Dynamic Cuisines is a South Floridian Catering company operated by Krystal “Kryssi†Powell. In addition to catering, Krystal also hosts an occasional Fish Fry, has just acquired a Food Truck, and recently launched her Spice collection, which can be purchased at Bravo Supermarket by the corner of Pembroke and Flamingo Roads.
Spice Collection: The perfect combination of various spices to enhance the flavour of your favorite meat of choice, seafood, veggies and salads.
I have been fortunate to sample quite a few things from her menu and I have not been disappointed yet! She is truly a food lover’s dream come true!
Suga Taster, Jehan Knight’s Ratings for Dynamic Cuisines
Date and time of visit: Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 3:00pm
Pick up and go process: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Speed: ★★★★★
Food Quality: ★★★★★
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Plating/Packaging: ★★★★★
Value for Money: ★★★★★
Feast your eyes Suga Bears and check out Suga Taster, Jehan’s Comments in the Captions!
Say hello to Escovitch Chicken Wings! – Deep fried, juicy Chicken Wings topped with escovitch sauce, chopped onions, shredded carrots and bite-size scotch bonnet pieces. The Crabby Potato is a non-conventional twist on a loaded potato. It’s a Baked Potato stuffed with Crab meat and sprinkled with cheese. “She is not stingy with the crab meat nor the cheeseâ€Teriyaki Mushrooms: Mushrooms are fried to perfection and then glazed in a super-rich teriyaki sauce. These mushrooms are best when dipped in either blue cheese or ranch sauce which accompanied the order. Buffalo Mushroom – Deep fried mushrooms tossed in a homemade Buffalo sauce. Salt and Pepper Shrimp is crispy, salty, slightly spicy and is served with chopped jalapeño peppers. Sweet and Sour ChickenCrab Boil served with corn and red potatoes. Escovitch Lobster
As you can see, Suga Taster Jehan ordered a full spread! She goes to Dynamic Cuisines every week, so it is definitely #SugaEndorsed.
Floridians, order from Krissy today! She will ask you what time you would like your order for and she will make sure it is ready for you.
Edited By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Suga Taster, Kimberly Nesbeth’s Ratings for TOOKSIE’S CANTEEN by Tooksie Kay Catering
Date and time of order: April 29, 2020
No. of orders: 4
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Speed: ★★★★★
Food quality: ★★★★★
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Packaging: ★★★★★
Value for $: ★★★★★
Suga Taster, Kim’s Breakdown!
Suga Taster, Kimberly Nesbeth
During Love in the Time of Corona, some of us are getting tired of cooking. All foodies know Alexa Von Strolley is that culinary artist who’s never afraid to wow our minds and surprise our taste buds, leaving her patrons wondering how she thought of this while leaving us begging for more. When I heard about Tooksie’s Canteen, I browsed the Instagram page and started to order.
Â
Tooksie’s Canteen operates Wednesdays to Fridays. The menu options change weekly. For each day there is usually one light option, such as a Salad or Flat Bread, two heavier options and a sweet treat. You order and pay online, which helps significantly with reducing human interaction, and you pick up at noon. I ordered on Instagram, received an email with the invoice and made payment via Sagicor e-banking.
Â
I ordered the In-n-Out Burger and Crack pie for Wednesday, Oxtail and Fish tacos on Thursday and Tuna Tataki Pizza and Tea-ramisu for Friday.
Â
Wednesday
In-n-Out Burger – Double stacked Beef Burger with American Cheese ($1400JMD)
The In-n-Out Burger was a tasty juicy American burger with lots of American cheddar cheese and fries. The fries and bread were clearly done on my arrival. Despite the juicy, cheesy burger, no soggy bread ‘roun here! Also the crispiest fries I’ve had in years. I expected the burger to be something out of the ordinary, but it was ordinary.
Sidenote: The Burger I had from Alexa the week before though, was heaven!
Double stacked Beef Burger, Crispy Pork Belly, Caramelized Onions, Cilantro Garlic sauce, Monterrey Jack Cheese with Fries – $3000JMD
Crack Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
The Crack Pie was amazing! It tasted like danish butter cookies made into moist sweet indulgence. So addictive. I immediately understood how this American dessert got its name.
