Yeah Maan
No pun intended (well…er…maybe), but dining at Yeah Maan, a colourful Jamaican restaurant in South Yarra, can be just a little on the trippy side.
I can’t exactly put my finger on it. Arriving to an empty restaurant at 7pm on a Friday night and being seated upstairs in the dark, the only light coming from a large light wall feature (above), was just a little unsettling. We were left alone to wait for our dining companions, in the dark, with no music, for 10 whole minutes. EG and I just sat there and giggled - it just seemed so bizarre.
But the wails of Bob Marley came on not long after, and some other people arrived, including our dining companions, and the place suddenly brightened (although unfortunately the room we were sitting in didn’t).
You may need a beer or a Caribbean style cocktail to tackle the menu - more so to ease the way for the exciting conversation topic ahead - why the menu prices aren’t rounded to the nearest dollar. Hmm.
We decided on sharing a few entrees ‘n’ tings to sample a selection of what was on offer. From the left we chose the Alloo pie ($8.69), a large dollop of spiced potato mash in a thin dough case topped with a sweet tamarind sauce. It was a little heavy, but then what does one expect from deep fried potato mash?
The Stamp ‘n’ Go (middle - $10.98) was very tasty - salted deboned cod blended with spices, lightly pan fried and then cut into strips. It was a touch on the dry side (perhaps prepared ahead of service?) and drizzled with sweet chilli sauce. One of our non-fish eating companions even succumbed to the temptation of this dish, and loved it.
Lastly was the Doubles (right $9.79), a chickpea and potato curry heady with spices and coloured by saffron/turmeric. It was topped with quarters of roti bread.
The Jamaican Jerk Chicken ($21.49) is perhaps one of the more popular dishes at Yeah Maan. I don’t know whether the name is what attracts such attention, but to “jerk” is to rub meat with a fiery spice mixture (generally allspice and scotch bonnet peppers) before cooking it over a BBQ/grill. The Yeah Maan version was milder than expected, although it had good flavours (as an example, Nando’s is spicier). The casava chippies on the side were a real winner though, tender and spiced with fries seasoning.
I went the Rasta Ginger and Tamarind Chicken ($17.49) that is guaranteed to “make yu mouth water maan, yu may even lick the plate.” Actually, I was recommended this dish by our amiable waiter, who confessed it was one of his all-time favourites. And while it didn’t look too pretty, it did in fact almost have me almost licking the plate; the gravy surrounding the slow cooked chicken was gingery and pleasantly fruity, with the caramelised meat adding to the earthy flavour. A perky garden salad and a traditional Jamaican rice ‘n’ peas sat to the side.
I think one of the reasons for going to Yeah Maan was the promise of an upsidedown pineapple cake ($8.69) for dessert. I first made this treat during home economics class in High School way back in 1988. You don’t see it around much (perhaps it’s a little old fashioned, or just a little unhealthy?!). So when I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to have it.
Alas, it wasn’t as good as memory served - it was clearly a packet mix that didn’t have that gooey brown sugar/butter/pineapple/glace cherry bottom (or is that top?) I had become so accustomed to.
Notwithstanding, I actually quite like Yeah Maan. The service is quite friendly and informal, although when you’re upstairs you may be a little forgotten. So take a bit of a Jamaican attitude - relax and just let it go - you’ll be having a fine time maan.
Written by mellie on
February 18th, 2008 | Tags: Jamaican | Category: Uncategorized
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February 19th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Sounds horrible. Another reason to stay north of the river.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:39 am
Uggh… I agree. Sounds absolutely horrible. And although the Rasta Ginger Chicken may have tasted nice it looks dreadful. Who uses decorative pasley these days?
The prices are strange as well as you say. $8.69, $10.98, $9.79. What’s up with that?
Sure we can’t eat at Vue Du Monde every night but I’ll be giving this place a miss.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Ken, bb, you have a choice not to go to Yeah Maan although I am unsure which part of the review gave you the impression that we thought the place was horrible, and for people not to go there. We loved it.
the place was dark, and we were forced to use flash, so of course the pictures didn’t turn out that great. not everyone can make the meals look as appetising as Gourmet Traveller.
true, one can’t eat out at Vue de Monde every night, and similarly one should not expect Vue de Monde service and ambience in every place. As Mellie noted, Yeah Maan has a lackadaisical approach to things, with more than a hint of kitsch, hence parsley, upsidedown cake and weird prices. we thought it added to the charm of the place, but each to their own…
February 21st, 2008 at 2:42 am
You’re both very tolerant of sub-par restaurants - a quality I lack…
For instance, the bang you get for your buck at somewhere like Don Don or at Laksa Me is about a billion times better.
High rent in South Yarra, St Kilda and Pt Melbourne means that a far greater number of the eateries in those areas are poor value.
Gordon Ramsay would fix up that place on Kitchen Nightmares, good and proper.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:17 am
I don’t think it’s so much a tolerance of sub-par restaurants as it is a desire to try different cuisines; Don Don and Laksa Me do not serve Jamaican.
Many places in Melbourne offer poor value IMO, with inflation rife for anything other than exported goods, including the service industry. Value is such a relative term though, and should be about more than dollars. A place might not have the best service, the nicest ambience or the most competitive prices. But if in dining there everyone had a great time (as we did at Yeah Maan), then I reckon that place has been good value
Agree that Gordo could probably fix up many of these places, but the establishments he targets on Nightmares are usually haemorrhaging money and/or have no business and customers. Whereas I am confounded that many of the poor value, mediocre places in Melbourne are actually well-patronised, e.g. the restaurants on Lygon St, the Lobster Cave, etc.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
*sulk* still can’t believe you went without me….
