On the two occasions I’ve been here, the experiences were filled with dread and utter disappointment. My review at Trusted Places more than summed up the trauma. 
Marina, my best Malaysian buddy who knows a thing or two about Malay cooking. She insisted that I accompany her to this awful place, the level of ‘remorse’ I felt thereafter was painful.
Marina's comments in blue and my rotten handwriting in black (I can only write with a fountain pen, I'm...what's the word...oh of course; established). As for the atmosphere I think Marina, and myself included, preferred it to be more rustic and less contemporary, after all Malaysian cuisine is anything but western.
Armed with a discount voucher (they give these away all the time!) and we still got fleeced in the end, the cocky manager (the mere mention of Marina hailing from Pahang must have rattled him!) conveniently forgot to take the discount off the sides (or bloody starters)! Pathetic!
Fried potato cake with fried shallot & spring onions
Coconut rice served with crispy anchovies, peanut, cucumber, boiled egg, beef rendang and squid sambal
Noodles in curried broth with fish cake, tofu, vegetables & boiled egg
Marina concluded that this place was obviously formulated for the Mat Sallehs. Well if Jom Makan did indeed go that way then they’ve got it all wrong, Mat Sallehs are savvy eaters these days and as a result there’s no way they’ll want to be taken for a ride. Jom Makan doesn’t represent Malaysian cuisine in the slightest, it degrades it deep into the abyss of non-cuisine. Avoid this place without fail!
Jom Makan
5-7 Pall Mall East
London SW1Y 5BA
www.jommakan.co.uk
NB For the best Malaysian tuck in London go to Makan or Malaysia Hall (both Halal) or the non-Halal combos of Malaysia Kopi Tiam and Rasa Sayang.
I am shocked by the terrible look of the curry mee!
ReplyDeleteS-L- you've said it, murky swamp comes to mind!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your description of food at Jom Makan. I went a couple of months ago and it was a really disappointing experience. The teh tarik wasn't even stretched, just poured through a funnel. Even with the discounts which wasn't much, you're better waiting for a 50% discount and going to eat at Awana instead.
I so wished that you were there at the wrong time and that your review was at best "unfair". But unfortunately, as a Malay Malaysian, the only authentically Malay thing about Jom Makan is the spelling of "Jom" and "Makan". Perhaps they missed a few words like Jom Makan Tempat Lain (lets go eat else where).
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day I will open a cafe and call it "Mari Lah Bang" in Marylebone....
Izzu in London
PS: Love your reviews.
Izzu- One word, ditipu!
ReplyDeletePS Thank you