The Oxtail taco was perfect! Tender meat and a loud flavour with a kick of something I couldn’t put my finger on. It was delicious.
The Fish taco had too much batter for me, but once I squeezed the lime provided on the Fish, the bold flavour combinations completely outshone the batter.
Â
Friday
Tuna Takati Pizza
The Tuna Tataki Pizza was fresh and exciting, spicy but not peppery. I wish I ordered more! This dish was a reminder of Alexa’s versatility as a chef.
Tea-ramisu Chai soaked Lady Fingers with Dulce de Leche Mascarpone and Matcha Powder.
The Tea-ramisu was like a green tea tiramisu. Very interesting, unexpected and refreshing.
Â
Chef Alexa Von Strolley is as cute as her logo, but her food is LOUD, BOLD and BRAVE. Each meal tasted fresh and specially prepared. Her prices are comparable to mid-priced restaurants and the wait time is five minutes or less.Â
TOOKSIE’S CANTEEN by Tooksie Kay Catering Ph: 876 – 537 – 5443 Email: [email protected] Instagram: @tooksiekaycatering
Edited By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Suga Lifestyle congratulates Kuk Up Kreations for 10 years in the Pastry, Cake and Catering business and for hitting 10,000 followers last week on Instagram!
A cake by Kuk Up Kreations is usually the highlight of many birthday, christening, baby and bridal shower celebrations that I have been to. Their cakes not only look good, but taste great too. You’ll experience the right amount of richness in flavour and moisture as you cut on the inside.
With Social Distancing in light of Covid-19, families and loved ones still find a way to celebrate special occasions with smaller gatherings.
Smaller gatherings call for smaller cakes, well sometimes. Either way, Kuk Up Kreations has started to make 5-inch cakes for you! They are available for same day orders in Chocolate, Red Velvet and Vanilla.
Check out Kuk Up Kreations Today!
Kuk Up Kreations
Pastry, Cakes and CateringÂ
Location: Shop #1 Mid Spring Shopping Centre at 134C Constant Spring Road, Kingston. Ja.
Ph: 876-854-0085 (Head Office); 876-633-5609 (Kuk Up Outlet)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
My Aunt, Maxine Spencer visited Barton G for her birthday in August and highly recommended it as a must-stop destination in Miami. From what I saw, I knew I had to visit on my next trip with my husband, Randy.
Epicurean delights were served on eye-popping displays that only added to the enjoyment of the food, great service and ambience. We also had front row seats to see them all come out the kitchen.
We kicked things off with cocktails like no other!
Stairway to Heaven – Grey Goose Cherry Noir, Godiva White Chocolate Cream, Frangelico
Appetizers
The appetizers were so tasty, you had to worry about space for the entrees!
Lobster Pop Tarts (USD$29) – Lobster and Fontina Mornay sauce, Flaky Phyllo, Tabasco Hollandaise, Tarragon Aioli
The flavours and textures in the Lobster Pop Tarts were truly a pleasant surprise. There was even a hint of sweet.
Laughing Bird Popcorn Shrimp (USD$27) – Crispy Rock Shrimp, Sweet & Spicy Chili sauce, Popcorn
The Popcorn Shrimp had the right amount of crisp, complemented well by the sweet and spicy chili sauce.
The tender, juicy delish Sliders almost struck me out! But I wouldn’t allow them to do so. I just had a taste.
Strike Out Sliders (USD$36) – Wagyu Beef, Gruyere Cheese, Red Onion, Jam, Smoked Ketchup, Garlic Aioli, Black Truffle Brioche
Eye-popping Entrees!
Orange Salmon (USD$39) – Pan Seared Salmon Loin, Garden Patatouille, Roasted Pepper Paint, Herb Pesto, Fennel Chip
Randy Burgess with his Samurai Tuna (USD$42) – Ahi, Korean spices, Kimchi Risotto Fritters, Sweet Miso Butter, Shishito Peppers
The Ahi Tuna was perfection. Look at those cuts!
