Pam's Kitchen - Trinidad/Carribean, Seattle

5000 University Way N, Seattle CA 98105

(206) 696-7010

Parking: street parking
http://pams-kitchen.com/
Hours: Closed Mondays, Sun and Tues - Thurs 5:30pm - 10pm, Fri - Sat Noon -3pm, 5:30pm - 11pm
 

Last Visited: April 1, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

I had heard about Pam's Kitchen through an episode of Guy Fieri's show on the Food Network, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  While on an overnight trip to Seattle, my cousin, his girlfriend, and I decided to check out Pam's to see what it was all about.  From the outside, Pam's is located at the corner of the university district with lots of eateries available to choose from.  University students lovingly refer to the street as The Ave.  Further down the street, more businesses are close together, and the action is even more lively.  We were fortunate to find a back-into parking space (something you rarely ever see in California) about a block away.

Whenever I think of Carribean food, I think of jerk chicken - not because of personal experiences in the Carribean, but more because of stereotypes about Trinidad and the nearby area.  After trying the food at Pam's, I think of Carribean food as having Indian influences - the garbanzo beans and curry were reminiscent of the type of food I would have in Berkeley Indian joints, but with slightly different spices.  A friend of mine told me during a conversation a few weeks later that many Indian people immigrated to the region, so their ingredients and spices have influenced those of the natives.

Enter Pam's and it's a little surprising to see patrons facing the front door as you walk in.  The high tables have stools behind the table so you see rows of people facing you.  There are also high stools lined up on one side of the restaurant too.  We sat at one of the few regular tables.  The music was a little louder than I would have preferred, and the table top was strangely sticky and I still don't know why that is.   

The menu is fairly simple with a listing of roti entree choices, four which are curried curried with meat and the remainder are vegetarian.  A listing of sides and drinks are also shown.  Drinks like peanut punch, rum punch, and mauby, made of boiled tree bark, are sure to be inviting and interesting conversation starters.  Our server was really nice and offered to answer any questions we had about the food.  She was genuinely friendly and ready to share about her native culture. 

After ordering, the three of us each received a small side salad containing lettuce, carrots, and apple strips.  Crisp and refreshing, it was a nice way to start the meal. 

- Curried Chicken Roti - Each roti comes with a choice of roti.  We selected the parantha since the server told us that was her favorite.  The parantha, shown in the picture above, looks like it might come in smaller pieces, but it's one piece folded to fit into the basket.  The menu describes it as thin and fluffy with a flakey croissant-like texture.  While the description makes me think of the outside of the croissant, it's more appropriate to think of it more like the layers inside of the croissant.  The chicken was tender and flavorful and served with a cumin-spiced garbanzo bean and potato mixture.  According to our server, you tear pieces of the roti apart and while holding the roti with your hands, you use the roti to scoop up pieces of chicken.  It's a lot like eating Ethiopian style with the injera bread. The curry is flavorful and fairly mild.  Good.  My cousin liked this dish the best between the two main dishes we tried. $13

- Pelau - Boneless chicken is cooked with chopped carrots, celery, and white rice browned by pigeon peas or red beans.  It's a lot like jambalaya.  Accompanying this dish is the refreshing side salad we had earlier.  This was a nice mixture that was well-spiced and flavorful.  Good.  $14

- Callaloo - This vegan dish is made with fresh spinach simmered in coconut milk and okra.  I was expecting it to taste like creamed spinach because of the description, and although it's not pictured here, it looked a lot like creamed spinach, but because of the okra, the texture was more glue-like.  It was flavorful, but if you're not accustomed to the okra, it may seem too glue-like. $5

Dessert offerings include homemade coconut ice cream, Guiness stout ice cream, cassava-pone cake, and more if you have saved room for it.

While it's not entirely clear why the pelau came with another salad, considering we all got salad, I found the meal to be filling and satisfying overall.  Two main dishes and a side easily fed three people who were not starving, but hungry.  It's a nice change of pace and the folks are friendly.  If I had to the chance to visit again, I would love to try the other roti that they make as well as some of their eclectic drink offerings.  Dining is fairly leisurely in terms of the pace of food being served, so make sure you come here with plenty of time to enjoy the experience.