In Ventura a Caribbean Strip Mall Favorite Readies to Take on the World | Eater LA

"Sitting in a simple strip-mall spot in Ventura, I found Caribbean Haven to be the realization of Hutton John’s calm, assured vision: a menu of unapologetically Caribbean dishes rooted in his Guyanese family recipes and years of food-service experience. What started as home-cooked meals and catering grew into a restaurant (he chronicled the opening on Instagram to 50,000 followers), and when it launched lines were long thanks to standout dishes like sautéed callaloo with a rich Indian backbone (dhals and channa curries), curry rasta pasta, braised oxtail with slow-cooked rice and peas, jerk chicken, curry goat, dense roti wraps, blackened chicken and tofu, coconut shrimp, yellow curry pasta with grilled chicken, seafood skewers, salads, wings, and Jamaican-style patties. The place feels unpretentious and flavorful — exactly the kind of food Ventura seemed to be missing — though it struggled financially by 2020 until a $10,000 grant, a city contract to feed homebound seniors, and a surge in business during the Buy Black movement helped stabilize it. I’d also note the origin story: John turned family cooking into Caribbean Haven (he opened it in 2017, though the business materials also list an established date of 2015), and he insists this is Ventura’s best Caribbean food. " - Farley Elliott