bamboo fire--delray
Bamboo Fire is mentioned in a few posts about Caribbean Food in Florida but I really it deserves special separate mention. First and please excuse the cliched phrases but they all fit perfectly...Bamboo Fire is charming,the decor is quirky and very comfortable,both inside and out, the owners are wonderful warm,sincere,enthusiastic and generous.One word of caution this is a family run operation......if you go expecting strictly portioned,microwaved,steam table food that was made that morning (or last week) and that appears 5 inutes after ordering....this is NOT the restaurant for you. Beverly the chef and an owner ,(with her husband who is the waiter) is going to cook your food after it's ordered and it's worth waiting for. I'm not at all an expert on Jamaican food but the Jerk and Curry dishes satisfied eveyone in our party....ranging in age from 12 to 70. The conch fritters and the meatballs and the wings were all great, the sides were perfect as was the guava cheescake
Bamboo Fire is open only for dinner Wednesday thru Saturday and Saturday lunch and Sunday from noon to 6..Saturday night there is live jazz and open jam starting at 8.
Bamboo Fire is a wonderful and personal experience in a universe increasingly overun with bland,corporate,disengaged and often loud restaurants...anyone interested in good food and terrific people working very hard to please should
make an effort to get there soon
Bamboo Fire
149 ne 4th avenue (about 2 blocks north of Atlantic)
Delray Beach
561 749 0973 or 954 907 4174 (Beverlys cell phone ,it's that kind of place)
be sure to call ahead to reserve and check on specials
NB i have no connection withj this restaurant except that of a fan
By dickinboca on
Mar 20, 2009 03:21PM
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Is this place closed down? I went there Wed night and it wasn't open.
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it was certainly opened Thursday night. i believe the Wednesday downpour may have caused the problem.. just call the 954 number and check before you go.
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Why would it cause a problem? Is there no inside dining?
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there is indoor dining..cozy and pleasant
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I stopped by during Delray Affair and they were closed with a sign on the door saying they would be back at 1:30. We didn't feel like waiting 20 minutes so we went to Vic & Angelos instead. A business should have consistent hours if it wants customers, especially on the busiest weekend like this one.
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They'll close early if they think they won't have more customers.
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I agree with everything you wrote. It is the kind of place you want to patronize because of the food they serve as well as support for local family owned businesses. Glad to hear they made it through the high season but they will definitely need local support to make it through this economy to the next high season. I tout the place to friends and family that live in the area and plan on visiting them when I come down.
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I agree with everything that the OP (and stuartlafonda) has said. First, by way of bona fides, I am a retired hotel general manager that has spent 35 years running hotels in the Caribbean. My wife and I just returned from lunch at Bamboo Fire. First, the hospitality could not have been better. The owners are wonderful people. We had several appetizers and all were excellent. My wife had the jerk chicken fajita and I had the curry chicken. Superb. The food is authentic and the heat level can be regulated to your preference. Personally, I like mine "native style". By the way, they were open last Wednesday night but had to move indoors because of the weather. They took all of the furniture from the outside. Donald, Beverly's husband told me that there was a large group from Chowhound there on Tuesday, a night that they are usually closed. Don't miss this place if you want authentic Caribbean cuisine.
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Just had a wonderful lunch at Bamboo Fire yesterday. When I arrived saturday night, the strip at Delray seemed quite plastic to me, the same trendy moneyed people i see everywhere wanting to see and be seen. Thank goodness that dickinboca posted about Bamboo Fire--- i brought the phone number with me. I ate there Sunday afternoon and the food and service were beyond my expectations. Beverly and Donald could not have been more gracious or knowledgeable. The jerk chicken was moist, aromatic and spicy in the best way. The curry pork chop was succulent, and the extra gravy was appreciated. Sides included perfectly caramelized plantains, sauteed cabbage and colorful bell peppers, and rice and peas. All washed down with ginger beer. I arrived hungry, and the lunch saved me from having to lecture about food on an empty stomach. Although I live in Tampa, and Delray is just not my style, I will return for more Bamboo Fire.
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Hi Andy:
I think you were sitting at the table next to me. Glad you enjoyed your lunch.
