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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:
Woodenheart · 30/08/2014 22:30

There is a fantastic Caribbean restaurant in Falmouth called Cribbs, beautiful fresh food & delicious cocktails Wine

PinkSquash · 30/08/2014 22:35

IIRC there's a Caribbean place in Brixham, Devon which smells lush and I am determined to go and try it out. I lived in London and loved the variety of food, once had some proper Caribbean food in Tottenham, twas lovely.

Ginrummy · 30/08/2014 23:51

Mmmm remembering dumplings with chilli sauce for lunch or after the pub from my student days.

Candycrushblahblah · 31/08/2014 00:20

I do not like the spices in jerk chicken, or okra (yuk) or those vile black peas. I love Cohn however which I ate loads of in the Bahamas.

ireallyshouldgeton · 15/09/2014 00:31

Alisvola - it's Wahaca, and I cannot wait!

lordnoobson · 15/09/2014 00:32

There was a bbc docco on this last month

musicalendorphins2 · 15/09/2014 08:03

I love a shrimp roti, and have one every couple of weeks. As far as goat not really being goat, it is goat. I have a bag of cubed goat in the freezer to make curried goat for dh and the ds's.

crescentmoon · 15/09/2014 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GemmaTeller · 15/09/2014 09:13

5foot5 Kool Runnings is amazing - always has a queue at lunch time, the food is spicy HOT.

There is a caribbean restaurant in Tyldesley (think it might be moving though) and last time DH and I went at lunchtime it was cooked fresh for us - absolutely gorgeous

GemmaTeller · 15/09/2014 09:17

I used to work with two Jamaican women who always sent me home with tupperware full of ackee and saltfish, rice and peas, coconut drops etc. for DH.

'Its just gravy' - no its not, its gorgeous and tasty and spicy and nothing like oxo or bisto! Grin

mmm mmm dumplings ........

MrsUnderwood · 15/09/2014 09:34

There was a place in Brighton that used to serve Jamaican roast dinners on Sunday and it was insanely delicious. I love jerk lamb, used to make it fairly often before I had DD (it's probably too spicy for her).

I agree that it isn't the healthiest cuisine in the world but the flavours are beautiful. Am really craving some WI food now!

Hoppinggreen · 15/09/2014 10:24

We have a well known West Indian restaurant here, the chef travelled to the Caribbean with Gary Rhodes for his TV show!!
We also have a Carnival where we can get jerk chicken, rice and peas and dumplings.
We had planned to go to the restaurant but when I looked at the menu online there wasn't anything I fancied - I also can't eat bell peppers as they upset my stomach so we didn't end up going.
I have tried making jerk chicken myself at home and it was ok but I don't think West Indian restaurants are top of my list - maybe I should go and I would change my mind?

windchime · 15/09/2014 10:56

I went to a jerk restaurant once and left with my mouth on fire. Never again. Food should not hurt. I believe they use a lot of spice to disguise poor quality meat. This is why that food is not as popular, imo.

PiggyontheRailway · 15/09/2014 12:41

I think a lot of you that are saying it's unhealthy have only ever tried a very small selection of what West Indian Cuisine has to offer. As a person from a West Indian background I am actually quite offended by some of the comments on here, we do not use poor quality meat in our food and neither is West Indian food unhealthy, it normally contains a lot more vegetables than normal English dishes and a lot of it especially fish is steamed or grilled.
Basing your opinion of West Indian food on some food you've been served in a takeway, would be like me basing my opinion of English food on chip shops.

Celticlass2 · 15/09/2014 14:40

Beyond excited to read on this thread that Wahaca is opening in Cardiff. When is this happening? I love this place. Been three times to the London one. going again in December. Only thing is you can't book a table. Wonder if the Cardiff one will be the same.
OP, I've never tried WI cuisine. Would love to though. Smile

Hoppinggreen · 15/09/2014 14:48

Fair point Piggy but a lot of Chinese food and Indian food isn't very authentic either but that's popular.
Maybe some sleb needs to make it trendy?

PiggyontheRailway · 15/09/2014 16:14

A lot of the Chinese and indian food you eat is not very authentic and has been anglosized to suit your pallet.
West Indian Cookery normal takes a very long time to cook as there are a lot of stews and soups see also Rungdung which takes all day to cook and stew peas.
These kind of meals are not really suitable for a fast food takeaway.

Bogeyface · 15/09/2014 16:20

Piggy my MIL is Jamaican, H is mixed race and I think the point was that a lot of take aways and restaurants do use poor quality meat (I dont know what my local Chinese started using, but it was vile), and that puts people off. I wont eat Chinese at all now, so perhaps if someone had a bad experience they assume that all West Indian food is the same?

For my part, H doesnt really like WI food apart from fried chicken and dumplings despite being (or perhaps because of!) being brought up on it so its never come up!

cherrybombxo · 15/09/2014 16:23

Goat. Just... goat. Nope.

I'm not a fan of the flavours to be honest, too much sweet and savoury and I don't like a lot of the staple ingredients. Give me some proper slow smoked BBQ any day!

ireallyshouldgeton · 15/09/2014 17:18

October / November I believe CelticLass. It'll be their first non-London restaurant (!) and the unit is along from Vivienne Westwood, opposite John Lewis. I used to live in London and the food is one thing I really miss now we live in Cardiff. I am also beyond excited about Wahaca coming to Cardiff.

Celticlass2 · 15/09/2014 18:46

Thank you really I'll be looking out for the grand openingSmile

PiggyontheRailway · 15/09/2014 20:00

Bogey I was referring to wind chimes opinion that west Indiana heavily spice their food to disguise the poor quality meat is what I find offensive, so you had some jerk chicken once and didn't like so we all now use scrag end meat in our cuisne you prat

Back2Two · 15/09/2014 20:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

Bogeyface · 15/09/2014 20:32

Back you can get it from Halal butchers here but I wont buy it as I object to the halal method so H has never had curried goat since we have been married, which is the only other thing he likes.

PiggyontheRailway · 15/09/2014 20:42

Bogey use mutton instead it is generally used as an alternative