Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

Photo by James Hadfield

Yvonne Goldson first came to Japan in the late ’90s to teach the locals a bit of island slang. A dozen years on from the publication of her Let’s Speak Jamaican! Patois Handbook, she’s opened her own restaurant. JamRock Cafe isn’t the only eatery in town that serves jerk chicken, or even the more elusive ackee and saltfish, but it’s the only one that’s Jamaican run. And if you judge authenticity by the volume of dreadlocked clientele, it’s a clear winner.

The food’s delicious, too, though when we visit just after the Obon holiday they’re a bit low on supplies. Vegetable patties (¥500)? All out of those. Ditto the oxtail and butter beans with rice (¥1,290), and they’ve just sold their last bottle of Red Stripe (¥800), too.

Thankfully, any disappointment is short-lived. Our large bowl of cold pumpkin soup (¥600) is excellent: flavored with garlic and chili, it has the refreshing zing of a good gazpacho. The generously spiced jerk chicken (¥1,050) comes in rough hunks that are ripe for gnawing, even if it looks a little lonely with only a couple of festival—fried bread dumplings—for accompaniment. You’d do well to order up a side of rice & peas or fried plantains (both ¥400) to go with it.

There’s a hearty array of vegetarian options, including a lip-smacking jerk tofu (¥1,000), Ital stew (¥900) and vegetable lasagna (¥1,100). We’re also intrigued by the escoveitch (¥1,200) and curried goat (¥1,290), the latter only being available on Saturdays. Next time, eh? On the drink front, we can recommend Yvonne’s ginger beer (¥400) and the Tan Up (¥700), a cocktail of Guinness, carrot juice, condensed milk and rum that isn’t nearly as revolting as it sounds.

Add a soundtrack of contemporary riddims and the slowest service this side of the Caribbean, and JamRock is about as genuine as it comes. Sit back, soak up the vibes, and start gorging.