One thing (among many) that I love about Abu Dhabi is that I can get hundreds of different cuisines in one city, some old favourites, some new favourites. This weekend I tried out West to West Kitchen and it has safely installed itself on the latter.

With inspiration from Sierra Leone, Jamaica and the Caribbean this menu has a lot of heart and A LOT of flavour. Classing themselves as a grab-n-go restaurant, it has a cafeteria-like feel, and a small seating area so I decided to take my food home to discover some new favourites.

Wrap It Up: these wraps are the perfect lunchtime go-to. Jam-packed with different fillings, the soft tortilla wraps pack a powerful punch. We enjoyed the jerk chicken, the crispy-skinned jerk chicken with refreshing tomatoes and cucumber, and the West African wrap, with its secret-family-recipe jollof rice and flavourful chicken stew. But the standout for me was the vegan awojoh binch wrap - I’m not a vegan, but I would happily eat this every day for my lunch: the black-eyed beans with shredded plantain bringing the perfect mix of sweet and savoury.

Stews, Curries, and Vegans: With the Caribbean influences, there was no way I wasn’t getting something spicy, and the curry goat fit the bill. Served with Jamaican rice and peas this tender goat curry had me reaching for my water glass on more than one occasion. Not for the faint of heart, it was too much for my other half, but I loved the heat and spices. He favoured the (tamer) West African chicken stew, with its tomato base and marinated chicken, and we both fought over the Sierra Leonean jollof rice. This tangy, flavourful rice is a heavily guarded family secret recipe from one of W2W’s matriarchs, Auntie Lina, and was a big hit in our household. The vegan ital stew was a big winner for me with tasty chunks of mixed veg with a rich, creamy, coconut sauce which also kept really well for my dinner the next day.

A hug in a bowl: Dessert to me should be warm, decadent and comforting and W2W’s sticky toffee pudding was all that and more - like a big fat hug in a bowl! Sticky dates, moist (yeah, I said it) sponge and a sticky toffee sauce – just more next time please!!

With good value prices and great tasting food, West To West Kitchen has a lot going for it in an ‘ikkle’ package. I am stuffed, still tingly (from that goat curry spiciness) and have a strange urge to watch “Cool Runnings”… Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it’s W2W time!