Does This Make Me a Tree Hugger Now?
Maybe my trip to the Bronx left patties on my mind, because last week, I had a real hankering to try to jerk chicken patties at Under D Tree, a small, no-frills Jamaican steam table joint smack dab in the middle of Harlem.
Actually, that's not true. I had a real hankering to try their goat roti, which wasn't at all a bad deal at $7.50. However, the two times I stopped by, they were either out, or just not making any. It was hard to tell--the woman running the place simply told me "no roti," and the expression on her face didn't reveal any desire to elaborate.
Not wanting to leave hungry a second time, I asked for two jerk patties ("no more jerk patties"), but left with one beef and one chicken ($1.60 each). The beef was pretty good--it had a little more of the springy texture I like, as opposed to the pure pate feel of the patties at Feeding Tree. Still, it wasn't spicy enough for my tastes.
But, boy, did that change. The chicken patty was almost a revelation. I admit, it started out a little weak, having dried around the edges and strangely smelling like bouillon cubes. But a few bites into it, I could feel a steady march of curried heat, with a nice helping of potatoes to deliver the flavor. In essence, it was a chicken roti delivered in a savory patty shell, and though I certainly prefer a well-made West Indian roti shell, I haven't been able to find one of those anywhere in Manhattan. I'm rather curious about the steam table offerings, which also come in rather cheap, but it'll be hard to resist those chicken patties.
Under D Tree (map)
182 Lenox Ave at 119th St.
(212) 410-1183
Actually, that's not true. I had a real hankering to try their goat roti, which wasn't at all a bad deal at $7.50. However, the two times I stopped by, they were either out, or just not making any. It was hard to tell--the woman running the place simply told me "no roti," and the expression on her face didn't reveal any desire to elaborate.
Not wanting to leave hungry a second time, I asked for two jerk patties ("no more jerk patties"), but left with one beef and one chicken ($1.60 each). The beef was pretty good--it had a little more of the springy texture I like, as opposed to the pure pate feel of the patties at Feeding Tree. Still, it wasn't spicy enough for my tastes.
But, boy, did that change. The chicken patty was almost a revelation. I admit, it started out a little weak, having dried around the edges and strangely smelling like bouillon cubes. But a few bites into it, I could feel a steady march of curried heat, with a nice helping of potatoes to deliver the flavor. In essence, it was a chicken roti delivered in a savory patty shell, and though I certainly prefer a well-made West Indian roti shell, I haven't been able to find one of those anywhere in Manhattan. I'm rather curious about the steam table offerings, which also come in rather cheap, but it'll be hard to resist those chicken patties.
Under D Tree (map)
182 Lenox Ave at 119th St.
(212) 410-1183
posted by Dave Lee at 12:25 PM
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