Authentic Caribbean food from a local at Westfield Stratford

London Event Reviews by May B

Having returned from a holiday in Jamaica in March, I was keen to eat food that reminded me of fresh-from-the-sea fish and beach side sunshine. So my companion and I stopped at the World Food Court to check out Rhythm Kitchen which has just undergone a bit of a facelift – having been at Westfield Stratford since it opened in 2011.

My companion – coming from Trinidad herself – was quick to point out that the Caribbean map on the wall behind the bright, open and busy kitchen missed a number of islands – hers included. But she was approving when she saw how the cooks were preparing the food. We concentrated on the selection of drinks (Caribbean beers and soft drinks including some interesting Tropical Rhythm juice mixes).

The menu has everything you would expect to find in a Caribbean eaterie – including lamb roti (£8.45), goat curry (£10.35), ragga stew (£7.95), salt fish fritters (4.25) and Jamaican patties (£2.90).
Sadly, the last portion of Escovitch snapper fish (several of which I caught and had cooked when I was in Jamaica) was sold to the German gentleman in front of us.

So I opted for the jerk chicken meal (£9.65) which came with two sides – I chose sweet potato fries (light and crisp) and fried plantain (crisp outside, soft inside). There was a huge slab of tender, moist chicken and the jerk seasoning and rich gravy was really good – a bit of a kick but not overpowering. My companion – who makes a mean jerk chicken herself – declared it authentic.

Meanwhile, she had asked for the fish of the day (£13.45) which you can choose to have steamed or fried. It was sea bream which she selected steamed with a side of seasoned rice. She was told it would take about 15 minutes to cook and given a buzzer to alert her when it was ready. It was a magnificent fish cooked whole – obviously fresh and expertly cooked. It was surrounded by a juice containing chunks of steamed plantain and okra and with a small dish of pepper sauce. We were both very impressed with the fish – she rated it as 9.5 – and I admit that I stole more than a few mouthfuls from her.

We ate our food at the wooden bench tables which had glass dividers between them. OK, it’s in a food court rather than a restaurant but we were keen to eat quickly and get on with our shopping. There were a large number of young West Indian guys eating on their own, a few pairs of younger girls and a couple of older couples eating there also. It was all very friendly.

They have launched some new items on the menu recently – pepper prawns – and jerk salmon is due to make an appearance soon. There are sharing platters and a kid’s menu too.

Her opinion was that it was West Indian food cooked for for and by West Indians. But if you want to try West Indian food it was an excellent place to try out authentic Caribbean food. Rhythm Kitchen was created by Delroy Dixon – who grew up in Forest Gate with parents who moved to the UK from the West Indies.

http://www.rhythmkitchen.co/

Posted Date
May 26, 2017 in London Event Reviews by May B by May B