Chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa is tucking into his lunch at 4.20pm on a Monday afternoon when we meet at his restaurant in Southwark, half a mile from the Thames in south London. His newest venture, Tatale, has been open and fully booked for just over three weeks now, as interest in the pan-African eatery reaches a fever pitch. He’s feeling the pressure, but today is a rest day and calls for a bowl of comfort.
At first glance, his lunch appears unassuming – it looks like a simple linguine with prawns in a tomato sauce. But it’s the aroma of the dish that intrigues me most. It is reminiscent of belacan (also known as balachong), a pungent fermented shrimp paste commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. The dish is a work in progress and Brenya-Mensa is using a common Ghanaian ingredient called shito, which is a chili oil with dried fish powder.
