Freda's: Jamaican Food Adventure

I have been craving Jamaican food for a very long time.  I have eaten Jamaican food at a few restaurants in NYC but have been sadly disappointed by what seems to pass for Jamaican in some of these restaurants.  I was so happy when I came across Freda's Caribbean & Soul Cuisine this week.  Finally I get to have jerk chicken the way it's supposed to be: HOT (as in spicy), flavorful and moist.


Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas, and Fried Plantains

Freda's is a small, you could say hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant (there's about six tables), but this place offers some BIG flavors.  The rice and peas had a coconut aroma, with a slight hint of heat (I imagine the scotch bonnet pepper).  The fried plantains were medium ripe; that in between stage where they're kind of sweet, kind of starchy and bland.  At Freda's they added some candied yams, so it made the plantains a whole lot sweeter.  The main item I was looking forward to tasting was the jerk chicken.  It had a great look, it smelled even better but I was hoping it would be as delicious as I expected....AND IT WAS.  Freda's does not skimp on heat and it was so moist.  The chicken was so tender it just fell right off the bone.  It took a while to eat, cause there jerk chicken packs some serious heat but it was just like I like it.

So after several misses, I'm soooo happy to have found a place I can go to when I'm craving jerk chicken or other Jamaican dishes.  I definitely will have to go back for the coconut cake!  Until next time, Buen Provecho!

Freda's Caribbean & Soul Cuisine
993 Columbus Avenue (near 109th Street)
New York, NY 10025
Phone: 646.438.9832
Closest Subway Stop: 110th Street (A,B,C)