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funny, because i noted your chowish comments throughout the meal. it remains a great memory--- i only wish i'd brought my camera.
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we were at Bamboo Fire last Saturday night I'm not going to start raving again about how wonderful a evening we had since to go through all that again might be just a bit redundant But the Goat deserves mention: our Goat eating virgins( i mean they had never tasted nor thought they would ever want to taste Goat) are now Goat fans i believe that's because Beverly cooked it perfectly The fact that today's NYTimes food section "discovers" Goat just proves once again that the seniors of Boca/Delray are still at the cutting edge of something,maybe Do yourself a favor and get to Bamboo Fire and when you go just relax, take your time and enjoy
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I"m heading to I-Drive in Orlando this weekend (Peabody Hotel), but I hope to hit Bamboo Fire next weekend. It will be nice to dine outdoors while the weather is nice. And I've never had goat. It will take a lot to get me away from the jerk chicken!
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I'm not a huge fan of jerk or Caribbean curries, but I'll give it a try when I'm in the mood.
That said, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw guava cheesecake! I can't even begin to imagine how wonderful that must taste because it sounds amazing!
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Went there for the first time this past Saturday with another couple. Suffice to say one of the most pleasant eating experiences of my life! Incredibly well prepared dishes with unbelievable personalized service. I felt like I was invited to someone's home for authentic carribean food. There is truly something for everyone here. We loved it so much that we took our 3 boys (ages 12, 10 and 7, plus a friend) the next night. All of them loved it as much as we did. I cannot stop talking about this place to anyone who will listen. If you folks don't try this place at least once (even if you've never had carribean food before or had a less than great experience in the past) you are truly missing out. RUN! Places like are very rare around these parts.
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going to try it today, will report back.
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Four of us were here last night..2 for the first time.We pretty much went through the menu and i think the food is better then ever...the chicken wings escoveitch were especially terrificand Beverly did a goat dish with porcini mushrooms,broad beans and vegtables that was wonderfully tender and perfectly spiced . the goat curry and the dark meat(we called ahead to request) chicken curry were as alway very fine...Beverly's and Donald's dedication and graciousness continue to generate warmth and appreciation for this unique experience...
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Just come back from a late lunch, My first time at Bamboo Fire. Beverly told me you were there last night Dick!
We had an eggplant dip and some spicy meatballs which were great then I had chicken curry, my friend had a monkfish which he couldn't stop telling me was amazing. Great sides, Caribbean beers, a rum cake. I am stuffed.
It is like eating in a friend's dining room. Definitely going back.
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Karen and I first visited Bamboo Fire in late January after reading about this new Caribbean restaurant opening in Delray Beach (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5182... We really thought we'd be back soon but time kind of slipped by.
While sitting at the airport in DC on Tuesday I read the most recent additions to this thread and decided that we really needed to stop back for dinner some night. That night was tonight we had a really good dinner and spent a pleasant evening talking with Donald and Beverly. We started with a couple of Banks beers and an order of the curried meatballs. The meatballs are made with finely ground meat giving them a texture that is dense without being heavy. The curry was very good and Donald gave us a sample of the jerk meatballs as well. I ordered the jerk chicken and Karen ordered the cracked conch. While we were waiting, Beverly brought out a warm eggplant dip for us to try. It's made with roasted eggplant and roasted and fresh garlic. It's lightly seasoned and served with warm flatbread. This was excellent and I would happily pay for this if she adds it to the menu.
As before, my jerk chicken was very good, moist and smokey, and the jerk had a nice bite to it. I also learned that the oxtail pepperpot and goat curry that are listed as weekend specials are usually available during the week so if you're interested in anything on the menu be sure to ask before ordering. Karen's conch was a big hit. Moist, tender, tasty, absolutely not greasy, and crunchy from the light coating of panko breadcrumbs. Served with a lemon-butter caper sauce and priced at $16.95 this is an outstanding deal. If you're a conch fan, Beverly said that she makes her conch salad fresh when ordered so this is at the top of our list of things to try next time along with the oxtail.
