TGIF to this Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich from Jamaica Liquor Warehouse!

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How good does this Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich look from Jamaica Liquor Warehouse ?! Get your holiday treat on with them this weekend 😉

Enjoy!

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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TGIF to Escoveitched Lobster from Seaside Dutchie!

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Photo Contributed by: Suga Baby, Tricia-Gaye O’Connor

TGIF to this Escoveitched Lobster from Seaside Dutchie that a Suga Baby enjoyed 2 weeks ago!

Seaside Dutchie has authentic Jamaican cuisine with seaside dining and is #SugaEndorsed.

Give Seaside Dutchie a visit and enjoy your weekend!

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Seaside Dutchie

Location: Altery Beach, Priory St. Ann. Jamaica

Ph: 876-367-9277

Instagram: @seasidedutchie

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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Suga Taster, Kimmy hits The Meena House in Port of Spain, Trinidad!

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Suga Taster, Kimberly Nesbeth’s Ratings for The Meena House, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Date and time of visit: August 16th @ 6pm

No. of diners: 7

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★★★

Food quality: ★★★★★

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★★★

Value for $: ★★★★★

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Suga Taster, Kimberly Nesbeth of Suga Lifestyle

Suga Taster, Kimmy’s Breakdown!

Who can resist visiting an Indian Restaurant while in Trinidad? The Meena House is known to offer Modernistic Indian Cuisine and this encompassed not only the menu, but the atmosphere.
The restaurant is outfitted with modern minimalist furniture married with Victorian-Indo-Saracenic accents.
Appetizers
My party of 7 ordered the Tandoori Nawaazish and the Breadfruit Masala Crepes as appetizers for sharing. Both appetizers totaled ~USD$40.
Main Dishes
The Lamb in the Tandoori Nawaazish appetizer was remarkable, which made the Kadhmiri Nalli (Lamb) a must have!
We ordered Butter Chicken, Matar Pneer, Pork Vindalo and Kovalam Chicken too. These dishes were accompanied by Basmati rice, Biryani rice, Garlic naan, Caramelized onion and Goat Cheese naan and Shyamli Shrimp naan.
Main dishes came to about USD $185. Everything was quite tasty. The Biryani rice was a fun item,  but it was blown out of the water by the Shyamli Shrimp naan! SPOILER ALERT! It was blue black because it had squid ink, which not only added the dramatic colour, but also an unexpected, yet pleasant flavour. It was stuffed with shrimp, saffron and cheese. Chef Umesh Meena even stopped by our table to ensure we were pleased with our meal.
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Shyamli Shrimp naan
Dessert
My party was full and satisfied, but we had to surrender to the dessert menu!
The Lemon & Rosemary Sorbet, Rose Pannacotta, Gulab Jabum and Baba Aur Rasili and the Chocolate tasting chose us! I won’t ruin the surprise that was dessert, but I will say it was the PERFECT finale to an extremely enjoyable dining experience!
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A few of the Dessert options from The Meena House

The Meena House, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Location: 3 Alcazar St., St. Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Ph: (868) 332-6450

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.themeenahouse.com

By: Kimberly Nesbeth (Suga Taster, Suga Lifestyle)

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.

 

TGIF to this Chocolate Mousse from Chive!

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Chocolate Mousse from Chive Restaurant

TGIF to this Chocolate Mousse from Chive! Enjoy the weekend! We live in a Foodies Paradise.

Chive Restaurant

Location: Shop 15, Orchid Village Plaza. 20 Barbican Road. Kingston 6.

Ph: 876-820-1194

Instagram: @chivejamaica

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

How is the AC Lounge at the NEW AC Hotel Kingston?!

 

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Suga Taster, Craig Fleming’s Ratings for AC Hotel Kingston

Date and time of visit: Friday, June 21, 2019 at 1pm

No. of diners: 2 adults

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum 

Parking: ★★★☆☆

(Should improve with the completion of the multi-level parking garage)

Ambience: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★☆☆

Food quality: ★★★☆☆

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

Suga Taster, Craig Fleming’s Breakdown!

