Jawaiian Irie Jerk

Best for: Jamaican
Location: Kaimuki
Foodgasmic dish: Jerk wings



town was completely booked for dinner a couple of weeks ago (how dare you, town! I really should have special privileges at that restaurant considering I'm always there and shamelessly promote them whenever I can; maybe I should have called for the reservation?), so Jon, Sarah, Anthony, and I decided to move our double date to Jawaiian Irie Jerk, a casual Jamaican restaurant that opened up about 6 months ago, just a few blocks away from town.



We brought in a bottle of pinot noir and were seated at a cozy table in the back corner. Just like Maharani, Jawaiian Irie Jerk is somewhat exotic to locals, so the restaurant basically has an obligation to Hawaii to confirm our preconceived images of a culture about which we know much too little. Hence, the bright walls and lively music.



We started off with some spicy jerk wings. They were perfect - not just because jerk wings are the perfect Jamaican cliché with which to start our meal, but because the succulent meat was grilled perfectly and fell right off the bone.

Spicy jerk wings ($6.95)

Jamaican jerk chicken ($12.95)

Apparently I couldn't get enough of that jerk chicken because I ended up ordering more as my entreé, which was marinated with Chef Cassie's jerk marinade overnight and served with rice, peas, and Italian stew. I don't remember what anyone else got (shame on me! That's what happens when I wait this long to review a place...), but I do remember that we were all happy and eager to save room for dessert. We shared the Caribbean style bread pudding and Jamaican coconut rum cream pie, both of which were served with a rich creamy rum sauce. As I'm sure you know, alcohol makes everything better - it can even make fruit edible!

Caribbean style bread pudding $5.95

Jawaiian Irie Jerk is a wonderful addition to Waialae's restaurant row. It shares a building with the Himalayan Kitchen and Bella Mia, and right across the parking lot are Happy Day, Magura-ya, and To Thai For. It's no wonder that I love this neighborhood.

Now if someone would just listen to me about our lack of Middle Eastern food...