I recently visited the Southern port city of Southampton for a friend's birthday. The first place we went for a meal is the Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay, apparently quite a favourite for the locals. I've heard that there are other branches of this franchise across England, and after eating here I was sorely disappointed that they haven't yet opened in London. Turtle Bay, if you see this - you NEED to open up a restaurant in the capital!
When we arrived, it took us quite a while to order, simply because everything on the menu sounded amazing. My Southampton friend recommended the jerk chicken and the curries. I ended up going for the jerk chicken with coleslaw and sweet potato fries for my mains, and the king prawn with flatbread to start.
The flatbread was an absolute winner! The prawns were also very flavoursome. I usually don't eat the tail or the shell, but all the juices were packed in there and it tasted incredible. If I was to be nitpicky, I'd say that they were a tad burnt, but this didn't impact the overall taste. I continued the meal on a happy note, as my jerk chicken was equally as juicy and tasty, and the sweet potato fries were made exactly how I like my fries to be - thin and crispy. Again, if I was to be nitpicky, I'd say the coleslaw didn't deliver as much as the other components of the dish. Also, after my friend had told me that this was the BEST chicken ever, I was slightly disappointed that the breast turned out to be a little dry and lacked the flavour of the wings and legs. However, all in all, everyone was satisfied with the meal. For dessert, we shared the dark chocolate pie, which was rich and creamy, the warm pie balanced by the cold vanilla ice cream. I wish I had more stomach space by the end of the meal, as I definitely would've liked to sample the other desserts. I guess I'll have to go back to Southampton! (Honestly, I would return just for some Turtle Bay.)
The flatbread was an absolute winner! The prawns were also very flavoursome. I usually don't eat the tail or the shell, but all the juices were packed in there and it tasted incredible. If I was to be nitpicky, I'd say that they were a tad burnt, but this didn't impact the overall taste. I continued the meal on a happy note, as my jerk chicken was equally as juicy and tasty, and the sweet potato fries were made exactly how I like my fries to be - thin and crispy. Again, if I was to be nitpicky, I'd say the coleslaw didn't deliver as much as the other components of the dish. Also, after my friend had told me that this was the BEST chicken ever, I was slightly disappointed that the breast turned out to be a little dry and lacked the flavour of the wings and legs. However, all in all, everyone was satisfied with the meal. For dessert, we shared the dark chocolate pie, which was rich and creamy, the warm pie balanced by the cold vanilla ice cream. I wish I had more stomach space by the end of the meal, as I definitely would've liked to sample the other desserts. I guess I'll have to go back to Southampton! (Honestly, I would return just for some Turtle Bay.)
At 10pm on a Friday night, the drinks also went 2 for 1. I'd say this is the perfect place for birthday celebrations or a fun dinner with friends. There's a lively but still intimate environment, enhanced by the dim lighting and the soft mingling of people by the bar. We also had a really great server, who made sure all our food came promptly and simultaneously, and even left my friend a birthday greeting on our cheque.
Jerk Pit Prawns - whole shell-on jerk pit grilled prawns, herbs, chilli and garlic butter, flatbread
Jerk chicken with Caribbean slaw and sweet potato fries
Food: A
Ambience/Deco: A
Service: A
Price: $$ (Almost the same price as Nando's, but way better!)
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