Get ready to embark on a tantalizing journey through the world of Caribbean cuisine through food influencer Mr. Chimetime. We'll be dissecting his recent adventures in West Palm Beach, discussing the controversy that his honest reviews stirred, and unearthing the secrets of the local dining scene. We'll also be delving into the challenges faced by Caribbean cuisine and how we can lend our support to local eateries in the Tri-County area.
We shift gears to explore the captivating world of Haitian cuisine. From the labor of love poured into each dish, to the unique ingredients that make Haitian food stand out, we'll get a taste of what makes this cuisine so special. Join us as we discuss the importance of fair compensation for the cooks, the challenges of sourcing the right ingredients, and share our favorite dishes and the special preparations behind them.
Our adventure into the culinary world concludes with a focus on the unique flavors of Haitian cuisine, particularly the rarity of black rice in restaurants. We debate popular dishes like Tossel, black beans and rice, and Kalalou and discuss the pricing of fish dishes. We also shed light on the hurdles of finding Haitian restaurants and the importance of consistency in this cuisine. We wrap up with a curious conversation around food preferences, picky eating habits, and how our tastes have evolved since childhood. This episode is dedicated to all the foodies out there who are eager to broaden their culinary horizons.
⏰ Chapter Markers ⏰ 0:00 - Food Reviews and Consistent Restaurants 12:13 - Exploring Haitian Cuisine and Pricing 17:10 - Black Rice Availability in Restaurants 21:44 - Haitian Restaurants and Consistency Importance
⭐ Support: Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere ➣ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2082493/support
More than just a Podcast, It’s a Movement”❗️
➣ Watch "Xposure Podcast" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkY1... ➣ Follow "Xposure Podcast" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xposurepodc... ➣ Like "Xposure Podcast" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... ➣ For Guest Appearances, Sponsorship & Bookings: xposurethepodcast@gmail.com ➣ Visit our official website: https://www.XposurePodcast.com
Get ready to embark on a tantalizing journey through the world of Caribbean cuisine through food influencer Mr. Chimetime. We'll be dissecting his recent adventures in West Palm Beach, discussing the controversy that his honest reviews stirred, and unearthing the secrets of the local dining scene. We'll also be delving into the challenges faced by Caribbean cuisine and how we can lend our support to local eateries in the Tri-County area.
We shift gears to explore the captivating world of Haitian cuisine. From the labor of love poured into each dish, to the unique ingredients that make Haitian food stand out, we'll get a taste of what makes this cuisine so special. Join us as we discuss the importance of fair compensation for the cooks, the challenges of sourcing the right ingredients, and share our favorite dishes and the special preparations behind them.
Our adventure into the culinary world concludes with a focus on the unique flavors of Haitian cuisine, particularly the rarity of black rice in restaurants. We debate popular dishes like Tossel, black beans and rice, and Kalalou and discuss the pricing of fish dishes. We also shed light on the hurdles of finding Haitian restaurants and the importance of consistency in this cuisine. We wrap up with a curious conversation around food preferences, picky eating habits, and how our tastes have evolved since childhood. This episode is dedicated to all the foodies out there who are eager to broaden their culinary horizons.