I have to confess that we also had the best Lobster Mac and Cheese I have ever tasted. It was divine with huge pieces of Lobster.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Risotto Jambalaya. A burst of different flavours with the best of both worlds, Meat and Seafood. Of course I couldn’t finish it, but I must say that the Okra and Spices were sensational additions to the dish.
Did we really have Dessert?! Of course! You cannot pass up on getting the ‘Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all’!
***Check out Suga Lifestyle’s Instagram stories for the Videos!!!***
Mega Rich chocolate ganache and dulce de leche tart, under a gold brick shell that was torched off! Vanilla bean ice cream and golden caramel corn. THE perfect way to end the night. 💯
Barton G is definitely rated 100 by Gabrielle Burgess a.k.a Suga and is undoubtedly #SugaEndorsed !
Barton G. The Restaurant – Miami Beach
Location: 1427 West Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Chocolate Cake layered in gold bullion, which was torched by the server and melted off!
My Aunty Maxine celebrated her Birthday bigly with daughters, Jordanne and Bianca two weeks ago at Barton G. The Restaurant in Miami Beach.
Now that was a Birthday Dinner! They had a blast. Wish I was there. #SugaEndorsed
Enjoy the weekend!
(L-R): Maxine Spencer celebrating her Birthday with daughters, Bianca Baskins and Jordanne Kimok on August 8, 2019.
Barton G. The Restaurant – Miami Beach
Location: 1427 West Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA
Ph: 305-672-8881
Website: www.bartong.com
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
I regretfully admit that I have had Chef Dave Paul’s contact information and Lunch menu from last summer and just decided to use it yesterday. Why? It’s so hard for me to decide what to eat, much less from the day before. I am also still working or just settling in by the time the order is to go in.
Last year, Lunch orders had to be in by 10pm the night before and currently, the deadline is even earlier. Orders need to go in to Chef by 8pm the night before. I am sure this is how he keeps his system structured, so it’s either you make it work for you or you don’t.
A set menu is used daily, which is updated from time to time. Customized lunch orders are welcomed. Customers have options of Seafood, Chicken, Pastas, Wraps, Salads and Vegetarian meals.
It is stated that Punctual delivery is not guaranteed. So even though I requested an 11:30am delivery, I stated that it could not be later than 12Â noon. My lunch arrived at 12 noon.
Presentation and branding were impressive. Communication was also effective.
Chef Dave Paul’s Oven Roasted Chicken with Jerk BBQ sauce, a side of Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Mash and side Salad – $900JMD inclusive of Delivery in Kingston
I asked for light Jerk BBQ sauce and got just that. It gave the tender and well-seasoned Chicken a zesty flavour. The Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Mash was satisfactory. Sometimes healthy is boring and I took one of the healthier side options, so didn’t expect much from it as a side. The raw vegetables in the side Salad were fresh and I loved the added crunch and sweetness from a few cuts of gimbilyn (a.k.a carambola/star fruit) and raisins.
To top things off, lunch came with a moist towelette. I am guessing that Chef Paul knows that his Chicken was saucy and finger-licking good.
#SugaEndorsed
Chef Dave PaulÂ
Pre-Order Gourmet Lunch
***Orders must be placed the night before by 8pm***
For some time now, my cousin in Montego Bay told my husband about a young lady that makes extremely delicious Pastries and handcrafted Breads.
The young lady she spoke of is Christina Simonitsch. With this kind of recommendation, we both followed her on Instagram immediately. Her Instagram page, @simosbreadandcatering is quite mouth-watering. You can see the joy and passion she has for cooking and baking, leaving you with no choice but to want to be a part of it.
The name, Simonitsch is quite known not only in Montego Bay, but islandwide and worldwide. Christina is what we Jamaican folks would like to call ‘good stock’. Her father is Heinz Simonitsch, the Austrian hotelier that arrived on the island to run Half Moon in 1963. Under his stewardship, Halfmoon became one of the most successful privately-owned beach resorts in the world. He retired in 2002 and has been recognized by being awarded with the Honorary Order of Distinction for his lifetime contribution to Tourism in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
With his retirement, I am happy to see his name live on in the Culinary industry of Jamaica via his eldest daughter Christina. Christina grew up in the kitchen and it seems as if the passion for what she does is in her DNA. She knew what her career would be from very early and also learnt from her Aunt and Grandmother in Austria.
