Jamaica Liquor Warehouse, Deli & Bar
Location: 17 Lindsay Crescent, Kingston
Ph: 876-925-9427
Instagram: @jamaicaliquorwarehouse
***Closed on Mondays***
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Kingston Kitchen had Hope Gardens buzzing with activity last Saturday. It was a great event for family, friends and foodies to unite for the love of food.
The event was well supported, probably the biggest staging I’ve ever seen. The logistics and execution of the event was quite commendable.
Just a few drawbacks for me. One bar was not enough for the event and amount of patrons. It was overcrowded to say the least.
I also believe that our Gastronomy network via the Tourism Industry should have been involved with the event to incorporate tourists from various hotels on the north coast of the island. Kingston Kitchen’s Night Market would have been an eye-opening experience for them to see so much of our culture in one area and in one night. The event would also expose them to Kingston, as many tourists are unaware of the many cultural activities, beauty and places to go that exist in Kingston. For the next Kingston Kitchen, I would like to see them in bus loads!
There were so many vendors to pick, choose and refuse from, Suga and husband went with a hit list.
Here is a reminder of what Kingston Kitchen had to offer in addition to entertainment for adults and kids:
I am proud to say my husband, Randy and I succeeded. We definitely took note of places to try in the near future as well.
Suga’s Breakdown!
MUST-STOPS AND GLAD BAG BUSS
â— Stush in the Bush – A variety of unique Sauces, Spreads and Preserves made with love. Always a crowd pleaser.
â— Lucky Strike Seafood Bar and Grill – Their Seafood bowl is always a hit. My husband approves!
â— Street Food Saturdays – Fresh mint Lemonade, Street corn and more. They kept patrons coming all night!
â— Fish Pot – Flavourful, peppery Fish soup. Great gas buster to prep for food galore.
â—Simo’s Bread and Catering – Pastries, Soursop Popsicles, Dessert, Sauces, Seasonings. Excellent spread as usual from the main hands of it all, Christina Simonitsch.
â— I Love Paella – Rich, flavourful Tapas! From Valencia with love. Bravas, Croquetas and Empañadas cooked right in front of you.
â— Scott van Bonnet -Â New kid on the block from Blue Diamond Shopping Centre, Montego Bay. They had tasty Turkey and Lamb Wraps. Loved the infused flavours.
Coming soon to Kingston, Ocho Rios and Negril. Can’t wait!
â— Topp In Designz Limited – Foodie Gear galore!
Suga had to cop this shirt!
DISAPPOINTMENTS
â— Gypsy House Tapas!
I have never thrown away food at Kingston Kitchen, but there is always a first. Trust me, I tried my best to eat their Seafood and Meat stacked Paella, but I just couldn’t get past the dry rice that nearly choked me and lack of flavour. It was horrible. Chef Enric’s, I Love Paella still stands as the place to go for authentic Valencian Paella.
â— Soup King
They didn’t have any Soup for over an hour after the start time of the event. They seemed to have gotten things going later on in the night though.
SATISFYING STOPS #SugaSnaps
â— Lyming at Walkerswood – Mannish water, Curried Goat and more. Jamaican cooked food that goes right to the heart and makes you feel at home.
â— NCR Sheep Limited –Â Tasty Lamb sausage.
â— Rolly Polly – Ice cream for adults and kids. I enjoyed my topping of Bailey’s rum cream on my Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream. Delish!
PLEASANT SURPRISES
Gustazos BoothÂ
Patrons enjoyed their small giveaways, boomerang photo booth and money machine! Fun addition to the event.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES #SugaSpieswithHer4Eyes
> Fromage Bistro and Brasserie, Cafe Dolce, Pita Grill, Deaf Can! Coffee, Chocolate Dreams, Until We Eat Again, Cannonball Cafe, Pink Apron Jamaica, Tea Tree Créperie and Sip ‘n’ Go Juice Bar.
Suga didn’t get to stop by the usual crowd faves mentioned above, but I could see that they continued to please!
