19 Sept 21St–Sept 27th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | with a side of rice and pigeon peas, then sit back and contentedly groan. The chicken curry isn’t as moan- worthy as the goat, but it’s an excel- lent rendition, made doubly so when you sop up the sauce with festival — torpedo-shaped fried bread, made with wheat flour and cornmeal, like a savory doughnut with just a touch of sweetness. If you absolutely, positively must go boneless, give the beef patties a spin. A heavily spiced ground beef filling is wrapped in a golden, flaky pastry scented with turmeric and … is that coconut, perhaps? Whatever the compo- sition, it’s an intoxicating mix, and there are no pesky bones to work around. Ask Raymond about his favorite menu items, however, and he doesn’t hesitate. “Seafood,” he says. Fabulous fish The menu lists “red snapper fish” as a single nondescript item, obscuring the fact that Raymond offers multiple fish dishes. They usually include brown stew snapper and escovitch fish, but be sure to ask, because he often adds any number of other specials depending on the day. If it’s available, the brown stew fish is in a neck- and-neck race with the jerk chicken for my favorite dish in the house. For those unfamiliar with Jamaican cuisine, the caramelized sugar and whiff of vinegar in the brown stew fish might evoke a sense of sweet and sour, but this is more subtly done, along with a fragrant mix of spices. Whole snapper is lightly fried to give it a robust texture, then browned and bathed in a complex, swoon-worthy sauce built on softened carrots and onions. This is whole bone-in fish. Ask for White- Raymond’s help if you need it, but don’t miss this dishbecause you find the disas- sembly intimidating. Tear the thing apart with your fingers if you have to. Raymond’s escovitch fish also is great, cooked with vinegar and smothered with spicy pickled onions and carrots. If you’re spice averse, watch out for the slivers of Scotch bonnet peppers — they’ll take you down right quick. But keep an eye on the Friday specials, as well. A recent plate of curry coconut shrimp swept in like a tropical storm, so bright, vibrant and powerful compared with other versions around town. I hear Raymond busts out a mean lobster special on occasion, but I haven’t yet had the pleasure. Based on the rest of his seafood, I can’t wait to meet it. On island time The menu at Cool Vybz is brief, and I think that’s for the best. During the pandemic, Raymond was forced to spend a year and a half running the restaurant — both front and back — all by himself. He may be a workaholic, but he’s also a man who’s learned of necessity not to spread himself too thin. Better to cook a handful of superlative dishes than a long list of passable ones. And it’s wise to under- stand what kind of a restaurant Cool Vybz is before diving in. Your favorite dish may be on the menu, or it may not, or it may be prepared a little bit differ- ently today. Your jerk chicken may come with that outstanding sauteed cabbage you had last week, or it may come with a cool, pickled slaw instead. You’re on island time now. Food comes out when it comes out. And if you request extra plates to share with a bunch of friends, they’ll probably all make it to the table. Eventually. Relax. Enjoy some tunes. Order a house-made sorrel and ginger drink or a bottle of Ting, and take your time. This food is worth savoring. Cool Vybz Jamaican Restaurant 2340 W. Northern Ave. 602-601-5731 coolvybz-jamaican-restaurant.business.site 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday Mains $14-$22; Whole fish $35; Festival and Patties $4. Chef Nakia Raymond and Cool Vybz offer a true taste of Jamaica. (Photos by Jacob Tyler Dunn) Cool Vybz, Hot Dishes from p 16 stand what kind of a restaurant Cool Vybz is before diving in. Your