After catering for mostly friends and family at small gatherings, the choice was easy for her to stay and work in Jamaica instead of returning to Europe. Word spread so fast, her hands were full.
Christina not only does specialty Breads and Pastries, but has Gourmet selections and her private label Condiment line of Pepper sauces, Sea salt, Pepper Jelly, Basil Pesto, Marinades and more. She is based in Montego Bay, so occasionally, she announces when she will be coming into Kingston and posts her list with prices. She usually comes in on a Thursday, where pick ups can be made at Shams Bakery in The Marketplace between 11am-2pm.
I ordered her Basil Pesto the 2nd to last time she came into Kingston because I was too late to order the Cinnamon Buns I have been dying to taste.
I made a fabulous Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Shrimp. That Basil Pesto is definitely #sugaendorsed.
She came back to Kingston last week Thursday. I made sure my order of Cinnamon Buns and a Cronut was in early this time, especially since there was an occasion to celebrate. My father-in-law got treated with Cinnamon Buns for his birthday and we all enjoyed it. I love that the icing comes separately in a bag if you are watching your calories.
Suga’s order of Simo’s Bread and Catering’s Cinnamon Buns in a 9″ tin with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (L) -($1700JMD); Cronut (R) – $950JMD
After trying Simo’s Bread & Catering’s pastries, watching calories goes out the window. That Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting I thought I was just going to have a smear of, was a delightful topping for the scrumptious Cinnamon Buns.
Simo’s Bread & Catering Cronut – $950JMD
I sat down in my living room about to have my Cronut thinking to myself, why did I just spend almost a $1000JMD on a cross between a Croissant and a Doughnut? Say no more. I took one bite and it was heavenly. The perfect mix of moist and crispy with a touch of flavoured cream on the inside and a hint of icing on top. A bite turned into quicker bites, then a swallow and I had to stop myself. I knew I needed to savour it. So I decided to distract myself by messaging my husband who missed the opportunity of being home for this pleasurable experience. I told him there is no way I could save a piece for him. Then just like that it was finished. Instead of feeling guilty for indulging in this pastry, I just sat there with a smile on my face like a real pleased puss. It was totally worth it. Well, maybe $500 plus the delivery to Kingston. Regardless, I would order that Cronut again in a heartbeat.
When is Simo’s Bread and Catering’s next trip to Kingston? Â I have good news. I am not sure when you can make Orders for Pick ups but Christina will be Co-hosting a gathering soon on May 19 at Kayter Restaurant on Ballater Avenue. It should be a gastronomic experience. Make your Reservations!
Lunch last Wednesday, August 5th was great to prep for the holiday. The menu that caught my eyes included Tumeric Vegetable soup and a Salad bowl with Callaloo cous cous, Seasoned plantain, Rosemary 5-spice Garbanzo beans, Carrot spaghetti, Pumpkin seed mix and SOBA noodles.
My order was on time as usual. Packaging and Presentation certainly appealed to my eyes.Then the food? The use of herbs, greens and spices were on point.
The Garbanzo beans were herby with a bit of sweet. So the raisins were a nice touch. Â The Plantain was delicious! I wanted more. Now, cous cous is extremely hard to flavour. The trick is to add a little lime or lemon juice amongst other things. The Callaloo could have been a good mix for it, however it was kind of bland and didn’t add much to it. But there were so many other exciting things in the salad bowl to mix it with if that failed. For instance, Carrot spaghetti?! What is that? It was not actual spaghetti, the carrot was peeled to look like spaghetti. Very creative. It was tasty and sweet. The SOBA noodles added some soft fibre and there was still more. Kale and corn completed the bowl.
