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By Chris Moss
The Filipino-Bengali chef at newly opened Guanabana – a Spanish word for the Mexican soursop fruit – serves up a menu of Mexico-Caribbean-Argentino-Colombian dishes, many adorned with a sprig, sauce or green detail from the Mediterranean. Just to further confuse matters, you can order sides of Thai jasmine rice, roti, or dabs of tartare sauce. Such wanton fusioneering shouldn’t work but
it does here, oddly enough.
Two great starters include oven-baked red jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, and cassava chips with tomato salsa. The former has a kick – though the cooking seems to take out the bud-assailing sharpness of the chilli – while the cassava is dry but sweetly flavoursome. A let-down was a plate of crevettes, which were mushy – overcooked or simply not fresh – and blandly unfishy on the palate.
Mains invited us to go in any direction we pleased, so we opted for two Jamaican dishes. The ackee and salt fish, with rice and peas, was abundant and wonderfully varied in taste and texture. The ackee was creamy and delicately sweet, the fish salty and slightly bitter, and extremely fresh. Another fish main of pan-fried bass was a tower of succulent, subtly seasoned fillets separated by layers of crisp greens and a delicious feta mash.
On a trip downstairs to the stylish designer loos I collided with a powerful blast of garlic from the kitchen. Both the mains were lavishly laced with the allium, but not so much that it dominated the coconut milk, onions and herbs that give the cuisine its distinctive Jamaican character.
If you’re extremely hungry, there are four great salads on offer, including a mean jerk-chicken and parmesan affair (good to try with the house jerk sauce – the litmus test of any self-respecting Caribbean menu) and a halloumi and avocado creation that was sprinkled with Argentinian chimichurri sauce.
Excellent sorbets, meringues and strong coffee – which we took out to enjoy in the lovely bamboo-ceilinged garden-cum-terrace – completed a globetrottingly diverse but well-crafted dinner. Kentish Town is rather short on decent Latin American or West Indian eateries, and Guanabana has filled several gaps with its energy and creativity.
Time Out Issue 1977: July 10-16
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I have double-checked and we DID go to the same restaurant as reviewed above... only trouble was, it was nothing like these reviews suggest.
1) The restaurant has no alcohol license. This isn't mentioned anywhere. Bring your own if you want it.
2) The place was clearly mid-renovations (builders were leaving as we arrived, there was a great deal of painting & decorating stuff strewn around), and everything - glasses, cutlery - was dusty.
3) The waiter ignored us for 25 minutes after our arrival. No drinks, nothing. Another table of diners had to physically go and track him down from where he was instructing the new barman in how to use the till, and we swiftly adopted this approach.
4) My date's drink - juice - arrived AFTER his food (which we waited an hour for: it was fajitas!) - mine never arrived at all, despite asking twice when it would be with me.
5) Food was OK - mine completely unlike the menu description: a 'mixed leaf, herb and tomato salad' was actually just chopped tomatoes - but still edible.
We asked for the bill twice but after waiting another 15 minutes (there were only 2 other tables of customers in the place) we put down the approximate money and left. I really can't recommend this place unless they get themselves organised, get the service sorted out and clean it up! As we left, the chef had had to come upstairs and take orders. So who was doing the cooking?
Another eating gem in the wasteland of Camden/ Kentish Town! I discovered that this place is the sister to Bintang - another fantastic restaurant a few doors up the road.
Same vibe...same lovely staff.... but different cuisine. Here its Carribbean and Latin. It has a beautiful chilled out garden area and you feel youre sitting in someone's own personal home with the conservatory doors open and the balmy breeze of a summer's evening wafting in across your Spicy Papa Criollas!
Great atmosphere. Lovely people. I recommend the chickpea & green mango coconut stew on roasted marinated pumpkin
Wowsers! Yum!
What a place! so unique and cosy. Had a really nice conversation with the owner, Omar. All the decor was bought second hand from carboots and brik and brak stores. Being a interior designer i applaud his creativity, not only in the decor but the menu aswell. Cool guy and very cool restaurant. Well done on this review!
Having attended a birthday bash held at the place, the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming and the food was yum! You have to try the ribs, the meat just came of the bone with a sauce of a sweet chilli BBQ sauce. the baby calimari was like eating popcorn, we ordered a second portion. A great place to dine for the caribbean-latin feel! Can't fault it, 6/6 rating!
Excellent decor, welcoming service, lovely garden area, and delicious food... what more could you want?! Ah yes, the British summer to make an appearance for more than a week!
One of my favourite haunts of which me and the hubby frequent regularly. I know it's the last thing you'd want to order at a Caribbean/South American restaurant but they do one of the best steaks i've ever tasted! It's true!
Love it!
Guanabana is one of the BEST restaurants we have ever been to! it's so welcoming and warm, the decor is great- as is the wonderful summer garden! not to mention the food!!! I actually think the crevettes are DELICIOUS! and we ALWAYS order two portions! hahaha
****** !!! SIX STARS !!! ******
guanabana,is the nicest restaurants i've seen.cozy place,the ambience is very well comfy.