Roots – Jamaican Jerk Goat Chops!

Update (13FEB23): Roots is no longer in operation.

I lived in Niamey, Niger for two years. Being mostly a desert country with little vegetation, goats thrived there and were often on the menu for celebratory occasions. So I am no stranger to eating goat. Usually it was bland and stringy. Frankly, I wouldn’t consider it my favorite kind of meat, but it could just be that I’d never had  good quality goat meat prepared and seasoned properly. Today that changed.

Last weekend I learned that there was a restaurant called Roots located at K Village that was one of the few places in town that not only had goat on their menu, but served it Jamaican Jerk style (on the menu as “KC Is A Jerk”). When I learned that they also had free-flow mojitos from 3-4 pm on Sundays (called Sundaze) I was easily able to establish when I’d visit and what I’d be ordering!

I was surprised to learn that their meats are locally sourced. I had assumed it was imported. They are very selective about the cuts they receive from their local distributor (the meat is to never have been frozen, and will only accept male goat meat (as female goats are less tender)). The Jamaican Jerk Goat Chops dish that I ordered came with 3 small chops, a mildly spicy roasted green chili, and a side of puréed aubergine (eggplant) with melted cheese.  The meal was one of their more expensive menu items at 580 baht ($17.42). The chops were absolutely succulent and fiery seasoned. The eggplant perfectly tempered down the heat, and I found that a small sliver of juicy meat with a dollop of creamy aubergine made for a perfect bite.

I learned that their Jamaican Jerk Goat Chops is their #2 most popular dish. Their most popular dish is actually their Lamb Kebabs. That is because their Turkish grill chef “knows his meats” and expertly cooks them to perfection. If you order any of their grilled dishes you won’t be disappointed.

A one hour free-flow goes by pretty quickly, and after the spicy chops I was still needing to cool my mouth down. They serve 42 Below brand vodka martinis for 240 baht ($6.60). I am a fan. It was also around this time that their DJ started spinning some house chill music. There is no finer feeling than enjoying a full belly whilst sipping a quality vodka martini in a nice garden setting with a little music on a lazy Sunday.

Roots is a great place to chill. It’s child friendly (with a small playground located next to the restaurant), and because it’s at K Village it’s also dog friendly. For me this was an excellent place to wrap-up the weekend!

Dear Reader,

This blog is a labor of love, and love is all I can afford to put into it (not advertising dollars). I really hope to have an active audience reading my articles. If you enjoyed this article, and feel that others would as well, please consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform.  Thank you!