Tradition of great food continues at J’s

For the last few months, there was a rumour that one of my favourite eateries was taking over the premises of one of my favourite drinking haunts, and this possibility made me excited and sad at the same time. When it came to pass that J’s Fresh Bar & Kitchen had opened in Westlands where The Juniper Kitchen once stood, I called an old friend and headed there to check it out.

A lot of work has gone into giving the building a facelift and the trademark timber designs J’s is popular for have been reproduced in the wall panelling and simple furniture. Potted miniature bamboo is used everywhere to partition sections and there are cute little cacti scattered everywhere in what looks like mini tin water buckets from an era gone by.

I was impressed with the changes made to improve the formerly ghastly bathrooms and the use of different sized traditional woks as lamp shades and hand wash basins charmed me.

LARGE PORTIONS

With any establishment that is newly opened for a soft launch, you expect some opening jitters and kinks but at J’s they were few. The staff did seem conversant enough with the menu which features new selections and each time I presented our waiter a pair of items to choose from I was met with the most exhausting response ever: “they are all very good.” Also, the inner dining room seemed a little bare and I do not know if that is what they are aiming for, but I felt strongly it could do with some signature décor pieces.

When it was time to order, I decided to be a little adventurous. I am not a fan of rice, however it is made, and while I love beetroot, the combination beetroot risotto did not sound appealing in the slightest. I could not see how those two would pair in flavour and structure. It may have looked like an unrecognisable dump of red but it tasted heavenly.

The stickiness of the slow-cooked short grain rice combined with butter and parmesan cheese created a rather filling dish to which seasonal vegetables of French beans, broccoli and beetroot were added. For the first time ever I had a problem with a food portion being too large.

When something is so rich and creamy and packed full of other solid ingredients, I prefer that the portion is smaller, otherwise it is a waste. Especially if it is risotto which I would be loath to rewarm. Nobody ever has to undergo the food poisoning that could come from reheating dairy and rice meals.

They just do not lend themselves well to this lazy habit. Needless to say, I couldn’t finish my serving which was with a very heavy heart. My mate however cleaned up his bowl of Caprese salad. It was a very refreshing dish of homemade mozzarella with fresh basil, cherry tomato and a sprinkling of mint pesto.

I almost wished I had ordered that instead. Looks like the team at J’s are determined to carry on their legacy of good food wherever they go!