Caribbean Cuisine at Tango Turtle Restaurant, Aberdeen

The new restaurant on the block, Tango Turtle, is a must-try for the foodies out there. Located on Little Belmont Street in Aberdeen, Tango Turtle brings Caribbean inspired food to the city that Aberdeen has yet to experience.

I headed along to the restaurant with Holly after conveniently stumbling across it on the hunt for a bite to eat. It’s slightly hidden away on Little Belmont Street, apart from it’s bright blue and orange sign, and could easily be missed.

Once inside the entrance though, there is no way you are going to miss Tango Turtle. Climbing up the stairs to the restaurant, you will be greeted by rainbow stairs, black and orange walls and a pink door.

The colourful, vibrant decor is continued into the restaurant which portrays a fun and playful atmosphere. The rainbow colour scheme makes a firm appearance throughout with large multi-coloured turtle and Bob Marley prints. There are pastel hanging baskets with plants suspended from the ceiling and wooden walls that surround that make you feel like you are sat in a beach hut on a Caribbean beach.

But, let’s get onto the food shall we!

The Starters at Tango Turtle

It was lunch time but there was so much on the menu that we wanted to try so we decided to get a small selection of their small plates, as well as mains, to share. Honestly, every single small plate sounded incredible but we opted for Buss Up Shut Tacos, Bajan Flying Fish Cakes and Chargrilled Jerk Chicken Roti Wrap.

Starting with the Buss Up Shut Tacos, a Trinidad treat, you can choose whether to have this with Curried Chicken, Jerk Chicken, Beef, Chickpeas or Pork so there is an option for all. We picked beef as we were having chicken for another dish, but I would absolutely love to try out the Curried or Jerk Chicken options too. I say that but the beef option was gorgeous. The dish comes with a flaky roti bread, topped with the beef, cucumber, yoghurt and chilli tomato chutney. This was one of my favourites from the meal – I recommend giving it a go! It’s beautifully seasoned and I was sad when we finished it. Next time I think I’ll have one to myself!

Next up is the Bajan Flying Fish Cakes which is a Barbados classic. I love fish cakes so I knew this was a dish I would enjoy and I 100% did. Served with a jerk aioli sauce, these fish cakes just melted in your mouth. They are flavoursome, lightly spiced and they aren’t too fishy either so I think even non-fish eaters could enjoy these.

To finish our starter portion of our meal, we had the Chargrilled Jerk Chicken Roti Wrap, inspired by Jamaican cuisine. This dish consists of a crispy roti filled with marinated jerk chicken – chicken coated in a hot spice mix. It was delightful. It’s quite a dry dish, but dipped into hot sauce, YES PLEASE.

The Mains at Tango Turtle

Just like the small dishes, the main courses were just as enticing so it was hard to choose just one to try out. After much deliberation, we both opted for curry pots. I went for the Curry Chicken Pot and Holly, the Curry Lamb Pot.

Each dish, another Jamaican delicacy, came with a curry stew with perfectly cooked meat in a creamy, well-spiced sauce with potatoes, onion and coconut, alongside a hearty portion of rice and peas, or as we know them, kidney bean, as well as a few bites of fried plantain.

We were also tempted into trying a basket of fried plantain as a side dish. I was a little sceptical but decided why not just give them a bash. These sweet bites of plantain are deeply caramelised, giving a crispy exterior filled with an almost custardy texture when bitten into. I actually found them surprisingly enjoyable but to me they are more like a dessert, so next time, that’s how I’d eat them.

Final Thoughts of Tango Turtle

I thought the service was something notable during our visit as it was exquisite. The waiters were incredibly attentive, described the menu to us when we were unsure and suggested courses they thought we would love, which made the experience even better for us Caribbean cuisine newbies.

The cuisine is mouth-watering, the atmosphere is fun and makes for a great way to spend an hour or so for a catch up with friends or a bite to eat after a day of shopping.

So if you are out and about, I say go in and experience the Caribbean deliciousness for yourself!

While you are here, why not check out another foodie post: All Vegan Cafe in Aberdeen: Bonobo Cafe.