the Mom & Pops or the nuff franchises – all of which more than compensate for the ‘mini-bus mishaps and the loud passa passa music that keep ya awake till foreday morning. Ya think it easy!
Having eaten recently at all the ‘joints’ locally, and having survived to record and share this, here’s some brief comments on where to eat and dine down deh.
MAGGIE’s off New Market and Camp: My No 1 Choice. Daily lunches, great value, best souse and black pudding – but must get there early Sat. You can telephone reserve ‘pick-up.’ Excellent pastry – wide variety. Counter ‘choky,’ but what a delightful, popular cubby-hole, converted under the previous Lord’s Residence, where I held my ‘Tea House of the August Moon’ party in 1957.
SHANTA’s , obliquely opposite. Still going strong since QC moved to Thomas Lands 1950. Guaranteed hot roti and dhal puri with a variety of delicious curries. My twice a week favourite – the curried hassar with mango, rice and dhal, US$4.
JERRY’s, Camp St. Most popular eating spot in de town – open till it close, 4pm to 4am daily. Roadside seating atmosphere; seating at the back inside kinda cowboy rural. Excellent jerk chicken; pork could be more lean. Great black and white pudding. You must try the chicken feet souse. Hosting Tangerine Clarke with her friend during World Cup, we on our way to New Thriving. Cook-shop-Fly in jeopardy, anticipating minimum US$45 dinner bill in guava season. God on God’s side; we pass Jerry’s; the fragrance of the ‘jerk’ light up dem two ladies’ nose – and hell, we each had on the front walkway a box of jerk chicken – no frills – passion fruit drink all under US$15 total.
TAJ. Upstairs good curries somewhat Javanese style. Cosy atmosphere. Convenient. Try the tandoori chicken, matar pani, biryani rice. Remember Pepper burn both ways.
NEW THRIVING, Camp and Brickdam. Exquisite buffet luncheon top floor. Bottom floor take out/dine in with lavish seating to compensate for routine quick dishes.
NEW THRIVING, Barr St Kitty, off Alexander. Lavish oriental setting. Top class for delicious Chinese cuisine. Their dim sum every Sunday – a gastronomical delight.
GOLDEN COAST, Main St, north of Middle. Matching New Thriving with an efficient take-out bottom floor. Nice mixed low mein, great setting.
KAMBOAT, Sheriff St. Vaunted and highly recommended favourite for the cooking impaired. Delicious carry-away of a wide variety of dishes.
GOLDEN ISLAND, Robb and Albert. A ‘B’ outlet with ‘A’ quality food. First time experience of a fried egg on low mein – superfluous with nuff chicken, pork and tasty meat overflowing on top. Their house chinese soup a delight. US$3.
GERMAN New Market and Urquhart. Popular since the forties with their traditional cowheel/oxtail/beef and chicken soup a daily sell out. Must eat and run as customer lines 15 deep at any time during lunchtime. Other dishes – curries, cook-up and a hakwye chowmein A1. Now open over weekend for BP and souse. A must for visitors. Full course meal, with mauby US$6.
PEPPERS, Regent east of Albert. Ethnic Brazilian dishes. Pay by the pound, so bypass the rice, noodles and potato. The custard flan dessert is not weighed, so is an encore delight. Excellent food including farine and tasso beef.
BRAZIL Churarrascaria, Alexander and Charlotte Sts. A cosy open barn shed, buffet style, where all variety of meat comes endless off the grill added to your buffet entrees. What a value for meat lovers
DUTCH BOTTLE, North Road. Cosy IOO year old cottage, ideal for courting/showing off. Excellent meals with BP/oxtail, souse on Sat a favourite. Try the pepper steak and vegetable gumbo.
THE NEW COURT YARD (formerly Palm Court), Main St. Established lunch and dinner over 50 years. 10 Curry buffet every Fri. Try their crab backs, Failed to ask for favourite of the sixties – sirloin steak with bacon plus shrimp cocktail after pigging out on 8 crab backs.
WEST INDIES Sports Bar, Middle St, across from Palm Court. Excellent atmosphere. Sports exchanges over drinks with second-floor dining that equals any in the city. Food good, though the steak was routine.
ROTI HUT, Albert and North Road, Bakewell’s food outlet. Wide variety of local dishes, cosy seating, convenient take-out. Enormous variety of bread and pastry. Try the salara.
ROTI SHACK, Sheriff St. Worth the trip to save a few cents for Guyanese cuisine in a B class setting. Try the curry and cook-up
FISH & CHIPS, D’Andrade and Sheriff Sts. Heaping box-serving of fried fish/chips and catsup US$3.
BUDDY’s Restaurant adjacent to stadium. Lavish Chinese dinner in private room. Gourmet Chinese food to please any connoisseur. The fish and house special seafood platter was delightful; hostess celebrating birthday refused to show me the bill! Didn’t mind, especially as ah didn’t walk with present.
M&M. A wayside open oasis opposite entrance to Demerara Harbour Bridge. A popular, worth-waiting-for stop for the entire East Bank. Wide variety of tasty Guyanese chow. The curry duck is succulent, and the combos – puri/potato ball/fish cake reminiscent of Ferraz 40 years earlier. Cane juice is a must, with channa, salt nuts, fudge in every variety. Good bargains.
YMCA Thomas Lands. An excuse for Georgetown housewives to turn down the pots on weekend. The barbecue shed is Guyanese entrepreneurship at its best, matching Christiani and Bunny Fernandes’ gourmet chicken in the sixties. The nylon is they supplied 1500 barbecues dispatching by road after midnight, to reach Nickerie for lunch!
Under the pavilion a well stocked take-out – cook-up, roti and curry, dhal puri, chow mein. BP and white pudding on Sat. Dine on pavement outside in a relaxed idyllic setting, enjoying the peaceful verdant green. Their cowheel soup is a must – US$3 for a large bellyful bowl.
GRAND COASTAL, Le Ressouvenir. Charming forecourt for outdoor dining. Great menu. Try the ginger beef.
HACKS HALAAL, Commerce St. Perfect for midday business lunch. Great food. A lavish serving of curry gilbacker, dhal, rice and a Banks US$4.50. Fowlcock d
