Sunday before last, Suga got out of cooking and took her husband to the Tulips Restaurant at Eden Gardens for Sunday dinner.
It had a quiet, comfortable atmosphere and televisions for entertainment.
Our waiter was extremely courteous and took our order at 7:40pm. He wanted to get our order in before a big group upstairs at the Black Orchid Restautant, which seems to share the same kitchen. We were the only diners at Tulips so that is worrying if they have more diners or a full house.
The Black Orchid Restaurant upstairs is fine dining with white glove service so even more pricey, while Tulips is casual dining with mainly Jamaican cuisine.
We had ordered the Oxtail & Beans with a side of baked potato and steamed vegetables and had a standard 20-minute wait.
Oxtail & Beans ($2429JMD incl. tx)
The Oxtail & Beans was expensive but we were given quite a healthy serving. It had too much oil in the gravy but it was still tasty and flavourful.
Sweet Potato Pudding
The Sweet Potato Pudding for dessert was delish.
For such a simple Restaurant I think they are too pricey.
They are open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. So if you are not watching the pocket too much and in the mood for some tasty, home cooking and would like to eat out in a low key atmosphere, give Tulips Restaurant at Eden Gardens a try.
Tulips Restaurant
Location: Eden Gardens Wellness Resort & Spa @ 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston
Ph: 876-946-9977
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Unlike processed grains, Oats are whole grains that are intact so they have more nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber.
The type of fiber Oats contain is soluble and that is the type that can help to lower cholesterol.
Oats help to facilitate Bone Development as well.
They are a great source of Carbohydrates when compared to bread, brown rice etc. and actually slightly better than whole wheat/grain bread because 1 cup of cooked Oats has 4g fiber and more.
1 serving of cooked Oats is equivalent to ~1/2 cup.
How do you measure when cooking? Oats has a 1:2 ratio. 1/2 cup dry Oats yields 1 cup of cooked Oats.
Ensure that if you are using milk, you use almond milk or skimmed milk.
If you are tracking your servings of Carbs for the day, note that 1 serving of bread is 1 slice and 1 cup of cooked Oats is equivalent to almost 2 slices of bread.
1 cup of Oats is ideal but if you would like to add more flavour, use half a cup of cooked Oats and add fruits such as Strawberries, Blueberries, a touch of Raisins or Banana, Flaxseeds and Chia seeds. You could also add a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Go cook up some Oats and have a great start to your day!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga has had a growing list of foodie spots to hit and last Saturday, the Olive Cove Cafe was a must because of knowledge of future unhealthy bites to come over the weekend.
I arrived at Olive Cove Cafe at 4:45pm. It is across from Toyota Jamaica on Old Hope Road. Parking looks like it may be a challenge during the busy breakfast and lunch hour in the work week but it was quite accessible that day as they say traffic to the Restaurant is less on Saturdays.
There are stairs leading down to the Cafe from the side of the road. It is quite small and quaint on the inside with such lovely use of decor, namely light fixtures, branding, shelves and comfortable seating in a limited space with air conditioning.
Below: Gabby from Suga Lifestyle waiting on her food to arrive
I met my husband there for a very late lunch. Service was great. Our waitress was very polite, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and how the various dishes were prepared.
Their Wraps have been heavily marketed on Instagram, as well as Smoothies, Shakes and Cooked dishes including custom orders.
I still don’t get the concept of frying fish and putting it in a Wrap. Most restaurants I know do that then try to pass it off as healthy and it is not.
Anyhow, we were in the mood for something a bit more filling. Most places not only add too much sauce to Brown Stew Fish, but an oily one so I was sceptical about ordering that and went with the Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry despite our waitress’s positive recommendation. My husband ordered the Brown Stew Fish. Both dishes came with brown rice! Thanks Olive Cove. Much appreciated.
Food came out in standard time. The Chicken in the Stir Fry was a bit too dry without the sauce. But once you added it, the flavour was tasty. The waitress’s recommendation was on point though! My husband’s Brown Stew Fish was very savoury. The sauce was light and was not overpowering or oily at all.
Tasty, filling food with a healthy touch for affordable prices. Definitely value for money.
Looking forward to trying their Shakes and Smoothies!
Top: Brown Stew Fish ($680JMD incl. Tx); Below: Chicken & Veg. Stir Fry ($650JMD incl. tax)
***Bring cash only. Their Point of Sale machine application is still being processed.
Olive Cove Cafe
94M Old Hope Road. Kingston 6.
876-995-9903; 876-390-9833
Instagram Page: @the_olivecove
Opening Hours: 8am-5:30pm
Deliveries: 10am-1pm
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this article, follow Suga Lifestyle or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
There were a few diners and one of them was enjoying Pancakes and Eggs beside us because they serve American-style Breakfast all day!
My husband and I were discussing items on the menu which they seemed to have revised again including items for dinner as well. The menu had quite a range of items including Paninis, Sandwiches and Wraps, Pastas, Soup, Snapper Fillet and Shrimp dishes, Pork Chops and more. The prices quoted were tax inclusive as well.
The diner beside us overheard us trying to decide and since I mentioned that I felt for a Wrap, she said that their Chicken Roti Wrap was really good. So my husband ordered the Lamb Burger with fries, which you can get with a wheat bun ($1200JMD) and I ordered the Curried Chicken Roti Wrap with veggies on the side ($950JMD).
Our food arrived quickly and the manager, Tina Newman who took our order was very attentive. She was Professional but friendly at the same time. She gave my husband the option of having Mint jelly on the side, which she brought and I also ordered their homemade Lemonade ($300JMD) that was refreshing.
The Curried Chicken Roti Wrap was very tasty and did not kill me with pepper, it had just the right amount of spice that I enjoyed. I liked that the veggies were fresh as well.
The Lamb was tender and flavourful for the the Lamb Burger, the bun was fresh and it was appreciated that the meat filled the bun perfectly. Not many places get the meat and bun proportion right.
Even though we were sitting and chatting after our meal, our table was cleared quickly. The Chef came out and asked for our feedback, which was positive.
Tina came back over to our table and told us about their Steak night that they started on Fridays. Since Medusas is now closed, the same Chef Robin Rickhi does Steak night and I know his Steaks are succulent and he has a special marinated seasoning.
We were told they face the demand for Steak on other days so she said you can call in your order early if you wish to do so and the Chef there will whip it up for you, whether you are ordering steak or not.
The newlyweds had a delightful experience and we will return.
Chicken in Oyster Sauce + Soda – $970JMD on a Friday night
If you need some food fast and at a convenient spot, The Tuck Shop is the place, close to the Barbican Square roundabout.
They have a range of Chinese dishes, Patties, Fried Chicken combos, Dessert and more. They also open late at night, up to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. During the week, they are open from 7am to 9pm and Sundays from 11am to 9pm.
So a variety of Breakfast options are also available, which change daily, such as Ackee and Saltfish, Fritters, Callaloo, Porridge and more.
Service is quick, Servings are big and Prices are reasonable.