As we were there at the tail end of the evening, we had a chance to talk at some length with Donald and Beverly. This lady loves to cook, takes her food seriously, and really enjoys experimenting. We also found out that she does special menus for larger parties like an all vegetarian dinner and is planning a second "wild things" dinner for a group of 9 that features wild game and exotic treats.
freakerdude - just so you know, there was a family emergency that caused Beverly to open late that afternoon during Delray Affair. From reading your other posts I really think you'd enjoy this place if you give it another visit.
149 NE 4th Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33483
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I hate to bust you bubble about Bamboo Fire Cafe, although the food was good. Jamaican cooking takes hours. Great oxtail takes a minimum of 2.5 to 3 hours. The food you are eating during the week was definitely not made that day. It is impossible to make curry goat in under 2 hours (even with a pressure cooker). Physically impossible you would be chewing your food I grew up in Jamaica. Authentic rice and peas takes 45 minutes. So you food cannot be made from scratch and served in 30 minutes. I did like the owners, they seem like very nice, warm people. They are not Jamaican however and true Jamaican cooking is unique to that island. I hope they do well but they need to stop the misleading statements. What you ate was definitely reheated ........sorry.
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your feedback isn't really helpful. do you know of a better jamaican place in the area? if you have better advice, please let us know. Let's be constructive!
If we all held out for the "real thing" fresh to order, we would rarely eat at all! the prices are fair, the service is good, and the food was delightful. Besides, so much slow-cooked food is better the next day anyway. i'll take it. where will you eat?
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I agree that slow cooked food, many times are better the next day. I am just saying when I ate there they said they made the food when I ordered it, which I knew could not be the case. For Jamaican I actually have to travel to Broward. Charlies Patties are amazing and the food at the quick serve take out Golden Crust is delicious. For caribbean cuisine I go to Cabana's (it is more a latin influence though.) I use to go Nate's in Pineapple Grove, but they closed :(.
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The first time I walked into Bamboo Fire I asked what was on the stove creating the wonderful aroma. It was the Goat with Porcini mushrooms & broad beans (which isn't even on the menu). It was delicious, and the meat was tender and moist . It had probably been on the stove cooking for several hours, but was definitely fresh that day. Exact verbiage aside, it's 'just made' in my book.
Bamboo Fire bills themselves as 'Caribbean & World Cuisine', not only Jamaican.
Beverly sometimes has a homemade hot sauce with rum - As an extra treat, any hot sauce lover should ask for a bit to go with their dish.
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Shortly after your post I was in the area and decided to give it a try. I loved it. Quaint, great food, wonderful hospitality. I completely enjoyed it. I think we were there on a Thursday and it was well worth it. If I was in the area I would go more often. Unique and charming and I don't like eating out much. But I loved it.
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We just finished a fantastic meal at Bamboo Fire Cafe. Considering all the restaurants on and off Atlantic Avenue, we found it refreshing to be treated as people rather than just customers. Beverly and Donald (owners) were sincerely hospitable and catered the meals to our preferences. We have lived in and visited the Caribbean over the years and we found their food to be authentic, fresh and wholesome. We have been reluctant to try a Florida "Caribbean restaurant" fearing the grouping of what Olive Garden is to Italian food, but rest assured you will leave a satified and returning guest such as ourselfves. Our only regret is that we didn't find Bamboo Fire Cafe earlier. See you there.
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This place sound really amazing i got to go curried goat sound like must have anything else I should try??
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Hell Yeah, this place is great! I can't believe my wife and I just found this great little spot. The owners/operators were very attentive and accommodating. The food was amazing, they treated us with jerk meatballs and eggplant dip with flatbread. I had the jerk pork chops and the wife had the jerk chicken. We had both meals with rice and peas, steamed cabbage, and plantains. The portions were just right and the food was cooked perfectly. I used my butter knife to cut the pork chops. Beverly's rum and scotch bonnet hot sauce was quite tasty along with the jerk as well. We had some rum cake to finish off the meal, which was a perfect match to the spicy dinner.
After we ate we sat and chatted with Donald and Beverly for some time about food, traveling, and whatever. They are some really nice folks. We are looking forward to returning soon to try the rest of the menu. Next weekend they are supposed to be doing a special game menu, can't wait!