⏰ Chapter Markers ⏰ 0:00 - Food Reviews and Consistent Restaurants 12:13 - Exploring Haitian Cuisine and Pricing 17:10 - Black Rice Availability in Restaurants 21:44 - Haitian Restaurants and Consistency Importance
⭐ Support: Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere ➣ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2082493/support
More than just a Podcast, It’s a Movement”❗️
➣ Watch "Xposure Podcast" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkY1... ➣ Follow "Xposure Podcast" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xposurepodc... ➣ Like "Xposure Podcast" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... ➣ For Guest Appearances, Sponsorship & Bookings: xposurethepodcast@gmail.com ➣ Visit our official website: https://www.XposurePodcast.com
Another hot topic we had in the City man. You know and I feel like this is we, you know, behind the scenes we had great conversations about just food. And when we talk about South Florida, the Tri-County, when we think about Miami, fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches, we talk about food all our time and all our experiences. But Mr Shyam Time is a food influencer who's big on social media. He has a great presence, I know, on Facebook. He has over 600,000 followers. So he quit his nine to five and he goes on the road and tries different restaurants, foods, he critiques it, he please supports, he critiques it and gives it an honest review and at the end he always shots out the restaurant and say, hey, if you in this area check them out, so shout out to him and I appreciate what he does. But he actually came to West Palm Beach and asked for some recommendations on the dopest spots to get food. I know he's, I know he went to this one spot and forgive me, in Palm Beach, off the bone, it's a rib joint, you know what I mean. And then he hit up two Haitian restaurants that I know of. Right, he went to Tropical Island often born in Beach and he went to Alberts, which is considered Lake Worth and military. So timeline was lit, though, because the reviews were as mixed. Some food he ate he gave it an honest rating and some food he didn't really like. But what's interesting to me is I think it's dope to what he puts out, the content. He eats the food in his car. It's funny, it's relatable he has. He throws jokes in there, he talks about the food, he talks about the culture, but for some reason I think Palm Beach was a little offended as well by him giving his honest review.
Speaker 1:
When you talk about our city, you talk about the places we like to eat, and we all know in this room that when you go to a lot of places, consistency is the biggest thing we're missing. Right, when you go to especially we talk about Caribbean cuisine the food never tastes the same on a daily. Sunday don't taste like Wednesday, wednesday don't taste like Monday. So you try to figure out which mommy probably cooking back there. Is it mommy Marie? Is it? You know what I'm saying? Who's back there today? Cause I know she gonna make my Pliques, just right.
Speaker 1:
So, long story short, he gave his reviews and I think the city was lit, and I also want to say this it's amazing how we would take his content and it was. I saw maybe 300 people share his reviews Each spot he went in and all I'm saying is these restaurants was never getting this love or this representation and they already existed. So I know within the county we can do so much more when we just put our heads together and we unify. It shouldn't take someone from the outside coming in to show us that, hey, support these locations, cause off the bone whoever runs their social media. I like the way he took the feedback and said hey, I agree with him. You know, we could have done better on the ribs. We could have pulled that chicken 30 minutes prior. And at the end of the day he made a post himself with the video and said we appreciate the critique, we will only get better. Here's our hours of operation. Y'all pull up. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:
I still like the fact that he took it and he ran with it. And because he did that, I have never been there, but that makes me honest. Truth would make me go and experience it myself. Cause you took it, accept it, dissect it.
Speaker 1:
Oh, you said, some inspect. Say it again. So what y'all felt, nysect it.
Speaker 2:
I love it. What did y'all feel about his review with Island Tropical?
Speaker 1:
He gave his experience. Brother, I think we all have different experiences Cause we all ate there, we all have been there. Consistency is the biggest problem. I see, like the food tasting the same, like if I go by myself and I have a dope experience, and then let's say I'm hanging with my fellas, I'm like, and we talk about we hungry, I want to be able to pull up with y'all too, and that plate that I'm amen, you get this ox tail.
Speaker 1:
I want the meat to still be the portion to be decent. I don't want to have more Like just my rice is 80% of the plate and my meat is 10% on top of the lettuce. You know what I mean that portion control to be even as possible, and I would love the taste to be consistent. So some days you can go to these and I could talk about the Haitian restaurants, cause I visit them frequently you can get the taste of it. It's amazing. You had a good vibe. You know what I mean. Even if you don't eat all that day, you heat it up the next day. That's when you know it's really good, like you still can enjoy it the next day. And then there's some days you go to a brush, like this ain't it.
Speaker 3:
You gotta understand. Growing up eating this kind of food. We know where it should be hitting. You know what I'm saying? My only problem is two o'clock don't taste like eight o'clock at night. You know what?
Speaker 1:
I'm saying this one tastes better.
Speaker 3:
I had Haitian food today and I never had Haitian food this early Today. Two o'clock tastes so great and it tells me. I know a lot of times we don't go to a restaurant and you know you're expected the food to be good when they're about to close. I'm sure everybody knows that right, because they're about to close and nobody gives a damn. But my review on them, I'm with him 100%. The old spot they had, I loved it.
