J.A.M Cafe

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

J.A.M Cafe (嘟嘟好) is an eatery within short distance from Vanda Business Park in Sungai Dua.

The atmosphere and menu is tailored for youngsters, especially students from the nearby USM campus. The dining area is quite cozy, but indoor seating is scarce during dinner hours.

The menu pages of J.A.M Cafe are mounted to both sides of a plywood frame. Most dishes are Western food, but there is also a small section of Asian cooking.

Our appetizer are two servings of Crispy Potato Skin (RM4.50). This is served with light mayonnaise as dipping sauce.

Potato skin is usually discarded in the kitchen. It is interesting to see J.A.M Cafe improvising this food waste as an actual dish. In terms of taste, the texture is quite rough and not as pleasant as proper potato fries. Nevertheless, this appetizer is worth trying.

Our first entreé is the J.A.M's Komtar Burger (RM12.80). This towering burger stack consists of two patties, a fried egg and a slice of cheddar cheese. There are four choices for patties: chicken, beef, pork and fish. We opted for pork and fish. This gargantuan serving of burger is very filling. The taste is reasonably enjoyable; not exactly superb but still respectable.

The burger includes fries and garden salad as sides. The amount is quite generous considering the price. A small cup of tangy barbecue sauce is provided as dipping sauce for the fries, or in case the burger requires more.

The next entreé, Black Olive Fried Rice (RM8.90), is another interesting choice. The rice is pan-fried with chicken, then garnished with several chunks of young mango, followed by a stem of sprouting beansprout. This serving of fried rice is fragrant and very flavorful.

On the side is a piece of fried egg. The entire dish is served on a stone tray. Overall food presentation is elegant indeed. The only pity is that the serving amount pales in comparison with the burger. Again, this dish scores high marks for overall taste and presentation. Highly recommended to try if you prefer lighter meals.

For additional RM5.00, most main dishes can upgraded to set meal which includes soup and drink.

The soup here is Wild Mushroom Soup, creamy and tasty to the last drop. Unlike Campbell's canned mushroom soup and other cheap knock-offs, J.A.M Cafe rightfully demonstrates how it should be prepared.

My choice of drink is Lemongrass & Lychee. This fizzy drink has the right amount of sweetness (by my dictionary, it means mildly sweet). I love the refreshing flavor of lemongrass.

Today's special dessert is Barley Beancurd Skin With Ginkgo (腐竹薏米, RM3.00). This hot dessert is made from boiled barley and bean curd skin. A piece of pandan leaf is thrown in, presumably to lend its natural fragrance. The consistency of this dessert is quite milky despite the watery appearance. It is another commendable item in this café.

A significant proportion of customers are students, therefore the pricing at J.A.M Cafe is very affordable. The serving size and awesome taste of many dishes makes this eatery a viable place to patronize regularly.