Mainsha Plus is a ray of sunshine in the dreary Jane and Finch Plaza. To step inside is to inhale a deep and instant hunger, as racks of BBQ, fried and jerk-sauced chicken tempt would-be-diners with their spicy scents. Luckily, the long line moves quickly, with staff doling sassy smiles and saucy chicken as the Bob Marley soundtrack reminds patrons not to worry about a ting.

What's there to worry about? With full meals starting at $3--seriously, $3--Mainsha Plus offers a deep discount on flavour. Inspired by the mouth-watering chicken on display, my sweetheart and I order a king's ransom of Caribbean treats: a jerk chicken, stew chicken, and curry goat meal. Unfortunately , the curry goat has all been gobbled by 7pm, so we settle on curry chicken instead. $17 and 2 minutes later our feast arrives, the scents from the brown take-out bag making it hard to concentrate on the drive home.

It's tough not to tear into the sauce-stained bag, but we are rewarded for our patience. The tender pieces of halal chicken would be tasty on their own, but a smoky sweet jerk sauce, earthy bay-leaf stew and sharp yellow curry each stamp indelible brands of delicious on their respective fowl. Soft, earthy of heaps of rice and beans soak up juices, while tiny containers of crisp coleslaw offer the requisite nod to vegetables. We're both hungry, enthusiastic eaters, but even our piggy ways cannot get us through all three containers.

So, for $17 we get an amazing dinner AND lunch for two! We wash it down with Mainsha's homemade juice, a pink guava drink that tastes like a tart, tropical Kool-Aid.

The Mainsha chain, with additional locations on Dufferin and Eglinton West, has expanded their offering of traditional Caribbean by adding "Plus" to the name, and Khmer food to the Jane/Finch location's menu. Although we didn't try it, the fat pink prawns and fish stews made for some good menu-browsing, and I plan to grab some when I return for Mainsha Plus' Toonie Tuesday special: a mini chicken meal for $2.50, tax included.

Mainsha Plus is a place to be proud of: a cultural and culinary marriage that provides comfort food in often uncomfortable surroundings. If neighbourhoods were measured in flavour, then Mainsha Plus proves Jane and Finch is truly rich.