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Bringing island taste to the mainland |
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ALFIE's
Alfie's
inconspicuous entrance (next to Shanghai Express) often escapes the notice
of the regular Hillsborough Street pedestrian. However, anyone in the mood
for traditional "soul food" or delicious, healthy vegetarian eats
should definitely pay these folks a visit. The atmosphere is very relaxed,
with an island feel created by dark wooden panels on white walls, ceiling
fans, well-placed plants and posters of the Caribbean Islands. The staff is
dedicated to making customers feel welcome, and the service is great. Served
cafeteria-style, the food offers plenty of entrees, sides and desserts to
choose from. The
appetizers alone are a good introduction to traditional Caribbean food. Coco
Bread is a dense yeast bread made with cocoa for a delicately sweet flavor.
Plantains are the equivalent of huge bananas, and they are served sliced and
sauteed, Caribbean-style. The most delicious appetizer I've had yet at
Alfie's has to be the Jamaican Patty. Similar to a meat pie, this dish
features a flaky pastry crust enveloping spicy ground beef - and it's
phenomenal. Ever-conscious of the vegetarian customer, Alfie's also serves
Vegetable Patties in the same tasty crust. Jerk
Chicken is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about
the food of the Caribbean, and Alfie's corners the market on this delicious
dish. Cooked to fall-off-the-bone tenderness in a slightly spicy jerk sauce,
Jerk Chicken goes well with the traditional side of rice and peas or rice
and greens. They don't skimp on the portions either - expect to have
difficulty eating all of your meal. Other savoury meat entrees include Brown
Chicken Stew, Oxtail Stew, Curried Chicken and Curried Goat (bet you've
never had that before!). Alfie's cooks all the meat entrees bone-in, which
adds to their flavor. Notable
and very tasty vegetarian dishes include Candied Yams, Banana Fritters and
Curried Chana (a close relative of the chickpea.) In an effort to bring more
health-conscious food to Hillsborough Street, Alfie's even offers vegan
desserts. The carrot cake is the most mouth-watering of them all. My
latest favorite of the vegetarian dishes is Ital Stew - a simple stew from
the Rastafarian tradition, incorporating cabbage, greens, corn, red beans,
onions, tomatoes and chickpeas. The soup includes no spices, but is
surprisingly savory, due to the mingling of the vegetables' natural flavors.
If
in doubt, go try it for yourself - I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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