Caribbean Brunch

“Instead of telling the world what you’re eating for breakfast, you can use social networking to do something that’s meaningful.”

Edward Norton

This week we’re off to Calabash Bistro for some Caribbean brunch because hey, sometimes the most challenging thing you want to do with your week is eat a delicious breakfast.

Open since 2010, Calabash Bistro is a Caribbean restaurant and licensed live music venue in the D.T.E.S. of Vancouver that recently started serving my favourite meal of the day: brunch! It’s overcast and cool outside as we make our way into the warmth of Calabash. Reggae plays softly in the background as we sip our coffees and peruse the brunch menu.

I decide on the Rise and Shine Roti (jerk scrambled free-range eggs, roasted cumin potatoes, tomato & garlic choka, coconut rundown hollandaise. Served on an open roti with your choice of: Jerk pork belly, veggie patty or house-made jerk turkey sausage) and Emrys orders the Calabash Brunch Platter (two sunny side up free-range eggs, fried plantains, roasted cumin potatoes, fresh-cut fruit, with your choice of: Jerk pork belly, veggie patty or house-made jerk turkey sausage). We both choose the house-made jerk turkey sausage option.

As we sip at our coffees and wait for our food to arrive, I decide we should kick it up a notch with a cocktail. We ask to see the drink list. Most everything on the menu looks appealing but I eventually settle on the Bordertown Swizzle (El Dorado 12 churned with soursop, pineapple and tamarind syrup, topped with Mount Gay Black overproof rum) and Emrys goes for the Concrete Jungle (cinnamon infused Appleton Reserve, spiced plum syrup and fresh mint). Our drinks arrive and after a quick photo shoot we have our first sips. What bliss is this! Both drinks are incredibly flavourful and very refreshing, with the Bordertown Swizzle being a bit sweeter (which suits me) than the harder edge of the Concrete Jungle.

A few minutes later our food arrives and after a quick photo shoot (our version of saying grace) we dig in. Both breakfasts are very good. Emrys’ fried plantains are sweet and delicious; although we both agree that the star of the show is the house-made jerk turkey sausages, which are spicy and tender and look like little burgers. My roti is nicely soft with just a touch of crispiness; the perfect accompaniment to the eggs.

Emrys spies some really good looking jerk pork belly on the table across from us and says he’d like to try that next time. I’d like to come back and try the coconut dumplings myself; although I could also be talked into the Salara French Toast (fresh baked traditional Guyanese coconut bread, fresh-cut fruit, banana cream and spiced mango maple syrup).

All in all, it was a delicious brunch – with outstanding cocktails – and something just a bit different than our usual breakfast. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back soon.

Calabash Bistro is open for brunch Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 3pm.