Jumbi: A food review
Located in Copeland Park, “Home to South East London’s thriving creative scene and Peckham’s Cultural Quarter, is Jumbi. A hi-fi music bar,venue and restaurant it is exceptionally popular amongst the London creative scene, with a mass of events, dj sets and exhibitions happening throughout the year.
The building has a distinct industrial aesthetic, with exposed brick walls and concrete floors paired with handwritten illustrations of menus and a towering vinyl collection at the entrance. There is also a separate building next to the main entrance, affectionately referred to as the terrace, which is also used for events. Jumbi is marketed as a venue that celebrates “the sounds & flavours of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora”, so I was surprised to see that the menu was actually a fusion menu. Jurkish, a Caribbean and Turkish Cypriot fusion restaurant, holds a residence at Jumbi. Their menu tagline reads “CARIBBEAN FLAVOURS INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION”, resulting in some seriously unique dishes. Here’s what I ordered and my thoughts on them all.
Saltfish Kofte
For my starter, I chose the Saltfish Badadez Kofte which costs £8. As someone who has grown up eating Bajan saltfish and cod fishcakes, I was extremely intrigued by the concept of a saltfish kofte. The plate was presented wonderfully, with the kofte sitting on a bed of spices and jerk and garlic yoghurt sauce. The portion size was also adequate. You get 4 pieces of the kofte for £8, which works out at £2 per piece (you’re very welcome for doing the heavy maths). The seasoning and flavouring of the pieces was very good, you could absolutely taste the saltfish and spices which were so reminiscent of the traditional Caribbean fishcakes. The garlic yoghurt and jerk sauce also complemented the kofte very well.
One thing to note with these is that they were very moist, almost wet inside. As I'm not a kofte expert myself I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be wet inside, which had me wondering if it was slightly undercooked.
Rating 3/5
Jurkish Doubles
Onto the main event, the Jurkish doubles. As someone of Trinidadian descent and a double fanatic, I had some high expectations to live up to. I decided to go for the Jurk chicken option for these instead of the traditional chickpea version or Jumbi’s oxtail special. This main set me back £11, with the chickpea version costing £9 and the oxtail version also costing £11. To London standards, this is a decent price, but not in Trini standards. The average price (according to my Trini-born and bred mum) is $5TTD, which is a whopping 56p. Obviously, we’re not in Trinidad, but it’s something to note.
I gasped on the arrival of my plate as these were not the humble street food that I have come to know. The two flatbreads were piled high with pieces of shredded jerk chicken, salad, pickled onions, garlic sauce and pepper ezme and what I believe were crispy onions.
The chicken was seasoned to perfection, and had the perfect amount of sweetness to offset the spice. The salad and additional toppings complimented the chicken beautifully. The only problem was that the flatbreads were too small to contain all of the fillings, so had to be eaten separately, but an amazing dish nonetheless.
Rating 5/5
Rum and Raisin Espresso Martini
I was lucky enough to visit on a Tuesday when they were having their 2-for-1 drink deal. I decided to go for the Rum and Raisin Espresso Martini. Another lovely aspect to note is that Jumbi uses and highlights mostly African and Caribbean spirits at the bar. This cocktail used Las Olas Rum, which is a Jamaican and Bajan blend of rum. The sweetness of the sherry and cinnamon used in this cocktail was reminiscent of traditional rum and ginger cakes but with a delightful espresso kick.
Rating 5/5
Overall, in my opinion, Jumbi is a must visit. The fusion dish concept and the Afro-Caribbean influenced drinks are definitely one to try. The staff were also so accommodating and helpful in explaining the dishes and ingredients, and there are many vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options for those with dietary restrictions. I personally cannot wait to go back and try more dishes.
Overall 4/5
