Spanish Town's best-kept secret

Jody-Anne Lawrence, Gleaner Writer

Tucked away on Martin Street in Spanish Town is what some refer to as the Old Capital's best-kept secret.

Cecil's Restaurant and Lounge is somewhat obscured a little outside the town centre. It is a one-of-a-kind building on its street - a tall cream building with a picture of the founder - Cecil Reid - from whom it got its name.

Greeted by the managing director, Mark Miller, Food was ushered into the restaurant. It was intimate and dimly lit with a huge picture of Reid on the wall. This picture was a monument and a tower of strength for his daughter, Michelle Miller, on a day-to-day basis.

"That picture helps me through. When I am having a rough day, I look on it and go over and talk to him," the current owner told Food.

Cecil's started in 1984 as a small restaurant next door to its current location. The original location was initially a house transformed into a restaurant. Reid decided to start this new venture after a bit of prodding and encouragement from his wife, who saw his potential.

"My father was a chef and worked for several restaurants, which were successful, so my mother asked him why he didn't start his own. She said, 'Cecil, you're busy making everyone else rich, why not make us rich?' That was when they decided to start the restaurant with one stove and our refrigerator to store meat," Miller recalls.

In the beginning, Reid was the head cook and bottle washer, as he single-handedly did everything. "He was the meat cutter and the chef. He did everything," Miller said.

How it began

Miller got involved in the restaurant as a teenager, as that was where she spent her summer holidays. "My father nudged me in that direction. He made me interact with customers," said Miller. This prepared her to take over when he passed away on July 16, 2011.

Cecil's have come a far way. It began primarily as a Chinese restaurant, but Reid listened to his customers and from time to time prepared meals that were not necessarily on their daily menu.

They currently have an extensive menu consisting of both Chinese and Jamaican dishes. Their all-time favourite is their fried chicken that they douse with their special sauce. This dish has always been on the menu, and almost anyone who is from Spanish Town will tell you about the fry chicken from Cecil's. Another favourite is their steamed fish with okra and vegetables.

most popular dish

Though they have incorporated a Jamaican menu with dishes like curried goat and even stewed pork, Cecil's have not strayed from their Chinese roots. One of the most popular dishes is their special choy fan, which includes chop suey and a choice of three meats. Then there is the mouth-watering sweet and sour shrimp, among many others.

Cecil's has expanded into more than a traditional restaurant and moved to their current location in 1994. They currently have a banquet hall above the main restaurant where they host events, and in trying to incorporate an entertainment element, they have spontaneous talent nights where they invite guest performers.

One thing that will never happen to Cecil's is having other branches.

"Cecil's have been a household name and surrounded by family. Our staff is the greatest. I really and truly do not know how I could have done it without them," Miller said with a broad smile. "I can't water down the brand. This is Cecil's and this is home. So I do not think I will change that."

jody-anne.lawrence@gleanerjm.com.

Cecil's Restaurant and Lounge steamed fish with okra and vegetables.

Photos by Gladstone Taylor/Photographer

The delicious special choy fan by Cecil's Restaurant and Lounge: Rice accompanied by fried chicken, curried goat, stewed pork and chop suey. The meats can be substituted by others on the menu upon request.

Cecil's Restaurant and Lounge fried chicken in their special sauce with tossed salad.

Mouth-watering sweet and sour shrimp with pineapples garnished with sweet peppers.