There are certain restaurants that elicit joy and happiness as soon as you enter and I would definitely categorise Rum Kitchen as one of those restaurants. It has a very attractive yellow and blue colour scheme that remind you of the clear blue skies and bright sunshine you would see if you were lying on a beach in the Caribbean.
It might feel colourful but it never feels garish. The venue feels bright and airy with a smattering of vegetation to give out that beach shack vibe along with the wood-panelled walls and benches. They do also have some very comfortable looking purple booths for larger groups.
Their menu is relative short compared to most restaurants, but the focus is on quality not quantity. As the prices are very competitive here, there is not much difference between the prices of starters and main courses. They naturally don’t write in such a formal fashion; instead they are called ‘bits and bobs’ and ‘bigger bits’.
I tried the island spiced baby squid, which had the elasticity you would expect from squid but wasn’t overly chewy because it hasn’t been overcooked and they used baby versions. It had flavours in abundance especially with the accompanying scotch bonnet mayo and colourful garnishes to made sure the dish had ‘plate appeal’.
I ordered a more unusual crispy fish roti, which isn’t the type of dish you would find easily on your high street. The fish fillets are firm and the batter crunchy, whilst the roti is gently chargrilled. The dish isn’t too fiery but more spicy with delicious tasting ginger and lime aioli, avocado salsa and chilli pickle. You do appreciate their eye for presentation as they’ve even managed to print their own rum kitchen wrapper for the roti.
Even though the menu is short, they do have tasty sounding jerk chicken and buns on their menu, which demands a repeat visit to the restaurant.
For desserts I tried their banana cake and what was interesting to note is even before I had a chance to open my mouth, the waitress predicted I wanted to substitute the chocolate ice cream for another flavour. Since when did chocolate ice cream lost its popularity? Their mind-reading staff did correctly predict that I preferred the coconut ice cream. The cake was firm and sturdy in texture yet still moist tasting and was made more desirable with rum caramel sauce.
This is a restaurant I will be visiting not only when I have a craving for Caribbean cuisine but also when I need some sunshine in my life.
baldwin@townfish.com