Speaker 1:
This is Tropical Island, that's interesting that a lot of people say the old spot, the old spot for some reason, I don't know.
Speaker 3:
Okay, let me rewind real quick. Let me rewind real quick. When a Haitian restaurant opens up now, you have the owner back there right Before they get employees to work for them. You got the real mommy, the owner or the poppy that owns the restaurant. They're back there breaking their back, getting this done. It tastes great. You come back. You come back. Months go down the line.
Speaker 3:
Of course, they can't keep doing it, but whoever comes into the restaurant, the food's not hitting like it's supposed to. You go back maybe two, three more times. This is my example. Don't taste good. Now I don't want to let it go. I want my Haitian food. Sometimes it's tough to just take that drive, but when I'm a foodie, when I know I want good food, I will take the miles to go get good food. Y'all agree with me with that, absolutely Okay. So when it comes to, especially with Haitian food, I drive now to go get some really good food. And because I know this one. I used to live around the corner and this is before they made the new restaurant. They were my go-to. They were my go-to and they have multiple restaurants around them, not even too far down the street. They were my go-to before I went anywhere else. Now this new spot, I hate to say it. I agree with Chime when it comes to me.
Speaker 2:
He gave some good stuff too.
Speaker 3:
Yes, again, I agree with his response.
Speaker 1:
The sauce. He complimented the sauce. He said the sauce was really good.
Speaker 2:
I would consider his taste palate to be at a level of professionalism because of how far he traveled and how many places he'd go to. So he's going to criticize harshly because his palate is very experienced, so it's picking up flavonoids that the average person ain't going to really know. He's deep into the textures and as soon as it goes in his mouth he's able to feel the difference, not just off of the Haitian cuisine but many different comparisons. So now the standards are kind of bleak and through because you know so much. So, given his level of expertise, I don't even think it was really that bad. The parts where he was like nah, this ain't it. I'm like what? The rice is a three but the sauce a eight. That's fire to me Because the sauce the rice is traditional.
Speaker 2:
The sauce can make the rice, the sauce can make the rice, Bro rice is like riding a bicycle.
Speaker 1:
But, the sauce can make the rice with Haitian cuisine. I'm not saying they ain't going to. It shouldn't have to enhance it that much. The rice should already hit. You get that sauce on top of that, man, you just like yes. But he put the sauce so high.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, the sauce got a good rate. Now he great unfairly. He got his own system of grading which I respect. But in my head. And I'm not even Haitian, but I go to a lot of Haitian restaurants, so I got a verge, man you Haitian.
Speaker 2:
I got the verge. I got the verge and I don't have I have a verge in palate. It's not am I genetics as y'all have grown up with it. So when I hear the rice a little stiff, but the sauce is fire, I knew exactly what he was talking about. And I have been amazed when I went to Haitian restaurants. Way to the rice wasn't at the top level of another Haitian restaurant's rice, but they sauce where you ask for the extra two sauces because you finish sauce that thing up and it take it to a whole another level, to where the place that they sauce is weak, the rice fluffy and it's good but it's like your sauce ain't hitting. I rather have the sauce be able to make up for any of the errors that have a dish where I don't even have an emergency backup. Do you know the restaurants way to the Haitian restaurants, way to sauce, was the emergency backup. It made up for the whole.
Speaker 1:
I gotta eat where I'm happy all the way. I'm not going for the sauce Y'all spoiled. I'm just telling you, though I'm not going to an Haitian restaurant for the sauce. Y'all spoiled the rice is automatic. You don't get credit for the rice. The rice is automatic. Man, the protein, y'all too fade the rice.
Speaker 2:
No.
Speaker 1:
The Peekleys. I'm more impressed with the Peekleys than the South. He liked the Peekleys. No, I'm just speaking in general.
Speaker 3:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
He liked a lot of he liked enough. Key elements to where You're telling us.
Speaker 3:
Hold on. Hold on hold on.
Speaker 2:
I'm going out there as a review. Some stuff he wasn't rocking with at all. Some of my favorite Haitian restaurants. There's places my favorite ones. They rice is nowhere near what I like, but they make up for they make up with everything else.
Speaker 1:
Right right.
