Our Roots, Your Tastes

Our story begins in 2014 with Laddi, one of the co-founders. Having initially come to Abu Dhabi as a teacher, he quickly learned something about himself: he missed the food he had grown up eating. Laddi is British, with a Sierra Leonean mother and a father from Trinidad and Tobago, and grew up with many Jamaican family members and friends. This exposed him to an eclectic mix of the West African and Caribbean cuisines, one that did not seem to exist in Abu Dhabi at the time. Whether this was because there wasn’t a real appetite for our type of food in the capital or simply because nobody knew about it, Laddi spotted an opportunity to not only reconnect with the food he loved but also bring it to a community which had little exposure to it.

So, in 2018, Laddi and his wife, Michele, decided to open a West African and Caribbean pop-up stall for six months, in Yas Mall, at a food incubator called Urban RetrEAT. They sourced recipes from parents, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends – just about anyone whose food they missed! This experience encouraged them to find a permanent location, which they eventually did in September 2019. Later the same month, Laddi and Michele hired a full-time team and were soon joined by Laddi’s mum and aunty, who taught the new West to West family how to make the cuisine of Laddi’s childhood. In November 2019, we opened our first, stand-alone restaurant in Abu Dhabi city.
The number of West African and Caribbean restaurants in the capital is increasing. Whilst this promising trend helped us feel as though we made the right decision, what really solidified this was being awarded the ‘What’s On Indie Restaurant of the Year’ in 2021 and, in 2023, receiving the ‘Highly Commended’ recognition in the ‘Best Budget Restaurant’ category at the Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards. Who would have thought that Sierra Leonean, Trinidadian and Jamaican comfort food could win awards out here in the desert? Thanks What’s On and Time Out!

With the recognition we have garnered, and the ongoing support of our valued guests, we aim to continue providing Abu Dhabi with an authentic taste of West African and Caribbean flavours.
So, come and chop with us. Just like with Laddi’s childhood home, you’re always welcome in ours.