Rudie’s Dalston

Winter is here and there’s nothing better than a bit of spice on your plate to warm you up. So Elika (Instagram: @Sunny_Elika) and I headed to Rudie’s in Dalson after work one evening, starving, but filled with excitement for the Jamaican feast that laid ahead of us. Jerk chicken is one of our go-to dishes at food markets, and so we were more than ready to give Rudie’s a try. It was a chilly night, and as we entered Rudie’s we were greeted by some Jamaican tunes and kindly staff that warmed us up on the spot. We got in early enough to get a window table so that as we drank our Mai Tai (£7.50) and Jamaican Mule (£7.50) we were able to watch the world of Dalston go by. If you are a fan of rum, then the Jamaican Mule will not disappoint, and the Mai Tai will make you feel like the sun is blowing you kisses by the beach.

Rudie’s takes Jamaican food to another level, offering a more refined and contemporary approach to the more traditional Jamaican experience of jerk and spicy BBQ. We kicked off with the Peppered Shrimp (£8.50) for starters which was not for the faint of heart. We had been appropriately warned that these were hot, and this dish lived up to its reputation. The sauce was spicy and bold and served the plump juicy prawns very well. And although fiery, the intense, rich flavour of the dish was entirely worth the risk of the burn on your tongue. Topped with some avocado, this helped to balance out the heat of the dish.

Rudie’s Jamaican Patties (beef £6) proved to be love at first smell, offering up a comforting and delicious aroma of homemade food that we found difficult to resist. The pastry on the patties was flaky, and the moist beef filling contained a hint of Jamaican curry which was wonderfully delicious. For those feeling less adventurous and looking for a more familiar option, we would recommend the Crispy Calamari (£7.50) which had been battered and deep fried in polenta. These were tender and crispy and had been sprinkled with a delicious jerk seasoning.

Rudie’s Dalston – Starters

The friendly staff recommended we tried the Yeah Mon! Platter (£29) for our main, and this proved to be a gorgeous mountain of meaty goodness containing a wonderful selection of jerk chicken, pork, lamb and sweet corn. We thought it would go well with fried plantain (£3.50) and rice & peas (£4) which had the right texture to pair with the juicy meat in front of us.

Rudie’s Dalston – Yeah Mon platter

Our personal favorite was the pork belly. The crackling was wonderfully crackly and the flesh was succulent and delicious and had cooked to perfection. The chicken was also very tasty and had been cooked on the bone. It was moist and best eaten with fingers so that you could chew all the way to the bone.

Rudie’s Dalston – Yeah Mon platter

Last but not least was the lamb which was fabulously tender with a gentle smokiness coming through from the charcoal proving to be delightful…Yeah Mon!

Now let’s talk sauces! Our Yeah Mon! Platter came with three mysterious little paper pots and we initially had no idea what these were as they had not featured on the menu. After speaking with the staff, we discovered that these were a Classic Jamaican, Papaya and a Banana Sauce. The sauces were all homemade and varied in their level of heat intensity, sweetness and spiciness, with the Jamaican sauce being superhot, to the banana sauce being sweeter.

It was exciting to go bit by bit and play with different combinations of meats and sauces. The sauces were all fabulous and deserved to be in the spotlight.

To finish we went for a Banana Brulee (£5) and a Rum Cake (£7.50). We shared and tasted both, as you do. Elika adored the brulee as she’s a big fan of banana desserts. But technically it didn’t quite live up to a brulee in texture as was quite grainy. Agirlhastoeat wasn’t a fan of the brulee.

Rudie’s Dalston – Dessert

With the rum cake, the first plate we received was very dry and we were not impressed with it at all. But the staff sent out an improved real version and round two turned out to be a deliciously boozy and moist cake, heavenly matched with vanilla ice cream. But in the round, we felt that desserts were a strong point at Rudie’s, at least in comparison to the savoury items on offer.

Towards the end of our feast, we received a visit from the chef, who approached us to apologise for the Rum Cake mishap and wanted to hear firsthand our thoughts about the meal. He then spent some time speaking with us and it was evident that Rudie’s was borne from love. And on that note we can definitely conclude that Rudie’s deserved a big “Yeah Mon!”

Note: Co-written with Elika (Instagram: @Sunny_Elika)

Likes:

1) The cocktails.
2) The Peppered Shrimp – Spicy but delicious
3) The meats

Dislikes:
1) The desserts were the weakest link.

Food rating: 3.75/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Price: About £25 to £35 a head, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://rudies-london.com/