The new kid on the Kingston hospitality block, AC Hotel had its official opening two weeks ago. From the Laura Facey and Andre Woolery commissioned Art installations displayed throughout the lobby to the open air interior design, the AC Hotel (a collaboration between local hoteliers Sandals/ATL Group and the international hotel conglomerate, Marriott Bonvoy) is a beauty in contemporary design and aesthetics.

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Laura Facey and Andre Woolery commissioned Art installations displayed throughout the Lobby.

It’s located on the same compound as the BMW/MINI showroom. The open air feeling makes guests feel welcomed with outdoor/indoor music. Guests can look forward to Starbucks, a multilevel parking garage and potential establishments along the mini boardwalk in the near future too.

I decided to check out the AC Lounge last Friday for a quick lunch. It consists of a HUGE wraparound bar, outdoor pool bar and a cozy, but intimate dining area. If you are like me and have lodged at any other AC Hotel location, you would know what to expect from the millennial targeted brand: simple tapas, basic, but tasty libations, all wrapped in an affordable package. The newest Kingston location does not disappoint in that aspect.

Upon entering the lobby, the hotel staff will direct you to the quaint dining area located directly beside the open bar and you will have a choice to either sit alongside the sound padded cushioned walls or adjacent to the breakfast buffet area separated by a sliding glass casement.

Appetizers

My friend and I started with a simple request of Club soda and lime alongside bottled water, which was promptly sent to our table. We perused the limited menu and being a quintessential foodie, decided to start with Appetizers.

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Mini Potato Bites

We got the mini Potato bites with sea salt, scallions and garlic+paprika aioli and the Arugula Salad with shaved parmesan, prosciutto and salami. The Potato was fried perfectly, but my only vice is that the aioli be served on the side rather than beneath the mound of fried Potatoes.

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Arugula Salad with shaved parmesan, prosciutto.

The Arugula Salad had the perfect amount of prosciutto and parmesan. They did not have the salami as advertised, which normally would be problematic, but it truly was not necessary for this salad. I also loved that the dressing was not drizzled on it beforehand, as my personal preference is to pour it myself. The server promptly apologized for the unavailability of salami and we continued to order our next lunch course.

Main Dishes

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Garden Salad served with toast.
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Panko Fried Snapper Fillet with butter sautéed root vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and Brussel sprouts) and garlic remoulade.

I found the Garden Salad to be more basic than usual, but the Panko Snapper was really tasty. The Fish was flaky, NOT overcooked like a lot of establishments and the panko crust was golden and crispy as it should be. It went well with the butter sautéed root vegetables and garlic remoulade. This was surely the highlight of the meal. The so called parmesan fries on the other hand, were tasteless, limp and one of the worst I have ever had. Pathetic.

Dessert

The Dessert choice was no better. The Molten Chocolate Lava cake tasted like a Betty Crocker cake mix topped with cheap chocolate sauce, far from the expectations of what an actual molten lava cake is supposed to be – decadent and yummy.

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Molten Chocolate Lava cake.

Advice: order the Macarons or the Cheesecake.

We ended our meal with Coffee which appeased my disappointment with the fries & Lava cake.

The AC Lounge is a great locale for Drinks and quick bites after work. Hopefully they will follow suit with the other global locations and have discounted Happy Hour drinks and appetizers. There are a few quirks to iron out from the first few days of opening, but the customer service from the get go has raised the bar positively, which is in line with the expectations of the AC Marriott mantra.

AC Hotel Kingston

Location: 38-42 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston 5. JA. W.I 

Ph: 876-750-3000

Website: www.achotelkingston.com/

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[Photos and Review contributed by Suga Taster, Craig Fleming]
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.

 

Shrimp & Grits from a Southern Restaurant in A-Town!

