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How was Restaurant Week Jamaica?!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

Restaurants in the 3 cities were certainly buzzing with diners throughout Restaurant Week (RW) that was held November 13 – 21. Persons were excited to ‘Dig in’, the slogan used for this year’s RW.

Suga was happy to report that all, if not, most of her recommendations were excellent choices based on feedback from Suga bears a.k.a. Suga Lifestyle readers and friends.

Just to highlight a few,

One Love Cafe at Bob Marley’s Museum and Susie’s Bakery & Coffee Bar really satisfied diners for the Nyam and Scram category.

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Lillian’s Restaurant                       Image: RWJ 2015 Index on go-jamaica.com

For the Tasty Category, the UTECH students from Lillian’s Restaurant who seemed to put a lot of effort into their menu, offering unique dishes at a low cost showed that there is a bright future ahead for Jamaica in the Culinary industry.

Lillian’s was delightful. They had a pleasant and attentive waitress, yet not overbearing, as well as helpful staff. Decor was simple yet appropriate and clean, with soft classical music. The Jerked Chicken Chowder and Salt Fish Tostones they served as Appetizers had lovely flavours and the Salad was fresh with a decent serving. Their Main course was enjoyed by all at the table. Generous servings as well. Their Peppercorn Crusted Beef was cooked exactly as ordered, the Cinnamon Braised Pineapple Pork was succulent and not overdone, the Seared Trout and Creamy Chicken Sauté dishes were tasty. Desserts were also very good. Their Rum and Raisin cake, Passion Trifle and Chocolate and Banana Bread Pudding were yummy. Well done Lillian’s!

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Sea Deck           Photo credit: Emile Pitt

Sea Deck had nice, big, tasty servings as usual with decent service.

C & C South Beach Restaurant in the Savoury category got two thumbs up. Their service, food and atmosphere were impressive. Kudos to them for a 10 minute waiting time during RW!

Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove, Ocho Rios was a winner for the Delectable category. No surprise there. Props to Executive Chef Conroy Arnold for sustaining a high standard of food quality and service. The ambience there is just an added plus.

Then of course, with a full review coming soon, Marguerites Seafood by the Sea in Montego Bay took the Epicurean category hands down. Excellent ambience, service and food topped off by a premium selection of wines.

Well done Restaurants, looking forward to next year!

 

 

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Marguerites Seafood by the Sea was Perfection!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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Review coming soon! If in Kingston, it is worth the drive! If you are in Montego Bay or close by, what are you waiting for?! Make reservations ASAP and don’t miss your chance to Dig In at Marguerites this RW 2015.

Marguerites Seafood by the Sea

Location: Gloucester Ave. (The Hip Strip), Montego Bay

Ph: 876-952-4777

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Mmmmm Savoury! Where to go for RW?!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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The Savoury Category costs $2800JMD (Includes choice of Appetizer, Main course and Dessert. Beverages, G.C.T and Gratuity additional). 

*Reservations recommended

Caffé Da Vince, which was a success for last year’s RW even with a full house, had delicious food and good service. This year they will have a Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella and tomato in a balance reduction. Oxtail Ravioli, Beef and Pork Tenderloin are on the main, then White chocolate strawberry cheese cake to finish. Imagine, there are lots more dishes on that menu too!

Fromage, always a fave of mine, will be offering Korean BBq Pulled Pork with Asian slaw and fries that should be delightful, as well as their other menu items.

C & C South Beach have really revamped themself this year. They have great choices from Appetizers to Desserts. See their recent review and RW recommendations by clicking on the link below:

C&C South Beach, one of many in the Savoury Category for RWJ!

Beirut Mediterranean Cuisine don’t look too bad this year. Their Chickpea purée with sesame paste lemon juice and olive oil, served with fresh pita bread and their Beirut Mixed Grill with 3 skewers of Beef, Chicken and minced Lamb looks decent.

