BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
Known around the city of Mississauga for their delicious Oxtail, Jerk Chicken and Steam Fish you can’t beat Papa Moe’s flavorful take on Caribbean cuisine!
Located at 900 Rathburn Road West, Papa Moe’s Roti and Doubles is the place to get the best in Guyanese Style Chinese Cuisines including fried rice, chow mien, fry chicken and more!
Owner Mohammed H is a very motivated gentleman with an array of experience in preparing and cooking Caribbean Cuisine. Originally opened up as a bar, Papa Moe’s branched off into bigger and better things when they decided to expand their menu and cater a taste of the Caribbean to the Mississauga community. A native from West Coast Guyana, Mohammed immigrated to Canada in 1972. He attended University in Montreal and then got a job working for the government in pharmaceuticals where he dedicated twenty three years before branching off and taking a more entrepreneurial route.
Mohammed’s mother was a cook, inspired by her food and looking to expand on his own knowledge of cuisines is what prompted him to start the business. His goal to enhance his cooking turned out to be one of the best decisions that he ever made as owning and working in his restaurant has become his pride and joy. After starting up the business in 2002 Mohammed has enjoyed the experience of being a small business owner, the hustle of working for himself. He loves the diversity of people that come to his restaurant looking for a taste of the Caribbean and he is always making sure that customers are satisfied with very family oriented customer service.
Every day at the restaurant is different. Depending on what they crave, customers will come into the restaurant in the morning looking for roti and doubles, while for dinner they might prefer some mouthwatering oxtail and jerk chicken or fried rice and chow mien. It changes day by day and Mohammed is more than happy to cater to their needs preparing and cooking what they demand to fulfill their desires.
His biggest challenge working for himself and having the restaurant open seven days a week is not having time for himself. Mohammed is dedicated to ensuring the food is always up to par and that customers leave his restaurant with their bellies full and their taste buds satisfied. Mohammed is proud of his food and the restaurant because people in the area seek him out when they are longing for some Caribbean cuisine and it makes him proud to know that he is the guy they come to when looking to satisfy their hunger.
Mohammed believes in his food and wants the community to know that he has the best Caribbean cuisine in Mississauga. “I believe in what I do, if you like it then you come back and if you don’t like it then you let me know and I’ll see what I can do to change your mind.” He doesn’t believe in marketing himself as the best, he wants people to come to his restaurant and experience that for themselves. Mohammed has conducted taste tests at his restaurant, purchasing similar dishes from other restaurants in the area and sampling who does it better. Right now his restaurant has been rated the #1 restaurant in Mississauga for Oxtail and Jerk Chicken.
“Other restaurants cook their food with love, I cook my food with extra love,” shares Mohammed. He prides himself on catering to everyone in the community serving only halal meats. His restaurant is equipped with two separate kitchens one for cooking meats and also one that is strictly vegetarian for when he is preparing dishes for religious functions to ensure that everything is kept separate and prepared in a clean and sanitary environment.
At Papa Moe’s the most sought after dish on the menu is their infamous Boneless Jerk Chicken. Patrons aren’t offered the same option at other restaurants and so they come out to Papa Moe’s specifically to enjoy the luxury of boneless jerk. Also on Papa Moe’s menu you can find your typical West Indian favourites, including Roti, Curry, Oxtail, Curry Duck, Curry Chicken, Curry Goat, Fish Cakes, Potato Balls, Doubles, Aloo Pies, Macaroni Pie, Pepper Shrimp, Papa Moe’s Special Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken, Shrimp or Vegetable Chow Mien or Lo Mien, and much much more!
His island cuisine caters to people of all Caribbean backgrounds and the diverse citizens residing in the GTA. He offers classic Jamaican dishes including Brown Stew Fish, Steamed Snapper, Smoked Herring and Salt Fish and also a collection of vegetarian dishes like Okra, Bigan Choka, Pumkin, Dhal and Rice.
At Papa Moe’s he is open to cooking anything and everything. Mohammed is a trained chef and if his customers are looking for any type of catering he can make it happen whether it be Italian, Portuguese or even steak and mashed potatoes. If his customers demand it Mohammed will find a way to implement it into his brand. He is looking to expand on his current establishment hoping to open another location right next to his competitors and at the end of this month he is going to be opening Papa Moe’s Famous Fish and Chips. Rooted in his current location for over seventeen years Mohammed has a great working relationship with the other businesses in the area appreciating their advice and also offering his own.
Papa’s Moe’s is a family oriented business open seven days a week Monday to Friday from 10am-9pm, Saturday from 10am-8pm and Sundays from 10am-6pm. They are open to cater to your needs. Their food will leave you satisfied, sure to come back for more. If you find yourself in the area, craving some of that good old fashioned Caribbean cuisine, stop by Papa Moe’s today, ask for Mohammed, and let him serve you some of the best Jerk Chicken in Mississauga!
