Review: The Jam Tree Clapham
Set right in the heart of Clapham old town (there is also one in Chelsea) The Jam Tree is a great place for after work cocktails or dinner with friends. The airy, spacious restaurant feels very relaxed and with a wall of windows that fold back, sitting in the evening sun is perfect.
Until the 20th of this month the jam tree will be bringing a slice of Jamaica to the area with their pop up Jamaica Jamaica.
With a great cocktail list, all featuring Rum (it wasn't long before I had one in my hand), reggae music playing the background and the most amazing smells coming from the kitchen, I couldn't wait to taste what The Jam Tree had to offer.
To start I went for the calypso peppered shrimp with bammie and mango salsa. A huge lover of seafood and especially prawns my starter did not disappoint. The bammies, which I can only describe as somewhere between a toasted fried slice and a hash brown, were delicious. Crunchy on the outside but light and fluffy inside, stole the show.
My guest had the jerk pineapple served with goats cheese, which guessing by the clean plate, was also a great choice.
For the main I opted for the curried goat. I'd actually had curried goat several times before but when you're shovelling it down you neck as fast as possible at Notting Hill Carnival, in fear that one of the carnival goers may knock it out of your hand, you don't really get to savour the flavours.
So despite my acquaintance with the dish, I was excited to try it again. And one thing is for sure, I do not remember it being that spicy. Luckily I love spicy food so absolutely loved The Jam Tree's offering. I did find the rice and peas a tad dry but when eaten with the curry it was still very tasty. All the mains come with salad and really quite spicy coleslaw. Although lovely I would have preferred normal coleslaw, something cooling to go with the fiery curry would have been much appreciated!
My guest went for the jerk chicken and instead of the usual rice and peas paired it with the rum glazed sweet potato. Again, it was a great dish (I decided I should probably try it too) but very hot, which again I though "great" being a fan of spicy food but if you're not this is another dish that's maybe not for you.
We also ordered a side of fried plantain to accompany our meal. It is rather like a parsnip both in look and taste, and luckily was not spicy.
If you don't like spicy food, I would say the Jamaica Jamaica menu isn't for you. Luckily The Jam Tree has it's regular menu so you can still enjoy the fab venue and reggae music. After chatting with the waiter (all the staff were incredibly helpful and charming, adding to the great evening and a real credit to the venue) I was delighted to find that pop-up menus are something they intend to continue, so keep an eye out for different cuisine making an appearance at the venue in the future.
The Jamaica Jamaica men is available until 20th August www.thejamtree.com/clapham/
Until the 20th of this month the jam tree will be bringing a slice of Jamaica to the area with their pop up Jamaica Jamaica.
With a great cocktail list, all featuring Rum (it wasn't long before I had one in my hand), reggae music playing the background and the most amazing smells coming from the kitchen, I couldn't wait to taste what The Jam Tree had to offer.
To start I went for the calypso peppered shrimp with bammie and mango salsa. A huge lover of seafood and especially prawns my starter did not disappoint. The bammies, which I can only describe as somewhere between a toasted fried slice and a hash brown, were delicious. Crunchy on the outside but light and fluffy inside, stole the show.
My guest had the jerk pineapple served with goats cheese, which guessing by the clean plate, was also a great choice.
For the main I opted for the curried goat. I'd actually had curried goat several times before but when you're shovelling it down you neck as fast as possible at Notting Hill Carnival, in fear that one of the carnival goers may knock it out of your hand, you don't really get to savour the flavours.
So despite my acquaintance with the dish, I was excited to try it again. And one thing is for sure, I do not remember it being that spicy. Luckily I love spicy food so absolutely loved The Jam Tree's offering. I did find the rice and peas a tad dry but when eaten with the curry it was still very tasty. All the mains come with salad and really quite spicy coleslaw. Although lovely I would have preferred normal coleslaw, something cooling to go with the fiery curry would have been much appreciated!
My guest went for the jerk chicken and instead of the usual rice and peas paired it with the rum glazed sweet potato. Again, it was a great dish (I decided I should probably try it too) but very hot, which again I though "great" being a fan of spicy food but if you're not this is another dish that's maybe not for you.
We also ordered a side of fried plantain to accompany our meal. It is rather like a parsnip both in look and taste, and luckily was not spicy.
If you don't like spicy food, I would say the Jamaica Jamaica menu isn't for you. Luckily The Jam Tree has it's regular menu so you can still enjoy the fab venue and reggae music. After chatting with the waiter (all the staff were incredibly helpful and charming, adding to the great evening and a real credit to the venue) I was delighted to find that pop-up menus are something they intend to continue, so keep an eye out for different cuisine making an appearance at the venue in the future.
The Jamaica Jamaica men is available until 20th August www.thejamtree.com/clapham/