Gimbilyn Restaurant at Alhambra Inn seems to always be off the radar, but has proven to be a lovely experience, especially last year. Their Fish pocket appetizer looks interesting and they have a wide range of main dishes including Chicken, Pork, Mahi Mahi, Beef and a Vegan option. Their dessert options look fantastic as well, including Plain and Chocolate Cake Rum Lollipops, Cheesecake and a Warm Coffee Bread Pudding that is known to be good.

M-10 should have dishes with a burst of Jamaican flavour. Ackee or Callaloo Quiche to start and Smoked Pork chops or their Fish fillet in coconut sauce to follow? Yum!

What’s sizzling on the North Coast?

Evita’s in Ocho Rios was a winner last year. This year they look like they will please diners with their Jamaican Viagra Conch Fritters. Yes I did say Viagra. Looks like the magic will be in the Chef’s special ‘Jerk’ sauce that it is served with.

Mystic India in Montego Bay seems to be the choice for Indian cuisine this year. They always have sizzling options on a regular basis and their menu will include just that, for instance, Chilli Shrimp, Mutton Sheekh Kebab and Tandoori Chicken. That is just an appetizer!

MoBay is also home to the well known, Pelican Grill and Seahorse Grill. Pelican Grill has good service, tasty food and is always a pleasure to visit. Their Surf and Turf as well as their Grilled Fillet of Steak and Lobster look like excellent options. Seahorse Grill will have Smoked Blue Marlin on toast with herbed cream cheese, Hummus Dip with roasted peppers, kalamata olives and pita points as two of the choices for appetizers. Their Shrimp Saint James with savoury shrimp, simmered in a New Orleans style Creole sauce, with red onion, tomato, red and green peppers, okra and jerk sausage looks like all kinds of goodness. Then there is much more!

Remember you can give your feedback here or go to the Restaurant Week Jamaica 2015 index page, choose the Restaurants and rate them.

Dig In!

Contact information and locations for Restaurants mentioned:

Caffé Da Vinci
Location: Market Place. 67 Constant Spring Rd.
Ph: 876-906-9051

Fromage Gourmet Market
Address: 8 Hillcrest Ave., Kingston 6
Ph#: 876-622-9856

C & C South Beach Restaurant, Sports Bar and Event Venue
Location: 2 Brompton Road. Kingston 5
Ph: 876-630-4571 or 876-630-4163

Beirut Mediterranean Cuisine
Location: Market Place. 67 Constant Spring Road.
Ph: 876-395-7577

Gimbilyn Restaurant at Alhambra Inn
1 Tucker Avenue Kingston, Jamaica
Ph: 876-978-9072

M-10 Bar & Grill
6 Vineyard Road, Kingston 3, Vineyard Town, Kingston.
Ph: 876-930-2112 or 876-815-5644

Evita’s Italian Restaurant
Location: Eden Bower Road (Just up the hill opposite Taj Mahal Shopping Center). Ocho Rios
Ph.: 876-974-233

Mystic India
Location: Whitter Village, Ironshore Montego Bay
Ph: 876-953-9460 / 876-953-0659

Pelican Grill
Location: Gloucester Avenue Strip Montego Bay
Ph: 876-952-3171

Seahorse Grill
Location: MoBay Yacht Club. Freeport. Sunset Drive, Montego Bay
Ph: 876-684-9133

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So much to choose from, where to choose for Tasty at RW!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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The Tasty Category for $1850JMD (Includes choice of Appetizer, Main course and Dessert. Beverages, G.C.T and Gratuity additional) during Restaurant Week has so many choices to choose from, but where should you really choose for the best deal?
Consider the menu quality and uniqueness, reputation of service and an ambience would be a plus.

Did you see my review from my Pre-Restaurant week tasting at Lucky Strike Lounge? It’s a winner.

Click on link below for a quick and spicy review.

Lucky Strike Lounge for the Tasty Category for RWJ!

East Japanese looks like the place of choice for Asian cuisine, offering value for money.

Portmore massive, the Milk Shake from Buzzers looks divine!

