The jerk chicken ($10.99 for small) is marinated in a special homemade sauce and then grilled.[/caption]

Celestine and Lesline Walcott—co-owners of Ambrosia Island Restaurant in Pearland—said they are all about providing an authentic island experience for customers.

The sisters, who were born in Jamaica, cultivated early experience in cooking into a venture that allows them to share a piece of their homeland with the Pearland area.

“Where we’re from, everybody has to cook,” Celestine said. “[When we were young] our parents were at work, so [it was] the oldest sibling’s responsibility to cook for all of the others.”

Lesline said her younger siblings also picked up cooking skills at an early age.

“You have to learn to cook [when you are young],” she said. “When the oldest [sibling] moves on to college, it gets passed down. I’m third in line, so it was passed down [to me]. I was cooking really early in my life.”

Lesline has lived in the U.S. since 1999 after moving with her mother and brother. Celestine joined them three years ago, and the sisters then began saving to open the restaurant.

Last September, their dream became a reality with the opening of Ambrosia Island, Celestine said. The Walcotts now focus on sharing their Jamaican culture with traditional dishes, such as jerk chicken, oxtail and curried goat.

“When you walk in, we want you to feel like you’re actually in Jamaica, just in Pearland,” Celestine said. “This is why we have authentic food. We add Jamaican music and a lot of [bright] colors. It’s all supposed to [have] an island feel.”

Ambrosia Island also features Jamaican flair on its walls. In addition to the national flag, the restaurant includes posters of Jamaican celebrities, such as reggae musician Bob Marley and Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

“A lot of people come in and tell us, ‘I want to go to Jamaica.’ But that costs money,” Lesline said. “In the meantime, they can come here and have the feeling of what it will be like when they do get there.”

Celestine and Lesline said they believe it is the authenticity and understanding of Jamaican culture that makes Ambrosia Island unique.

“There are not a lot of Jamaican restaurants [in the area] that are owned and operated by Jamaicans,” Lesline said. “I think that makes a huge difference. When you come in and ask me what to get, I can honestly tell you. This is not just our business, but we are also [eating] every single meal. If we’ve cooked it, we know how it tastes.”