MOONIES, ELSHIRE BEACH
This shack is on Kingston's most popular beach. You can have a swim, come out hungry and head to Moonies for food. It sells typical beach-style food – fish and vegetables – in huge portions. I'll look at my plate, piled high with fish, and think "I can't eat all that!", but then I look down again and suddenly it's empty – that's how good the food is. The place is always packed with ex-pats, so if like me you live in Brixton, you can pick out a few cockney accents mixed with the Jamaican ones.
SCOTCHIES, DRAX HALL, NR OCHO RIOS
This is the best place on the island for jerk chicken. Max Miller, the head chef, is fantastic – earlier this year Antony Worrall Thompson challenged him to a jerk chicken cooking contest, and Max wiped the floor with him.
He cooks the chicken the original way – not on a stove or barbecue, but in a pit in the ground at the back of the restaurant, using old spice tree bark that gives the meat an amazing flavour. You can go round the back to see how it's done.
• 00 876 794 9457
PETER'S PLACE, RUNAWAY BAY
This shack, on the island's north coast, sells the best fried fish in the whole of Jamaica. Peter is there every day, and there's always a long queue of people waiting to taste his food. He must make so much money – I have no idea why he hasn't bought himself a bigger place yet.
ROYAL PLANTATION RESORT, OCHO RIOS
It's a bit touristy, but the Royal Plantation is fantastic. The food is so fresh, and if you ask them, the chefs will come out to your table and entertain you with details about how they cooked your food and other crazy stories – everyone's a performer in Jamaica. I love the ital stew, a vegan stew with a delicious callaloo (spinach-like) flavour.
• 00 876 974 5601; royalplantation.com
JOLLY'S DRIVE-IN, PORT HENDERSON
This place is fabulous – stroll in, choose which fish you want, tell the chef how you want it cooked – either fried, steamed or baked – and it's ready in no time. I'm a big fan of the snapper. This is great to visit in the evening, as you can sit outside on the beach, order a rum punch and tuck in while watching the sunset.
• 00 876 988 7593
Caribbean Food Made Easy (Mitchell Beazley, £17.99) by Levi Roots is out now. To order a copy for £16.99 with free UK p&p go to theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6847.
