Review by Pamela Holz, Tree of Life Center Creative Director and Host of the “Cooking for Life” Show”
Set back a bit off the road, Irie Mystic Jamaican Kitchen on Ft. Campbell Boulevard is a rather unassuming building, but since noticing it a while ago, it has been on my list of places to check out. Walking in and being greeted by the crooning of Bob Marley was a promising start.
The menu is simple: a white board with the day’s offerings. My friend was dismayed to see that the jerk chicken was not there. When we approached the counter, the staff apologized, saying that it was not yet finished being prepared. As curried chicken and curried shrimp were available, we ordered one of each.
As we waited for our food to arrive, we took in the environment. The interior is simple, with the tables spaced well. There were a good number of soldiers enjoying lunch that day. The windows of the restaurant have been painted with a beach scene, and the palm trees almost seemed to blend into the outside trees giving a subtle tropical feel to our lunch location.
Our food arrived without much of a wait, with the server, very soft-spoken and polite, simply delivering the food, inquiring if we needed anything else, and then departing quickly.
The curried shrimp plate was colorful, with assorted vegetables accompanying the cabbage and rice with gravy sides that my friend ordered. The shrimp was tender and flavorful, though the curry flavor was quite subtle. My curried chicken was prepared in a rustic fashion. It appeared that a whole chicken had been chopped into small pieces and then cooked in the mild curry sauce. The meat was tender, and came easily off the bones, though a little bit of finesse with the fork and knife was required. The calaloo—Jamaican greens—was something I had not experienced before. I would compare it to seasoned collard greens mixed with Veg-All veggies. I had also ordered the fried plantains, which were just sweet enough to act as a dessert to the meal.
When I paid the bill, our server asked if everything was alright. I told him that the food was good, but the more important question was whether or not I would come back. Hmm, another mellow lunch being serenaded by reggae music? Yes, I think that would be just fine… though I will call ahead to make sure that the jerk chicken is ready.
Irie Mystic Jamaican Kitchen
1302 Ft. Campbell Blvd.
Clarksville TN 37042
931-802-8224
M-Th 11:30 am- 9 pm
Friday 11:30 am- 9:30 pm
Sat. 12 pm- 10 pm
https://www.facebook.com/IrieMysticJamaicanKitchen