PLACES TO EXPERIENCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE #SugasRadar
> Eatopia Jamaica, WTF Burgers and 25 Wafflerie
Kudos to Director Leisha Wong, Melanie Miller and their team for their hard work, efforts and a well executed Foodie affair. #SugaEndorsed
Until the next one!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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The taste and texture of the Lion Fish from Island Outpost’s GoldenEye Resort (Oracabessa, St. Mary) at the Table Talk Jamaica Observer Food Awards was perfection! Kudos to their new resident Chef, Tim Kensett.
Enjoy the Weekend!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Hajarie has an ongoing Lunch Special from 12 – 3pm. Take advantage and get your Lunch Special to go for $700JMD or get 20% off select Pastas.
You can even top your meal off with Dessert. They are offering 50% off their house special Ice Cream.
Go get these delish Lunch Specials while you can!
Hajarie (The Teapot JA) – Tearoom • Winebar • Bistro
Location: 9-11 Phoenix Avenue. Kingston 10
Ph: 876-634-9937
Instagram: @hajarie.jamaica
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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The Sweetart Bake Expo held at The Jamaica Pegasus two Sundays ago had patrons in awe at the creativity of Cakes decorated and probably sent everyone’s sweet tooth into overdrive with the samples given.
There were On-stage demos and Presentations on Cake Decorating, as well as classes that were conducted, including one that was by a local instructor.
Sometimes a Cake is decorated well and doesn’t taste as good as it looks, but the proof is in the pudding. Suga was most impressed with the Piña Colada cupcake by Alex’s creations (@alexcreationsja). I tasted the rum first, followed by the coconut flavour, then was hit with the sweet accentuated by the icing. Fantastic!
Other tasty highlights for Suga:
*Instagram tags in brackets
• Cheesecake by Kelsey’s Kreations (@kelseyskreations_ja)
• Bread Pudding by Skimo’s Pastries (@skimos_pastries)
• Banana Bread by La Jazz Sweet Tooth (@lajazzp_c)
• Carrot Cake by Jhaneal Solomon (@savouritja)
• Beer Jelly by Su Yen Green (@bakedbysue)
• Nestle’s offering of mouth-watering Bread pudding and other desserts made by using their products. Not to mention the Nestle Frappélatte that seems to be a hit everywhere it goes. It’s made with coffee and ice cream and is richly flavoured.
I know persons are straying from the traditional Fruit cakes for Weddings, but I only got two to taste that were not up to standard. Perhaps Blissful Bites by Delvena came close. Lemon cakes are now a popular choice for Weddings, but none of them hit the spot.
The presence of well-known Bakers was missed, but there are many on the rise with potential who were present and have been working on their craft for years. The Cake Decorating Competitions displayed high levels of skill and creativity, making things look so real.
Here are most of the Winners!
Pre-decorated Cake Competitions by Theme:
• Fast FoodÂ
Winner
2nd Place
Decorated by Students!
• Fast Food theme Winner
• WeddingÂ
Winner
• Topsy TurvyÂ
Winner
Runner up
• Jungle Theme
Winner
CONGRATS to the WINNERS and See you at the 5th Anniversary Edition, #sweetartbakeexpo2019!
Save the date! It will be May 26,2019 with 5 days of activities.
Sweetart Bake Expo
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @sweetartbakeexpoja
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Fromage Brasserie had a private Menu tasting last weekend and got definite nods of approval for the addition of Pulled Pork Nachos, the Brownie Freak Shake and more to their menu soon!
Fromage Brasserie
Location: Market Place – 67 Constant Spring Road. Kingston.
Ph: 876-649-0820-1
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga’s Ratings for Cellar 8
Date and time of visit:Â Friday, May 11, 2018 at 10:00pm
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★★☆
Décor: ★★★☆☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★★★☆
Serving amount: ★★★★☆
Plating: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★★☆☆
SuGa Endorsement: ★★★☆☆
Comments: Cellar 8 has not only made changes to their space with a Deck, but their staff and management as well. Courteous, enthusiastic staff and delicious food. Service time could have been quicker and quality of drinks could have been better. Cellar 8 has always been a bit overpriced, but is no longer the new ‘it’ bar and has lost a superb mixologist. They should probably consider reducing their prices so customers can feel they are getting value for money.
