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Birmingham's gastro credentials need no introduction but it's fair to say the number of Caribbean restaurants is outnumbered by those catering for fans of Chinese and Indian cuisine. Jamaya, with branches in Solihull’s Touchwood shopping centre and Colmore Row, is a stand-out choice.
It claims to bring a taste of Jamaica to the city with a menu full of award-winning jerk and fried chicken. The dishes focus on chicken as opposed to other popular meats in Caribbean culture such as mutton and oxtail.
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When walking into the establishment, you’re met with character, like the reggae music playing through the speakers and the trendy wall art all around. The vibrant colours of the seating and decor add to this lively ambience contrasting the brown and greyness of the surrounding buildings in the area.
For this visit to Jamaya in Colmore Row, I ordered the ‘chef’s speciality’ brown stew chicken that came with steamed vegetables and rice and peas. I also ordered a side of their festivals - which are a Caribbean sweet fried dough side, as well as trying out its recipe for a ‘Jamaya gravy’.
Once the food arrived, the first thing I noticed was the presentation of the meal. Rather than all components of the meal being laid out on one plate, the chicken dish was served doused in a delicious gravy, came inside its own dish on a large rectangular plate with the rice and vegetables on the side.
The portion sizes felt like a nice change in comparison to other restaurants. It felt like the main part of the dish was the largest item on the plate as opposed to the additions taking up a great deal of space. If you’re a fan of a little bit of spice and flavours from the tropics, I would recommend trying this dish if you ever find yourself at Jamaya.
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The rice and peas appeared too and looked like they were cooked almost to perfection. They were neither too sticky or too dry and tasted great. The extra sides I ordered though were definitely the star of the show.
I don’t usually opt for paying extra for sauces or gravies, especially when I know a portion of my meal would already be in one, but this change of tradition served me well. I am also an advocate for dumplings over festivals when it comes to a Caribbean fried dough choice but a lack of savoury dumplings on the menu saw me moving to the other side - another decision I would not regret.
The juxtaposition of the sweet side with the savoury and spicy Jamaya recipe gravy made for a very tasty combination that I will, without a shadow of a doubt, order anytime I return to Jamaya. The flavours complimented eachother well and the thickness of the gravy held its own against the firm texture of the festival.
Due to it being a Monday evening when I visited, I was able to enjoy the two-for-one deal on select cocktails. The restaurant won me over with this deal as, although not all of their cocktails were included, the drinks I received didn’t shy away from the alcohol measurement.
The names of the drinks on offer carried through the theme of the Caribbean with cocktails named after the popular tourist destination Dunn’s River Falls and Kingston Red Hills.
My overall experience was a pretty good one with the added sides ensuring a successful visit as well as evoking a longing for more restaurants with Caribbean flavours to surface in the city.

This data comes from MediaIntel.Asia's Media Intelligence and Media Monitoring Platform.