Speaker 2:
So it throw your mind off to where this is your favorite spot, but you know that ain't your favorite rice. And this is what is interesting about the Haitian cuisine market, because it is still relatively new in the commercial market in America. Like, it hit hard for us because we got a large Haitian population in Florida and our restaurants are so close, so we are very picky. We pick it. First we got a dish that the whole world ain't commercialized to, but then we have full competing on the same corner and then you have friends that you grew up with they aunties cooking and then you have an opinions and the influence and it make it hard to kind of grade. And then we do be tough on the mummies that's cooking because we not giving them executive chefs salaries. Give them they six figures.
Speaker 3:
Even though he didn't hit other Haitian restaurants he hit two only. But this. We need this for our Haitian restaurants because they don't get the exposure.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, they got exposure.
Speaker 3:
And definitely got it, but the other stores that of course I know they've seen it definitely have to come up off, you know, have to come up Like that could have been us, and we look wherever we feel like we're lacking. I think we should change. So.
Speaker 1:
Albert's too. He hit the food truck.
Speaker 3:
Right and apparently I've never been to the truck.
Speaker 1:
Tell sandwich was was a thing. He had an ox tail sandwich.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 1:
Plantains on the outside and ox tail in the middle. He that was up there. He gave that like a nine or close. It was a high.
Speaker 2:
It was high.
Speaker 1:
I ain't never hear a lot of people say they never heard of that.
Speaker 1:
But, in the comments I saw a lot of people say yo, I'm gonna, I'm gonna definitely hit up the food truck, because even the owner of Albert's was giving a big shout out and I think he got an influx of business as well. After the gentleman came through and he was like yeah, he wanted from the food truck and I think he, like I said, I see he, the only thing I think he doesn't do all the time is give out the prices, because a lot of people be like well, how much did that cost you? Some reviews, I know he'll tell you OK, well, this cost this Right, such and such. So I was curious on the pricing of it, but the portions did look pretty damn good.
Speaker 3:
Right, it was a lot. Yeah, it was a lot. But that's the thing, though. When you know there's good food, the price behind is I'm not even thinking about the price. Yeah, I'm not thinking about the price. Like, I want good food and I know I can when I'm watching food, I know I can go back and get good food and get that same quality of food.
Speaker 2:
That is as hard with Haitian food. It is a real ingredients like they. They at the mercy of the seasons, I think.
Speaker 1:
but with the Haitian food, I really just think you was just talking about actually paying the mummies they bred. You know what I'm saying Pay them, they bred. What would be enough? Like what do you think? Do you have? I know you said six feet.
Speaker 2:
A hundred grand. They need executive chef level compensation.
Speaker 1:
I don't think the people back there are like not saying their skill set ain't that, but you know it's. I would say most of these employees who gonna be doing that kind of labor, they you already know, they just come in five to three.
Speaker 2:
This is the thing we're talking about. I know it's been around for y'all forever, but it's still relatively a new cuisine. There is no commercial standard how Jamaican Chinese restaurants, indian cuisines. There's no universal standard of expectations to where the nation's taste buds are kind of already pre-geared for what they're about to get. So when you dealing with a cuisine like Haitian food the women that's coming there cooking these are recipes handed down through oral tradition and all of them put their hip in it. They put something different.
Speaker 2:
So the ones that's doing something unique and they ain't sharing was making this sauce a nine and making this sauce a three. They not sharing that because everybody then everybody would be doing that. It's so diverse. So when you got something that unique and you find the one that's fire that everybody's saying, and you find that Haitian mommy man, it's probably some gold mines out here that ain't never even been in the restaurant.
Speaker 2:
They just been cooking it for y'all and your cousins and Tikason all these years and it's the best thing ever, you post a fine hubby like, hey, we finna give you this, we finna give you this, but this is a secret, don't give this to nobody else. We will give you everything you need because I can guarantee it could be a reality show. You go behind seeing they probably mad at y'all giving me spinach and I really want lalo but y'all making me make them think this lalo and it's actually spinach. Then y'all cutting me short on my epis, some of the ingredients. Y'all want me to use seasonings, but y'all know I like to puree my vegetables instead of the seasonings. They got these seasonal beefs too, to where they may be limited in what they are trying to do. So I've just been saying we gotta be a little bit lenient on the mommies, we gotta believe a little bit.
