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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why West Indian food isn't as popular as other cuisines?

128 replies

LoafersOrLouboutins · 29/08/2014 08:53

I've always been a fan and living in NW London there is a huge variety of restaurants on my doorstep. Yesterday I took the DDs (ages 2 and 5) out for lunch, we went to my favourite West Indian restaurant and shared curry goat, jerk pork, plantain chips and dumplings with coconut water for the DDs and a rum punch for me (at 1pm Blush ).

The restaurant wasn't as busy as the Chinese across the road or any of the other restaurants we passed. The West Indian takeaways weren't as busy as other take-aways and whenever I have a take-aways with my friends they want Vietnamese or Mexican. My colleagues tend to hold meetings or the Christmas 'do in Italian or Japanese restaurants. When I suggested we hold the 'team building' exercise at a West Indian restaurant everybody was a bit Hmm. Why hasn't it taken off in the UK like other cuisines?! Tis fab! Or is it really popular and I just have really boring colleagues and friends? IMO Chinese is very same-y and can be too sweet, but it seems to be the most popular cuisine in the UK.

OP posts:
iwantgin · 29/08/2014 10:22

there is only one restaurant that I know of in my area.

I agree that the food is yummy - but I wouldn't want to have to input the calorie content on to MY Fitness Pal food diary :)

worldgonecrazy · 29/08/2014 10:35

I really like West Indian food, but the local take aways don't do ANY vegetarian dishes at all, so we don't go there.

We do occasionally treat ourselves to hard dough bread from the local market.

This thread has made me so hungry - I think I'm going to go to the market at lunchtime to see what I can find!

JamNan · 29/08/2014 10:37

Dammit! Now I am craving callaloo soup and crab cakes and I am fifty miles from London.

West Indian food has many influences from other cultures, Chinese, French, African, British, Spanish, Indian, Jewish which combine to make it a very diverse and flavoursome cuisine. It's a pity that it is not more widely available although you can buy ingredients online and cook at home.

There is also plenty of choice in vegetarian dishes.

crazyspaniel · 29/08/2014 10:39

I am insanely jealous of you people who live in places where you can get West Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, etc. food. Indian and Chinese is as exotic as it gets where I live.

sillystring · 29/08/2014 10:41

It gives me horrible heartburn and indigestion, way more than other ethnic foods, my favourite of which is Thai. Added to that I hate lamb/mutton so can't imagine enjoying goat any better, it's just not to my taste at all.

ilovesooty · 29/08/2014 10:46

We have two or three great ones near the city centre, and one of my colleagues (who's not WI) is a great Caribbean cook and often brings her offerings in. Smile

BitchyHen · 29/08/2014 10:50

I thought I would have to travel to Birmingham for my nearest west indian restaurant, but a quick google found one in my town that I never knew existed. Thanks to your thread op, I'm looking forward to trying it out.

bamboostalks · 29/08/2014 10:54

A lot of the restaurants near me are quite grubby and a bit grotty in terms of decor, ripped seats etc. They don't necessarily have the ambiance one would desire for a night out.

QueenAnneofAustriaSpain · 29/08/2014 11:08

In the part if NW London I live in I can think of 3 and all are very busy. I don't know if any do delivery though. We have a very mixed demographic so I don't think it is due to diaspora but I have only eaten in one and it was delicious and I often take people there.

PestoSurfissimos · 29/08/2014 11:14

It's my favourite too. It's a shame it's not more easily accessible where I live, means I have to get my fix by going on holiday there!

Chwaraeteg · 29/08/2014 12:23

I live in bristol where there are quite a few west Indian restaurants. I've only actually been to one, although I would love to try more west Indian food. I find that most of the restaurants seem a bit intimidating. They don't look very welcoming from the outside e.g. small windows, not well lit, run down hand painted signs etc.

I also have huge trouble understanding west Indian accents which made my one and only visit to a Jamaican restaurAnt very awkward. I'm not sure if I even ended up getting what I asked for in the end. West Indian restaurants also seem to have very strong community ties, which can make them seem a bit cliquey, I think. I definitely felt like I was being stared at when I visited one.

Turtle bay is delicious though and non-intimidating. They also do chips with their meals for the adventurous.

