For
those of you familiar with the Inland Empire, you know
finding African or Caribbean food is not easy. Amongst the vast Mexican
and
Chinese food stops, & sprinkles of Indian & Mediterranean
restaurants, Island Breeze Jamaican Cuisine (IBJC) is the only
Afro-Caribbean food place inland. IBJC offers a cultural Caribbean
atmosphere & rich authentic taste. This is the place to go to get
your patties,
juicy plantains, rice & peas, festival, & roots drinks.
When
I walk into the IBJC I immediately feel at home. The
owners are JA (Jamaican) natives & the menu screams Caribbean.
Unfortunately,
there is not a splurge of choices for vegans. IBJC offers only one veg
dish:
the vegetarian curried mutton. The dish is delicious, including mutton
&
potatoes, but for soy-free vegans like me, it is not an option. I had
better luck ordering a few side dishes such as the veggie patty,
plantain, & rice & peas. An extremely unique aspect of the
establishment is their
offering of roti. Roti is smooth, thin bread made from chickpeas. I had
my
first taste of roti when I traveled to Trinidad & Tobago. It goes
great
with curries, & can be used like we use tortillas, except it’s way
bigger & folded. In addition to the food, the eatery also provides
unique drinks.
A favorite of mine is Malta. I discovered this malted, non-alcoholic
beverage in the islands last November. It is not something served regularly in
the states, but is found as easy as beer all over the Caribbean & much of Africa.
They also offer ginger beer, coconut water, & JA specialties: Nutrament, Irish
Moss, Peanut Punch, Roots, & Blue Mountain Coffee.
The
food at IBJC is nicely seasoned and the portions are a good
size. Jamari likes the food because it tastes fresh. The prices are
reasonable averaging at about $9.00 a plate. Our bill came to around
$30. That’s without having drinks and dessert. Island Breeze is not
somewhere we go all the time,
but when we do go it is very refreshing. This is a place one can enjoy
sweet tastes of roots &
culture.
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