Colin Walcott-Taylor was born in Sierra Leone, grew up in England, and has been in Australia for 10 years. He worked in banking and risk assessment before restaurants lured him. Now he runs African Calabash with his mum and sister.

It’s a friendly venue serving West African staples. Plantains are fried to hot, golden, starchy goodness. Jollof rice is stained red from tomato and capsicum and cooked for three hours, smoke from the lower layer gently seasoning the rest of the pot.

Egusi, the hearty soup of blended seeds – pumpkin, in this case – is cooked into a thick porridge and studded with stewed beef. A starchy ball of fufu, made here with pounded yam, is a natural accompaniment. It’s equally excellent with whole tilapia.

The fish is seasoned with paprika, cumin and cinnamon before frying. Want to turn up the heat? Seek out the house-made hot sauce.

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