Chef Collin Brown brings Caribbean to Poplar
Caribbean chef Collin Brown is reaching for the stars, and he's hoping to get there via Poplar Dock.
The three-time Caribbean Chef of the Year fought his way from selling his distinctive cakes on the streets of Dalston to handling catering for Virgin Atlantic flights to his homeland.
He's cooked for celebrities such as Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and catered for Kelly Rowland's birthday party. Now he's aiming to create the first UK's Michelin-starred Caribbean restaurant, having launched the Chef Collin Brown Restaurant in Yabsley Street.
The restaurant has been running on a soft-launch since June, but will launch officially on October 8.
Collin said: "There are a lot of people into Caribbean food. It's just not presented properly, and that's its downfall.
"In America, it's massive, but in London there are only about five Caribbean restaurants and the rest are just takeaway. It's really a no-brainer for me, but it's just a question of doing it properly."
Collin became the family cook at age eight, after surprising his family by whipping up a fine meal while they were in church. He took on a work placement at La Roose, and then moved on to the Cayman Islands before relocating to London in 1997.
His family's traditional cooking has won over stars such as Harrison Ford, who hired Collin's aunt as his personal chef after sampling a dumpling dish. But Collin discovered that finding a job in the UK French-focused fine dining industry was a tricky task.
He was told his qualifications were invalid as they'd come from outside Europe, but his food became a hit in the Hackney area, allowing him to make £1,000 a week on cake alone while cooking in his one-room apartment.
He was responsible for the food at The Lane restaurant in Aldgate's City Hotel, before taking the chance to set up his "upmarket modern Caribbean restaurant" in Poplar.
He said: "London is the food capital of the world, and the locals here have been giving me a lot of support.
"I grew up in Jamaica and I understand the food. The flavours are so different. The cooking is done with steam. It's more wholesome and you get more of the flavour. Nothing is fried in the restaurant, it's all grilled, steamed and baked.
"The difference between an Indian curry and a Caribbean curry is that with a Caribbean curry we extract the flavours of the meat with herbs, and the curry is a compliment to the meat. The flavour is more intense."
The premises has been empty since the departure of Indian restaurant Anupana over a year ago, but Collin says the response has already been healthy.
"I have a lot of customers driving over here from my previous restaurant, and I've been full for the last few days.
"Lots of the people living around here tell me it's all about takeaway. People work hard, so they have kitchens but they don't use them.
"Our takeaways are really nicely done. We have proper packaging and it's really different. We try to serve a complete meal, with vegetables, rice and meat together.
"When people come into the restaurant itself, what we try to do is find out what sort of mood they're in, whether it's a chicken mood, or a vegetable mood, or a fish mood.
"Then the staff can explain what's what, so everyone can get a bit adventurous."
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based on this glowing recommendation we went to this restaurant. It didn't live up to expectation. Further more Chef Colin Brown was rude to us.
I had a fantastic evening celebrating my birthday. Our party of four enjoyed delightful vegetable patties, curry goat, jerk chicken, sea bass and the most wonderdul rum cake. Colin was a delightful host and the service was wonderful.
My family and myself are attending Colin Brown's restaurant tomorrow for the first time. We are celebrating our mother's 65th birthday there will be about 22 of us and we hope our experience is good cause we will be back again and again we believe strongly in supporting black business's.
i think the food are well cook i hope to visit you restaurant again melissa pat marge
Last night my daughter took 38 people to Chef Collin Brown's restaurant for her 25th birthday celebration. I had visited the restaurant previously and was concerned to note there were just TWO serving staff. I spoke with the manageress and confirmed with her that there would be more servers. Needless to say there were only TWO servers for a restaurant that had approximately 60 people dining through out the evening. The service was slow. The food luke warm and mediocre at best. They ran out of coca cola, gingerbeer, guinness punch... Do they not check their diner listings for the week to come? The chef was RUDE RUDE RUDE and will NEVER see a penny of my money again, neither I dare say will any of the other 37 be gracing his premises again.
Last night my daughter took 38 people to Chef Collin Brown's restaurant for her 25th birthday celebration. I had visited the restaurant previously and was concerned to note there were just TWO serving staff. I spoke with the manageress and confirmed with her that there would be more servers. Needless to say there were only TWO servers for a restaurant that had approximately 60 people dining through out the evening. The service was slow. The food luke warm and mediocre at best. They ran out of coca cola, gingerbeer, guinness punch... Do they not check their diner listings for the week to come? The chef was RUDE RUDE RUDE and will NEVER see a penny of my money again, neither I dare say will any of the other 37 be gracing his premises again.
I attended this restaurant and first recently and first impression was very nice look, clean neat and tidy. only problem was the food took too long to come, but was very nice when it did. the potions were a bit small and when you asked for more you were told that you would have to pay extra, all my table wanted was a litle bit more rice as we had run out and 3 more fried dumplings,and was told we had to pay. The price was not cheap to start with so you can imagine how amzed we were, however we paid. We were so hungry when we first came in just waiting for the food to come out but if they had put some bread rolls with butter/dips on the table we would probably have not had to aske for extra but we were hungrey and that would have been a good appetiser to start with.
Fantastic restaurant. I have been there twice and am busy booking a third visit. The food is excellent and served in just the right amounts so that you can fully enjoy the three courses. I have been to more expensive restaurants where the portions are too large making it difficult for you to enjoy them. I have often wished they would serve less and charge less. Chef Collin Brown gets the balance just right. He is a great host, polite and welcoming, as are his staff.
What a poor can I say service poor, food potions very small. a two bar heater to keep you warm wife keep her coat on all night Collin Brown Resturant has caribbean dining back serveral years. Would never go there again.