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Shrimp and Grits – $17USD (red mule grits, shrimp bordelaise, pan fried croutons) from JCT. Kitchen & Bar

Suga Taster, Randy Burgess’s Ratings for JCT. Kitchen & Bar

Date and time of visit: Wednesday, May 1, 2019

No. of diners: 2 adults

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Décor: ★★★★☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★☆☆

Plating: ★★★☆☆

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

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Photo: @jctkitchenandbar

JCT. Kitchen & Bar

Location: 1198 Howell Mill Rd #18, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA

Ph: 404-355-2252

Instagram: jctkitchenandbar

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Dinner and Jazz at Mike’s Supper Club at The Trident Hotel, Portland

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Suga’s Ratings for Mike’s Supper Club

Date and time of visit: Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 9:15pm

No. of diners: 2 adults

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★★★

Food quality: ★★★☆☆

Serving amount: ★★★☆☆

Plating: ★★★★★

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

Suga’s Breakdown:

Mike’s Supper Club at The Trident Hotel had spectacular service and ambience enhanced by rhythmic live jazz, where the band used Trident’s one of a kind Ferrari red 1917 Steinway baby grand piano. Some of the best voices in world, jazz and bop music have left their nightly signature on it.

Beverages were grand, but I can’t say the same about their dishes.

We started things off with Pumpkin Soup and a Goat Cheese Salad. The Pumpkin Soup was probably the largest dish of the night.

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Pumpkin Soup with coconut, lemongrass and spiced chicken (US$12 +G.C.T +Serv. charge)
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Fresh Greens and Goat Cheese Salad  – Fried Cheese, Pickled Onion, Red Grapes, charred Pepper and Red Radish (US$15 +G.C.T +Serv. charge)

The Goat Cheese Salad was quite tasty and flavourful, but our entrees followed and disappointed in that aspect and more. We had the Rack of Lamb and Surf n Turf. Both dishes were extremely small servings. In addition to an already exorbitant cost of US$50 for the Surf and Turf, sides of Vegetables and Starches were additional for US$3 and $US6 respectively before tax and service charge.

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Rack of Lamb – Pistachio crust, Wine Tamarind Jus, roasted Vegetable and Butternut Puree (US$32 +G.C.T +Serv. charge)
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Surf n Turf – Angus Beef Fillet, seared Shrimps, roasted Seaweed and smoked Pepper Coulis (US$50 +G.CT +Serv. charge)

To add to the disappointment of small servings, even though our meats were medium rare as requested, the Lamb and Beef lacked proper seasoning and flavour.

The food may not have been value for money, but it was certainly a pleasurable experience.

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Mike’s Supper Club at The Trident Hotel

Location: Port Antonio

Ph: 876-633-7100; 1(800) 300-6220

Website (Menu available): www.thetridenthotel.com

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By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

TGIF! Street Food Saturdays is Tomorrow!

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Follow the food and the flavour! Head up to Street Food Saturdays hosted by Chef Simone Walker-Barrett by Mount James District, Golden Spring, St. Andrew tomorrow any time from 12-6pm! There will be quite a variety, so there should be something to satisfy any craving you may have.

Garlic Lobster Pasta is back on the menu!

 For more Information:

Call/Whatsapp: 876-414-0016; 876-313-0735; 876-395-3614

Email: [email protected]

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Street Food Saturdays is Tomorrow!

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After you’re finished with Suga Lifestyle’s Nutrition Seminar tomorrow morning at The Liguanea Club, you can head up to Street Food Saturdays by Mount James District, Golden Spring, St. Andrew. You will be equipped with knowledge on how to go out and eat healthily.

I will give you a hint that from the menu, you should go for the Fish tea as a starter, followed by the Five spiced Pan Chicken with no sauce or better yet, the Roasted Red Snapper. Sadly, there are no healthy side options. If you decide that you cannot have your main on its own, choose the Garlic Parmesan Bread.

For your drink, the Mint Lemonade would have too much sugar, so you can have water or a Fruit Smoothie if no mangoes or watermelons are used.

Don’t even think of going near that Curry Crab Run-Down!

Street Food Saturdays is usually from 12 noon to 6pm, however to confirm or for more information:

Call/Whatsapp: 876-414-0016; 876-313-0735; 876-395-3614

Email: [email protected]

Have a happy and healthy weekend!

There is still time to register for Suga Lifestyle’s Nutrition Seminar using the link below:

http://sugalifestyleseminar.firstinlineja.com/

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By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Did the NEW Chive Restaurant make a good first impression?

