Experience the Vibrant Haitian Flavors at A.J.W Caribbean on Wolf Road!

A.J.W Caribbean, a delightful Haitian restaurant, has recently opened its doors in a surprisingly spacious location next to the Men’s Wearhouse across from Colonie Center on Wolf Road. The former Starbucks location is still noticeable with its orange walls and double-sided, faux-stone fireplace, previously adorned with comfortable leather armchairs. What catches your attention is the lack of a menu at the moment, only a few scenic posters placed strategically on the blank walls. No chalkboard or QR codes can be found, and pricing is not visible to customers. Instead, the coffee counter has been transformed into a buffet for chafing dishes, where young Haitian cooks stir and season huge steaming pans on a commercial oven located just behind them. To-go containers are priced based on size rather than weight, with medium and large priced at $15 and $20 respectively. If you’re feeling adventurous, I highly recommend ordering the red snapper or goat, priced at $25. Be prepared to have a conversation with the staff when you arrive for takeout, or stay and dine in to enjoy heaping mounds of rice and stew on white oval plates.

Ermione Clement, the owner of A.J.W Caribbean, plans to eventually add menu boards, but it hasn’t been a priority so far. However, this hasn’t deterred the steady stream of customers walking in as we patiently wait for our whole red snapper to be fried. This is Creole cooking at its finest – comforting, filling, and bursting with layers of flavor. The dishes are glistening with coconut and butter, spiced up with Scotch bonnet peppers, and slow-cooked to perfection until the meat effortlessly slips off the bone.

Your best strategy is to review the menu on their website before your visit, and use it as a reference when you point and order. The selection of mains is diverse, ranging from stewed goat (kabrit) and fried chicken (poul fri) to griot – savory chunks of fried pork with crispy fat caps, or the marinated and deep-fried red snapper (pwason woz) with its golden exterior and tender white flesh that effortlessly slides off the cartoonish fish carcass.

You’ll also have the pleasure of choosing from a variety of sides, including sauces like sos pwa nwa – a shimmering black bean puree thinned with chicken bouillon and coconut milk, and chicken or beef broth to pour over rice. Speaking of rice, you’ll have three options: buttery seasoned white rice (diri blan), black rice (diri ak dyondyon) stained purple-black by the water from drained black mushrooms and garnished with green peas, and red beans and rice (diri kole), all of which share a familiar Spanish and Caribbean influence. Each main course comes with a side of pakliz, a tangy and vinegar-infused coleslaw with a powerful kick of Scotch bonnet pepper, so a little goes a long way.

My dining companion, who is Haitian, recommends savoring the layered flavors of this cuisine. Take a bite of seasoned rice on its own, then drizzle it with the black bean sos pwa nwa, and finally scoop up some legim ak vyann bef – a delicious vegetable stew with tender beef chunks. The stew is slow-cooked to perfection, giving it a creamy texture and thickening it with spinach, chayote squash, and the renowned Haitian epis – a spicy puree similar to sofrito, made with peppers, onions, garlic, and Scotch bonnet peppers.

In the French-based Kreyol language, “legim” means “vegetables,” but the preparation begins with marinating the beef in lime juice before smothering it in epis. The presence of lime can be tasted throughout the dishes, and the marinated pwason woz – with its recognizable French roots as “poisson rouge” – brings a burst of flavor to the tender fish.

There are traditional pairings to be enjoyed: white rice is typically served with legim, while the goat meat clinging to exposed bones is wonderfully complemented by black rice, and the pork is best enjoyed with rice and beans. To top it all off, the staff generously sprinkle raw sliced onions and bell peppers, adding vibrant colors and a refreshing, crunchy contrast. We pour swirls of chicken broth over the black rice and rice and beans, creating a symphony of umami flavors and creating a unique taste experience with each bite.

Once you’ve made your choices of meat and rice, you might want to consider adding fried plantains (bannan peze) to your plate. They come in golden discs and add a delightful crunch. Unfortunately, they were out of traditional marinad (fritters) and Haitian hand pies (pate kode) during this visit, but we did try akra – crispy corn flour-battered bullets with a soft, fluffy center made from pulped and rolled malanga root (yautia). These are best enjoyed dipped in sauces or topped with a little pikliz coleslaw for an extra punch of flavor.

The soda fridge on one of the walls is stocked with rows of Couronne’s fruit champagne, one of the sweetest tropical sodas you’ll ever taste and a nostalgic favorite in Haitian culture. Clement, the owner, checks on us, inquiring about the food and answering any questions we may have. She grew up in Au Cap, Haiti, and used to work in the medical field before venturing into the restaurant business. She shares that the initials of her three children make up the A.J.W acronym in the restaurant’s name. On weekends, she adds specialties like mayi moulen – a cornmeal porridge similar to polenta, and bouillon – a traditional Haitian soup. I’m captivated by the relaxed atmosphere of the place: children spending time with their families, some eating, some behind the counter, and customers enjoying their meals or patiently waiting for their takeout. While the restaurant space may seem a bit bare and the ordering process slightly complicated at the moment, the warm welcome and flavorsome Haitian cuisine make A.J.W Caribbean a truly delightful experience.