MONTREAL: Jerk Chicken « en cachette »

August 09, 2016 • Leave a Comment

THE REAL JERK

Sitting around the pool at my brothers, discussing Mr. Bond's absolutely divine homemade hamburger concoction - which was a mix of 2/3 bacon (yes, bacon!), 1/3 ground veal and beef, and a super generous dose of jerk seasoning - this question comes up:

"Where do you find good jerk chicken in Montreal? I mean, REAL jerk chicken. Like the kind where they grill it in an old oil drum outside, and the smell alone is enough to make your mouth (and eyes) water".

Someone answers:
"Have you ever heard of B--- --? They do random days of jerk chicken in the alley".

No. I've never heard of B--- --. But I'm intrigued by this "in the alley" thing. It's not advertised - it's really "en cachette" - so I gave up and totally forgot about it.

Fast forward 6 weeks > I end up walking by B--- --. I go in and ask when they do the "jerk inna di alley" (say it with a Jamaican accent and it makes sense!). Fast forward again to the day of the week that I grab the middle child and a couple of friends and head over to B--- --. I'm not about to let this gem get overrun with hipsters, so I'm keeping the name under wraps.

Was told to bring my own beer and it starts at 5pm and goes on until "di chicken run out". We show up around 5:30 and we're a bit confused, because there was definitely nothing going on "inna di alley". Going around the front, we see someone inside and ask what's up, and he's like, "We settin' up now. Ya know mon, Caribbean time".

Ah yes. I should have known better, being half-Grenadian myself.

Soon a table and benches are set up in the narrow alley, reggae music starts pumping out of speakers that have appeared out of nowhere, and then there it is - that big-ass oil drum, with smoke wafting out and that distinct mouthwatering "jerk" smell - I can hardly contain myself. This is how jerk chicken should be done.

At $15 a pop - for about 1/4 jerk chicken, coleslaw, and "hardo" bread - it's a bit steep of a price but for the authenticity, the yummy-ness, the atmosphere and all, I'm sold.

I'll definitely be back for more, and if you ask nicely... in a Jamaican accent.... maybe I'll let you in on where "jerk inna di alley" is!

Jerk chicken en cachette in Montreal Remeniscent of roadside stands in Jamaica, where these enormous old oil-drums are retrofitted into smokers