[Michelle] Finally, Maritime Training Center VP, Kevin Petrovsky, says there's no need
to book a cruise to the islands, this place will have you up and dancing by the end of
your meal.
His pick is all about authentic Jamaican cuisine with a modern spin with a menu exploding with
flavor and a room filled with live reggae music.
You'll feel like your right in the heart of the Caribbean.
It's in Boynton Beach and it's called Jamerican Cuisine.
My name is Jasmine Edwards and I'm the manager/co-owner of Jamerican Cuisine.
The name of the restaurant came about my kids, they always act like they're Jamaican but
they're American so I call it Jamerican.
Traditional Jamaican food would cover jerk chicken, brown stew chicken, oxtail.
For us there is a twist to it, we decided that we're going to open a restaurant that
caters to everybody, whether you're Jamaican, American, Italian.
If you are Italian and you come in you have a twist where you have the oxtail, which is
Jamaican, and the pasta, which we do Oxtail Rigatoni, the pasta is rigatoni and it's our
most sold, most loved dish by everybody across the board.
Chris, his background, he's a Jamaican, Jamaican chef 'cause a lot of people go, "He's a Jamaican
chef?".
I'm like, "Yeah".
I call him an herbologist because whatever he puts his hands on, it doesn't matter what
it is, it's coming out looking and tasting like gourmet food.
We have a band every Friday night.
He used to play at Waterway Cafe, Bradley Brown & Friends.
When it comes on to Friday, the weekends you have to make reservations 'cause it's always
jam packed but it's excellent.
There's a wait because it's totally different, it's not like the regular Jamaican restaurant
where you go and you get your jerk chicken.
Our jerk chicken is totally different, tastes different.
See my mouth running water, I'm thinking about the food.
I always start with the Ackee & Salt Fish.
Do you, really?
I do.
I love that you eat ackee.
Oh, and it's such a great between the sweet and salty
[Michelle] It's amazing.
And they serve it on tostones so, because it's soft, you get the little crunch from
the tostone, it's quite a great plate.
[Michelle] So that's, that's, most people don't know, did you have that?
I ordered that and I didn't even know what it was.
Do you know now?
Oh no, order what you don't know what something was.
Well, I know what saltfish is but I don't know what ackee is.
So, ackee's a fruit.
Okay.
It grows on trees, it actually grows locally, it's from Jamaica, it's from the Caribbean
and you have to pick the fruit when it actually opens up on the tree.
If not, if you eat it when it's not ready, um, you can actually get pretty sick from
it, and ackee is even canned, it's so traditional and it's usually made instead of eggs because
it has that kind of look and feel of an egg.
[Richard] Mm hm.
[Michelle] Of a scrambled egg and traditionally with saltfish, yum.
We went with five people, there were six of us around the table so we ordered a bunch
of different appetizers and main courses and it was like a lazy susan 'cause everybody
wanted to try everything.
[Kevin] That's what it is, right.
And everybody was so impressed, I was blown away.
[Kevin] Did you have the spicy shrimp?
[Richard] Yeah, one person had the shrimp, yeah, yeah.
[Michelle] Was it delicious?
Yeah.
[Kevin] With scotch bonnet sauce with this garlic bread, I mean the garlic bread and
the sauce was the hit.
In fact, we ordered that a second, we ordered a second helping of that because everybody
enjoyed it.
So, what else?
For the main course I had the Braised Oxtail.
[Michelle] Oh, delicious.
[Richard] It was on the bone in a really rich brown sauce with vegetables and it was so
tender.
[Michelle] Yeah, it's like my favorite thing on Earth.
[Richard] It was really, really tender and it just
[Michelle] Was it spicy, a little bit?
[Richard] A little bit spicy but not overpowering, it was just a perfect dish, I can't believe
it was that good, to be honest.
All the food.
And then my wife had lobster tail stuffed with crab meat.
[Michelle] Mm.
[Richard] And the crab just melted in your mouth, it was just one of the best meals I've
ever had, it really was.
Wow, look at that!
My husband and I, we had the Jerk Trio.
[Michelle] Okay.
It was the original that they do, barbecue and one that was very spicy, but it was delicious
and it have the chicken with rice.
You didn't tell me what else you had.
I had a whole yellowtail snapper in a coconutcurry sauce.
[Michelle] Yum.
[Kevin] The skin was crispy, it had onions and peppers and great coconut-curry sauce
so really flakey fish, it was delicious, with peas and rice.
But, the oxtail and the rigatoni, that is a hit.
Hm.
That was just that sauce is just so rich and thick.
The penne was just right that we were all, we were all eating off of that bowl.
So is there always live music?
[Kevin] Friday, Saturday nights mostly, I don't think during the week.
Okay.
The place is not big.
Yeah.
And the band takes up about a third of the room.
[Michelle] Wow.
[Kevin] So, you want to go kind of a little early, eat and then stay for the music and
dance.
What'd you have for dessert?
Well, there's only one dessert.
[Michelle] Okay.
[Kevin] So, it's easy to pick.
It's bread pudding with a caramel sauce.
Delicious, it comes warm.
[Michelle] You've had it, too, right, Arelis?
[Arelis] Oh, my God.
I'm not a dessert person but , no, we ate it all.
I wish I'da had it.
[Michelle] You didn't have it?
Next time.
One of the best bread puddings, one of the best bread puddings I ever had.
Really.
How are prices?
Expensive.
[Michelle] What?
High.
[Michelle] Are they high?
Yes.
I think it's worth it.
No, it was worth it, but.
Yeah, it was, fresh seafood, 'cause fresh seafood, you know, a lot of effort goes into
those meals.
Right, you get what you're paying for.
[Kevin] You get what you pay for.
Yeah.
It's, it's not cheap but well worth the money, absolutely.
Well, this is the problem.
You think Jamaican food and you think it's gonna be very inexpensive, right,
mm hmm.
But this is a whole experience.
Yeah.
It was, it was, it really
[Michelle] This is a true fine restaurant.
And I got a band and entertainment and
[Kevin] Right, right.
Well, I didn't see the band, so.
Go on a Friday night.
I will!
And he's quite well renowned, this guy, as well.
[Kevin] Yeah.
Oh, really?
Yeah, he interacted with everybody, walks around, it's like a dinner club.
You know, he's walking around the tables and getting everybody involved and it's good.
[Michelle] Oh, that's fun, that's great.
Yep.
Well, Kevin, Jamerican was your choice, sum it up for us.
Family run, really fun Jamaican restaurant.
Amazing food presented in both traditional and unique ways, it's a great time.
Arelis?
Great Jamaican experience, um, definitely try to go back and experience more of the
food of the menu.
And dance a little bit next time?
And dance, and dance.
Richard?
You'll be back dancing with me.
This place truly elevated my perception of Jamaican food, I was so surprised and overwhelmed
how good it was and it's a fun atmosphere and gourmet food.
Lovely.
Well, for authentic Caribbean food cruise on over to Jamerican Cuisine located at 324
North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach.
Reservations are recommended, the average price for dinner without drinks is about 40
dollars.