You're spoilt for choice when looking for new cuisine to try on Clare Road in Grangetown. Stores and restaurants all along the road, which cuts through the centre of the Cardiff suburb, celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism of the area with all corners of the world represented.
Last month, the hugely popular Cardiff pop-up and ramen kit producer Matsudai Ramen announced it was taking over the former site of Natwest Bank on the road, its first permanent restaurant after being founded a little over two years ago. It takes its place alongside restaurants plating up dishes from all over the world, including Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. You can read our review of the restaurant serving the best Yemeni food in Cardiff here.
But there is now another new restaurant to shout about. Having been based in a portacabin on Dumballs Road in Butetown for the past two years, The Caribbean Way has a new location on Clare Road, on the former site of Wild Thing cafe. Established in 2014, the Caribbean restaurant and takeaway has won a legion of fans, including rappers, footballers and reality stars, and their announcement last month that they were moving to Grangetown has got a lot of Cardiff foodies feeling excited.
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After hearing only good things about both the food and customer service, I decided to go and try Grangetown's newest restaurant for myself. I went down to Clare Road on a Tuesday lunchtime armed with a healthy appetite and high expectations. To read more of the latest food and drink news and reviews sign up for our weekly Food & Drink newsletter here.
Sandwiched between Blend coffee shop and Al Miro's barbers, there was not too much space in the unit for the restaurant to work with. However, it feels snug rather than cramped thanks to a smart layout which includes a large service counter and food preparation area and a few tables along the wall and by the window. Another benefit is the smell of the rich jerk seasoning that wafts around the restaurant as the food is prepared.
I had a tough time choosing what I wanted due to the number of mouth-watering options on offer. While I was still in time for the breakfast menu - which runs until 1pm and includes a Jamaican special of ackee and saltfish with plantain and fried dumplings - I was drawn to their wide selection of jerk dishes. I admit I was also tempted by traditional Caribbean dishes of curry goat and oxtail, but in the end, I opted for a 1/4 jerk chicken with a side of seasoned fries and rice and peas, which came to £10. For my drink, I couldn't resist adding the bottle of luminous red fruit punch (£3) from the top shelf of the fridge to my order.
I had arrived at the restaurant just after midday and was initially surprised to find that I was only one of two customers there. However, within around 15 minutes of my arrival, the lunchtime rush was in full swing, with co-workers and families all popping in for a sit-down meal or to pick up a takeaway.
After a very short wait, my food arrived, and I was taken aback by how colourful the plate was a hefty piece of sticky, jerk-drizzled chicken lay on a healthy bed of rice and was paired with creamy-looking coleslaw and a huge basket of fries. It looked incredibly tempting and comforting and I couldn't wait to tuck in.
It only took a couple of bites to realise this dish was not just full of colour, but full of flavour too. The jerk marinade that coated the chicken was big and punchy, fragrantly spiced and bringing a good amount of heat, while the meat itself was tender and juicy and took very little work to be taken off the bone. While I'd opted for chicken on this occasion, the big flavours of the marinade made me also want to try the whole range of jerk dishes, which include lamb chops, salmon and prawns.
The chicken was the undisputed star of the show, but the dish was really brought together by the accompanying sides. The rice and peas were light and soaked up the drizzle nicely, while also carrying a hint of coconut which helped to give it a bit of edge against the overwhelming jerk flavour. The coleslaw was sweet and citrusy, with this fruity freshness providing a nice contrast to the rest of the meal.
There was no danger of me going hungry thanks to the generous portion of fries I was served. These were well cooked and had a good crunch to them, although I was hoping for a stronger kick from the seasoning given the substantial dusting they had clearly been given. An incredibly minor grievance from me, however, as this meal was certainly not lacking in flavour.
The homemade fruit punch, labelled with the funky Caribbean Way logo, was also a nice surprise. It is hugely sweet and even flirts with sickliness, but never quite crosses that line. It gives you all of the immediate satisfaction that comes from eating a big bag of sweets, without the unfortunate comedown.
By the point I'd finished my meal, it was standing room only at the Clare Road restaurant, with staff impressively managing to remain attentive to those enjoying their food while dealing with a huge wave of new orders. Having only opened last week, it is clear that word has already spread around Grangetown, with this only set to increase over the coming months.
All in all, I couldn't really fault it. I had enjoyed a lunch full of vibrant, interesting flavours that had clearly been lovingly and expertly prepared, and had only cost me £13 in total. My only regret was not picking up a slice of the sprinkle sponge cake that was being batched up in my eye line during my meal. I guess I'll have to come back again for that!
