Reuniting with Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties

I’ve known about Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties for  years. In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting the company’s owners back when they first joined the Association of Filipino Franchisers, where I used to work.

That said, I’ve had my share of a lot of their Jamaican Patties. They were such a treat even back then but I have to admit that I haven’t had my fill of them lately. So, when I was invited to visit their Market Market branch for a review, I readily accepted.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the brand, Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties are meaty filling Jamaican snacks that are made from high quality ingredients. Over the years, the company has grown to include branches not only in Metro Manila but in the provinces as well.

The company also features a Caribbean Drinks beverage line, which are “irresistibly good brain-freeze ice cold drinks”. These drinks are said to have been a great come-on for customers who snack on Jamaican Patties because it truly satisfies their quench.

The Market Market branch of Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties can be located at the 5th floor of the mall, right where the cinemas are. Their small store is hard to miss with their very colorful signage and facade. So, you can order to go and bring your food inside the movie theater or dine in.

There are a few tables and chairs both inside and outside the store with their counter easily accessible at the front right portion. The area was clean, brightly lit and full of the Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties’ signature colors. What I love most, though, is this cozy seating at the back, which is where I sat together with hubby and Ziggy. When we arrived, only one outside table was occupied so we had the store practically to ourselves.

The staff were accommodating and immediately showed me the menu from which we were to choose our preferred Jamaican patties and iced tea drinks. These were the choices.

I was torn between the Beef Royale and the Cheeze Burst Royale but in the end, my desire to taste their all-beef variant won. So, I chose Beef Royale and a Red Raspberry Tea. Hubby, on the other hand, preferred something spicy so he chose the Beef Curry variant plus Four Seasons to drink. Unfortunately, they were out of Beef Curry that day so he ended up with the Beef Grenada instead.

The service was quite fast. They served our orders on a tray only a few minutes after ordering. The Jamaican patties were served hot and fresh.

The Beef Royale I had is exactly how I remembered it to be. I love how the crust seems to melt in my mouth. It’s very easy to bite into. Unfortunately, I can be a bit messy when eating Jamaican patties and so I couldn’t help but have some crumbs fall into the tray. I really think it’s just me though because my hubby didn’t have a problem with it. He finished his entire serving without making a mess.

The filling was very flavorful but at the same time the taste of the beef really stands out. I’m really happy I chose this version. Although I love cheese, I think it would have overpowered the taste of the beef. As for the serving size, it was more than enough to satisfy me. Note that we ate this for lunch.

As for hubby, he was expecting his Beef Grenada to be “extra hot” because that’s what the menu said. However, although he likes the taste of the Beef Grenada, in general, it wasn’t spicy enough for him. But you have to note that he’s the type who likes putting hot chili sauce or kimchi into everything. So, his idea of spicy is not like my idea of spicy.

I had a bite of his Beef Grenada and I had to admit that it wasn’t as spicy as I expected it to be but it was just right for me. I had to have a sip of my iced tea after that bite. So for those of you who don’t like spicy stuff, order something else.

As for the drinks, they were both served ice cold. They were very frothy on top. My Red Raspberry Tea was a tad too sweet for my taste but hubby and I both loved his Four Seasons. It wasn’t too sweet at all and was really refreshing. It was the perfect companion to the Jamaican patties, if you ask me.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out though that Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties also serves side orders such as Baked Macaroni, Hash Brown Potatoes, Twister Fries and Cookies. They also have other drinks such as the Berbenia Iced Tea and the Caribbean Frap that comes in four flavors – Chocolate, Mocha, Caramel and Strawberry. We gotta try those next time.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience in the store. It’s nice to know that the Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties I used to love, is still the same. They have definitely maintained the quality of their food. We are looking forward to trying the other variants in the menu.

For more information about Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties, please visit www.royalcaribbean.com.ph.

Disclosure: I was invited by Royal Caribbean Jamaican Patties to dine in for free for this review, but all opinions in this post are my own.