Speaker 1:
No, I honestly believe they put in their work. I believe in people getting paid for their work. I mean, that's something amongst the Haitian community they'll just have to establish to make sure those people are well taken care of. And I also wanted to ask you guys too, as we're talking about Haitian cuisine, but what is your favorite dish? What's your number one, the one you're gonna go to?
Speaker 2:
the one that's gonna hit right. Go ahead. I like the spinach with the rice and beans. I don't know the difference from lalo and spinach yet, but I'm starting to learn it. But yeah, I like the spinach.
Speaker 1:
Rice and beans, like the red beans and rice. Yeah, what's the rice you like?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I do the red beans and rice. The mushroom and rice on point, but I don't know that spinach, even when they put the beef in.
Speaker 1:
No, that D&J on here, tilly Jo Jo. But my thing is, some places don't do it every day, like that's one of. I think that should be a law.
Speaker 2:
Black rice should be available every day, not on just Sundays. It might be difficult Because that it might be expensive.
Speaker 1:
Slab what other food do you like? It's a mushroom that turns into a different color.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that makes it dark.
Speaker 2:
Yeah but a mushroom, A mushroom and it gives it the flavor. If they got a kitchen and they have to do two other rice. They got so many stoves.
Speaker 1:
Do you know black rice? And I know this gotta be a fact. It's more popular than all the other rice Facts. No, I got Americans. I got it spinning Every other culture. They'll look at the rice. It's not black rice what you brought.
Speaker 2:
There's a reason for that Because that's a problem that would be a concern with all the Haitian restaurants. All the Haitian restaurants ain't doing black rice like that.
Speaker 1:
Wait, when we get one of y'all on exposure, we're gonna let y'all speak these facts for us, because we got questions. We got a whole lot of questions and I'm sure the public will love to hear from some of y'all too. We're gonna definitely reach out and try to get some of these restaurant owners, or even some people that works in these facilities, to speak out, and we'll love to hear their explanation, experiences and what we, what we can do to take to enhance the Caribbean experience. Right, what about you, dregal? What should go?
Speaker 3:
to minds is D Georgia. I like, I like a Tossel. Tossel is my number one, okay, okay, it's always my main to go if I don't want Tossel and I want something quick and I want to get in and out, I would get a poultry with sauce, chicken and maybe with some, and that's pretty up there. Yes, yes, I thought so into cheap now?
Speaker 1:
No, it's not okay, okay expensive to that fishes. That takes it all right fishes. Mp when you see fish price up there. Is gonna say MP. Right market price, that thing could be this this week, $30 something miles next week.
Speaker 2:
What are you?
Speaker 1:
You're and that fish got to stick out the plate. If it'll stick out the plate with the head here to tell them it ain't here the eyeball blinking at you, you know what I'm saying. I'm believing or not. So I do love black rice, but my to-go dish like never fails. Mama know it. My Auntie knew it. Rest in peace. Um, anybody who's real close to me and dear knows it's gonna be the white rice, it's gonna be call I'll. I know not a lot of people fan of carlala, but I love my okra and tomatoes. Man, give me some carlalu. You feel me. I need my black beans and rice. You know what I'm saying. And and if you want me to go to sleep, you know I'm saying like coma, give me a avocado to top it off, okay, okay.
Speaker 1:
Call. I lose by number one.
Speaker 2:
Dish though Haitian food you in the Haitian restaurant on Boy in Beach and military and that Duncan doughnuts pleasure.
Speaker 3:
I know what you're talking about. I.
Speaker 2:
Seen that over there but I never. I don't know the name. I never heard nobody in Beach and military yeah yeah, it's by the Chuck at Jesus. No no that's not gonna make Donald's across from the McDonald's.
Speaker 1:
Across from the McDonald's in the beach and military in the Dunkin Donuts Plaza, dunkin Donuts with a T-Mobile.
Speaker 2:
It's a Dunkin Donuts there. It's a bank, it's a yeah, by Chase.