Suga’s Breakdown
I thought Cellar 8 would have been busier 3 Friday nights ago, but with the opening of new Bars such as the Sky Lounge, they seemed to have lost their Friday night buzz. However, members of their new staff were courteous and the presence and supervision of the new management was felt. Since it wasn’t a full night, I thought service could have been a bit quicker, but our server, Davion was quite attentive and kept us up to date. Drinks were decent, but the gifted hands of their mixologust, Milton Wisdom who is no longer there, were missed. The quality of food was good, but the wrong Pasta dish was served to my husband, Randy. We wondered if the Chef was trying to sneak in the wrong dish, since it was similar to what was ordered and we were not told that the desired dish was finished. Anyhow, it was replaced soon after with my husband’s secondary dish of choice that he still enjoyed.
We were about to call it a night, but we were smartly interrupted by a purposeful temptation of a trolley full of Dessert wheeled to us to choose from.
We couldn’t pass that up. So I had the Strawberry Cheesecake and Randy had the Chocolate cheesecake. Sumptuous!
Cellar 8 Wine Bar
Location: Shop 10, Upper Manor Park Plaza
Ph: 876-613-5934
Opening Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, 4pm – 11pm
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Don’t forget that the Sweetart Bake Expo will be at The Jamaica Pegasus this Sunday!
Our Jamaican Bakers’ Skill and Creativity will be put to the test! There will be a Cake Decorating Challenge for the Bakers with the theme, ‘Movie night’, a Pre-decorated Cake Competition with the 4 themes, Wedding, Cartoon, Topsy Turvy and Fast Food. For persons who would like to have fun and are also inspired to be like our Bakers, there will be Cake Decorating classes.
Check out these elaborate Cakes from some of our Jamaican Bakers!
Don’t miss out!
Ticket Information:
Children under 12 are FREE!
Presold: $800JMD
***Available at Monarch Pharmacy (Sovereign Centre Liguanea & Portmore), Fontana Pharmacy (Islandwide), York Pharmacy – Half Way Tree, Health Plus Pharmacy on Brunswick Ave., Spanish Town***
At the Door: $1000JMD
Sweetart Bake Expo
Ph: 876-807-5748
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @sweetartbakeexpoja
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga’s Ratings for I Love Paella
Date and time of visit:Â Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 1:00pm
No. of diners: 3
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum and the criteria has been altered since it is a Pop-Up Kitchen
Parking: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★★☆
Food quality: ★★★★☆
Serving amount: ★★★★☆
Plating: ★★★★★
Value for $: ★★★★★
SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★☆
Comments:Â
Rich flavours were present throughout the dishes. Pleasant, courteous Chef. Superior service, speed and food quality. Serving amounts were adequate for a reasonable cost, as some meals were shareable. Chef Enric is from Valencia and he represents! Suga and friends enjoyed authentic Valencian Paella.
Suga’s Breakdown
From what I know, Chef Enric Escriva has been on the Jamaican culinary scene since January last year. Until he gets a suitable spot for his restaurant, he has been catering and doing Pop-up kitchens. I Love Paella is currently and temporarily in what used to be Cafe Nita’s space on Phoenix Avenue. So there is limited indoor and outdoor seating. The latter is the more comfortable choice with the hope of good weather.
I met two of my girlfriends for lunch around 1pm. Chef Enric greeted us politely and took us through the menu in which all prices included G.C.T. They did not have a Drinks menu, but basic drinks were available including wine, a simple white and red. We ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. They also have a Party Menu for groups.
The starters ranged from $850 – $1400JMD in cost, with some being shareable. Starters included Calamari, Tortillas, Croquetas and more.
