We'd been planning on a little beach action last weekend, but the weather weirdness put paid to that notion. No monsoon moping for us, though: We struggled through the deluge down to Aalawi, a laid-back corner of Ebisu that is forever Caribbean.
Our feet were drenched, but it was well worth the wade. The green, gold and black flag above the street and the gleaming oilcan barbecue by the door send out a message as clear as the insistent reggae beat inside. Here you eat and chill in true Jamaican style.
Aalawi — the patois way of saying "all of us" — is a simple, laidback place, with comfortable retro cafe furniture and Red Stripe beer posters on the wall. Owner-chef Toshiyuki Ibayashi lived for over a year in Jamaica, and he has re-created the easygoing ambience and robust cooking of the roadside eateries found across the island. He's also brought back with him a dynamite recipe for jerk chicken, the spicy barbecue that has become Jamaica's de facto national dish.