When it comes to
music, Jamaicans are never short of a banger (or more), so it goes without
saying that when it comes to their cuisine they favour a zinger there as well.
Rudie’s in Dalston, east London, is that kind of place where you can get a
piece of real Jamaican grub at a decent price in comfy and homely surroundings.
Meals on Two Wheels
rocked up there recently and after struggling to find a parking space for its
bicycle (this is east London after all!), it rested its muscular behind on one
of the establishment’s straight-backed seats. A gloomy and nippy winter Saturday
afternoon was the only excuse needed to tuck into a plate of Peppered Shrimps
and a (as it turned out) very generous portion of plantain (by the way, the correct pronunciation of "plantain" might be reason enough to start WWIII. If you don't believe me put a West-Indian and an African in the same room.). The prawns were king-sized
and bathed in Boston sauce. They were accompanied by a welcome committee, made
up of cherry tomatoes and avocado salsa.
Whilst over the
years Meals on Two Wheels has gone from no-hot to vindaloo-hot, nothing could
prepare our regular, bicycle-powered section for the might of Jamaican hot. The
Old Jamaican Ginger Beer that was ordered with the bite was not enough to quell
the fire. Luckily, a very helpful Italian waitress brought over a glass of milk.
This went some way to mitigate the inferno caused by the Peppered King Prawns.
However, do not
let this small incident put you off Rudie’s. Pound for pound, it is one of the
better eateries in east London today. The shrimps were well-cooked and tender. They
were also plentiful. The plantain was of the as-Mama-cooks-them-back-home
variety. And at just under fifteen quid for a dish that could have been a main
(their platters range from £7.50 to £12. They also cater to vegans), Rudie’s is
a snip. Meals on Two Wheels has since been back with a couple of friends.
Just a piece of
advice, though. Make sure that if you do go to Rudie’s, you’re not out marathon-training
the next day. Your stomach might disagree with your choice.
© 2019
If I should ever tread the streets of London Town again, CiL, I would enjoy partaking in the delight of feasting on shrimp with you. It is the only seafood I relish and I frequently order it when eating out.
ReplyDeleteYour weather must be significantly better than mine if you are out and about on your bicycle. The ground here is entirely covered by more than a foot of snow and the temperature hovers around the zero (Fahrenheit) mark.
Nice to see you posting ....
Sounds divine. There were many Jamaicans where I grew up, so the food and its spiciness are appreciated. Best to you.
ReplyDelete: )) What a treat!
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago we ordered Indian food for the whole family. We love Indian food. My kids love spicy food... very spicy! I like it mild. The order included 2 lamb biryani dishes with basmati rice. One really spicy and the other one mild. I was told which was which. I forgot. I picked the spiciest of them all, of course!!! I had to have a glass of milk!!!
The food looks great!
ReplyDeleteI'm a wimp when it comes to heat, so I know this would be too spicy for me. (I can barely handle medium!) I would love to try plaintains. I've seen them in the store and seen ways to prepare them on TV, but never tried any myself. So what is the correct pronunciation? I'm sure my southern accent butchers the word!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good--There was a hole-in-a-way Jamaican establishment here that is okay, but whenever I am in Brunswick (about 65 miles south of here) I make it a point to eat at the Jamaican restaurant there. It's all good food!
ReplyDeletewww.thepulpitandthepen.com
Cool bike and photo, and it sounds like a tasty meal in comfy surroundings. It is always nice to see you stopping by my blog. Thanks for the visit!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great place to eat!
ReplyDeleteWe don't often get to the East these days but will certainly keep my eyes peeled for this whenever we do in the future... Mouth watering already!
ReplyDeleteEsto es lo bueno que puedas encontrar comida internacional y disfrutarla.
ReplyDeleteUn feliz fin de semana
Hi ACIL - sounds delicious ... but not before exercise ... and then the need for somewhere to chill out as the stomach enjoys. I see their site says 'Walk Good' - sounds better than two wheels for a while after such a tasty looking meal. Would love to visit ... one day perhaps - Good Luck with the marathon training - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteMy diet has had to change. Not because of anything sordid but because I can't get out to enjoy food in the right atmosphere. Reading the description of your meal had my mouth watering... honestly!
ReplyDeleteSo you too are still here, is there any chance of you being told to pack your bags? I am practising lying low for now.
ReplyDeleteThe food sounds a touch too hot for my delicate old stomach, I’d have to have more than a glass of milk to quench the fire.
Diana Athill died at a 101, just imagine; a life well lived and thanks to her late start, well recorded.
Wow...now you've made me seriously hungry!
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely scrumptious...oh how I wish I lived nearby...I'd be there every week, at least!!😉
Have a great weekend!
Ha! OK, this is good to know. I am always in search of restaurant recommendations!
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds so good. If I ever get the chance to go to London I'll have to contact you for recommendations about where to eat.
ReplyDeleteI like spicy food... especially Thai... but I'm not a huge fan of any food that's eye-watering, nose-running, face-reddening h-o-t. For me, intriguing tastes trump fire.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear. Now I'm concerned. Am I pronouncing "plantain" correctly...? (I wouldn't want to start a war...)
Thanks for your comments. Most West Indians (especially Jamaicans say PLANtin, whereas west Africans tend to say planTAIN. I think African-Americans also favour the latter. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Looks so very tasty!
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to hear from you, Mario! I visited London last summer. The number of interesting things in your city is overwhelming. :)
Sounds wise not to marathon after such a meal haha
ReplyDeleteToo hot's too hot for me! I wonder why some people can take the heat and others can't tolerate it?
ReplyDeleteYeah. It's also very hot for us. And its good not to do extreme things after a huge meal.
ReplyDeleteNice post!Like the Food! :)
ReplyDeleteI have never eaten anything like that but I wish I could. Unlikely here in Perthshire. Probably to be found in Edinburgh though. I must explore.
ReplyDeletevindaloo-hot is something I cannot handle these days.
ReplyDeleteYour last two sentences made me laugh :-)
ReplyDeleteI remember we were in Jamaica and a German retiree "wanted" liverwurst for breakfast.
I did not give away I´m German, too...
sounds too hot to handle for me (i have not tried Jamaican food, but i can handle our local Malay hotness quite decently).
ReplyDeleteloved what you write about food. makes it so fun. :)
The food looks great :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
HM, never had Jamaican food, and I'm not sure if I want to now, recently super hot seems to have started to give me the runs! Not to.put too fine a point on it. I am also allergic to shellfish.... Glad you're getting so much cycling done
ReplyDeleteSuch a really helpful article. terribly fascinating to scan this text.I would wish to thanks for the efforts you had created for putting this on ink awe-inspiring article.
ReplyDelete