At my school they made us sing this song that went: ‘My brother did a tell me dat he go mango walk an’ steal all de number ’lebbens.’ It was supposed to be a jolly calypso but had something of the Black and White Minstrel Show about it when we sang it. I still don’t know what it was all about except that mangoes featured. Anyhow I was with C and she said there was this excellent Caribbean restaurant we should try. Amazing there aren’t more of them in London, and since I had never been to one, we went. Mango Room is at the arse-end of the Kentish Town Road, close to Camden Town tube. We were earlyish on a Tuesday but they were busy and said we could have a table just till 9pm. Which was fine by us. The restaurant has several comfortable rooms, cosily lit. The menu is on two sides of A4, which means you don’t have to torture yourself deciding. I went for the crab-and-potato balls to start, followed by carpachio of salmon with mixed leaf salad and peppers, from the specials menu on side 2 of the sheet. Don’t know where the word ‘carpachio’ comes from. It sounds a bit like that Venetian painter, but what it was was a bosom-shaped mound consisting of smoked salmon on the outside and a dressed salad inside. I ordered some peas and rice to go with it. C opted for salmon fillet with pickled mango, sweet pepper, scallions, garlic and balsamic vinegar. She had some stir fried veggies too and thought she would try yams. A bit like eating a sliced tree we decided. The food is described on the menu as traditional and modern Caribbean and it was just that. Familiar-sounding things such as ackee and saltfish, and char-grilled jerk chicken, are cheek by jowl with unfamiliar (to me) ones like Creole snapper, and ebony wings. Much garlic in evidence. Wines were the usual selection as far as I could see. We had a red plonky Frog one. By staring rudely at what others were eating I could see that everything was beautifully presented, and the food I had was original and delicious. The waiters are young and helpful (well mine was both) and the atmosphere confidential with a modernish, young-person’s feel to it. Toilets respectable. I would heartily recommend Mango Room. We spent £60, which could be a bit on the high side, but if you fancy plantains, sweet potato mash or ‘Camden’s famous curry goat,’ this is a restaurant worth tubing it to. For the nervous there are non-frighteners such as lamb with red wine and thyme sauce, and for the meat-averse there’s loads of fish, or spinach and okra with rice coconut and garlic. Or a plate of yams! PERRY STALSIS 2002