A few weeks ago Turtle Bay unleashed their new lively summer menu, with a few new vegetarian and vegan additions. The last time I visited Turtle Bay to taste their menu was just before I made the switch to a vegetarian diet, so I was delighted when I received an email to say they had extended their veggie and vegan options.
This time we headed to the Brixton restaurant and it was my first time visiting a London branch. We arrived at midday on a Sunday, which wasn't timed too well as we ended up eating a very spicy Caribbean meal for breakfast after our Sunday morning lie-in. However when we arrived the restaurant was completely empty meaning we had the entire place meaning it was wonderfully quiet for an afternoon lunch in the city. Once we were seated we ordered a couple of cocktails for a Sunday afternoon tipple and scrutinised the menu for the 'V' marked options. In all honesty, the non-vegetarian/vegan options far outweigh those we could eat, but there was still enough of a small selection to consider.
To begin our meal we started with the Vital Veggie Platter (vegetarian), which includes sweetcorn fritters, crispy okra, jerk pit grilled mushroom & pepper with coconut glaze, pepper roti, bara flat bread, spiced curry chickpeas and cucumber chutney, herb mayo & super green salad. I find sharing platters is always the best option for us as we have eyes bigger than our bellies, and can never decide upon which dish to choose; a platter enables us to try a little bit of everything on the starter menu.
I've had Turtle Bay's sweetcorn fritters before and they are one of my favourite dishes on the menu - they're deliciously sweet with a crispy shell and soft centre filled with whole corns. The fried okra was another personal favourite of mine from the platter, because although being deep-fried they weren't too heavy to eat and were ridiculously addictive. The only dish from the platter that I wasn't too fond of was the jerk pit grilled mushroom, as the mushrooms were a little too dry and chewy for my tastes. Usually I adore anything with mushrooms in, but I just couldn't stomach these particular ones.
When it came to our main courses, both James and myself opted for two different vegan one pots: the Spinach, Aubergine & Sweet Potato Curry and the Ital Rundown (gluten free options available for both). To accompany our mains, we ordered a couple of sides including the Cheesy Jerk Fries and some traditional Festival Dumplings.
Both curries were absolutely delicious and served up as incredibly generous portions, which did not go unnoticed by someone who enjoys eating as much as me. The Ital Rundown was the milder of the two dishes as it's made with a creamy coconut sauce over butter beans, corn cobblets, carrots, sweet potato, coconut and herbs, whilst served alongside coconut rice 'n' peas and a roti flatbread. Despite being mild, it did not deter from the bold and fragrant flavours of the curry, which burst across your tastebuds with each mouthful.
The spinach, aubergine and sweet potato curry, which was a little spicier in comparison but wasn't too overbearing is coated in a light, Jamaican spice curry sauce with green beans, kidney beans and sugar snap peas accompanied with steamed rice and a roti flatbread. It was equally delicious but maybe not as suitable to someone who is sensitive to spicy food.
The cheese-topped, jerk sweet potato fries were pretty much what they say on the menu and they're heavenly. I've got to confess I wasn't expecting the fries to be sweet potato as it doesn't mention this on the menu - I'm not sure if this was a mistake from the kitchen or whether they are served as sweet potato - but luckily I'm Turtle Bay's sweet potato fries' number one fan, so it was actually an added bonus for me!
Tasting the dumplings was a first for me, so I wasn't sure what to expect. They're incredibly sweet which makes a nice contrast from the spices of the curry, but they are incredibly heavy which meant neither of us could finish them as they just filled us up far too quickly. It would definitely be a good idea to share them as a side dish between 3 or 4, rather than just 2.
Find Turtle Bay:
Address: 382 - 384 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AW
Nearest tube station: Brixton (Victoria Line)
Disclaimer: We were offered a complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review.
I keep meaning to go Turtle Bay and this has made me want to try it even more, that food looks delicious :) xx
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