Ochi Caribbean Takeaway

If you’ve lived anywhere long enough, it’s likely that your local takeaway has seen you in everything from your nice first-day-at-work shoes to a lazy Sunday tracksuit. Ochi is a tiny Caribbean takeaway spot that’s a familiar constant for the people of Shepherd’s Bush in search of great goat curry. 

Regulars order without a single glance at the menu, and locals walk in empty handed and leave gripping takeaway bags in both. Not much seems to have changed in the past 10 years in the way of decor. The white tiles are plastered with signed posters of artists as big as Busta Rhymes and Ian Brown as well as local talent like Michael Underwood, who have all popped in for a patty in the past. But pull your eyes away from the wall and focus on the menu behind the counter. That’s where you’ll find a friendly server looking at you expectantly—assuming you’ve already been there before—and waiting for your order so they can shout it back into the kitchen. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Go too late in the day and you won’t find rice and peas, but the curry goat has enough flavour and bright yellow-ish sauce to make some plain white rice go the mile. If it’s your first time here, order one of the super soft, peppery beef patties, a large box of jerk chicken (always ask for extra sauce), and the goat curry. There’s only space for two, two-person tables, but this tastes better once it’s dumped in a plate and eaten in front of a TV show that doesn’t require too much focus.

Food Rundown

Beef Patty

There’s a choice between beef, lamb, chicken, fish, and vegetables, but the heartier beef option is by far our favourite. Rip it in half and let it cool down—or risk incinerating the roof of your mouth. It’s filled with a peppery, warming, and meaty mix.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Jerk Chicken

A large takeaway box of this stuff has got us through tough days at work, several Netflix series, and every other day we forget to defrost the chicken. The chicken is tender, with charred skin and a thick, slightly sweet sauce on top. Always get the large—if you don’t finish it, someone else in your house will.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Curry Goat

The yellow hue of this curry is your white tee’s version of the Big Bad Wolf. Chunks of slow-cooked goat are a perfect purplish-pink on the inside with a rich meaty flavour. Bone marrow slips right out if you so much as lift the bone an inch above the plate, so if you’re into that kind of thing, this is the kind of wholesome meal you’ll happily order once a week.