They are the world
Open for less than a month, The Green Coconut Tree in Lakewood already has a steady packed lunch crowd. The tiny joint serves Chinese, Vietnamese and ... yes a full complement of Jamaican cuisine.
Green Coconut Tree offers many of the dishes one might find in Jamaica: curried chicken, curried goat, curried potatoes, jerk chicken, beef patties, fried plantains, roti, oxtail and beans and rice. The ripe plantains, sliced thin and sautéed with butter and a bit of sugar and salt, come on the side of most plates or can be ordered à la carte. The curries are spicy but not too hot, and the goat in particular is very flavorful.
The jerk chicken sandwich was delicious, if a little small. The saltfish, however, excelled on all fronts - perfectly cooked and spiced, mixed with butterbeans, green onion, tomatoes and fresh thyme, and served with a side of plantains.
Of course I ordered a couple ginger beers to wash it down.
I'll report on the Chinese and Vietnamese dishes next time. Pho noodle soups, rice dishes, chicken curry, Kung Pao dishes, lemon grass chicken, pan-fired noodle dishes, rice vermicelli noodle soups and bubble tea await. - Jake De Paul
[Green Coconut Tree, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, 8813 Edgewater Dr. SW, Lakewood, 253.473.4444]
Barrel No. 51 BBQ
Rolling along South Tacoma Way in search of the elusive Barrel No. 51 BBQ truck had me recalling the plate lunch trucks on Maui. Sigh. Once I found what I was looking for, I had a toss-up on my hands between the ground beef sloppy Joe sandwich (highly recommended), and the pulled pork sandwich.
The man working asked me what I liked; I told him "everything" - to which he grinned and replied, "Then everything is awesome." That great attitude made me want to try it all at once, but I knew my personal trainer would make me pay for it later.
I settled on the pulled pork - a tasty choice. Sad for me, but good for them - lunch crowds had gobbled up all the coleslaw by 11:45 a.m., leaving me with French fries as the only side option. Luckily, smoky fry sauce was to die for. The menu tops out at an even and affordable $5 (cash only) and makes for a quick lunch. Be sure to check out the sauces rated by hotness. - Jennifer Johnson
[Barrel No. 51 BBQ Truck, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., parking lot of the Pawn4More at 38th & M Street in Tacoma, 2403 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.228.6300]
Comments for "BITE US: Green Coconut Tree, Barrel No. 51 BBQ" (2)
Weekly Volcano is not responsible for the content of these comments. Weekly Volcano reserves the right to remove comments at their discretion.
Brian said on May. 12, 2010 at 9:26pm
My wife and I had been waiting for WAY too long for Green Coconut Tree to open. The sign was up, but the doors were locked for many months. The wait was worth it. Both the Vietnamese and the Jamaican dishes are well prepared, fresh, and flavorful. The prawns (whether on a skewer or in a full meal) are wonderfully seasoned. The jerk chicken is tender and zesty. I enjoy well-prepared pho soups, and Green Coconut Tree's are well-prepared, but I don't relish the inevitable splatter spots on my shirt. Their vermicelli salad dishes are like a pho soup without the broth. Hooray! I liked the curried option on the vermicelli meats (chicken or beef), because the seasoning is semi-sweet and not overpowering. I also enjoyed the beef patties (think Hot Pocket done right), but their weekly shipment from the New York supplier means they are not home made, and often absent from the display case. I can't get my standard iced tea here, but that means I've had the chance to sample some new liquid refreshments. By the way, if you see 'rice and peas' that's actually rice and beans, like you'd hope. Peas=beans in Jamaica. The two cooks are referred to by the servers as 'my Uncle' (Rastafari and vegetarian, but cooks meats like a carnivore), and 'my Auntie' (a Vietnamese matron who knows her way around the kitchen). As a bonus, they're next door to the Lakewood Forza, so I can snag a coffee on the way back to the office.
twodogs said on Oct. 05, 2010 at 2:51pm
Barrel No 51 BBQ is now in the parking lot of the Pawn4More at 38th & M Street in Tacoma! Great bbq pork sandwiches and beans! The beans had almost as much meat in them as the sandwich! Great food.
Leave A Comment
Respond on Your Blog
Create an Account
or
Login
If you have a Weekly Volcano Account you can not only post comments, but you can also respond to articles in your own Weekly Volcano Blog. It's just another way to make your voice heard.