What we tried
Codfish fritters, pepper prawns
Verdict
Glad to have Trini food represented in Brixton, but missing some key ingredients.
We came to this place because we had read this review that said they do bake and shark, only to find after sitting down that this is actually something they only have on occasion as a special, and it seems to be pretty rare because we’ve checked back a few times and so far they have never had it. So this is basically a disclaimer to say that our impression of the place and the food was inevitably coloured by this immediate disappointment and is therefore probably going to be a less accurate reflection than someone who just went there with no expectations.
Nevertheless, we were still really happy to see some Trini-influenced Caribbean food, since most in London tend to be Jamaican (our usual Trinidadian haunt is Roti Joupa in Clapham North – we’ll do a review of this at some point!).
I’m sure shark isn’t that easy to get in London, so I completely understand why this would be a special, but it could be just as nice to use a substitute fish that is more widely available and serve with bake in the same way. By the way, if you’re not sure what bake is and/or want to have a go at making it yourself, try our recipe here.
It would also have been nice to see doubles on the menu. These are a Trini staple made from two pieces of fried flat bread (bara) filled with curried chickpeas, they are my absolute favourite (there is actually a little doubles shop nearby, but we didn’t think they were that good – again, Roti Joupa is where to go for these).
Ok, so for the food we did have, which was just starters since we weren’t really in the mood for curry. Doug had the pepper prawns, which I thought were ok, he wasn’t as convinced. I do like their pepper sauce though, the right balance of spicy, sour and sweet – similar to what I remember from Trinidad. I had the cod fritters, which are made from salted cod (a Portuguese import). These were actually really good – crispy, not too salty and light. What we had did show promise, so I think we’ll definitely be going back to try the roti (and hopefully one day get that elusive bake and shark). Will update the post when we do!
Getting shark & bake in Maracas Bay, Trinindad
‘Geotherma’ tucking into a giant bake
The Pepper Pot 
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