189 Wardour Street,
Soho,
London,
W1F 8ZD
0872 148 0919
Note: Calls cost 10p per min plus network extras.
The ViewLondon Review
Do you love eating out but find yourself tiring of the usual recommendations? Do you find whitewashed walls and olive oil dishes frightfully arriviste? Do you yearn for an eating experience that will restore your faith in the concept of honest, cheerful international eating?
If you answer yes to any of the above questions then I recommend you tell your boss that you have just contracted dysentery, leave the office and hail a cab to Wardour Street, because Mr Jerk is undoubtedly the site of gastronomic salvation you’ve been praying for.
There are plenty of decent neighbourhood Caribbean restaurants, but precious few in the centre of town. Peculiarly, this particular cooking style has completely escaped any sort of fusion nonsense, and is still entirely distinct.
You might easily miss Mr Jerk when walking down Wardour Street, but when you pop your head inside you’ll know you’ve arrived. Despite the Soho location, I felt rather like Roger Moore when he entered the Fillet of Soul in Live and Let Die.
More 70s NYC diner than Caribbean beach hut, the walls were red, with the menu painted on one side. The tables were topped with wood-look Formica, there was thumping soul emanating from the speakers, and the atmosphere was cooler than Miles Davis in a Lambo.
Ordering at the counter, I went for Jerk Chicken with rice and peas, fried plantain and Guinness punch. It was after the Soho 1-2pm lunch crush, so I had a choice of tables. My Guinness punch soon arrived – rather like a dilute White Russian, sweet and quite unusual. Not bad though!
And then the food. What delight! I suppressed the urge to exclaim “Right on, sister” when an enormous plate of red sauce doused chicken and rice was placed in front of me, accompanied by a dish of plantain. Every mouthful was like foodie Ecstasy, and there were a lot of mouthfuls.
There are plenty of clichés like “hearty”, “unpretentious” and “back to basics” that I could use, but they seem terribly inappropriate. Mr Jerk is without doubt my best find of the last 6 months. The food is as tasty as it gets, it’s funky but is in no way themed. A winner in everyway (brother).
Jerk City has been reviewed by 4 users