My New Obsession

My New Obsession
8:48pm Friday, May 25
Flamm Lakay!!!

It used to be all about Brazas Chicken, this Peruvian place tucked in a little strip mall on the corner of Davis and Orange, but not no mo'. That place has been discovered and you actually have to wait for a table now.

Today I went to a Haitian/Caribbean place on South Orange I'd been dying to try for a month or so now, called Flamm Lakay.

I walk in and the place has lots of natural sunlight coming in through the windows, tile floors and native folk art decorating the walls. A beautiful middle-aged Creole woman greeted me at the door and told me to sit anywhere. I had the whole place to myself!

After looking at the menu, I wanted the chicken (some fancy Creole name, can't recall) but she said it wasn't ready yet. So I ordered the snapper instead, with fried plantains and mixed rice. She served me cold water with lime, no ice - just the way I like it on a hot summer day!

The salad was beautiful - the dressing came in a tiny ceramic pitcher and was excellent. She served it with fresh-baked bread, still warm - mmmm, so doughy and soft! AAAHHHH.

Then the snapper came - it was a whole fish, head and all! Well, the guts were cut out, but I'd never had it this way before. Still, I set to work. The eye stared at me. I told myself to not be a wuss and just eat it. So I did - it was EXCELLENT! :) Not at all what I expected...I thought it would pop in my mouth like caviar, but instead it had a soft, crunchy texture, kind of like a ligament on a chicken wing. Mmmm, myyyy faaaavorrriiiiiiiite.

When I presented my plate of bones to the lady (nothing was left but bones, scales, and the tail, mmmm), she said, "You did so well! You plucked the eyes and everything!", beaming. :)

I noticed on the table that they served Haitian coffee there, and I asked if they sold it to take home. Woo hoo! - I got a pound of fresh ground Cafe Rebo 100% Arabica ("Rebo, le bon cafe', C'est la Qualite'!". I can't wait until tomorrow morning!!!!!!!).

So I went off rejoicing and promised the lady I'd soon be back with friends.