Konteki Kitchen opened last week at 1238 River St. in Cleary Square, featuring a variety of curried and jerk meat (goat? of course), chicken and shrimp, along with the obligatory meat patties.

It's right around the corner from the African Cuisine on Hyde Park Ave., which started serving Jamaican food a couple months ago. One difference: Konteki is strictly takeout - they don't have any tables. Also, they serve smoothies (which is important with a kidlet in the family).

I got a small chicken curry and a meat patty. I prefer the African Cuisine version of chicken curry, because it has some crack spice that I really like, and a sauce with which to mix with rice when the chicken's all gone. But Konteki's version had a satisfying spicy note of its own, as did the meat patty, and if the African Cuisine weren't nearby, I could happily eat my own weight of the stuff (over several days, of course). It was $6 for a small version (good enough for lunch) and $8.50 or $8.75 (I really should take a notebook with me) for a large.

Hours: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday. 617-333-9989.

I don't know enough about Jamaican food to judge authenticity, but I do know that the chicken curry at The African Cuisine, 1248 Hyde Park Ave., is addictive. It's probably a good thing I have a saner wife and kid, because otherwise, just writing this might make me rush over there now and I'd only be disappointed since it's Sunday morning and they're not open yet.