I am woefully behind on my food tourism posts about my Golden Week trip to Hiroshima and Iwakuni. When I travel, I try not only to eat the local specialties but also to try the kind of cuisine I can’t find in rural Hokuriku. I spotted the Jerk Kitchen from the window of the Hiroden (広電, the Hiroshima railcar) and decided to head back there for dinner later. The restaurant is conveniently located between the Dobashi (土橋) and Koamichô (小網町) stops  and was an easy walk from J-Hoppers Hiroshima Trad Hostel.

Jerk Kitchen is a cozy little restaurant; probably a former izakaya, judging by the counter at the bar and three raised tables. The menu comes in in Japanese and has explanation about ackee (アキー), Blighia sapida, a West African member of the soapberry family used in Jamaican cooking.

Since I was new to Jamaican food, I decided to try the Jamaican Special: spicy soup, jerk chicken, rice, and ackee and saltfish; I also ordered Red Stripe, a Jamaican lager. I personally could have done with less rice (a constant problem I have in Japan), but overall the size was good. The chicken was tender and spicy; the yellow ackee, which look like scrambled eggs in this dish, were creamy and slightly bitter, a perfect complement to the salted fish. The Red Stripe was a fairly generic lager, better than Asahi but not something I would hunt down. It was worth trying for the experience (as was the Orion I tried in Okinawa), and it went well with the food, but I’d probably pass on it next time.

Jerk Kitchen  (ジャーク・キッチン)

Open everyday from 11:30-14:30; 17:00-23:00

広島県広島市中区堺町2-6-6 1F

Hiroshima-ken, Hiroshima-shi, Naka-ku Sakai-machi 2-6-6, 1st floor
Tel. :082-232-2865

Access: Take the Hiroden (広電） and get off at Dobashi (土橋) or Koamichô (小網町). (1 minute walk)

Prices: 1000-2000 yen

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