Taste The World On Wimbledon's Broadway
You'll be spoilt for choice at Jimmy's
If you're heading for an argument over what you fancy eating on your night out, then you won't go wrong if you pick Jimmy's World Grill & Bar.
For the all-you-can-eat restaurant on The Broadway, Wimbledon, offers Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese and Indian food freshly prepared and cooked on site.
Just walking into Jimmy's is an experience in itself as the vast 11,000 sq ft restaurant can accommodate 350 people, all selecting dishes from open kitchens or a range of self-serve areas.
First time visitors need have a brief pause while they take it all in, but the friendly staff are on hand to point you in the right direction.
I soaked in the atmosphere while I made a start on my traffic light-looking non-alcholic cocktail - a Kiwi Freeze (£2.99) containing kiwi syrup, cranberry, ice and lemonade. My companion went for an Australian Chardonnay at £3.59 for 175ml.
But all the food comes at a fixed price depending on the time/day of your visit, ranging from £7.99 for a Monday-Friday lunch to £15.99 for a Thursday-Saturday dinner.
The evening service is said to be larger, to reflect the price, but we were more than spoilt for choice with our lunchtime offering.
So we left our drink at the table and headed to the food stations, where there are small-ish sized plates ready for you to fill to the brim, leaving room for a second, third, fourth, or fifth trip.
I started with a plate from the self-serve areas, with my selection including a white fish tikka, mixed vegetable jalawa and a spring roll. My companion opted for a fresh salad. There was a range of Indian breads on hand to spice things up a bit more and nibble as we browsed.
Once I'd cleared my first dish, I decided to give the chefs a bit more work and headed for the open stir fry station. Here I picked my own veggies and noodles, with the chef also offering chicken, beef, pork or prawn as an addition. He chucked everything I wanted into his vast wok, added a sauce of my choice, and my dish was cooked before my eyes.
While this was going on, my companion was making her own selection and returned with a tasty tofu dish, a Thai vegetable curry and one of their many rices. We were both pleased with our selection - it was hard to go wrong when we'd chosen it and it was all cooked so freshly.
I just about had room to return for a third plateful, and returned to the Indian theme, with a flavourful palek paneer (spinach and cheese), tarka dahl, egg-fried rice, as well as a bit of the tofu my friend had rightly raved about.
Every dish in the self-service stations is very well-labelled, including a 'chilli count' to indicate strength. And just because we didn't pick anything from the pizza and pasta stations didn't mean they didn't look tempting.
Finally it was onto the desserts, which are also included in the price. Thankfully there are some mouthful-sized portions to select from. I opted for a tiny strawberry cheesecake, a small chocolate cake slice and a spoonful of Indian rice pudding. Oh yes, it would have been rude to ignore the marshmallows and chocolate fountain - so I didn't! Somehow I did by-pass the ice cream live kitchen (teppanyaki), where you pick your favourite ice cream and an accompanying variety of crushed sweets.
Well, my fourth plate was my last, but there was no rush for us to leave our table as we let our stomachs settle. It gave us chance to reflect on our good value feed - and what an excellent venue it would make for anything from a celebratory meal to a fast business lunch. Jimmy's World Grill gives you so many options, it's bound to settle any argument over restaurant choices.
Pictured above is the Deputy Mayor of Merton, Chris Edge, with Jimmy's World Grill staff.
Do you agree with our review? What's your top Wimbledon restaurant/pub? Why not comment on our forum?
Sue Choularton
May 4, 2012