The elusive hangover cure can be found at the most obvious of places. On our recent visit to the Jam Tree Chelsea after a particularly “hardworking” Saturday night out, we were on the lookout for the soothing panacea for industrious reviewers in the form of their Sunday brunch offerings.
Their pristine white walls are soothing to the eyes of even the most hungover of visitors as well as their spotless copper-plated bar top and chandeliers. However, it is their outdoor terrace which is the idyllic setting for your Sunday morning recovery therapy. The Jam Tree tend to attract smart, urban mid 20s to 30s crowd, who would not look out-of-place strolling down the King’s Road.
They have their guilty options such as hot and sticky barbecue ribs for starters but they also have offerings for the healthy diet-conscious guests. We opted for the heirloom tomato and buratta over the ginger and chilli tofu simply because we thought we would reach our quota of 5 a day quicker with the exotically coloured vegetables. The dish was made all the more appetising by the addition of buratta cheese, pickled basil leaves, lemon shallot and rape seed oil dressing: the combination making for a zesty finish to the salad.
However, by the time we were ready for main course, we needed something more heavy-duty and when it comes to dealing with a hangover, the answer doesn’t come more classic than a marinated lamb kebab. However, this is no food cart by the night bus stop variety: the diced meat is wholesome, fresh and marinated with care using yoghurt and spices. It might not be a bargain at £16, then again how often do you find bargains on the King’s Road? However, it is one of the most filling portions of lamb kebab you will eat given that it comes with pita, crisp lettuce, diced tomato, pickled peppers and harissa and thyme fries.
My guest opted for the even more heavy-duty Cowboy breakfast, which had 3 types of meat: maple glazed bacon, sticky baby back ribs and pulled pork with the bacon looking particularly opulent. This was combined with baked beans, potato hash and egg and corn tortilla. Once again it was an accommodating portion of meats and breakfast items, fit for any rodeo champion.
The generosity of the portion sizes continued with the desserts where we ordered the mango pudding which came with a boulder sized ginger ice cream. The pudding was firm in texture and an ideal sweet to enjoy for a warm summer afternoon on their relaxing terrace. It might not be a definitive cure for the hangover, but I know few better places to spend on a Sunday afternoon.
baldwin@townfish.com