When chef Dom Taylor has the itch for Caribbean food, his first stop is usually his local takeaway, Likkle ‘d’, in Deptford, South London.
“The food is always on point: professional, consistent and well-executed every time,” says Taylor, who has recently opened his first standalone restaurant, Marvee’s Food Shop, named after his Jamaican mother Marveline, on the other side of London, just off Ladbroke Grove. Taylor’s previous venture was a Caribbean pop-up, The Good Front Room, at the Langham hotel, which ran for 10 months, his prize for winning TV’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef.
Marvee’s is Taylor’s reimagining of the Caribbean takeaway, and though the food is more elevated than at his local in SE8, it’s just as nourishing for the soul. Traditional Jamaican bammy and festival breads are reborn as waffles topped with jerk chicken, crispy spiced banana blossom and curry goat; there are patties, of course, with classic fillings like beef and saltfish and dipping sauces, and desserts like a fun Old-Skool Cake and Custard and an irresistible sounding roasted plantain and molasses soft serve.
“It’s relaxed, fun, the dishes are hearty and the flavours comforting and familiar, yet there are a few surprises in there with reinventions of the classics,” says Taylor.
