Gabby Celebrates at Best Kept Secret, Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove

After executing a successful Rotaract District 7020 Conference that started the day after my Birthday, there was no doubt in my mind that I would need rest and relaxation at the end of a week full of both work and pleasure. So mid-June, I decided to end my Birthday week in style and made my dinner reservation for two at Christopher’s, Hermosa Cove. Afterall, you do not need to be a guest at Hermosa Cove Villa Resort to enjoy the delightful offerings of Christopher’s. I was instantly impressed with their professionalism over the phone and exercising the initiative to ask if I was celebrating a special occasion, of which my response was ofcourse, my Birthday.

Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove recently won Best Kept Secret at the Table Talk Jamaica Observer Food Awards 2014 and the Executive Chef, Chef Conroy Arnold, was awarded for Chef on the Rise. So I knew I was in for a serene evening and treat.

I arrived on property at 6:20 in the evening and was joyously greeted by the host from the parking lot, who was clearly anticipating my arrival as he gave me Birthday wishes and escorted myself and my beau, Randy inside. We were seated on their cool, open-air verandah with a beautiful ocean view.

The waitress came soon after, issued our menus and informed us of the Soup and special Marlin Salad of the day. The menu was quite diverse and included local favourites such as Braised Oxtail and Curry Goat. There was mention of a lot of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables on the menu, but this was no surprise to me with my knowledge of the Chef sometimes taking guests into the garden and choosing what is going to be cooked. Perhaps Christopher’s will be considered for Best Ethical Restaurant next year, as they also support the local fishermen and serve a pimento wood smoked Catch of the day.

The waitress took our orders and I had a refreshing Mojito shortly after. Our appetizers arrived quickly. We had the fresh Marlin Salad and Chicken Quesadilla. The tasty Quesadilla had smoked chicken, mixed cheese, oven dried tomato, cilantro and seasoned plantain chips, with fresh salsa. The fresh Marlin Salad will make any child like greens. It included marlin, lettuce, shaved carrot, red onion, fresh salsa and Chef’s choice vinaigrette.

Soon after the satisfying appetizers, our entrée dishes came out. Randy had the Coconut Braised Chicken, which he enjoyed and I had the succulent 6oz spiced tenderloin Steak that I had medium rare with ratatouille style vegetables and steak sauce. I must point out that upon ordering the steak usually served with fries, that Chef Arnold was readily available in the dining area and unhesitatingly accommodated my request to have roasted potato wedges instead. That is not usually seen with the often robotic-like operations of other restaurants and staff.

Just when we thought our stomachs were filled to our heart’s content, we could not refuse the waitress’ invitation to try their Butter Bread Pudding served with Vanilla Ice Cream. It seemed as if Chef still had it baking in the oven though, because it took a bit long to be served. It was of no comparison to Fromage’s Bread Pudding but was savoury nonetheless.

The bill also took a little while, but we enjoyed spending that time to take pictures on the scenic grounds nearby. Then we were even happier with the fact that my Pop Up Gourmet Card reduced our $69.90USD bill by 10% to $62.91USD ($7,000.00JMD) inclusive of tax. Definitely more value for money spent.

From the hospitable security guard upon entrance to the property, to the vibrant host, cordial waitress and accommodating chef, I honestly had second thoughts about sharing and would have liked to keep Christopher’s a secret, but it certainly would not be fair to all concerned. I shall return quite soon and not only to the Restaurant but as a guest to the Villa Resort that received a Certificate of Excellence this year from Trip Advisor.

Kaisen Don $1350 JMD+tx

Roe has expanded, but have they kept up their good standard?

Kaisen Don $1350 JMD+tx
Kaisen Don $1350 JMD+tx

After visiting Roe a few months ago, last night I was delighted to see that they have expanded! Their previous space used to be comparable to the Burger King in Manor Park. But now they have expanded their indoor seating including Hibachi-style and their decor is fabulous, giving you a Manhattan, Sex and the City kind of feeling. However, the standard of service has already slipped with slow service, inattentive staff and an error with one of the orders. I was there for a Birthday celebration, but the Birthday girl felt that the other birthday celebration seemed to have gotten more attention that night. She should never have felt that way.

