A year ago, while shooting with the Fujifilm G617, we stumbled upon a Haitian food truck. We were just exploring the area, and the owner was excited to chat with us. We promised to come back, and almost a year later, we noticed he had moved into a restaurant. It seems to be getting more popular, so we decided to check it out before it became crowded and arrived just as they opened.
It was a Tuesday, and the place was quite slow (we were really early). The owner remembered us and seated us immediately. I loved the decor, which combined modern wooden design with bright teal colors. The bar shelf looked inviting, and they had an extensive mixed drinks menu. Personally, I’m not a fan of cocktails, and I’m not sure if Haitian cuisine is known for them, but since it’s part of the Caribbean, I figured it was all about that island time vibe.
Not knowing much about Haitian cuisine, we chose two appetizers that sounded appealing. The Haitian Pâté reminded me of a puff pastry (or curry puff, as we call it back home), served with a side of spicy broth. It was fine—the crust was perfectly fried, and the beef filling was tasty, though I didn’t think the broth was necessary unless you wanted more spice. The second appetizer was Boul nan Grès, which are little fried dough balls with a savory filling. I found these delicious and would happily have ordered a bucket of them.
I’ll admit I’m not familiar with Haitian cuisine, but from the two places I’ve tried, it seems most dishes are spicy. Even the non-spicy items have a bit of pepper and sliced jalapeños on top. I mention this because our entrees, grilled snapper and fried chicken, sounded innocent enough. Neither is especially spicy, but both came with a side of the same spicy broth, and by the end of the meal, I was sweating (I have a very low tolerance for heat these days). I wasn’t a big fan of the fried chicken; while it wasn’t greasy, I felt it was overcooked, which affected the taste and tenderness. The grilled fish, however, was much better. Dan and I loved it—it was fresh and sweet (but still somewhat spicy, ironically). Just a heads-up: the fish is served whole, so be careful as it hasn’t been deboned.
Given that we didn’t know what we were ordering, I thought we did well. In future visits, we should try more unusual entrees, but we ended up with two really delicious dishes: the grilled fish and the Boul nan Grès. Even the Haitian Pâté was decent, though it wouldn’t be my first choice. Haitian food isn’t the most common find, so we feel privileged to have at least two restaurants in town (the other being the legendary Kann). Hopefully, we won’t wait another year to return!
Ranked: ***
Issue 93. Volume 14. Chapter 5.
Visited: Oct 29th 2024. Friday at 17:30.
Address: 3434 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Website: https://taptapcuisine.com/