The UTECH students from Lillian’s Restaurant seemed to put a lot of effort into their menu as usual, offering unique dishes at a low cost. Their Seared Trout and Vegetable Lasagne including Eggplant and more look like they won’t disappoint.

Pizza Hut (Kgn and MoBay) is always loaded with goodness on their menu for RW with various Pastas and more. The spot should be great for a family outing and their Over-the-Top Cheesecake looks delish.

Sea Deck is always a pleasure. Even though their Crab back usually takes long, it is worth the wait. Other than that, you should be able to look forward to quick service, delicious, large servings and a lovely ambience for more than a reasonable price.

What else is going on outside of Kingston?

The Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay impressed me from the RW Launch, offering some of the items from their menu. Their Jerked Chicken Fettuccine had a good flavour with a touch of spicy and their Sweet Potato Pudding had an authentic Jamaican taste. Their Oxtail Mac and Cheese sounds salivating!

I have not dined at Chill Out Hut Beach Bar and Grill in Long Bay, St. James yet, but I would definitely give them a try. Their 1lb Whole Steamed Fish looks juicy!

Remember you can give your feedback here or go to the Restaurant Week Jamaica 2015 index page, choose the Restaurants and rate them.

Dig In!

Contact information and locations for Restaurants mentioned:

Lucky Strike Lounge
Location: 195 C Constant Spring Road (Manor Centre), Kingston 8
Ph: 876-631-9980, 876-631-9797

East Japanese
Location: Market Place at 67 Constant Spring Rd. Kingston, Jamaica
Ph: 960-3962 or 960-3594

Endzzone at Buzzers
Location: 63A Congrieve Park, Naggo Head, Portmore, Kingston
Ph: 876-939-2553

Lillian’s Restaurant
Location: University of Technology, Jamaica, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
Ph: 876-970-2224

Pizza Hut Dine-In (Kgn and MoBay)
Locations: 57 Knutsford Blvd. New Kingston. Kgn. 5/ Lot 9 Howard Cooke Boulevard. Montego Bay
Ph: 876-920-8656/ 876-920-8657, 876-971-5380

Sea Deck
Location: Orchid Village Plaza, 20 Barbarian Road. Kgn. 6
Ph: 876-702-4032

Cardiff Hotel & Spa
Location: 8 Rickets Avenue, Cardiff Hall, Runaway Bay
Ph: 876-973-6868 or 876-973-6671

Chill Out Hut Beach Bar & Grill
Location: Long Bay, Greenwood, St. James, Montego Bay
Ph: 876-953-1666, 876-363-5485

Image: The Jamaica Gleaner White Chocolate Cheesecake from The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel

Restaurant Week Jamaica Begins Today! Where to dress up and go to!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot
Image: The Jamaica Gleaner White Chocolate Cheesecake from The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel
Image: The Jamaica Gleaner
White Chocolate Cheesecake from The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel

The Cost of Restaurants in the Epicurean category is $4300JMD and includes an appetizer, salad, main course and dessert. Beverage, GCT and gratuity are additional, so it works out to about $6000JMD per person.

For Kingston, both Rojo Restaurant at Spanish Court Hotel and The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel are good choices. Rojo may be more suited for a date or party of 4. While Terra Nova may suit bigger parties such as a family affair or dinner/lunch with the coworkers.

Rojo is known to have excellent service and a lovely ambience. Their menu for Restaurant week has finally changed as well. The Pan Seared Shrimp and Lobster with a Herbed Scotch Bonnet Cocktail Sauce and Mixed Greens or Seafood Chowder Flavourful Soup with Calamari, Snapper, Shrimp and Mussels, garnished with Scallion looks great for the Appetizer and Soup.

For the main, the Chicken Rojo with Chicken Breast filled with Ham, Sweet Pepper, Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese, covered with Seasoned Breadcrumbs then pan-fried, served with a Rose Sauce and Mashed Potatoes looks exciting as well as the Seafood Linguini with Shrimp, Calamari, Snapper & Mussels sautéed in Fresh Garlic, Herbs and a Squeeze of Lemon, all finished in a Basil Pesto Sauce, topped with Parmesan Cheese.