If you are a local and like a great home-cooked, fresh meal with a Caribbean flare, go here! We need to support our small mom and pop places right now. Leave all that trash on the Avenue to the tourist!
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After a series of disappointing dining experiences, I was thrilled to discover Bamboo Fire Café (thanks to Chowhound!). About a month or two ago I visited the small café owned by Beverly and Donald, a couple from Guyana. As mentioned by others, they are terrific people, warm and friendly and they made us feel like we were visiting their home. After our meal, we spent an hour or two just talking with them – mostly about food, about which Beverly is clearly very passionate. She definitely loves what she’s doing.
The café serves Caribbean fare such as jerk chicken, chicken curries, oxtail, goat, seafood, wraps, jerk meatballs, bacalao fritters, and more. They even have a few vegetarian items featuring tofu strips. When we visited, the daily specials were (if I remember correctly) calypso pork chops, a lamb stir-fry, cracked conch (grilled or fried) in a lemon-butter sauce, and jerk ribs.
The food was fantastic. We started with an eggplant dip served on flatbread and a plate of crispy homemade sweet potato fries. Both were excellent. I had the jerk ribs, which were nicely spiced but not hot. My girlfriend tried the oxtail and the goat curry and loved both of them. She proclaimed the oxtail (in a rich sauce redolent of star anise) the best she’s ever eaten. Even our sides were great: the rice & peas had a hint of coconut and the maduros were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Both of us were stuffed after all the food, but we shared slices of rum cake and guava cheesecake anyway.
We left smiling and satisfied and with promises to return.
Definitely check out this little place if you have not!
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Totally Agree! Beverly and Donald rocked, My family and I are in Delray every Thanksgiving and were lookin to try someplace new so I went on Chowhound and everyone was raving about Bamboo Fire, thankfully people had posted that it is best to call first to make sure they are open. I called and got a hold of Beverly she said they were closed this year as they were open last year for the Holiday but they were so slow that they opted out this year. I said that Chowhound was where I had heard about her place and she said "oh I love those people from Chowhound, everyone that comes from there is wonderful"! I said that we had 8 people that really wanted to try her cooking and she said she would open up the place just for us! So we went and had the place to ourselves and felt so warmed and welcome there. The service and food were outstanding. The curried meatballs, the conch fritters, the codfish fritters,the curried goat, the oxtail, the monkfish, the rice and peas, the plantains and THE MAC & CHEESE! It was amazing. We all left with big grins and full happy bellies
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So dickinboca starts a thread and says how great Bamboo fire is how lovely and friendly Donald and Beverly are and bla bla bla ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Well he was right the food was great , flavor profiles spot on and truly special treat in a small and personal setting. I arrived at BF with my two fiends both foodies in there own right , I told them about this place we show and of course PALM BEACH POST is there with there entourage ,But I have to say Donald and Beverly rallied to make sure our evening was great, I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! Here is a low down on what we sampled
Apps to start
Curry meatballs really good juicy and awesome
Conch fritters with real conch in them light and airy super good
Garbanzo Fritos have to be tried I cannot explain how good they where
Bacaloa Codfish fritters really fresh and light batter not heavy like some places
Entrees
Goat stew I have to say probably the best braised meat I have ever had Made me smile
Chicken wings Escoveitch never had wings this way before really unique worth a try for the wing mavens out there
Sides
Macaroni and cheese for get about it ….so good, crispy crunchy and creamy garlicky goodness I wish I could eat this every day
Maduras (sweet plantains) cooked perfect I am not a big fan of sweet Plans but these were cooked perfect
Dessert
Rum cake WOW!!!!! Tasted like there was a floater of 151 on top super end to a super night
Please do not hesitate to try this place it is small, warm and is filled with the love of food
Thank you dickinboca for the great find this is the kind of place Delray really needs more of
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how bout we organize a South Fl CH get together at Bamboo Fire for a Monday or Tues night in August?
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Folks, we ask that you take the meetup planning off line. Please see our guidelines for chowdown organizers here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3676...
