First, let me tell you this. If you live in the neighborhood and you haven’t been to Juniper, shame on you. And if you live in the city or are a traveller, you must go now! Bring enough cash though as it is “cash only.” Also, it is “bring your own liquors,” so if you are going to drink buy few bottles of wine and you are all set to eat and party!! Below is the map of the liquor store for your information.
“ALERT: MUST ORDER THE SPECIALS, ESPECIALLY CAJUN SEAFOOD PASTA”
I am sure Y’all are following me to find some comfort food in your life. I don’t just restrict in comfort food that is Southern, but also Asian, Middle Eastern or anything that makes me feel comfortable. And I have mostly posted Asian comfort food, but today I want to talk about Juniper.
LOCATION
Juniper Brooklyn is in Williamsburg. You can easily take the L train to Bedford ave and walk a block, and you will find it. Here is the map for you.
INTERIOR
Juniper is a straight up Cajun joint where you can have jambalaya and cajun pasta with sausage. There are a lot of cajun restaurants in the city, but Juniper is special. As you walk in, the interior makes you feel like you are at an old local restaurant where you know you will get good food. Even it feels old, it is not like a cheap Chinese restaurant or a deli. It is more like a preserved historical restaurant where you could find in New Orleans. The restaurant definitely adds the culture of old Williamsburg (I mean Williamsburg that was 10 years ago) with a small outdoor garden and only cash and byob.
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Are You Not Fee
THE OWNER
One thing that caught my eyes were the art wall in the restaurant – it was all Asian paintings. I was wondering what was going on. We found out that Tommy, the owner, grew up in Mississippi in America and also Hong Kong. He experienced the Southern food while he was growing up in Mississippi and fell in love. So, when you have the meal, it is straight up Southern food, but also you get a hint of Asian in there somewhere. Also, Ande is so friendly and fun, we ended up drinking 3 bottles of wine going back and forth to the liquor store.
Tom, the owner, and partner in crime, Ande, are the BEST! I MEAN BEST!
Alternative Restaurant: You Can Try Lilia Ristorante If You Are Feeling a Little Classier
FOOD
If you look at Juniper Williamsburg menu, you will find the food is heavily influenced by Southern food. Lots of old bay spice and fried foods. They also have American food like burgers and salads, but if you are visiting Juniper Brooklyn, you have to go for the specials. Also, Tom explains that he doesn’t like how Williamsburg is changing and becoming more posh and trendy. The meal prices are going up and the portions are getting smaller, and he doesn’t want to become like that. So he is sticking to its tradition and making big portions with reasonable price!
If you are visiting Juniper Williamsburg, go straight to the special menu.
You will find jambalaya, fish and chips, mac and cheese, cajun shrimp salad and linguine. We have tried the fish and chips, jambalaya and the pasta (If you have tried mac and cheese and cajun shrimp, please leave us a comment on what you thought!
Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Louisiana recipe influenced by Spanish food. You can think as Paella on steroid. It is a fried rice mixed with meat and seafood (chicken, pork, crawfish or shrimp). It is seasoned with that bay spice and some broth to make is juicy. Juniper follows the exact recipe with a little Asian kick and maybe cause I’m Korean, the taste is phenomenon. You can taste all kinds of spice and ingredient in one dish and it is not messy at all. It represents the real South!
Fish and Chips
So let me tell you this. We went with an hardcore Liverpool born English man who ate fish and chips his entire life. He was speechless that he had an even better fish. Not alone in America but in this small rundown restaurant. It is that good! The chips were ok and you can easily have it anywhere, but the fish was exceptional. The batter was thin and crispy.
When I was obsessed with fish and chips at one point, I actually went to a fish and chips school for a day in Leeds, UK. Yes, I am that nerdy. But after taking that class, I realized that fish and chips might be fast food, but it takes a lot of time to prepare just one fish and also, it is really hard to keep the batter thin and crisp. btw, here is the picture of me at the school. Anyways, I appreciated how crisp the fish was at Juniper.
Pasta
If you look at Juniper Williamsburg Menu, you will find a cajun seafood pasta. And this is the biggest reason I am spending my time writing this long blog. It is something more than just a cajun seafood pasta. It’s like a mix of southern and Asian. It taste like Korean Jjampong but also cajun. Like what Tom said he wasn’t cheap on the seafood and sausages. There were mussels, shrimp, fish, calamari and sausage with linguine on the bottom. It was so rich in taste and filling in stomach, it can’t be better than this. It had a spicy kick but nothing like “I am going to die” kick. The portion was huge, so if you don’t eat too much, it would be good enough for two people. At one point, I was curious how they could make money if they are so generous on the ingredients.
Maybe I am overselling it with my excitement, now you think you are getting scammed by a salesperson. Right? So, I am linking Juniper Brooklyn Yelp page for your information. Juniper Brooklyn Yelp proves that it is probably the best Southern restaurant in Wiliamsburg. So let’s stop talking about it and put it in action!