For dessert, their Crème Brulee is usually good.

Terra Nova’s menu seems to have a little more variety and if you are a Lamb or Pork Loin lover, they usually excel with those dishes. Spicily seasoned Salmon cakes served with a Jalapeno Slaw should be a good starter and their White Chocolate Cheesecake with fresh Berry Compote, a delicious conclusion.

Now, where to go out of town? Round Hill Hotel and Villas’ menu seems to lack variety. I doubt persons would be looking forward to Fried Chicken or Fish and Grits for an Epicurean experience. So Suga will be choosing Marguerites Seafood by the Sea in Montego Bay for Epicurean this year! It will be an out of town experience with a salivating menu. I am looking forward to the Boston Beggars Purse Appetizer with Crisp wontons filled with creamy cheese and Jerk chicken breast with Asian slaw followed by their Pan seared scallops for the entrée that will include Smoked bacon and more. Their menu on the website is different from the one published so that may need some clarification because the menu online looks like quite the gourmet affair!

Look forward to dressing up and going to these restaurants. That is part of the fun about this category. Gentlemen, button up shirts are a must and no sneakers. Ladies you can still show a little skin and be classy. Flash back Friday to my style in the FLAIR last Monday!

Image: The Jamaica Gleaner FLAIR Magazine (Mikey Wilson) - 9.11.15
Image: The Jamaica Gleaner FLAIR Magazine (Mikey Wilson) – 9.11.15

***If you haven’t made reservations already, that is a must. Available space goes fast, especially with Rojo.

Contact information and locations for Restaurants:

Rojo Restaurant at Spanish Court Hotel
ADDRESS: 1 St Lucia Avenue Kingston, Jamaica
PHONE: 876-926-0000
Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel
ADDRESS: 7 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10, Jamaica, Kingston
PHONE: 876- 926-2211
Marguerites Seafood by the Sea (Montego Bay)
ADDRESS: Gloucester Ave., Montego Bay, Montego Bay, Jamaica
PHONE: 876-952-4777

ENJOY !!!

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Check out what Suga had to say about Whitebones in your Jamaica Gleaner today!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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Check the link to the article from the Jamaica Gleaner here:

http://jamaicagleaner.com/article/food/20151112/whitebones

But all that glitters is not Gold right? Although the negatives were negligible, Whitebones Seafood has not really changed since my last visit over a year ago. Their decor needs a makeover for a Restaurant in the Delectable category and so does their flatware. It is about time for those plates with the fishes to go! They have uplifting placemats but they are not practical for drinks and small tables. The aquarium could use some lighting and I do not think the kitchen should be so open to the diner’s eye.

20151109_181755The Fish cakes were a meagre serving and the Steak Tenderloin my fiancé, Randy had was overcooked. It was to be medium rare. Our waiter Sean apologised respectfully. 20151109_182448He also made us aware that Lobster is usually the most popular entrée choice for diners during Restaurant Week, as persons may not have it often and it is seasonal. So that is something to consider if Whitebones is your choice, but there is a large range of options on their menu.

The Black Forest Cake for dessert looked like a PriceSmart cake but the aroma of the rum from the Bread Pudding which seemed to be made in-house distracted me from the cake. Restaurants, especially those that do not usually offer dessert should avoid offering store-bought cake. I think it is better and safer to just offer ice cream!

Thankfully they have upheld their standard of good service and delicious food. So it was not perfect, but definitely Suga endorsed.

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Menus for Restaurant Week Jamaica 2015 are also out today! So buy your Jamaica Gleaner NOW if you haven’t already. You know it’s Food Day. Get ready to Dig in starting tomorrow!

Also see what other ambassadors had to say about Restaurants they visited.

The clock is ticking!

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Lucky Strike Lounge for the Tasty Category for RWJ!

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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The Restaurant Week Ambassador Lyme was held last Friday evening and Suga got to Dig In and preview what is coming for Restaurant Week.