I noticed the menu had a few new items. The food took a little while to arrive, perhaps since they had a full house. It was alright, no CranWata WOW! but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

A suggestion for not only Roe, but for other restaurants when taking reservations, is to ask if it is a special occasion, so even though good service is always expected, they can be even more prepared to please. They should also think, what could these diners want next? For instance, if we provide cake or cupcakes to be shared, do not let us have to ask for plates and forks. The waitresses also need to smile, they didn’t even smeyze. So some improvement needed in their service and speed.

Ph#: 876-632-6669

Address: Unit 5, Sovereign North; 29 Barbican Road. Kingston 6.

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★★

Decor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★☆☆

Speed: ★★★☆☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★★

Value for $: ★★★★☆

SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★☆

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Mash

The Macau Gaming Lounge and Bar

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Mash
Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Mash

The Macau Gaming Lounge and Bar *Review for Bar

Ph#: 876-925-6395

Address: 28 Lindsay Crescent. Kingston 10.

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Decor: ★★★☆☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Speed: ★★☆☆☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★☆

Date of Visit: 19/7/14

SuGa Endorsement: ★★★☆☆

Comments: Food consistently decent but service always poor. Unpleasant, slow and inattentive wait staff.

Best Team - Seattle Seahawks

Check out some of the 2014 winners from the ESPYs last night!

Best Team - Seattle Seahawks
Best Team – Seattle Seahawks

The ESPYs recognized individuals and team athletic achievements last night.

Some of the 2014 Winners were:

Kevin Durant – Best Male Athlete

Ronda Rousey – Best Female Athlete

Richard Sherman – Best Breakthrough Athlete

Kevin Durant – Best NBA Player

United States men’s national soccer team – Best Moment

Peyton Manning – Best Record-Breaking Performance

Jamie Anderson – Best Female Action Sports Athlete

Chris Davis – Best Play

Russell Westbrook – Best Comeback Athlete

Gregg Popovich – Best Coach/Manager

Kawhi Leonard – Best Championship Performance

Seattle Seahawks – Best Team

Why is this Staple Greek Item not on Opa Greek Restaurant & Lounge’s Menu?

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI –

It seems so simple. Souvlaki may be made with meats such as beef, lamb, pork and fish as well. Since the costs of their dishes are so high, perhaps they should consider putting this one on the menu.

See the recipe for Chicken Souvlaki below:

 

 

Ingredients

7 Chicken Breast

Marinade

4 tablespoon – Olive Oil

1 tablespoon – Oregano

1 teaspoon – Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon – Garlic Salt

1/3 teaspoon – Onion powder

1 pinch – Pepper

3 medium – Lemon juice

1 pinch – Thyme

1 pinch – Rosemary

1 teaspoon – Paprika

1 dash – Bay Leaves

Directions

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a blender. Then cut the chicken into little 1 inch pieces. Marinade for an hour.

2. Add the meat to the skewers.

3. Heat the pan with olive oil

4. Add the skewers and cook about 3-4 mins each side (depends on the meat)

5. Once done, remove, and serve with rice.

Recipe found with my android.

Dracula Transformation Needed at 24 Seven Cafe, The Jamaica Pegasus

I’ve heard the Paninis at 24 Seven Cafe at The Jamaica Pegasus are not that good, but I usually enjoy the majority of other items on the menu so decided to give it a try last Saturday night.

As usual, the service was on point. I ordered the Chicken Pesto Panini and got it quickly. I took a huge bite into it and could hardly get my teeth in and out. The bread was so tough and hard to cut into. I either needed a steak knife or Dracula teeth. The chicken breast was slightly overcooked or probably reheated with the bread because it was not tender. Thankfully the pesto sauce was tasty and the only positive of the meal, but did not make up for the fact that it costed $1050JMD including tax. Definitely not worth it. For now, stick to the Wraps and wheel and come again with those Paninis.

It’s over. German Glory for the World Cup!

Germany gained their 4th star yesterday in a stunning match against Argentina in the World Cup 2014 finals staged at the historic, Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Though scoreless on both sides for full-time, it was a highly contested match all the way through. It was substitute, Mario Gotze in the 112th minute of extra time who made it happen for Germany, scoring a fantastic goal to win 1-0 aka One Love, a hot Bob Marley, as Jamaicans would say.

Congrats to the Germans! Russia 2018 next!

SuGa Lifestyle would like to thank all its readers, especially over the past few weeks from as far as Spain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, Italy and India and the faithful readers from Canada, Barbados, UK, Cayman and ofcourse, Jamaica.  Stay tuned for more things to come in this sizzlin’ Summer.