A Caribbean restaurant lands on the NY Times list
By NAN Lifestyle Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri, October 13, 2022: A Caribbean restaurant run by a Caribbean chef is on The New York Times’ list of America’s 50 Most Excited Places Right Now.
Canje in Austin, Texas, opened last October by Guyanese-born chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph, has paid homage to its roots with a menu that spans across the Caribbean. The menu includes dishes like plantain chips, curried wagyu beef; pot of wild boar pepper; tile soaked in tamarind and rum butter; prawns brushed with green seasoning and smoked peppers; jerk chicken; roti and a tres leches cake soaked in coconut milk.
Chef Tavel has made a name for himself in Austin with pastries at Emmer & Rye and Hestia, which he co-owns. “For me, Caribbean cuisine represents a combination of different cultures: Indian, Portuguese, African, French… It’s such a ‘cuisine’,” said Bristol-Joseph, who was also named best new chef in 2020. by Food & Wine. as one of Tribeza’s People of the Year (alongside restaurants co-owner Kevin Fink), in a press release announcing Canje’s opening plans. “Ever since moving to Austin, I’ve been craving this food, and it’s exciting for me to have the opportunity to share my version of it. My grandma is going to be proud.
Named after the Canje pheasant, the national bird of Guyana, Canje draws inspiration not only from mainland Guyana, but also from Jamaica to Puerto Rico, and all the islands in between.
Owned by Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, Canje joins its sister restaurants in sourcing as much local produce and protein as possible, supporting local farms and drawing inspiration from local growing seasons.
“Growing up, my grandparents had seven children and two grandchildren in a two-bedroom house,” Bristol-Joseph told Tribeza in 2019. “Food was scarce sometimes, so when you had it, you cherish her. I became a chef so I could give, because I understand what it’s like to be without.