For Appetizers, their Deep fried Mac and Cheese balls with codfish drizzled with a Tamarind glaze is tasty and has an interesting sweet aftertaste.

Entrées that look like winners are the Chimichanga (Slivers of jerked pork wrapped in a warm tortilla served with guacamole, salsa and sour cream) and their famous Fried Chicken and Waffles, tender finger grips on fresh Belgian Waffles! Yum!

Note that the Chef loves to make things spicy so that Jerked pork may be hot hot hot like their Seafood bowl that they serve on Wednesday nights.

For Dessert they have Cuban Bread Pudding served with a warm coffee caramel that I hear is quite small in size and more Waffles! A warm Belgian waffle served with your choice ice-cream topped with a warm fruit compote.

So Dig In at Lucky Strike for the Tasty Category, costing $1850JMD (Beverages, G.C.T and Gratuity not included). You may choose any one Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert along with your salad.

Lucky Strike Lounge

Location: 195 C Constant Spring Road (Manor Centre), Kingston 8
Ph: 876-631-9980, 876-631-9797

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JERKAZ Restaurant off the Grid

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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Last October 15th before the Heroes Weekend holiday, Jerkaz was visited by my fiancé and friends. The Jerk Chicken costed about $500JMD inclusive of tax and the bill was $4000JMD for 3 people and soup was ordered with one of the meals. So reasonable to an extent.

Service was alright but they were the only people there, so hard to judge versus if there were more diners present.

The serving size was decent and provided value for money. However, their style of cooking is by smoking the chicken, not jerking. So why not call it Smokaz?

JERKAZ Restaurant has a lot of potential to be a nice chill spot to have some drinks and affordable food. Perhaps they should participate in Restaurant Week next year in the Tasty category for more exposure. Until then, a different marketing strategy needs to be used and they should ensure that they are prepared for an increased amount of diners.

JERKAZ Restaurant

55 Old Hope Rd. Kingston 6

Image: lecremedelacrumb.com

How to Make Healthy Flatbread Pizzas

by Health & Fitness
Image: lecremedelacrumb.com
Image: lecremedelacrumb.com

How to make your Healthy Flatbread Pizza:

● Use a whole grain tortilla/pita bread (Ends up looking like your own Personal pan pizza!)

● Spread some vegetable salsa/homemade tomato sauce/vegan pesto

● Add toppings that complement each other such as:

– spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and zucchini

– arugula and low-fat feta/grated Parmesan

– broccoli, mushrooms, reduced fat mozzarella and onions

– green peppers, olives, tomatoes

● Add healthy meat toppings, such as small pieces of grilled Chicken or baked Turkey breast

● Part skim and reduced fat Mozzarella/grated Parmesan/low-fat Feta cheese could be used

Have fun eating healthy!

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Turkey Bijou Panini from Fromage!

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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Last Saturday, I needed a quick, light bite that was somewhat healthy because of the Sunday binge ahead at the Restaurant Week launch (Review coming soon folks!).

I quickly realised I was due a visit to Fromage Gourmet Market and made my way there a few minutes before 3pm.

I received the usual pleasant greeting and good service. I already knew I wanted a Panini, so ordered instantly, choosing the Turkey Panini Bijou over the Smoked Marlin Panini. I was happy to hear I had the option of having my Panini with wheat bread. Fantastic!

I had to wait 5 minutes more than I would have liked to though, because I do not think a Panini should take more than 15 minutes, but it arrived hot and was quite flavourful with the blue cheese.

The mason jars for drinking water or juice and flesh flowers on the table added a refreshing touch.

My Panini was also quite affordable and filling, costing $900JMD +tx. Thanks to Pop Up Gourmet Jamaica, I could use my Advantage card there for my 10% discount, so my bill did not go over a $1000JMD.

I am delighted that Fromage has maintained a high standard of service and food quality and also revise their menu so patrons never get bored there.

Fromage Gourmet Market

Ph#: (876) 622-9856

Address: 8 Hillcrest Ave., Kingston 6