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Gabby from Suga Lifestyle has won the Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador Competition!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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Suga Readers from Jamaica, USA, UK, Cayman, BVI, USVI, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, St. Marten, St. Martin, Greece, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Ireland and more, it’s official: Gabby from Suga Lifestyle is now one of Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassadors for 2015.

I would like to express tremendous gratitude to all readers, family, friends, Immaculate Conception High School Alumni and Rotaractors from District 7020 for voting extensively these past few weeks, resulting in a landslide victory.

Suga will start out by attending the Restaurant Week Launch this Sunday and will soon attend various dinners and outings.

Set your calendars and look forward to ‘Dig In’ with Gabby from Suga Lifestyle this November 13-21 during Restaurant Week!

Have a look at some of Suga’s faves for Appetizers, Entrees and Desserts. More to come!

Appetizers

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Entrees

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Desserts

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The Journey Continues for Jamaica rising as a Foodies Paradise and Suga Lifestyle will be there every step of the way.

FOLLOW https://sugalifestyle.com/ to get reviews and ratings of Restaurants, Sports Updates and more or LIKE the Facebook page, Suga Lifestyle.

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The Pegasus Burger!

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & Ratings

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For only $960+tx and service charge ($1214.40), ‘The Pegasus Burger’ served with fries from The Blend Bar and Lounge is fantastic!  Spicy and succulent to the core with jalapeños, mushrooms, cheese, bacon and more.

Suga gives it 4.5/5 stars but just because the bread broke up a bit too much while eating.

Fatty b

ut wholesome. Worth a day of make up in the gym.

The Blend Bar and Lounge

Ph#: 876-926-3690

Address: The Jamaica Pegasus, 81 Knutsford Boulevard, Kgn. 5

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Throwback Thursday to the Garlic Shrimp Appetizer from The Wine Shop!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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The Wine Shop 

Ph#: 876.620.5098

Address: Shop 7B, Southdale Plaza, South Avenue

Did you like this Promo? VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to be 

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador!

Go to http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ambassador

You have 10 votes per device and wifi connection until October 2, 2015. Just Refresh the page after each vote as instructed. Much love!

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Gabby from Suga Lifestyle checks out Food and Drinks from The Terrace at 100!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

Last Saturday, Suga went to check out the early vibe at 100 to see if service and more would be better than a Friday night. Although I wanted to go for lunch time, I made it for dinner. I arrived at about 6:50pm.

My other half and I were pleasantly greeted by a waitress who we are familiar with from other bars, who seems to be doing more supervising now. We were seated in a comfortable area with some plush, colourful cushions. I loved the modern decor and lighting. Colours were mainly grey and white with splashes of colour and the staff looked neat in their uniforms. Music was not loud either. We were even asked if the volume was suitable for us.

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Then suddenly, I was in First class on a plane. We were offered damp rags to wipe off our hands. They weren’t warm though, but definitely a nice touch. When we reached America, we were asked if we wanted lemon in our water. Keep it up 100, keep it up. It got even better, we got Complimentary Chips and salsa while we decided on what to order.

Our waitress was Cardia, who had a very sweet, humble personality. She was not sure of the costs and availability of everything off of her head but being new with such a large menu, she did well considering. She was also quick with following up on requests.

We didn’t order any Appetizers but they had Wings, Tuna stacks, Meatballs, Pita chips and dip and Quesadillas in the $750 to $1200JMD+tx range. Soups were also available for $400JMD+tx.

For a more Sports bar vibe, they had a variety of Flatbreads, Pizzas, Sandwiches and Burgers available mostly for $1200JMD, that went up to $2000JMD+tx.

For a proper dinner, there were Pastas ($1600-$2600JMD+tx), Chicken, Lamb, Beef, Salmon, Shrimp and Pork in the range of $1700 to $3200JMD+tx.

The Drinks menu had a wide range of choices as well. But the prices! $800+tx for a Blended drink and $1339+tx cue of V/X.

