Best-Kept Secret Nominee: VJ’s Punjabi Dhaba & Sky Bar & Jerk Centre
Eureka! We’ve found another culinary gem. Sounds familiar? Think: circa 2015. Hey, it is #throwbackthursday, after all! Well, we have found another gem and, truth be told, we should have found it a long time ago, considering how many times we have driven past this place. Easily 100 times (*coversface*) and the conclusion always was “we need to check out that place”.
VJ’s Punjabi Dhaba & Sky Bar & Jerk Centre is located in a nook on Queen’s Drive (Top Road, as the locals say) in Montego Bay. As the name suggests this eatery offers both Indian and Jamaican fare; the Indian dishes are street food, as had in India-Dhaba — is the name given to roadside restaurants in India. Jamaican offerings centre on our famous jerk and escoveitch favourites.“Our Indian dishes are as had in India. We focus on making sure our ingredients are fresh and our seasonings are all-natural; that is very important to us. Another thing that sets us apart is our coal operated tandoor, it gives the food exceptional taste, flavour and a char-feel texture,” explained owner Vijay Sadarangani.“I’m also a chef so I’m always experimenting and finding ways to improve taste, texture and menu options and I have also found that with our Indian chef, Khusal Singh. After he came, we worked again on the offerings and something that we really liked was that we are able to offer our Naans without eggs in the mixture. He is very experienced and has worked in India and Indian restaurants in South Africa and Japan for 33 years,” Sadarangani explained further.This spot is great for foodies; you get the best of both worlds: classic Jamaican favourites and truly authentic Indian food. If you are there and owner Vijay Sadarangani is around, pick his brain on some of the 22 cuisine styles of India; his passion and wealth of knowledge is truly a plus.Oh, by the way, the first thing that will hit you is the view — in a word: breathtaking. 19 Queens Drive, Montego BayOpening hoursTuesday to Thursday 9:00 am to 10:00 pmFriday to Sunday 9:00 am- 11:00 pmContact # 1876-388-1901