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Sorry I did not read the GL's just surfed my fault my bad will take it out side.
Again sorry:(
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E-mail me
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Two quick notes:
1) B/F is closed until Saturday August 8 for "brief much-needed vacation" according to sign I just saw on their front door. (Gee i hope PBPost doesn't run a review while they are closed!).
2) All those interested in a meetup, I'm working on it. Stay tuned for information - via proper Chowhound guidelines, Please do NOT reply here regarding this.
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Can't wait to FINALLY try this place!!
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You're in for a treat.
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I ate at the Italian place next door last night (can't remember the name) and it seems Bamboo Fire re-opened on Saturday night after a summer break, but will be closed through the summer all day Sunday now. They will be open Weds - Saturday evenings only.
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Salotto's :) (next door)
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yes that's it thanks
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well I don't know what to say except WOW.
we had our first Chowdown there tonight - 9 of us met. What a feast. Jerk meatballs, eggplant salad, duck gumbo, goat curry, plantains, roti/paratha, rum chocolate cake to name but a few of the dishes. Caribbean beers, great company, terrific service and my stomach is stuffed.
Hope we fix another Chowdown again soon.
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I second that I am so full.Uhhhhhhhhhhh..Awesome food great cross section of chowhounders and great people to share this Caribbean delight.. as always Beverly and Donald never fall short of awesome food and service... Truly a wonder of the modern world great food ,great service and great friend to eat with.. as A wise man once said " winner winner chicken dinner and goat and conch and chickpeas and roti and i have lost count . now I will dream about this food good guys It was great
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In my comatose state of food overdose, I forgot to thank CF Byrne and Smartie for all the hard work they put into last night. Thank you very much , as you can see by my last post my grammar and spelling and my stream of conciseness way of typing was and is still in full effect.If someone said to me what is your favorite dish that Beverly makes I would say all of them, yes they are all that good .I am really surprised at how many different flavors and textures can be had from such a amazing part of the world... IMHO i think there is no other culture that has the ability to pull from so many different tastes and ingredients as Caribbean food. every other food has to have fusion added to the there name. Caribbean is the original fusion...thank you again Donald and Beverly for a great time... And again thanks to Smartie and CF Byrne
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Wow, I missed a great dinner! Sounds fabulous. :)
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We went there last night based on the great reviews here. All I can say is what hospitality!!! Beverly and her husband are incredible hosts.
We had a dinner fit fo a king. I had jerk shrimp with mac n' cheese, peas and rice with plantains. My husband had the chicken curry.
They also brought out their incredible conch fritters, the best we have ever had.
Don't forget their home made lemonade and the guava cheesecake.
We will definitely be back for more!!!
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I thought I heard that they're not open on Sundays any more. Does anyone know if this is the case?
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Only through the summer. In the fall they will reopen on Sundays. New summer hours are Wed & Thursday 6:00 to 10:30 p.m Friday 6 to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday 3:00 to 11:30 p.m.
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I heard on tv that they have a perfect score for no restaurant violations. :)
http://www.wptv.com/sites/wptv/content/restaurants/inspections/docs/Perfect%20scores%20for%20week%20ending%2030%20August%202009%20%2815.5KB%29.html
Here are all the others, good and bad.... I'm almost scared to look!
http://www.wptv.com/content/restauran...
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I can't believe Ben's Deli in boca got a total of 25 violations!
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1 what does bens have to do with bamboo fire?? ben is real ok??
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I went last night again. If anyone is calling a day or 2 ahead for a reservation ask Beverly to make the BBQd goat. Wow.
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Darn, should have let me know i would have joined you. BBQ'd goat sounds amazing.
BTW i posted about Ben's because i briefly perused through the "bad" section of the restaurant violations list. Surprised Ben's was on there because its across the street from my shop and i used to eat there quite frequently.
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We finally got there last night. We tried once before but they were, much to our chagrin, on vacation. I really have nothing new to add to the posts here, but I felt compelled to add my 100% agreement. Everything has already been said and it's all true! Beverly, Donald, the food and the restaurant are wonderful, welcoming and authentic. This is one of the reasons I love chow so very much. One only finds places like this via chowhound and what a find!
