The clerk at the counter was surprised when I told her we wanted to feature her Scarborough restaurant for our food blog. “You want to write about this place?” she asked.
I can see her point: with its peeling paint, shoddy wood panelling and holes in the floor boards, Fahmee Bakery (119 Montezuma Trail) looks more like an aging rec room converted into an illegal basement suite rather than a fine restaurant. It’s located on 119 Montezuma Trail, a name that conjures unpleasant images Montezuma’s revenge, a tropical travellers illness brought about by unhygienic foods.
But in reality, Fahmee Bakery serves some of the finest Jamaican food in the city. Don't be surprised to see a lineup of people of all ages and ethnicities waiting in line to buy Jamaican patties by the dozen.
The beef patties are freshly baked in the back and are filled with a smooth, spicy meat paste. One patty (beef, chicken or veggie) will set you back $1.35 ($13 for a dozen).
But it was the jerk chicken that blew my mind. For just $3 you can get a jerk chicken sandwich served on cocobread, a tender bread made with coconut milk. The chicken is top quality and super tasty. We had to order a couple more to go and eat at home later.
Fahmee has been in this location for 30 years. It’s current owner Michael Lue, a member of Jamaica’s storied Chinese community, took over the place 21 years ago. “We have many customers who came here when they were very small, and now they're grown up and they still come,” explains the clerk. There’s even a “Fahmee Bakery Lifers” page on Facebook devoted to the restaurant.
Fahmee Bakery is located at 119 Montezuma Trail. Open every day 9am to 6:30pm. Tel: 416754-2126.
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Hey Sarah. Great find. What's sow bow? Is that the jerk sandwich?
ReplyDeleteHi Gilbert, I think sow bow is some kind of Chinese steam bun, but I don't think they had that when we were there. --Sarah
ReplyDeleteFahmee is a great place to get some great food. i used to live in the neighborhood and pass by whenever i am back in area. their patties are best in the city, hands down.
ReplyDeleteDont listen to this guy. George's Tastee patties are the best
DeleteMy god I just discovered this blog today and lo and behold your most recent article is on the place from where I've been getting patties pretty much my whole life... an awesome coincidence and an awesome jamaican place.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteBeen going there most of my life. Gotta fill the cravings mon! keep it up!
ReplyDeletejerk chicken and coco bread!! back in the day it use to be $2.00. Best bang for your buck.
ReplyDeleteWant something sweet, ask for Gizzada!
ReplyDeleteThe patties are okay. But the actual restaurant is filthy and looks like a dump. I don't think I will ever go back. If the front of the place is a dump I can just imagine what the kitchen looks like. Walked in one time and seen old dirty boxes galore with newspaper everywhere. The place looked like it had not been cleaned in over a year.
ReplyDeleteYou must have missed the almost nonstop lineup of customers like the hoards I saw last week. There are tips to finding good food and decor is not one of them. When you go looking for authentic BBQ you look for the road side shacks with the full parking lot like A&R BBQ in Memphis. Fahmee is a local with a well worn no frills Caribbean vibe and a packed parking lot. When I walked in I knew right away it was the real deal.I found it no dirtier than any other family owned takeout joint.The service was friendly, the food was rock solid, and the prices great. For me personally I found the jerk a bit tame but very tasty. Tasty enough to buy one to take home for later. Sadly I live in the west end or I would drop by here on a regular basis.
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