Cheryl Chin was raised in Kingston, Jamaica with four siblings and a father who told them all they were going to America and all going to college. She came in 1980 and has been running Jamaica Kitchen since 1986, having taken over from the family that started it. The restaurant opened in 1980 as a pizza place and converted to Jamaican food under the same family, a detail that surprises people. The Chin family’s Jamaican-Chinese heritage shows throughout the menu, which is part authentic Jamaican and part Chinese-Jamaican, a fusion that exists specifically within the Chinese-Jamaican community that settled on the island over the past two centuries. Jamaica Kitchen appeared in Season 4, Episode 7 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “A Taste of Everywhere,” which aired September 15, 2008. Guy Fieri loved the pork belly with pickled mustard greens and the fiery beef patties. A little old Jamaican lady who came in during filming gave him a piece of her mind: “This is not a diner, and it is not a drive-in, and it is certainly not a dive.” Guy laughed and said, “A little bit of all three I guess.” That is about as accurate a description of Jamaica Kitchen as anyone has offered. The restaurant won Miami New Times Best Chinese Restaurant in 2007, which tells you something about how the Jamaican-Chinese cooking registers with people.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Jamaica Kitchen
City: Miami, Florida
Cuisine: Jamaican / Caribbean
DDD Season: 4
DDD Episode: 7
Episode Title: A Taste of Everywhere
Original Air Date: September 15, 2008
Address: 8736 SW 72nd St., Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-596-2585
Website: https://www.jamaicakitchen.com/
Status: Open
About Jamaica Kitchen
Jamaica Kitchen operates out of the Sunset West Shopping Center in southwest Miami, a small restaurant with a few tables and a takeout counter that regularly draws visitors from across the city specifically for the oxtail. The kitchen runs scratch preparations: curry goat and oxtail are made in 30-pound increments and take three hours. During DDD filming, the production went through 120 pounds of oxtail and 120 pounds of goat over two days. The menu also covers Jamaican patties baked in house, saltfish, ackee, green bananas, and the full range of Jamaican grocery staples available for purchase alongside the food.
What to Eat at Jamaica Kitchen
The Curry Oxtail is Cheryl Chin’s personal favorite and the dish she considers unique to Jamaica Kitchen — it started as an accident when some oxtail ended up in the curry goat, and it stayed on the menu. The Curry Goat is the other slow-cooked centerpiece. The Pork Belly with Pickled Mustard Greens (Hamchoy) is the Jamaican-Chinese dish Guy specifically highlighted. The Spicy Beef Patties, baked fresh in house, are the item most DDD visitors grab first. The Steamed Peas with Pig Tail is the dish regulars know to order. The full menu also covers jerk chicken, saltfish fritters, ackee, and a rotating list of daily specials.
After a taste of Jamaica at home, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Hot Honey BBQ Sauce brings a sweet heat that pairs well with Caribbean-inspired cooking.
Plan Your Visit
Jamaica Kitchen is open Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Closed Sundays. The restaurant is small — takeout is often the better option when it’s busy.
Address: 8736 SW 72nd St., Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-596-2585
Website: https://www.jamaicakitchen.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the A Taste of Everywhere episode on Amazon and find a Miami hotel on Booking.com for your South Florida DDD run.
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Jamaica Kitchen appeared in Season 4, Episode 7 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “A Taste of Everywhere,” originally aired September 15, 2008. The restaurant has been serving Miami since 1980.