Restaurant Review: Chaconia, Deptford

Chicken with Rice n' Peas at Chaconia in Deptford

When I knew that I was moving back to Brockley I bookmarked Hollow Legs post rounding up some of her favourite places in the area. One of her recommendations was Chaconia on Deptford High St, a Trinidadian restaurant specialising in roti.

The small café is run by a very friendly lady who is keen to chat with her customers, explain the food and obviously very proud in what she serves making everything from scratch in the kitchen to old family recipes she learnt growing up the in Caribbean.

Her passion for cooking and entrepreneurial flair obviously started young as she told me today that she used to make coconut biscuits when she was young to take into school and sell them at lunchtime. She still makes the same coconut and ginger biscuits today, but can no longer collect the coconuts for free as they don't grow so well in the snow of Deptford.

Curry goat roti

On my first visit I ordered the curry goat roti. The soft and chewy roti was filled with the tender goat that was meltingly soft. As you'd expect from Caribbean cooking there was a fragrant chilli coming through.

I couldn't resist something sweet to counteract the heat of the roti so picked up some kuriya to munch on my way home. Simple dough fried biscuits that were covered in sugar. A cheap, sweet and filling snack.

 

Kuriya

On my second visit I tried the curry chicken with rice 'n peas, pointed cabbage and sweet pumpkin (£4.70 large size). The chicken is cooked on the bone and is marinaded in herbs and then cooked to her secret recipe. I added some of the fragrant homemade chilli sauce which she promised would clear my cold and keep me warm on the inside. It definitely made my nose run and did keep me warm for a couple of hours! The sweet pumpkin was a lovely way to counteract some of the heat.

Just like on my first visit I fancied something sweet to sooth my tingling mouth and couldn't resist one of the coconut and ginger biscuits the owner has been cooking since she was a school girl. A bit of a teeth breaker they tasted very sweet and I can't quite believe the owners promise they didn't actually contain much sugar.

Chaconia is a great value lunch spot and a wonderful opportunity to learn something about Trinni food. On both my visits there were dishes available that weren't on the menu so it is definitely worth asking what they have on offer when you visit.

Chaconia
26 Deptford High Street
London 

SE8 4AF