SLMan Meets… NattyCanCook
What’s the first dish you remember truly loving?
Two dishes really stand out. One was a simple cheese and ham sandwich – basic but comforting, and one of my earliest food memories. The other was Guyanese pepper pot, which my granny made. That dish carries real cultural weight. It’s slow cooked, deeply spiced and traditionally made with cassareep, which preserves the stew so it can be reheated and built on over days. It represents patience, continuity and togetherness. Every family has their own version.
Are there any flavours or ingredients that instantly take you back to childhood?
The smell of cabbage frying with bacon. My grandad used to do that almost every night as the base for his favourite stew, so that smell meant something good was coming. Scotch bonnets too. It’s funny because I used to be genuinely afraid of pepper as a kid.
What was the first dish you learned to cook properly?
Breakfast. It’s always been my favourite meal of the day. My mum showed me how to properly scramble eggs and make omelettes, so I learned about heat, timing and texture early on.
What’s your perfect meal after a long service today?
Rice and peas with proper fried-chicken tenders, a quick little gravy and some slaw. Simple, satisfying and restorative.
Which ingredients do you always have at home?
Onions, garlic, scotch bonnets, thyme, butter and rice. With those staples, you can always make something good.
What’s a dish you could eat every day and never tire of?
Roti and curry, but it has to be made authentically. I’m a curry snob.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten recently?
The tasting menu at Akoko. The 12-course experience was exceptional – deeply rooted in West African flavours and executed with real precision. It stayed with me because it was confident, thoughtful and uncompromising.
Is there a restaurant you return to again and again?
The Tamil Prince. I’ve been there quite a few times for the bold flavours, consistency and food that always delivers.
Which Caribbean restaurants in London do you rate?
I really rate Fenchurch Restaurant – the setting is special and the cooking is solid. Roger’s Kitchen is a proper staple for honest, flavour-forward Caribbean food. And Flava Pepper is all about serious flavour and authentic representation without dilution.
Any London restaurants you’d still like to try?
I’d love to try Ikoyi, Gymkhana and The Frog by Adam Handling, which are all pushing identity and technique in different ways.
Where would you take someone on a date?
Somewhere intimate and relaxed, with good lighting and space to talk. Places like KOYN work well – refined but not stiff. The atmosphere matters just as much as the food.
What’s your favourite takeaway?
A cheeky Morley’s. The one in Herne Hill genuinely does the best chicken burgers.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from running a kitchen?
You can have all the talent in the world, but without application it means nothing. Consistency, discipline and care are what actually move you forward.
When you’re developing new dishes, where do you start?
I start with food I genuinely enjoy, then break it down and refine it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that process is essential.
What’s the story behind 2210?
2210 is about evolution. It’s Caribbean food viewed through a refined lens, without losing its soul. It reflects where I come from and where I’m going.
If someone visits 2210 for the first time, what should they order?
I’d start with a roti, then the ackee and saltfish spring roll. After that, the pork belly, followed by either the lamb or the stone bass, and you have to finish with the sticky toffee pudding.
And how do you want people to feel when they visit?
Comfortable, inspired and genuinely looked after – like they’ve experienced something honest and memorable.
Follow @NattyCanCook_ & visit 2210ByNattyCanCook.com
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