Riaz Phillips, food explorer and documenter, is the author of East Winds: Recipes, history and Tales from the Hidden Caribbean , the follow-up to the award-winning cookbook West Winds: Recipes, History and Tales from Jamaica . “Many Caribbean families like mine in Britain don’t just come from one country. Mine hail from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Guyana and more,” Riaz Phillips, the food writer and cookbook author, says.
“A lot of times in Britain, Caribbean food has been conflated with Jamaican food even though the foods seen in the likes of Guyana and Trinidad can be vastly different from Jamaica. East Winds: Recipe, history and Tales from the Caribbean is dedicated to the kaleidoscope of cultures that make up the Caribbean but yet are hidden from the mainstream of Caribbean culture. Travelling back home to these places, I saw the richness of this melting pot from Indo-Caribbean heritage to Indonesian, Chinese, European, Amerindian and a myriad of different West African influences.
All this means is that wherever in the world you are from, Caribbean food isn't some mystery food but has some meal or flavour you can directly relate to. Fortunately for Londoners, whether you’re vegan or not, there are many places in the city to experience these flavours before cooking yourself.” Musician and chef Denai Moore will open her vegan patty shop at Dalston Yard this year.
“London’s charm comes from its vibrant and multicultural food scene. It brings me a lot of comfort, knowing that I’m just a short bus journey away from a bite of my childhood,” musician and chef Denai Moore says. “A channa and potato roti filled with licks of hot pepper sauce & tamarind chutney at Roti Stop, a flaky callaloo patty from Peppers and Spice or a heart-warming bowl of Ital food from All Nations Vegan House.
Caribbean food in itself is a melting pot. A kaleidoscope of flavours that differ greatly from each island. Notting Hill Carnival is a reflection of the lasting impact of the Caribbean diaspora.
This yearly celebratory event represents resilience, community, joy and a sense of identity that contributes to the tapestry that makes London special.” Roti Stop Trinidad & Tobago A treasured and much-loved neighbourhood spot in Stoke Newington serving up various dishes from various Caribbean islands. This North London staple serves everything from Trini roti and doubles to patties and soup from Jamaica.
It's called Roti Stop for a reason; even though there isn't much space to sit inside, I tend to sit in the park across the road and tuck in. Whenever I visit Roti Stop alone, I always ask my friends if they'd like one too. I've ordered and hand-delivered for friends who were poorly, and I always buy something extra to have later on in the day.
My order will always be a mixed veg roti with extra pepper sauce & tamarind sauce. It hits the spot every time! Denai Moore Address: 36B Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, London N16 6XZ Website: instagram.com All Nations Vegan, Stoke Newington Ital food is a cornerstone of Rastafarian culture, rooted in the belief that food is conducive to health and spiritual well-being.
You can hear the music playing from around the corner; all Nations Vegan is a very inviting space that instantly feels like home. The menu changes often, but some of my highlights from All Nations are its pepper pot mushrooms and its ital stew peas. My top tip would be to get a combination of a few of the main dishes along with a grain of your choice to get the full taste of the menu.
They also have a vast array of drinks and cakes that they make in-house, including sorrel, Pumpkin Punch, toto cake and my personal favourite, Sweet Potato Pudding. Denai Moore Jam Delish, Islington When I went vegan in 2015, I dreamt of a restaurant like Jam Delish, and I'm so happy that it exists. While many of the flavours are traditional, the dishes are innovative and lean towards fusion cooking.
With dishes like saltish sushi with Trini pickle, oxtail chow mein and jerk pork belly tacos on the menu, Jam Delish is one of the most exciting and unique vegan restaurants in London. You have to start with a rum punch or two. Then you’ll be left with the conundrum of what to order! My highlights on the menu are the Bajan fish tacos, the Jerk chicken skewers, and the country-fried ‘Chicken’ with country gravy.
Denai Moore Kaieteur Kitchen Guyana Entering Kaieteur Kitchen, you are always greeted by a loving smile from head cook and owner, Faye. Previously stationed beside the old Elephant and Castle shopping centre, the Kitchen is now located in a flash new square not too far. Here, Faye utilised every inch of space to cook lovingly homemade-style Guyanese food and promote Guyanese culture.
In Guyana, pepperpot is usually reserved for Christmas , so every week feels like Christmas at Kaieteur Kitchen as they serve the rich, jet black sweet and sour stew, which pairs beautifully with the soft and sweet bread, rice and peas or roti. Other Guyanese favourites like garlic pork and pastries like pine tarts help finish off any meal and will certainly have you coming back for more. Riaz Phillips Address: Castle Square, 40 Elephant Road, London SE17 1EU Website: instagram.
com Limin Southbank Trinidad & Tobago Caribbean food fare in central London is far and few between. Thankfully Sham Mahabir and crew bring the Trini atmosphere slap bang in the middle town just off the Thames. Limin is a term used in Trinidad & Tobago to mean “hanging out”, whether to chill and relax or a lively party.
