Jamface by Poh
Taste The World Restaurant – WOMADelaide
March 13, 2017

After a hectic 3 days of Womad festivities, I couldn’t think of a better way to slow down and chill out, than to enjoy a causal Monday lunch at  Jamface – Taste The World Restaurant by Poh.

Poh Ling Yeow, better known from (Master Chef Fame), was this year’s chef-in-residence at WOMADelaide’s Taste the World Restaurant.

The pop up restaurant was nestled amongst the picturesque Botanic parklands under a magnificent marquee. On entering, the first thing that caught our eye was the uber cool decorations and striking lighting. Lush Lighting who provided the fit out here, has done an amazing job, and has really set the mood for the room.  Inside had a real homely, comfortable feel which made everyone feel right at home.

Dining guests included a mix of couples, families and groups off friends, who were obviously there to enjoy the Womad festival; ‘Jamface’ was the perfect pit stop for festival goers to relax and grab a bite to eat.

The menu was tasty and diverse, serving up a little bit of everything. I was ready to put my Master Chef hat on as Poh and her team served up a six-dish banquet inspired by her childhood memories in Malaysia.

Dish 1. The Minted Vichyssiose Cold Pea and Mint soup; with cucumber, Ora King smoked salmon cream and flying fish roe.  This was a delicious and refreshing soup which was rich in texture, this was the perfect starter.

Dish 2. Turmeric Chicken; Lilydale free range chicken wings spiced and fried in curry leaf infused oil. We loved the spices used here, very flavoursome and moorish… the chicken was cooked to perfection; this was a big fave with the kids!

Dish 3. Salmon Carpaccio – Ora King raw salmon with Pink Lady apple, cucumber, fresh herbs & orange ginger dressing. This dish had a real zest about it. Light and tasty on the palete, the orange ginger dressing won me over here, spot on!

Dish 4. Enoki Noodle – Enoki mushrooms with garlic shoots, smoked oyster sauce, garlic oil and fried shallottes. What a clever and creative dish. The mushrooms were crafted and made to look like actual noodles; If I didn’t know better myself, I would have thought the dish were actual noodles.  I loved the balanced oyster sauce base; a dish that went down a treat with the vegetarians. A gem of a dish and a very creative use of the ingredients.

Dish 5. Pork Dumplings – Boston Bay Free Range Sweet Salty Pork – cubed sago dumplings in a gem lettuce cup, fresh coriander and chilli. Just amazing. This was the stand out dish for me, a very different and clever interpretation of dumplings which was full-flavoured and spicy. I loved the sago dumpling on the side, it was great sampling different tastes and textures.

Dish 6. Pillow Pav – Marshmallow Pavlova, fresh strawberries, roasted almonds, balsamic caramel and baby basil.  I found the desert quite acidic and sour in taste, I would have preferred a bit more sweetness, but that’s not to say other people wouldn’t enjoy this! I’m a bit of a sucker for chocolate based desserts so I was never going to be won over with this one. But well done Poh on a unique take on this Aussie favourite.

All in all, this was a well thought out and presented banquet, using nothing but fresh in season produce. Poh’s take on this years Taste The World Restaurant was one of the highest order. I’m really glad I got down there to experience it first hand.