Even before we set foot in the warm, tropically-garbed room on lower Yates I could hear the Marley melodies. “Every little thing, is gonna be alright”… That’s for sure. They treat their customers like royalty here – and it shows, in the number of repeat regular customers they greet streaming in the doors. On the night we went it was a welcome warm haven from the crazy February snow, sun, wind mélange. Once inside we were quickly teleported to a sunny land far away, encouraged on our journey by a complimentary bucket of steaming Johnnycakes (little orbs of frittered cornmeal & butter).
Throughout the entire eve, I was amazed at the VALUE at this popular hot spot. With locations in both Victoria and Vancouver, the folks at the Reef are onto something sound indeed. We had the $15 Dine Around menu and couldn’t nearly finish all the tasty items - not easy to say that nowadays. My sweetie tucked into the Plantain Chips – crispy fried, long starchy banana-like delights, with a side of jerk mayo – hoo-ha! – here comes our first cold beer of the evening. I chose the Pakoras – little patties of shredded squash, sweet onion and spinach. The sweet root veg were made even more so with the ripe mango chutney alongside.
We were forewarned about the heat factor of Jamaican spice by our server, but feeling brave (bolstered by cool Jamaican beer at the ready), we dove in. I went with the West Indian Chicken Curry – a generous helping of lightly curried chicken and potato chunks, alongside white steamed rice, dahl and mango sauce – and some cooling tangy coleslaw. The chicken was moist and flavourful – the subtle silky curry heat balanced and pleasing. Sweetie selected the quarter Jerk Chicken – and promptly followed up with an order for 2 more beer! The thickly crusted, darkly spiced chicken breast was juicy and moist inside, and accompanied with a very welcoming (and temperature-tempering) rice and beans. The tangy coleslaw was also on hand. Both entrees were quite tasty, well balanced and cooked to perfection.
We couldn’t finish all of our mains, but never ones to say no to dessert, we welcomed the icy cool scoops of housemade ice cream – one each of mango and coconut. Both had little nuggets of the aforementioned flavours, making them much more desirable and interesting than the typical store-bought varieties. By this time the joint was jumping, and we reluctantly gave up our table for the shocking reality of February nights in Victoria. If you need a warming pick-me-up, amble over to The Reef for some real “Southern” hospitality.
—Bon Appetit – The Secret Diner
533 Yates Street, Victoria, 388-5375
