Call me slow, but it was only while supping my delightful (top secret) rum punch at the bar in Ace Fusion, that I realised that ‘ACE’ was in fact an acronym for this restaurant’s culinary style – African, Caribbean, English fusion. And just as well I did, for had I looked at the menu ignorant of this fact, I might well have been a touch confused by the appearance of both West Indian humous and sausage and mash. This unusual and eclectic mix was easier to understand once I’d met Femi and Sharon, the owners who were both born in south west London, the daughters of West African and Caribbean parents. The décor is plain and perhaps that’s the real ‘E’ of Ace, for the menu is predominantly ‘AC’ with starters which were wonderfully authentic restaurant rarities, such as crab cakes in jerk sauce and yam balls. I opted for a ‘mild’ dish of peppered lamb kebabs (only to discover that ‘mild’ is a highly relative term; to my palate, they were fiery) which were succulent and flavoursome, but certainly not for the faint-hearted. The mains are where the real fun starts with sides of Jamaican rice and peas, jallof rice, and banana plantain slices offered as accompaniment to a varied selection of seafood and meat. Each dish dripped with evocative character, like ackee and saltfish, or rum and garlic prawns, or honey BBQ salmon or Creole cod. And then of course there’s the jerk chicken – the true acid test of any (even part) Caribbean restaurant. Fortunately, all Femi and Sharon’s heritage came through in this dish and the jerk chicken was as authentic, spicy and succulent as though you were in Montego Bay – why you can practically hear the waves lapping against shore!