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stopped in tonight just for the rum cake outstanding as always. looks like wild things menu is upon us . those of faint heart come anyway it will be fun
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what is wild things menu?
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wild boar and such bev said she would e-mail us a menu
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Bamboo Fire is closed this weekend. Beverly's uncle died. They're in Washington, D.C. for the funeral. They will reopen on Wed. 10/21/09. They thank everyone for their support and kindness.
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I wonder if they will be open tomorrow for the Delray Craft Festival.......
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Are they open on Sunday yet? I will be in town this weekend and although Saturday is possible I would like to do Sunday. I know I'm being lazy by posting here but I keep forgetting to call when they are open and their web site and answering machine make no mention of this. TIA
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they said when season starts - I have yet to discover when that magical date is. Call the cell, Beverly always calls back if you leave her a message.
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went to B/F Saturday with 4 other friends and as usual we were welcomed with a smile . I have not been in a while life getting in the way of food( annoying) anyway we told Beverly why don't you just serve us what ever you have so at the end of a huge meal this is out list
MEATBALLS
BACALAO FRITTERS
CONCH FRITTERS
EGGPLANT,GARLIC DIP
COCONUT RICE
GARLIC PORK
AMAZING MAC N CHEESE
CEVICHE CONCH IF I REMEMBER (AWESOME)
CALLOU KIND OF LIKE COLLARD GREENS,BUT NOT SO BITTER
STEWED GOAT
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM SOAKED VANILLA ICE CREAM
FOOD WAS ABOUT 35 A PERSON FOR FOOD AND 60 WITH BEERS AND TIP WE HAD 4-5 BEERS EACH
I am trying to remember it all it was really a blur of food overdose. I love this place reminds me of the Islands eating at someones beach side resto almost like eating at there house.However this is not for the frantic speed demon food slinging gotta go light speed foodie with a eat now eat quick attitude. Slow down enjoy Beverly's quick wit,brilliant food knowledge, great stories and Donald's stoic smooth style and service. Pretend you are at your best friends house enjoying their company and their hospitality. You will not be disappointed ever. nuff said I am clearly a fan
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Four of us ate at Bamboo Fire last evening..two for the first time.The food and rhythm of the dinner was terrific and ,since I've so often raved about the food and the people..I'll just make one observation..We had avoided ordering the coconut shrimp in fear that Beverly under pressure might have opted for a pre-made,frozen Costco-like substitute....One of my really dumb assumptions....the shrimp are wonderful...they bear no resemblance to the heavily breaded artifical tasting ones you find at so many other spots...We love this place..as you may have guessed..
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went to B/F the Saturday before last and had some great food, new stuff. She had Spanish mackerel and it was escovitch style spicy and vinegary-awesome, mackerel in banana leaves with veggies-awesomer and one thing that I think should be on the menu permanently was conch pounded thin and grilled with a garlic sauce,served with roti, truly heaven. those that have not been in a while you should try that conch and those that have not made the time to go you are missing out on a treat of true culinary wizardry any way it rocked
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My wife and I went to Bamboo Fire last night, and we loved it. Beverly and Donald were as nice as could be, and the we loved the food. The conch ceviche was very lemony, so if you don't like lemon a lot, you're better off getting some other conch app. My wife got the basa wrapped in banana leaves, which she really liked. Beverly made for me a combo of curried goat and oxtail, which was terrific. (The goat was maybe a touch too salty, but still very good.) Although we live in New Hampshire, we come down to Delray a few times per year, and we will definitely be back to Bamboo Fire. Thanks to all those on Chowhound for the good reviews.
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there again on Saturday food top shelf, atmosphere Island style at its best short of spending 1200 on flights and rooms for food , this place cannot be matched. Why is it not busier???? where are my chowhounds really there are many people on the southeast site.If you have a great place in Ft.Lauderdale name it I will try it but, really give this place your love> Very few places I have been to deserve this right. check it out ,I stand behind very few resto's because food is more important to me than anything and as such I do not like feel most live up to there rep's this place IMHO does
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couldn't agree more strongly...we were there about a week with two 13 year old boys who were so busy eating meatballs(curried and jerk) sweet potato fries,coconut shrimp,no rum rum cake, that they didn't touch their handheld devices and even talked to the grandparents if only to ask for more...the adults did just as well...everything is better then ever...do yourself a favor and get to Bamboo Fire now....no kidding
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Looks like Beverly and Donald missed out on a visit from Mark Bittman (http://markbittman.com/an-open-letter... ). This has to be the "funky Caribbean restaurant we wanted to check out last night, only it was closed".