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Service time and Quality of food? Quick service within 15 minutes. Supervision of staff was obvious. I ordered the Beef & Reef ($3200JMD+tx), a 6oz filet mignon and a skewer of grilled shrimp, served with a chimichurri sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. My other half ordered the Beef au Poivre, an 8 oz filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies ($2400JMD+tx). Neither of us felt like switching it up to test other items on their menu, so Beef all the way to check their consistency. There is lots of time to return. We both requested our Beef to be cooked medium rare. Mine was on point but my other half’s was slightly overcooked, obvious by the difference in colour and texture when cut. His White rum and tonic was a standard shot so tasted a bit weak. Good for him to know for the future. My Hummingbird was tasty with a twist. Wait, what’s a Hummingbird? Suga was introduced to the Hummingbird back in the day when TGIF was poppin with popular bartender, St. Aublyn the Kidd. When you don’t feel for the cliché Piña Colada or Strawberry Daiquiri, especially at all-inclusive resorts on the North Coast, it’s perfect. A Blended mix of mainly banana, vanilla ice cream, vodka and kahlúa or tia maria. Each bartender has their special touch. 100’s twist was a first, they added chocolate. Not bad at all. It was not overwhelming because I could still taste the banana.

The skewer of shrimp was not that impressive, it needed some flavour. Also, where was my Chimichurri sauce as described in the menu? It was MIA. Stush in the Bush needs to hook them up. That would have given my dish an excellent finishing touch. So, overall, similar to Rojó at Spanish Court’s serving size and price, aka ‘likkle bit’ and the meal assumes you had an appetizer, but lovely plating and presentation. The quality was good not great.

For a restaurant that is not within a hotel, is not fine dining and is more of a bar with a casino feet away, does it really need to be so fancy and expensive? Probably not. Especially if people would be consuming a lot of liquor and need some affordable, wholesome ‘grub’. For instance, Monte Carlo’s tasty burgers for $900JMD does a great job satisfying just that.

What’s going on for the rest of the new hit spot? – The Lounge, Gaming Lounge and Island Bet

Suga took a tour. The TV logistics of The Lounge was excellent. Great for sports and A/C for the hot times. There was also a screen that covered the whole side of one of the walls behind the bar, it was huge, bigger than the Projected screen at Cuddyz.

People seemed to be gambling casually in the Gaming Lounge. It wasn’t crowded. Probably not as popular yet. BUT I know what will be popular soon! ISLAND BET. Again, a familiar face. They got one of Just Bet’s competent employees, Marc-Anthony Pinnock who patiently took me through how Island Bet works. No paper or scratch pads. Purely Electronic. Print outs with the odds are not available as yet, but will be soon. Otherwise, the odds are available on the monitor they have there for customers, including a wider range of bets. Just Bet would have to have their employee take about 10 minutes to check the system online or just say it isn’t available as yet.

Here comes the best part. Island Bet will offer Live betting so you won’t be blocked by Just Bet who change their odds quite often. You will also be able to create an account, add money to it and BET ONLINE. How convenient! Ha! Of course there is an up side and down side to that, but wonderful when you don’t have to leave your house. Also, bets will be made in US dollars. But fret not, the payout is in the US equivalent as well. So if the dollar slides more than the day you bet, you get more money than expected if you win.

One monitor for logging in would not work for a crowd betting on the World Championships for example, but they are finetuning their logistics so that betting is not a hassle and there is time before the Olympics!

Suga senses an exciting Sports season ahead and will be returning.

100

Location 100 Hope Road. Kingston 6
Ph: 876.665-3BET (3238)
Instagram: 100hoperoad
Facebook: 100 Hope Road

By: Gabrielle Williams

If you liked this review, FOLLOW https://sugalifestyle.com/ to get other reviews or LIKE the Facebook page, Suga Lifestyle AND VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to be 

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador!

Go to http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ambassador

You have 10 votes per device and wifi connection until October 2, 2015. Just Refresh the page after each vote as instructed. Much love!

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Have you been Eating the right Cereal? Get your Guide here!

by Health & Fitness

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Tips to pick out your healthy cereal:

– The first ingredient should always be some form of WHOLE grain, e.g. whole wheat, whole oats etc. Keep it whole, so you can be ‘whole-hearted’

– Keep it low in sugar, less than 10g or preferably 8g of sugar per serving

– Go for lots of fibre to keep you fuller for longer, at least 3g of fibre per serving

– Stock up on more than 5g of protein, so you do not feel the need to overeat some hours later. If there is not enough in the cereal, have some 90/100 calorie Greek Yoghurt with it.

– Measure Measure Measure! Be careful when pouring straight from the box. Keep conscious of your serving size according to what is recommended on the box. If you are not having yoghurt with your cereal, adding a few slices of banana will help to bulk it up if necessary.