Whilst we love to wax lyrical about the food – Limin has no shortage of amazing eats from saheena vegan spinach fritters and mac & cheese – no “lime” is truly complete without a drink, and Limin’s kaleidoscopic bar of exciting, fresh cocktails should punctuate any meal. Riaz Phillips Address: 56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP Website: instagram.com Roti Joupa Trinidad & Tobago Roti Joupa has been a pioneer of Trini culture in London and beyond over the last few decades, not just at their shop but at countless catering gigs, festivals and parties (or fetes, as we sometimes call them).
Roti Double could almost be called Doubles Joupa as the diminutive national Trini fave sells by the scores every day. Here, two pieces of fried bread called bara are lathered with chickpea curry (channa) and topped off with your choice of sweet sauce and hot sauce to make one of the most moreish snacks you’ll find in London. Riaz Phillips Address: 20 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EA; 58 Goldhawk Road, London W12 8HA Website: instagram.
com Roti Masters Trinidad & Tobago Some of the best roti in London are found on the outskirts of town, where Caribbean communities have long thrived. Roti Masters to the southern tip of London is one of them. A long-term caterer of functions both Caribbean and not, their flavours have long been salivated over for those that know them.
Come here and tear into a curry shrimp roti as well as famed Trini snacks like Bake n Shark, a fried bread sandwich stuffed with fried fish, salad plus sweet and hot sauces of choice as well as hot doubles. Riaz Phillips Address: 282a High Street, Sutton SM1 1PQ Website: instagram.com Tawa Roti Trinidad & Tobago In place of former resident Roti Joupa, Tawa Roti has taken over the baton of Trini-style Roti in this South London takeaway location.
As is common, there are two rotis on offer Dal puri (filled with blended a spicy, dry garlic dal mix) and buss-up shot (an oily, flaky flatbread), and both can be accompanied by the regular home comforts of goat and chicken as well as curry duck which is highly loved in the eastern reaches of the Caribbean. For vegans, a combination of bodi (string beans), pumpkin talkari (mashed pumpkin) and bhaji (spiced season spinach) will leave you just as filled and satisfied as the meat eaters. Riaz Phillips Address: 12 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UT Website: instagram.
com Trinidad Roti Shop Trinidad & Tobago There isn't an official “Little Caribbean” in the UK or London, but if there was Harlesden’s Craven Park would certainly be in the final ballot for votes. That said, the overwhelming majority of shops there are or heavenly lean towards Jamaican food and culture. With that Trinidad Roti Shop and its bright red awning are a beacon of Trinidadian culture.
The family behind the shop have been around for decades, and as such, in addition to curry roti, the menu is more of a traditional one with weekend specials like souse, rum cake and black pudding. Riaz Phillips Address: 27 Craven Park Road, London NW10 8SE Website: facebook.com Roti Kitchen Trinidad & Tobago Roti Kitchen’s tagline is “Caribbean Sunshine in Every Wrap”, and this is wholly earned.
The West London menu is jampacked with a wide array of Caribbean eats from whole BBQ chicken and oxtail stew to escovitch fish, and the Rastafari-inspired ital vegan (a combination of two of their vegan dishes ) can all be served up with a side of roti as well as plethora of fresh sides such as coleslaw or salad and should definitely not be eaten without a squeeze of their freshly made sauces. Riaz Phillips Address: 6 Leeland Road, London W13 9HH Website: instagram.com Ting & Ting Grenada Ting & Ting is reminiscent of a London Caribbean menu with a melting pot of Caribbean flavours from across the region available including the likes of jerk pork and chicken, peppered steak and mutton curry.
They help pave the way for lesser-known treats (which we sometimes call cutters) like bacalao (saltfish fritters), where all mains can be served with rice n’ peas or roti. Sometimes, when appealing to a London audience, restaurants can dull themselves down a bit, but don't expect this at Ting & Ting, which revels in its celebration of the vivid, multicoloured, corrugated steel shacks that are a common visit back home in the Caribbean. Riaz Phillips Address: Unit 2, The Pavilion, 2 Watermill Way, London SW19 2RD Website: tingnting.
com Fish Wings & Ting Trinidad & Tobago For an informal drink and dinner with no reservation, look no further than Fish, Wings & Ting, Trinidadian chef supreme Brian Danclair's brainchild. Located in the heart of Brixton Village Market – Fish, Wings & Ting wonderfully fuses traditional roti shop food with a casual sit-down restaurant vibe utilising head chef and owner Brian's incredible family recipes. On the top of the list of recommendations alongside any meal has to be the fried fish fritters that climax when dipped in hot sauce or sweet sauce.
More so, the rum punches really help to get the night started (or ended, depending on how many you have). Riaz Phillips Address: Granville Arcade, Unit 3, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PR Website: instagram.com Umana Yana Guyana ‘7 Curry’ is a speciality in Guyana reserved for special occasions like Puja religious ceremonies or the annual Diwali festivities .
It's comprised, naturally, of 7 different curries usually eaten on a lilypad leaf. Whilst it's hard to find this complete wonder in Britain, the various parts can be found at Guyanese takeout spot Umana Yana who, through years of strife, has endeavoured to carry on promoting Guyanese food in London. Regulars like goat and chicken curry are supplemented by the likes of Katahar curry (reminiscent of jackfruit) and a Guyanese fish curry which isn't always an option at London roti shops.
Riaz Phillips Address: 294 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA Website: instagram.com.