We shared Bravas, a classic Valencian dish made from Fried Potatoes, a spicy brava sauce and allioli.
We also enjoyed the Empanadas, freshly made artisan stuffed pastries. The Chicken Empanadas were stuffed with smoked paprika chicken and served with brava sauce. While the Black Bean Empanadas were stuffed with spicy black bean and served with allioli sauce. The sauces were on point!
We went specifically for Paella so that’s what we had. The Paellas are done to order, cooked and served in the traditional Paella pan that can serve 2 – 3 persons. However, prices shown on the menu are per person ranging from $2250JMD for the Vegetarian Paella to $3250JMD for the Seafood Paella with black rice from the squid’s ink.
That Seafood Paella was as delicious as it looks with just the right amount of spiciness.
They don’t just serve Paella though. There are other mains available such as larger Tortillas and Empanadas ($1600JMD), Calamari sandwiches ($2400JMD) and Mediterranean salads ($1900JMD).
After all that spice, our palates demanded a bit of sweet. We completed lunch with Churros and Dark Chocolate. Fantastic ending to our lunch.
I Love Paella Pop-Up Kitchen
***Reservations recommended***
Contact via Social Media messaging or Ph: 876-404-2867
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga’s Ratings for Sugar Mill RestaurantÂ
Date and time of visit:Â Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:00pm
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★★★
Décor: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Speed: ★★★★★
Food quality: ★★★★★
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Plating: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★★★☆
SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★★
Comments:Â The Sugar Mill Restaurant lived up to its reputation for a high standard of service and food quality surrounded by the perfect ambience in an authentic, rustic garden setting. Seating at this fine-dining restaurant was spacious and sufficient, giving diners multiple options, including by the actual Waterwheel.
The menu is diverse, offering international cuisine with a Jamaican flair. Dishes arrived in a timely manner. The meats were cooked to perfection, well seasoned and complemented by other items for added, unique flavours. Well mixed drinks from the bar accompanied our dinner. Sugar Mill Restaurant is the perfect place to impress a date or to enjoy with family. #SugaEndorsed
Sugar Mill Restaurant has quite an assortment of breads with dips to tease the appetite, such as Cho cho with saltfish, a Blue Cheese dip and an Escoveitch dip. If you’re not careful, you will be left with very little space for your main or dessert.
My husband and I received a taste of Tuna with spicy aioli to start us off, compliments of the Chef.
Have a look at our other divine dishes!
How did their Lamb Chops surpass that of Terra Nova’s for Suga?
The satisfying serving size was similar, but slightly larger than Terra Nova’s Lamb chops. Both are well seasoned, tender cuts that are cooked how I like it, medium rare, but Sugar Mill gets the edge with its flavour and the crust that developed on top as it was cooked for the right amount of time, which made it perfection.
Terra Nova’s signature Mint and Pomegranate Au Jus that accompanies the Lamb Chops is savoury, but I didn’t mind the change with Sugar Mill’s tasty and juicy Tangelo Fruit Chutney. Sugar Mill gets the marginal win!
My husband enjoyed this change in comparison to his usual cut of Beef Tenderloin. It was well seasoned and cooked to medium rare perfection. Since the veal is younger, it was a lighter, more tender meat that he appreciated.
We were too full for Dessert, so either the Chef felt like being generous to us or he knew Suga was in the house! We were given Sweet treats compliments of the Chef. Delish!
Dinner for two at the established, fine-dining Sugar Mill Restaurant can run a couple a bit over $200USD, but it is usually totally worth it. Prices quoted attracted an additional 10% G.C.T and 15% Service charge, however locals get 20% off the bill.
Kudos to the Chef and staff for an exquisite dinner and to our courteous waiter, Dexter Lloyd who provided exceptional service.
Sugar Mill Restaurant
Location: Spring Farm Drive. Half Moon, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Ph: 876-953-2211; 1-800-626-0592
Website: www.halfmoon.com
Hashtag for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: #SugarMillJamaica
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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