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But a real OUCH to what appears to be his comments on Taste, the new Alan Susser gastropub.
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How is it a writer does not check the hours and days of a restaurant? If for no other reason than it is summer ! I hope he tries again sometime because he missed out and sounds like where he went was typical velvet rope stuff
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He ended up going back and reviewed it. Check it out and I would imagine this will keep them busy with plenty of future biz.
http://markbittman.com/bamboo-fire
Local info about his review:
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cle...
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too bad he missed the coconut shrimp.....i think this recognition is wonderful for Beverly and Donald and fully warranted....as long time customers and friends (i think thats really the same thing) we feel ,sort of ,,as if we were fanatical fans of the winners of the Super Bowl....
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Dick: See what you started. I have lived in the Caribbean and The Bahamas for 21 years and just love Beverly and Donald (and, of course, Beverly's food). Thanks for letting us know about them.
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Just for the record, the first report of Bamboo Fire was from CF Byrne 11/25/08 and the first visit and review was RickL. 1/27/09. It was buried in the attached larger thread. Still, kudo's to Dickinboca for starting this thread thta brought it to so many people's attention.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5182...
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how about another Chowdown this summer at Bamboo Fire?
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second but offline
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this time I will come - job or not. :)
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Well I think last night's "physical Chowhound meetup" was a huge success. It's not often that a chef gets a standing ovation - and Beverly got two from the packed house!
More later on the details of the food but suffice to say it was all (something like 12 different dishes) fantastic.
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here are some of what we had
jerk meatballs, curried meatballs, warm eggplant salad, dhal soup, conch ceviche, tostones, mac and cheese, curried goat, okra fried rice, basa fish in banana leaves, kalaloo, rum cake. Oh man I am still stuffed . What a great CH Chowdown and great meeting you all.
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....and I think so too! Fantastic from first course to last! Here are some pics.....
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Everything was excellent, and now the pictures are making me hungry.
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Good news, the left overs are just as good the next day.
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It was great meeting you all and what an amazing dinner! My bf took the leftovers! I guess he loved it too!
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Karen and I missed the first Bamboo Fire Chowdown and we regretted it for the past year. This was a great way to spend an evening. Really good food combined with really good company made for a memorable night. With such a large group we were able to try a lot of what Bamboo Fire has to offer and Donald and Beverly were at the top of their game. The grilled conch was so tender you could cut it with your fork, the curried goat was excellent, I ended up having seconds on the dhal, and the meatballs (curried and jerk) were delicious as usual. Beverly’s mac and cheese had that nice crust that’s her trademark and the veggies were just excellent. This is the second time I’ve had callaloo and I’m a big fan. The Chinese long beans were a treat too. And yes, as others have mentioned, the leftovers (especially the callaloo) were better the next day.
For Karen and me, the food at Bamboo Fire is always great but what made this evening stand out was the opportunity to meet the other ‘hounds. We’ve been reading posts by CFB, smartie, Oyster Ho, BAFU, and the rest for years and it was a treat to meet them all in person.
Finally, we all owe Charlie a big thank you for getting this all organized. Really well done!
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Yes! Thanks again to Charlie!
Rick, we hardly got to talk at all, I felt bad about that. :/
I can't wait to go back there and get more conch and meat balls and goat. My fav dishes of the evening, I think. Although, I'm a HUGE mac n cheese lover so I'd probably have to have it again too. I'm DYING to try the guava cheesecake next time. I've had a craving for it for over a year now lol.
