Cabana, Westfield, Stratford City

In case you haven’t noticed, this is an Olympic year in our fair city. That’s right, 2012 (pronounced twenty-twelve, rather then two thousand and twelve in the gospel according to Boris) is when we will get to see Usain Bolt break world records on a diet of chicken nuggets, while we pin our hopes on sports in which no other country can really afford to compete – roll on the equestrian and sailing.

However, despite my Antipodean chip-on-my-shoulder cynicism that the games are a PR exercise for Boris J, I have to concede there have been many benefits to London. The most obvious being the redevelopment of East London. And while shopping malls aren’t normally to the Northerner’s or my taste, even we had to admit that Westfield’s in Stratford City looks pretty good. I have yet to sample the original out in Shepherds Bush, but any place that can attract the likes of Prada, Mulberry and Mini Cooper to what has always been a very ‘urban’ part of London has to be doing something right.

But we weren’t there to shop, but to eat, drink, and review. Unfortunately, the place we had been invited to was, unbeknownst to us, in a food court. And while I’m sure this particular place is nice, we were dressed and ready for a restaurant rather than a communal dining experience, so went in search of somewhere else.

We didn’t have to go far before we came across Westfield’s version of Cabana (to point out the perfectly obvious, you will never find new/unique brands in a shopping mall - they can’t afford it). Cabana specialises in Brazilian street food, which for the uneducated means barbecued skewers, chips, and salads.

Cabana’s street cred is slightly undone by its shopping mall fittings. However, through liberal use of vintage-style revolutionary/South American posters and distressed wood and metal fittings, the team have done a good job at making it look passably Brazilian. It certainly feels more South American than Nandos does Portuguese.

The food itself is a mixed bag. The starters were delicious. The chopped salmon ceviche was heavenly with its flavours of lime, chilli and coconut. The chicken coxhinas – shredded chicken and spices – were lovely, while the Pao do Queijo – cheese pastels – was moreishly good without being at all dry.

The sides of cassava chips did the trick, although personally I’ll always prefer potatoes, and the black beans were good old-fashioned comfort food. However, the skewers were inconsistent. The Northerner noted that what we had ordered – the pork tenderloin and spicy Malagueta chicken - were both succulent and well flavoured. However the chimichurri black gold rump was disappointingly dry, and the Aalagueta prawns had been overcooked.

To our pleasant surprise the Brazilian wine – Miolo Lot 43 Merlot – was superb, although you would expect as much for just under £30. Cabana was a little quiet when we first got there; the waiter explained that people didn’t get Brazilian cuisine like they might Greek, Mexican or Thai, for example. And given that the other restaurants around Cabana were full to the brim, there might be some truth in that. However, I think there might be something else to it. Cabana really needs to be in a smaller venue in an area like Soho, Shoreditch or Hoxton, rather than in a shopping mall. It also needs to tighten up in the consistency of its cooking.

That said we had a great time. But in the year during which we’ll hear a lot more about Olympic glory, Cabana is well short of gold. In fact, at this stage, it will be aiming for bronze at best.