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Suga’s Ratings for Chive Restaurant

Date and time of visit: Wednesday, November 13, 2018 at 8:00pm

No. of diners: 3 adults

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Décor: ★★★★☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★★★

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★★

Suga’s Breakdown:

Jamaicans love a new restaurant that looks modern and is easy to get to and that explains why Chive Restaurant is booked out for Restaurant Week (RW). Chive is in the Savoury Category for $2800JMD, where G.C.T and Beverages are at an additional cost.

They definitely took the huge risk to open and participate in Restaurant Week to make a first impression on the public. But bravo! They did well.

The staff was polite, attentive and quite composed for the occasion.

The Restaurant is small, but comfortable with modern décor that was tastefully put together.

The menu for Restaurant Week offered a good variety of options including Vegetarian, Seafood, Beef, Chicken and Pork dishes. Food came out in a reasonable amount of time and servings were sufficient. The taste of everything was on point and Chive was definitely value for money. Two thumbs up for Restaurant Week!

Appetizers

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Crispy Glazed Pork Belly stuffed in a steamed bao bun with Hoisin sauce, ginger and pickled cucumbers.

Firstly, the RW menu said Pork Buns and not Pork Bun. However, we threw that critique out the window after we indulged in a healthy serving of succulent, well seasoned Pork Belly with a crisp that met you upon each bite.

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Plump grape tomatoes, grilled garlic lobster and basil drizzled with a honey balsamic reduction on toasted baguette slices.

For the Grilled Lobster Bruschetta, we were wondering if we would get mostly tomatoes, but that was not the case. The Bruschettas were toasted just right and filled with Grilled Lobster. Delightful. Hopefully they can keep up this standard.

Main

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Oxtail Alfredo – Traditional ‘fall off the bone’ Oxtail combined with penne pasta tossed in creamy Alfredo sauce.

I must admit that I was not in the mood to be disappointed with another Oxtail Pasta that didn’t really have Oxtail in it. So when ordering, I requested that I do not get ‘the essence’ of the Oxtail and I get my Pasta loaded with tender Oxtail. I can’t guarantee the same for you, but ask and you shall receive!

The Oxtail was tender, well seasoned and tasty. It was not overpowered by a heavy, creamy alfredo sauce. The taste and consistency of the sauce was just right to complement the Oxtail.

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Beef Bourguignon – Tender chunks of Beef simmered in a rich red wine gravy served atop garlic, rosemary mashed potatoes and country roasted vegetables.

The Oxtail Pasta was impressive, but we thought the Beef Bourguignon was the winner of the night. The serving could have been bigger, but the flavour was outstanding. The Beef was well seasoned and enhanced by the red wine gravy that was rich indeed with a citrus flavour. #SugaSnaps.

Dessert

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Warm Bread Pudding with Buttery Rum Sauce.

I was told when ordering that there was no Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to accompany the Bread Pudding as stated. This disturbed me since Sovereign supermarket is across the road and so is Devon House Ice Cream.

Nanda Dukharan, one of the owners who checked on our table from time to time to gather feedback and ensure everything was going smoothly, actually makes ice cream. When that was explained to us, I understood that they wished to keep the authenticity of their Ice Cream once they iron out a few kinks. So you cannot expect the Pineapple Ginger Ice Cream with Scotch Bonnet Brittle either, which was also on the menu.

I then thought my serving of Bread Pudding should have been larger to compensate. Thankfully it was warm and savoury.

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Decadent Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake.

The Cheesecake was definitely decadent and a great finale for our dinner.

Chive Restaurant still has a full dining and bar menu to finalize post Restaurant Week, so they are definitely on Suga’s radar. For now, Chive Restaurant is #SugaEndorsed.

I hope they keep it up because I am looking forward to a new spot to eat and drink for the holiday season! Aren’t you?

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(L-R) Friends and Foodies, Jehan Knight, Randy Burgess and wife, Gabrielle a.k.a Suga feeling quite content after a fulfilling RW dinner at the new Chive Restaurant.

Chive Restaurant

Location: Shop 15, Orchid Village Plaza. 20 Barbican Road. Kingston 6.

Ph: 876-820-1194

Instagram: @chivejamaica

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.