An interesting plant-based Caribbean eatery is opening in Williamsburg

Short for "Healthy As A Motha," new plant-based Caribbean eatery HAAM will open at 234 Union Avenue near Meserole Street in Williamsburg on November 15.

The debut of the full-fledged restaurant follows the operation of a ghost kitchen in Sunnyside, Queens by chef/owner Yesenia Ramdass. 

Just as was the case in the original iteration of the concept, HAAM will serve food inspired by both the chef's Dominican heritage and her husband Randy's Trinidadian background. 

Although classic Caribbean dishes tend to feature a lot of meat, chef Ramdass has found a way to bridge those traditions with "mindful dietary choices" in ways that are certain to titillate your palate. 

Sample dishes include the yucca mash with king oyster scallops al ajillo dish, drenched in different forms of garlic; the island onigiri, an amarillo rice ball stuffed with jerk BBQ oyster mushrooms and sweet plantain topped with avocado mousse and spicy mayo; and a sweet plantain boat stuffed with lentil ground "beef" and presented alongside a purple cabbage slaw and jalapeño queso.

Dessert-wise, you should certainly order the pineapple flan and try the interesting bake and shark dish, a Trinidadian sandwich with banana blossom topped with purple cabbage slaw, pineapple, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion. Fine, that last one may also be thought of as an entrée.

You'll get to wash it all down with a slew of Caribbean drink specialties, including house-made tamarind juice, a hibiscus beverage native to Jamaica known as sorrel juice and a traditional Dominican option that blends orange juice and milk called Morisoñando. Cold-press sugarcane juice is also on the menu.

But it's a design element within the space that most closely seems to represent what the owners are all about: a heritage wall featuring family heirlooms and important objects related to their personal history. The section assumes even more meaning next to the hand-painted mural by Brazilian artist Livia Mourao found on the premises as well.

According to an official press release, the art piece "serves as a tribute to the matriarchal figures who brought the HAAM brand to life."

We're so glad they did.