Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards judges for the parish of Clarendon, Kurt and Ezmien Chin, discover a cook shop with the tastiest fried chicken ever …

I was introduced to Sharon’s Cook Shop only a few days ago and I’m certainly glad I was. I ordered a fried chicken lunch from them for the first time and I’ve eaten it three days in a row this week. It’s a small cook shop operated by a husband-and-wife team. Clive cooks and does the deliveries while Sharon does the sharing and serving. They offer a variety of Jamaican dishes for breakfast and lunch, and even though I’ve only just discovered it, the place seems to be quite popular. For breakfast they serve ackee and salt fish, ackee and corned pork, callaloo and salt fish, beans and salt fish, chicken, liver, kidney, and a vegetarian option of sautéed vegetables… all served piping hot and ready to be devoured. There are also a variety of lunch dishes to suit everyone’s taste. They have fried chicken, jerked chicken, pineapple jerked chicken, cow foot, fish, stewed peas, cow head and tripe, curried goat, and goat head and tripe. My favourite is the fried chicken as you probably can already tell. The chicken is crispy on the outside, and moist and juicy on the inside. The batter for the chicken is salty and flavourful but not overpowering at all. It’s just the right amount of crust for a good crispy exterior without being too caky and tough. It’s served with the best rice and peas I’ve had from a restaurant or cook shop. The rice isn’t dry and tough or too wet and clumpy. It is moist and has just the right amount of peas. You can taste that it’s cooked with coconut milk. I don’t usually eat rice when I buy lunch as it tends to be too dry for my liking, but this rice is different. Along with the chicken you get some freshly made shredded cabbage mixed with carrots, tomatoes and lettuce. They also serve a delicious gravy on top of the chicken. A thick, sweet, salty, tangy, spicy gravy. The chicken is so perfectly fried that when the gravy is poured on top it doesn’t get soggy, but stays crisp. I’ve bought my lunch at various times and each time whenever I open the box it is so hot that steam comes out of it. That’s exactly how I like my food: piping hot.

I was introduced to Sharon’s Cook Shop only a few days ago and I’m certainly glad I was. I ordered a fried chicken lunch from them for the first time and I’ve eaten it three days in a row this week. It’s a small cook shop operated by a husband-and-wife team. Clive cooks and does the deliveries while Sharon does the sharing and serving. They offer a variety of Jamaican dishes for breakfast and lunch, and even though I’ve only just discovered it, the place seems to be quite popular. For breakfast they serve ackee and salt fish, ackee and corned pork, callaloo and salt fish, beans and salt fish, chicken, liver, kidney, and a vegetarian option of sautéed vegetables… all served piping hot and ready to be devoured. There are also a variety of lunch dishes to suit everyone’s taste. They have fried chicken, jerked chicken, pineapple jerked chicken, cow foot, fish, stewed peas, cow head and tripe, curried goat, and goat head and tripe. My favourite is the fried chicken as you probably can already tell. The chicken is crispy on the outside, and moist and juicy on the inside. The batter for the chicken is salty and flavourful but not overpowering at all. It’s just the right amount of crust for a good crispy exterior without being too caky and tough. It’s served with the best rice and peas I’ve had from a restaurant or cook shop. The rice isn’t dry and tough or too wet and clumpy. It is moist and has just the right amount of peas. You can taste that it’s cooked with coconut milk. I don’t usually eat rice when I buy lunch as it tends to be too dry for my liking, but this rice is different. Along with the chicken you get some freshly made shredded cabbage mixed with carrots, tomatoes and lettuce. They also serve a delicious gravy on top of the chicken. A thick, sweet, salty, tangy, spicy gravy. The chicken is so perfectly fried that when the gravy is poured on top it doesn’t get soggy, but stays crisp. I’ve bought my lunch at various times and each time whenever I open the box it is so hot that steam comes out of it. That’s exactly how I like my food: piping hot.

You can visit Sharon’s Cook Shop when you’re in May Pen at 4 Brooks Avenue (close to the May Pen Police Station) or you can give them a call at 847-5011 for delivery within the town. Sharon’s is very reasonable, as a chicken lunch costs $350 and the box is packed to the brim.