Speaker 1:
You don't know, chase? Yeah, oh, there's a Haitian restaurant. I've never been there either, cuz I think it says Italian and Haitian cuisine on the window.
Speaker 2:
I ain't never hit nobody talk about me, neither brother yeah me either.
Speaker 1:
I've never been in there. I've never heard no one talk about it. I didn't realize they even had Haitian till I. One day I was getting Duncan and I sat in the parking lot long enough to be like.
Speaker 3:
That's.
Speaker 1:
Haitian dishes on the window Mmm, that's crazy, but I've never been there.
Speaker 3:
Um so you like Pete. You know what Pete's in me is you like Pete's? In me.
Speaker 1:
Those are the dishes that I go to. I rather my moulin Okay.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yeah, okay, I'll do my moulin. And then those other PT Me's blizz. No, that stuff. I Hate them with the passion like this. There's this food that I hate, that I know I had a kid and we never can't go back to could. How do you as a kid? But there's a couple of them, so your kid.
Speaker 1:
like you know, we all got kids, but do you think it's interesting? When they don't like certain things, how they have that option of not eating it. We grew up it was kind of like damn you got me because, although I didn't like certain things, it was in my preference. I had to eat it because I know this is what I gotta eat.
Speaker 2:
I gotta eat today, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So even if it's not my go-to, don't think I'm not too big on. Is a fish Me too I like you know, fried fish. I pick around it, but I don't like stew. I'm not crazy on fish because the bones crabs like anything when you got to work to eat it. Yeah, unless it's like boneless. I don't like working man.
Speaker 3:
I call it playing with your food. I don't like playing with my food to get to it.
Speaker 1:
How about you? You, you like you do some crap. You know you mess up some crap, yeah.
Speaker 2:
I mess up some crap, I've had it. I've had it in my Lollipopo.
Speaker 1:
Okay, but you don't talk about the root. Like you know, the crab places were like where you can go and they give you like a big they give you gloves. You.
Speaker 2:
If they're big enough, and I got the, the things that crack it and it just come out, but the small ones where you know you got them little skinny legs and then you got it To the meat and you like man, this this is, this is work is frustrating and the doodle get on the crab Busting open the.
Speaker 1:
Another reason why I guess I ain't too tripping about no crab. I shot everybody we crabs. It just stopped my go-to man. I don't like working too hard to eat. I want to be able to eat and keep it pushing your.
Speaker 2:
Doodle is full of nutrients too.
Speaker 1:
You got it. Yeah, you got from the seam in the grow hair to that. I'm gonna let you hold that there, but we waiting for Eric. If you see Eric with a fro or Eric bus out way. You already know what to do. You know what I'm saying. We gonna be on it pop and they're gonna be like Eric said it first hey, yeah.
Speaker 2:
I might.
Speaker 1:
I might have to charge you for the ingredients you know, now, that's crazy, but I would definitely love to have one of y'all. Yeah, we definitely gonna reach out to the community and try to get some people to give you their perspectives on mr Shyam times experiencing and and palm beach, of course, but no, shout out to him and shout out to all the businesses that he visited. I'll hope y'all get an influx of business. And, uh, you know, keep your head up and you know, like, listen to the reviews and you can only get better. So shout out to off the bone.
Speaker 1:
I thought their spin on the review was Interesting and I also think he brought a lot of awareness to these locations. Although good or bad, you know how some people say what is it? Any publicity is good, publicity, correct, is that the same? Something like that. So I think, in this situation, it did bring a lot of awareness to these locations. So y'all just got to continue to do your thing.
Speaker 1:
I know it's not easy. I know the restaurant industry is it. You know you got a lot of people to please and you won't be able to make everybody happy, but I think to fix these Haitian restaurants to what Eric said Definitely pay the people their money. That's important and it just sounds like we all our experiences. Are we looking for that Consistency, though? If somebody got the right recipe for that peak lease, less master that, let's make sure everybody's making it the same way. If it's for the sauce, let's master master that, let's make it the same way. If it's for the rice, let's master that. Pay him what you need to pay him, and let everybody do it the same way, and I think it's a win for everybody at the end of the day facts, facts.
