When Naz Ali, the chef and owner of Caribbean Flavas, first submitted his proposal for an ethnic restaurant to his business professors at UNB, it received an average mark: a C+. The government didn’t go for it either, they told Naz he’d be better off opening a convenience store. Seven years later, the chef is living proof that a conscientious approach to business and dining can pay off , he had friends and family who were willing to help. You’d never be able to tell Naz has no formal culinary training.
We started off with the beef samosas. The pastry – baked, not fried – crumbled and crackled in our hands. Around us, we noticed Naz’s careful construction of the dining room: no salt shakers on the table, the sweet chilli dipping sauce was a shallow sliver on the bottom of a dish. And with our complimentary serving of warm coconut bread came a modest portion of butter, leading us to realize Caribbean Flavas is mindful of healthier choices, and you might not even know it.
Naz told us, as he we left, and in a warm Trinidadian accent, that in seven years only one customer complained about the restrained amount of “buttah” that comes with the bread.
I had the Jerk Chicken, a traditional Jamaican dish, at medium heat; a described 6 out of 10 on the hot scale. It’s a pretty accurate scale, and, considering I can handle spicy, I was content dabbing a runny nose and sweaty forehead in between forkfuls.
Jamie’s Pinneapple Chicken was a mild fruit 4 out of 10 in heat, and he managed to clean up the plate of chicken marinated in pineapple sauce , julienned steamed carrots and rice pilaf accompaniment.
Jamie’s Pinneapple Chicken was a mild fruit 4 out of 10 in heat, and he managed to clean up the plate of chicken marinated in pineapple sauce , julienned steamed carrots and rice pilaf accompaniment.
Caribbean Flavas is a good ethnic alternative amongst the sea of pub grub that’s found in Fredericton.
But Naz’s skillz have garnered recognition from more than a few small town food bloggers. He’s catered for Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen and countless others who have come to admire his food (We can’t list them all here, but the list is on the back of the menu or on the website).
I will make one suggestion: They need to make their own iced tea. I was a bit disappointed getting a bottle of Brisk at a tropical restaurant.
We were satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed, for around $20.
I will make one suggestion: They need to make their own iced tea. I was a bit disappointed getting a bottle of Brisk at a tropical restaurant.
We were satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed, for around $20.
fred-eats 