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Even a week later....still recalling and savoring that wonderful meal. Enjoyed meeting all of you and sharing such great food and warmth. Although I don't post here very often (lots of deadlines and madness during the day....and a vow to stay offline at home) which is a shame because I dine everywhere and often (and yes, taking photos all the while), I am here catching up quickly every day with all of you! Looking forward to another get together....maybe sometime in the next few months???
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Going back there tonight to try the Jerk Chicken and maybe the pork. The mac n cheese is also a must. One week is long enough to go without eating more of those meatballs! talos126 and I had an awesome time and look foreward to joining the fun again in the future!
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Stopped in tonight and had the oxtail pepperpot with okra fried rice and callaloo. It was great and Beverly and Donald were friendly as usual.
Just a note to anyone who might stop by, they mentioned they were going on vacation starting today and won't be back until next Thursday so the restaurant will be closed until then.
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A few weeks later... belated thanks to all at this Chowhound meetup. Great company and fun putting faces to some of the old and new names on this board. It was a truly wonderful meal, one dish after another. It was ridiculous. Ridiculous as in just when you thought there couldn't be anything better, here comes the next dish. Can't wait to return.
Also - looking forward to someone (hint hint not me) :-) organizing another meetup - maybe at that Sushi or Chinese place a lot of folks were talking about?
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Marumi in Plantaton --I'm so in if you guys can plan it for a Monday or Tuesday.
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I keep meaning to put something together for this, and things keep coming up.
If anyone else wants to take the reins, feel free, otherwise I'll get something done as soon as I get some downtime.
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Can a culinary wimp get in and out of there in good shape? I speak not of myself but of my parents, specifically my mother. I am so wanting to try this place.
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in what way a culinary wimp? spice, portions or something they have never tried?
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Spice. They're both up for new things and when I visit we go to as many different places as possible but my mother just has never been able to tolerate heavy seasoning.
I think we'll chance it when I'm down in March. Too many raves here to ignore.
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the meatballs are not spicy hot but beautifully seasoned. Mac and cheese is fab and 'normal' ie no spice. I do not find her curries or jerks to be spicy at all and I love Indian and other spices but just don't add the hot sauces! Her rice dishes are tasty, fried plantains are just that, tostones are not spiced. She makes a fab gumbo. You can call a few days ahead and say you are coming and to please make some things that are not spicy and she will be more than pleased to work with you.
It's nothing fancy, like sitting in someone's kitchen extension with lots of stuff hanging on the walls. Chairs and tables don't match. Dress in shorts and flipflops, there is outdoor roadside seating if it's not too hot and humid.
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fibber do not sweat it you can always find a great meal there, no matter what your level of food exploration is. Everything from mild to wild it is all good
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Thanks, all. I'll be sure to put it high on my list.
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We are on vacation/visiting family in Delray Beach and we went to Bamboo Fire for dinner Wednesday night. It was DH, me and our two kids age 15 and 12. The food was excellent. We started with curry meatballs and tostones -- both yummy. Then we had jerk chicken (for dh), curry chicken (for 15 year old), curry goat (for me) and fried chicken strips (for the picky one). My husband likes spicy food and he requested it spicy. The flavor was great but it could have been spicier for him. Beverly told him next time. Everyone loved the curry goat -- they kept eating my portion! r My younger one had wanted fries with her fried chicken, but they were out. Sweet potato fries were suggested. When we got our food they apologized that they were running out so they sent a small portion and then a portion of the mac and cheese. Let me say that we were not disappointed in th mac and cheese. It was amazing. We also got sweet plantains -- which we fought over -- they were that good. Donald recommended the special lemonade (the only thing he makes! LOL and it was really good. There is a cherry flavor to it. I would go back there again any day of the week. Beverly and Donald are lovely people.
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John Linn has a nice interview with owner/chef/bon vivant in general Beverly in the New Times:
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cle...
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Am down in Delray this week and would love to try. I'm thinking Wed or Thurs eve. Are reservations (for indoor seating) recommended at this time of the year?
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I would call for a reservation because it's a small place and she may have a party booked in.
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over 100 replies for a resto that serves the best Caribbean style food in the world(imho) this chowhound web site really does let you know where to eat starting with bamboo fire... I am sorry I missed the last chowdown I will be at the next
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