Chwaraeteg · 29/08/2014 12:28

*unadventurous

givemushypeasachance · 29/08/2014 12:48

There's certainly a few West Indian food places in Bristol - both small/independent like a chap in the covered market doing patties and curry goat and the like, little family run restaurants and several takeaways and we have a Turtle Bay as well that's very popular.

Yandos · 29/08/2014 13:12

I agree with Chwaraeteg, I think some of it boils down to places looking more run-down/takeway kinda venues rather than "destination" dining resturaunts. The mass appeal of chinese/indian in this country is due to the watered-down nature of them and until west indian places can offer the same bland experience across the board which we Brits seem to lap up, I think they'll remain niche

HangingBasketCase · 29/08/2014 13:13

The only cuisine we have around here is Indian, Chinese, Thai and a few Polish deli type places, I've never seen a West Indian eatery, although I recently went to a Mexican place is another town and thought it was a amazing.

TravelinColour · 29/08/2014 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Missunreasonable · 29/08/2014 13:27

If you ever go to Caribbean carnivals the queues for the Caribbean food are always huge. A lot of people clearly do like to eat Caribbean food. In Manchester there are quite a few very popular Caribbean takeaways some of which have started off selling food from kitchens at home and have become popular enough to move into commercial premises.
There aren't many popular Caribbean restaurants (proper restaurants rather than takeaways with an eat in area). I think part of the reason is that people are not used to paying top end prices for Caribbean food and the market for it is therefore at the takeaway lower cost end of the market.
There are other cuisines that also struggle to break into the wider restaurant market: African food and Eastern European cuisines.
People know what they are getting when they go for a Chinese, Italian or an Indian and I suppose people just like spending their money on food they have tried and liked before.
BTW, I love Caribbean food but never buy it in takeaways or at carnivals because my mums Caribbean food is always tastier Grin

firesidechat · 29/08/2014 13:27

a. I don't think goat is really goat - isn't it mutton? (in this country at least)

I just know that someone has already replied to this, but goat is indeed goat. It would be illegal to call it goat and serve old sheep. It's lovely, as is West Indian food.

KneeQuestion · 29/08/2014 13:28

Goat is goat, not sheep mutton. Actual goat.

Vegetables play an integral part in caribbean food, try something other than jerk chicken and rice and you will see!

I find that most of the restaurants seem a bit intimidating

/\ That sort of mindset, goes some way to explaining your question OP.

Missunreasonable · 29/08/2014 13:29

So whereas you know what you'll get in a Chinese or Indian, it's more difficult in a Caribbean restaurant as there's less consistency with recipes.

Yes, this is also true because different parts of the Caribbean cook differently.
For example: ackee is very popular in Jamaican cuisine but isn't eaten by some of the other Caribbean Islands. Fried dumplings are called johnny cakes on some of the islands and are slightly different. Not all of the Islands use coconut milk as much as others.

knickernicker · 29/08/2014 13:32

Probably lack if variety, not a known cuisine. They seem to work well as market stalls or,as cafes in areas that serve the community but when they open as restaurants they look slightly old fashioned and charge restaurant prices so not popular.

Nancy66 · 29/08/2014 13:45

when you have a lot of choice - as I do in London - WI food would never be my number one choice. I like it, just not as much as I like: Indian, Mexican, Lebanese etc.

Alisvolatpropiis · 29/08/2014 13:45

I don't know, but I wish it were more popular.

Cardiff has a great variety of cuisines to try, I live within walking distance to most happy accident, honest

I must check if there's a West Indian restaurant I've missed. I love jerk chicken and a housemates girlfriend once cooked a meal of goat curry for us. It was delicious.

I'm looking forward to the New Mexican restaurant opening in a couple of months. A small chain from London, first one to open elsewhere. Can't think what the name is now though.

Fcukfifa · 29/08/2014 13:49

I think it is growing in popularity, there are a couple near me and one is a very cosmopolitan 'place to be seen in' restaurant.

My dh makes the best goat curry I've ever tasted, as good or better than the authentic places I have tried from chapetown in Leeds too.

We also had jerk chicken, curry, dumplings and patties at our 1yr olds birthday party and everything was demolished.

The few times I have had a vegetarian curry from a Caribbean restaurant they haven't been too good though. I also once thought I was about to bite into a tomato, glad I inspected it last minute because it was infact a scotch bonnet Shock

OhYouBadBadKrillitane · 29/08/2014 13:50

I've never had the opportunity to try it, which is a pity as I'd love to.