It’s the kind of experience every restaurant crawler craves. That it happens at the beginning of a New Year is further confirmation that 2006 will be another great one for food.

Let me ‘fess up though, that we had heard about a cool, out-of-the way, off-the-beaten-track type of establishment a year ago and promises had been made to share the experience. But as they say, timing is everything, and Wednesday last proved to be the perfect time to drive into the unassuming front lot of So-So Seafood Restaurant.

To the uninitiated, the warm lights and well-positioned bar (this is, we later discover, is where the eatery all started) jolt the senses. “When did this all start?” becomes the rhetorical question as we make our way past the water feature (that adds a requisite warmth to an otherwise stark environment) to the cosiest area. all the way to the back where the person who first told us about So-So Seafood Restaurant is enjoying a mug of gungo peas soup and holding court.

Pleasantries out of the way, and drink orders given to our super-attentive waiter (please note that even non-habitués are made to feel welcome at this establishment), coconut water is what we start with before enjoying quarts of Appleton and Coke.

Truth be told, So-So Seafood Restaurant has added other popular foods to the menu. Naturally, there’s the ubiquitous chicken, but there’s also Chinese food. This, according to owner Michael Forrest, is a result of customer demand. What So-So is famously known for however, is seafood, (from parrot fish to shrimp) and we’re all sticking to fish after some good old-fashioned gungo peas to slow down the hunger pangs.

This, by the way (we later discover), is a smart move, for the fresh Rocky Point catches are cooked to order and to specifications. As a result, the wait can be as long as 30 minutes. Time, however, flies in this comfy setting with live music and poetry recitals on this particular Wednesday evening, and guess what? Nobody seems in a rush to leave.

Our orders are: fish steamed in coconut milk with baked potato, roast fish and bammy sticks and whole fish curried with lots of vegetables. Be warned that fish sizes range from 1lb to 3lbs and that the portions are hefty (Jamaican home-size), so bear this in mind as you select both your fish and size.

Do not be afraid to truly dig in Hellshire-style either – it’s that good; ask for more pepper too, fresh slices of Scotch bonnet are within easy reach. Individual fingertip bowls of lime, presented the minute the last bit of flesh is consumed, ensure that much-needed comfort level.

The attentive staff and owners (both Michael and Simone Forrest are on spot) keep glasses replenished and the ice bucket full.

In between laughter and live music, including the dulcet tones of newcomer Amerie, and the sensual socially aware couplets of performance poet (and emcee) Gina Rey Forrest, we get the rest of the So-So story. It’s as magical as the place. Loss Adjuster Michael Forrest describes it as “a concept”.

“I would entertain friends right here at Chelsea Avenue on a Thursday and Friday evening while cars were being detailed,” he says. Pointing to the bar, he explains how and where it all started: “We had three tables and I used to sell drinks and offer fish. Here we are today with some 80 seats and quite a menu variety.” Here we are indeed, some three years later enjoying live music, still salivating from the excellent fish and sipping rum and Coke. The name itself came from a friend in St Mary who had a chicken joint called So-So Chicken.

Forrest faces the dilemma known only too well by patrons of establishments such as these: a larger establishment as a result of new customers and the desire by So-So habitués to keep it as their own personal sanctuary.

We fall into the latter category, wanting this cool oasis to remain our own little hideaway; with prices that start at $650 (lobster is $1,200) and desserts like So-So banana bread delight served with vanilla ice-cream and peanuts, light fruit cake, lychee cake and both potato and bread pudding. There’s nothing “So-So” about this New Kingston hideaway.