Aunt Jean Creams – Combining Spicy with the Sweet

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

As I jumped out of the car, I could smell that familiar smell of barbeque, but with a pinch of my mom’s home cooking. I knew that my journey into Hamilton that day was to visit Aunt Jean Creams Restaurant, but here I was thinking that I was going to your typical Caribbean Restaurant. What I experienced was a welcoming surprise.

“The food is always great. I love their oxtail and rice & peas and their Meat Lovers Roti. Love the option of extra hot sauce rather than getting over spicy meals. Not particularly a sweet tooth but I tried their ice cream and it’s amazing.

Highly recommend them.” 5 Stars, November 20^th, 2020, TripAdvisor

The city of Hamilton has fallen in love with Aunt Jean Creams Meals. As one of Hamilton’s fastest rising Caribbean restaurants, the family behind Aunt Jean Creams Meals have found a way to bring all the delectable aspects of Caribbean food, and combine them with delicious homemade cakes and ice cream desserts. They are actually one of the first Caribbean Restaurants to group Jamaican Patties, Caribbean dishes (oxtail, curry goat, jerk chicken meals) and roti, with French style desserts, and a full ice cream parlour for those clients who come, looking for a way to satisfy their sweet tooth.

L’il bit of This, L’il bit of That

The first thing that I learned is that when they tell you to order ahead of time, there is a good reason for that. I patiently waited for 25 minutes knowing that my wait was for a great reason. Patrons can expect authentic Caribbean dishes, savoured and cooked to perfection, on the spot. That’s right, you are not getting food that has been sitting for a while, everything is cooked as it is ordered, so you are guaranteed a FRESH meal. I had ordered their infamous Jerk Chicken Poutine, and it blew my mind. The spice of the chicken, mixed with the taste of cheese and potatoes; oh Lord!

Proud owner, Aunt Jean, runs the restaurant, and she has made the business a family affair. Assisting and supporting Jean all the way are her husband and family. Her Caribbean background and love of Caribbean cuisine comes from recipes lovingly passed down by her Grenadian Mother. Of course, we can’t forget Uncle Mikey who is known as the “Curry Goat ” champion. Between her Grandmother, Trinidadian Aunt, and other Caribbean islands relatives, Aunt Jean learned how to cook popular recipes from different islands, and has created a menu that highlights the best of the Caribbean. One thing that I learned when I had a chance to speak with Aunt Jean is that like Soul Food (popular in North America) certain recipes follow a certain format, where the results lies in the chef’s knowledge of “A l’il bit of this, A l’il bit of that!”

The restaurant prides itself on serving meals that are moderately spiced so that children can enjoy it, along with those patrons who are unable to handle spicy foods. Now, if you are one of those people requiring that extra zing, you can ask for some extra hot sauce on the side. I do have some suggestions when you do go and visit Aunt Jean; their signature meals are their MEAT LOVER ROTI and JERK CHICKEN POUTINE. All their Roti’s have a special AJC sauce, which gives the Dhal Puri wrap a distinct, much desired flavour.

Voted AJC GOLD WINNER in Caribbean Cuisine Category

“We were overjoyed when we received a call from Hamilton Spectator Newspaper notifying us that we were the winners in the Caribbean Restaurant Category. We were not even aware of this poll or voting process and that made us even more elated.” Aunt Jean

The restaurant opened its doors in August 2018, and has successfully established itself as the place to dine if you live in, or passing through Hamilton, Ontario. It is conveniently located at 36 Parkdale Avenue North, and has become a favourite eating spot among locals and people all over Hamilton, the GTA and Niagara Region.

As I stood there waiting for my food, I saw people from all races, ethnicities and cultures come down the alley to order, or pick up their food. I noticed that Aunt Jean, and the young man working with her actually greeted people by name, and knew their order before the even began to speak. I appreciated that because unfortunately, Caribbean restaurants are known for having questionable service; it was refreshing to be witnessing quite the opposite.

“Best Jamaican jerk chicken in the city!! You can really taste the love!!! Can’t wait to try their oxtail” 5 Stars, September, 2019, TripAdvisor

Aunt Jean, the Dessert Queen

Aunt Jean is a proud resident of Hamilton, and she has always had an appreciation for Hamilton’s medium sized city where there is still a sense of close community, culturally diverse neighbourhoods and rich music culture. Placing Aunt Jean Creams in Hamilton was a perfect fit. It added heart to the city. During my dialogue with Aunt Jean, she opened up about her passion, the struggles, and her vision.

“I was born in Grenada, but my relatives are from Trinidad, Jamaica, and St. Lucia,” Aunt Jean shared with me. “My cooking experience came from all of the islands. I grew up in Montreal, and that is where I developed my love for French pastries. It made sense to me to combine the Caribbean flavours with Canadian desserts.

“The year we opened, the city was digging up the streets and replacing pipes,” Aunt Jean tells me. “It was similar to what you are seeing on Eglinton. People began to find us and know about us because they would smell us when we were cooking.” Aunt Jean chuckles, “People were coming from off the street just to find out where that smell was coming from. It is truly incredible how quickly word of mouth can spread. We have people from Ajax, Pickering, Milton, Mississauga all over, coming to visit us.

The best part about it is that they love the food. We don’t cut corners; we take the time to prepare. That smell is indicative of the great tasting meals you will get from our restaurant. Because we prepare the food on site, it may take some time to serve, so we urge patrons and visitors to our restaurant to pre-order when possible.”

I was curious as to what we had to look forward to in 2022 from the team at Aunt Jean Creams

“We want to add my macaroni pie, which has gotten rave reviews. We are also going to add some more Caribbean pastries. We are contemplating fish, but we are waiting on that, because that is a different type of preparation. We go with what the community requests, so once things get back to normal, we will have a more extensive menu.”

The restaurant’s full menu can be found on their website. www.auntjeancreams.com, and they can be found on: Uber Eats, DoorDash & Skip the Dishes.

I am proud of the team at Aunt Jean Creams, and I will most definitely be heading back to Hamilton to grab a chocolate milkshake, and another delicious Jerk Chicken Poutine.

Yum!