I had something similar to the ginger and tamarind chicken last time I was in Canberra - if Yeah Maan can compare to what I had, I’ll definitely give them a go.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:57 am
As one of the staff at yeah maan your review would have to be one of the most pathetic attempts of insulting this restaurant no food is pre cooked or prepared before service nor are the deserts packet mix they are all fresh it is a pity you do not have the balls to confront the manager because i am sure they would have the right to sue for lying and defamation
February 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Dear acrome. Thank you for your comments. I do not know which part of the review you found was insulting to your restaurant. Generally, we praised the food and noted in the write-up that our group had a great time. The only negative thing we mentioned was the desert. Your defensive comments seem to stem from this one tongue-in-cheek aspect of the review whilst ignoring the otherwise positive slant we gave to your restaurant.
It is somewhat ironic that we actually defended your restaurant in the face of negative comments coming from other readers (see above), and recommended in the review that other people should check out your place. If we wanted to insult Yeah Maan, or damage your reputation, why would we do the above?
We did not “confront” the manager because we had a great time, and even told her that when she came up to check on us. We reiterated this to the waitress when we paid. All these would not classify to me as attempting to damage Yeah Maan’s reputation. Rather than respectfully rebutting any incorrect assertions, you threaten instead (in writing) to sue us. We can only say that it is unfortunate that you have miscontrued the generally positive slant of Mellie’s review.
Thank you again for your feedback.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Hello acrome - Thank you for your comment and the email you sent regarding my experience at Yeah Maan. My apologies if I have caused you concern (I obviously have, as your response was indeed somewhat heated). I would ask that you calm down and actually read the review for what it was - a positive, if somewhat quirky, dining experience. You appear to have seen my review with a negative slant, which was not its intent.
Firstly, I made ONE comment regarding ONE dish (namely, the Stamp n Go), which to me was “a touch on the dry side”. I surmised that it may have been prepared ahead of service. At no time did I make this statement about ANY of the other food at Yeah Maan. Either way, this is not wholly an insult. I have worked in commercial kitchens where much of the food is prepared ahead of time. To my palate it tasted like it had not been cooked a la minute - it was a little dry, it wasn’t crunchy (like it had just come out of a hot oiled pan), which led to my conclusion. If this is not the case, then I apologise. Either way, I did find it dry, whether it had been cooked ahead of service or not.
Secondly, I made ONE comment regarding ONE dessert dish (the upside-down pineapple cake), where I suggested it was a packet mix. At no time did I make this statement about ANY of the other desserts. To me it tasted like commercial cake flour had been used, as there was an imitation vanilla hint with a fineness of flour that is usually only achieved through processed packet mixes. If this is not the case then I apologise. Either way, I did not find the dessert appealing. The pineapple was practically non-existent, and was sunk so far into the mixture to neither be on top or on bottom. It also did not have the gooey brown sugar/butter/pineapple/glace cherry top that is usually associated as the hallmark of this dessert.
Now, in regards to your email, I would like to address some of your other comments.
When I made the booking for four people (which surely is not considered a large group!?), I was given no option as to whether I wanted to sit upstairs or down. In fact, I did not even know you had an upstairs or downstairs area until I got there. So your comment that “you would only be put upstairs had you been in a large group unless previously requested” is a moot point. But may I suggest that if you place people in this area, that you ensure it is comfortable for them. As I mentioned in my review, we found the experience of sitting in the dark, silent upstairs area to be very bizarre.
In regards to the milder jerk seasoning, once again we were not given an option as to whether we would like it hot or mild. That being said, I was coming to Yeah Maan to experience Jamaican cuisine, and would hope it to be authentic. I understand that you may have patrons who do not like such heat, but perhaps this could be an option for your customers? As you may/may not have guessed, I absolutely adore food, and I was excited about trying out your restaurant. I did not mean my comparison to Nando’s to be a negative one - just a way of measuring the heat value as I was surprised that it was in fact, not very hot.
You also advised that I do my home work before making unfounded and unsubstantiated comments. Well I did actually do my home work regarding Jamaican cuisine, in particular jerking, and knew it to be a complex mix of allspice, scotch bonnet peppers and other spices (Scotch bonnet peppers have a scoville rating of 100-200K, and is known as being one of the hottest peppers in the world). I therefore assumed the jerk chicken would pack a bit of a punch!
acrome – I am sorry that my review was not completely glowing, but it was a frank and honest reflection of what I and my three guests experienced. I do not make a habit of canning places just for the fun of it – I enjoy eating out (doing it quite often!), and like to share my experiences with people – good, bad or indifferent.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Mellie, EG: you have GOT to be kidding me, right?
You post a review of a place at which you and some friends dined, which was mostly quite complimentary, and some tosser has decided you’re trying to insult the establishment? And then more or less threatens you with legal action?
That has GOT to be one of THE most ridiculous things I’ve read in a while. And I read the comic strips in the newspaper sometimes.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the review end with the words:
“Notwithstanding, I actually quite like Yeah Maan. The service is quite friendly and informal, although when you’re upstairs you may be a little forgotten. So take a bit of a Jamaican attitude - relax and just let it go - you’ll be having a fine time maan.”
Doesn’t that indicate that, despite a couple of shortcomings with the meal, you had a good time?
If anything, I think the comments left by ken and bb are much more insulting that anything in the actual post. Perhaps acrome should go and whinge at them instead?