Bellingham and the surrounding region is inundated with Mexican restaurants — a beautiful thing, if you ask me. But our Latin American diaspora in this area is a diverse one, and for many, there isn’t representation in the restaurant scene. J’s Kitchen, in Fairhaven, provides the first restaurant that is Puerto Rican, top to bottom.
Puerto Rico is a fascinating study in geopolitics, colonization and cultural exchange, but we’re here to focus on the food — which is heavy on pork in lieu of beef, plantains and the use of every part of the ingredient.
Latin American, Spanish, African and American spices, cooking methods and ingredients are interwoven in the culinary fabric of Puerto Rico. With this in mind, I was very optimistic I’d find some flavors I’d never tried before.
The filling of the empanadas at J’s are divine, with the beef as the standout and the cheese and chicken close behind. Tostones, fried green plantains, are slightly more toothsome than a potato, and both the cilantro and garlic aioli are delicious and surprisingly light.
(Photo by Mark Saleeb)
Empanadas (three for $15) are a classic human combination — meat (chicken or beef) or cheese, wrapped in dough and fried. The universal nature of meat or cheese, wrapped in dough, and fried is beautiful to behold. J’s Kitchen served them up piping hot and with a crust nearly ethereal in its flakiness. The fillings are divine, with the beef as the standout and the cheese and chicken close behind. Smooth, and spiced with vigor and enthusiasm, these are absolute must-tries.
Tostones ($8) are fried green plantains. Serving the same culinary niche as potatoes, they have a slightly unripe fruit flavor. Considering that they are in fact unripened fruit, it makes sense. They’re definitely an acquired taste, but one that I acquired quickly. They’re slightly more toothsome than a potato, and both the cilantro and garlic aioli were delicious and surprisingly light.
Pollo guisado ($14) arrived soon after, a bowl of white rice and tostones topped with tender, bone-in, stewed chicken and veggies. This dish was wholesome, hearty and deeply comforting in the same way a bowl of chicken noodle soup might be.
One of my dining partners recounted that his Puerto Rican grandmother would make this often, fitting the same cultural placeholder as a pot roast, chicken and potatoes, or Kraft macaroni and cheese serves for an American household. It’s a quick, easy and comfortable dish for a busy family. This was a really lovely dish.
The carne bowl ($17) is white rice, pinto beans, tostones and a choice of pernil or chicken. We went with pernil, a traditionally prepared, slow-roasted pork. Crisped up on a griddle before being served, this was knockout pork. The whole bowl definitely provided a more robust meal than the pollo guisado, if not as reminiscent of Grandma’s kitchen. Perhaps more like an uncle with a Traeger and a pension?
Next up, I just had to get a Cubano ($18), with a side of potato salad ($2). Pernil, ham, Swiss cheese, crispy pickles and a very generous smear of mustard (my favorite) all atop a soft roll, pressed to crispy perfection. This is a very good Cuban sandwich — one of the better ones I’ve had lately — but for $18 (tax included), it definitely has to be.
While I will go back for one again, it won’t be with any regularity. The potato salad had a bit more kick to it than your typical deli potato salad, and made a great accompaniment to the sandwich.
Mofongo ($16) was the final dish we tried and by far the most savory and decadent — chicken cracklings, pounded plantain, pickled red onions and drizzled with garlic mojo, an olive oil-based, heavily spiced sauce. The crispy, fatty cracklings and garlic oil complement the starchy plantain beautifully, bringing what would be an overwhelming bite down to earth.
While the serving appears small, it’s ludicrously rich, more akin to eating spoonfuls of tartare. I can say confidently that you’re not going to clean that plate without a struggle, but it’s one I valiantly attempted. While the pickled onions were a nice touch, their acid was insufficient to counter the fat present in the rest of the dish.
I left J’s Kitchen full of pork and very satisfied. Fairhaven is expensive real estate and food prices are up — an explanation, if not an excuse, for the relatively high prices. They’re working with specialty ingredients for the most part, like Chicago Joe’s, almost providing a service to their respective diasporas.
The measure of success, then, is how well they can attract people for whom there isn’t a sense of nostalgia or homesickness in the cuisine. I wish them the best in this and hope others are willing to give them a try, if only for the unique flavors they bring to Bellingham.
J’s Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m Tuesday through Sunday at 1307 11th St. Info: jskitchenfairhaven.com.