Last Tuesday I tried Vegetarian from another account I have been following on Instagram, Hungry Eyes. Hungry Eyes has been open since last November and has been featured on Smile Jamaica before, so has had a little exposure. I was told on the phone by owner and chef, Natalia Welsh that they are located in Papine and do deliveries between 12:30 and 1:30pm. I ordered a Salad bowl that came with a Sweet potato soup, costing $800JMD for 12:30pm delivery ($300JMD delivery charge). The other option for the day was Tomato Black Bean Curry and Potato Hash.
The Salad bowl was advertised as having a smoky BBQ 3-Bean salad, Garlic kale, Potato salad, Couscous and Corn salsa. A fusion of Jamaican and Mexican style lunch! Wow, who would not want to order that? However, being a meat lover with a high metabolism, I still took precaution when ordering and was assured it would be filling, more so with the soup.
Delivery was early, packaging was air-tight and quite presentable. Upon opening, I was instantly impressed by the presentation, mainly the use of colour. Especially since it is hard to make food look good in a lunch box.
The Corn salsa was spicy and to a lesser extent, so was the BBQ 3-Bean salsa that had a sauce with a lovely flavour. The Potato Salad and Couscous were tasty neutralizers to quell all that spiciness. A sweet vinaigrette was also provided.
Greens like Kale and Arugula have a naturally, slight peppery taste so one has to be careful with combinations chosen for them in salads. My only complaint was about the Garlic kale. The taste of Garlic on it was too strong for me and lingered in my mouth allllll day, after brushing my teeth, chewing gum, you name it. No bueno. That didn’t matter much though, because all other flavours as described were on point and the lunch was able to carry me through the rest of the day. It was filling as promised. The soup?! The soup was small but sufficient. It had a thick consistency similar to a cornmeal porridge and it was delicious. All natural, fresh, healthy goodness to tighten your pants. So even if you are not a vegetarian, Suga fully endorses Hungry Eyes!
I was so impressed, I had to have a little talk with Natalia and got to learn more about her and Hungry Eyes. Quite a smart and eloquent young lady who has been a Vegetarian since 2007.
The name, ‘Hungry eyes’ came naturally to her as a result of being guided by colour when choosing ingredients of nutritional value, also as a way of displaying her creativity and artistic side. Thus arriving at the conclusion that eyes see and in turn get hungry, ‘eyes see eat too’ -> Hungry eyes!
Natalia did not study in the field of the Culinary Arts in school. She has a BA in International Relations and Spain from ?Mount Holyoke College. She in fact spent half a year in Spain. It was the experience of tasting cuisines from Spain and other countries in Europe that ignited her interest in the Culinary industry. As she travelled across different countries, she developed a desire and passion to recreate the variety of flavours tasted.
Natalia is also about to embark on a Nutrition Course soon. Where and for how long? In order to?The course runs for 3 months here in Kingston through the Jamaica Island Nutrition Network. She is pursuing the course because she believes that what and how we eat affect our well-being and in turn eating healthy daily helps us to maintain good health. She also says it will keep us connected to earth by knowing where and how our food is grown and what types of food our body naturally favours depending on the country we are in. She will soon be equipped and confident in guiding others toward a life of health and longevity through food!
So what’s in store for Hungry Eyes? Natalia is committed to being patient with the evolution of what has begun, but would love to grow a sustainable business in Human and Capital potential, including its environmental impact. So one goal is to have a Catering Institute where young people, especially in under-served communities, can gain exposure to skills and knowledge they can use primarily to improve their well-being. Natalia feels being able to share what she is learning about food and about operating a business on a broader scale, is her investment in helping to break a cycle of poverty. She also wants Hungry Eyes to participate in food/culture/music festivals to bring a Caribbean fusion of flavours to people who are curious but haven’t been able to travel to or around the region.
It was refreshing to talk to Natalia and you could hear how passionate she is about what she does. Hungry Eyes caters for events as well. They deliver lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, encouraging pre-orders.
Follow their Instagram page, Hungry Eyes ‘EYESEATTOO’ and check their website, eyeseattoo.wordpress.com. Persons can sign up to get weekly menus from [email protected]. Order the night before or by 9am on the morning of. They have many other items on their menu to tease your eyes with hunger.