This is why Suga recommends Oatmeal. Oatmeal is best on its own. Healthy and full of fibre! A bit tasteless for you? Add a shake of cinnamon or nutmeg and even a sprinkle of raisins. Remember sometimes healthy is an acquired taste so give it a few tries first.

Here are some of the other good ones. Can you find your cereal? If not, check the recommended servings of protein, sugar and fibre stated above and see if it fits in the recommended category. Also, avoid the famous Corn Flakes and Honey Bunches of Oats! They are made from Refined Grains.

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– Oatmeal crisp (All Brands)

– FOSKA Oats : Low in sugar with just 1g and high in fibre, 4g. Support Brand Jamaica!

– Post Shredded Wheat : Tasty, 100% natural WHOLE grain with honey and almonds baked in

– Muesli

– General Mills Cheerios (The no added sugar one, Not the Honey nut!) : Just 1g of sugar, WHOLE grain oats and 3g fibre!

– General Mills Total : 100% WHOLE grain!

– General Mills Wheaties : Just 4g sugar and 3g fibre

– Kashi cereals eg. Go Lean, Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat, Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits

– Quaker Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares : a little sweet with 9g sugar, but high in protein and very crunchy with 4g fibre

– Quaker Life

– General Mills Chex, Wheat or Multi Grain

Lastly, don’t feel like Cereal is just for Breakfast, if on a diet, you can mix it up and have a shake for breakfast and cereal for dinner. It’s easy, especially if you are coming home late after an evening workout.

Also, please do not make your cereal unhealthy by adding whole milk (that’s not making you whole-hearted!), 1%, 2%, condensed or evaporated milk! Use skimmed milk or almond milk. 

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Did you know there is ‘AnneX’ East Japanese?

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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Have you been to East Japanese Market Place at Constant Spring Road’s mid town branch as yet? It’s called AnneX East Japanese. It’s only logical right? It is in The Courtyard, the same complex as CPJ and CRU, next to Y not Pita. Suga went on a lunch date there last Saturday afternoon at 4:15pm.

There were not a lot of people there, which I liked. So it wasn’t too busy, but not too quiet either. It was cosy and I was impressed by the modern, tasteful decor. They also had a wall with speakers, almost ceiling high, which I found unique. But no worries, they don’t blast music, they keep it mellow as their motto, ‘More casual and elegant. Mellow music’, states.

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Service was mediocre. Pleasant welcome and fairly professional attitudes. The food arrived in reasonable time, but it took forever to get a simple Piña Colada. I asked that the rum be substituted with Appleton rum, but I could not taste even a hint of rum. The rest of the drink was lovely, smooth, thick and creamy with the essence of coconut, but failed to have the zestful taste of spirit. Since I had to wait so long for it, I didn’t bother to send it back but made sure to tell the bartender before I left. He said because I requested Appleton rum, of which they used Appleton special, that he did not know how much to add. Any experienced bartender or drinker period, knows that Appleton is a weaker rum than White rum so you would need to add more.

The food? Decent quality. I had the Tempura AnneX Special for $1270JMD including Shrimp Tempura, a tasty California Majestic Roll, an oily Seafood Fried Bean Curd and a Ginger salad, of which I only ate the shredded carrot. The rest of the salad was boring as it was just lettuce with what looked like that orange, French dressing that I hate. But the carrot is what had the pronounced flavour of ginger.

My other half enjoyed The Sushi Platter AnneX Special, also for $1270JMD with Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi Yellow Tail,  White Tuna and Rock Shrimp, along with the same salad, Cali Roll and Bean Curd. Both specials came with a Miso Soup too. The variety given at that cost was satisfying and broke the monotony of me ordering my usual Appetizer and 2 Rolls from the many options available. It worked out to be much less money, yet filling.

AnneX East Japanese

Ph#: 876-481-0990

Address: 71 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston, Jamaica.

Date of visit: 12/9/15

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Decor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★☆☆

Speed: ★★★☆☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★☆

SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★☆

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Expensive Jamaican Cuisine at the Grog Shoppe

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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Grog Shoppe Restaurant

Ph#: 876-906-7165; 876-908-4310

Address: Devon House, Hope Road. Kingston

Date of visit: 14/08/15

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Decor: ★★★☆☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★☆☆

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

SuGa Endorsement: 3.5/5

Comments:

Good service: Waiter was polite, able to explain menu to a large group, attentive and service was quick.

Indoor and Outdoor dining.

Prices were high for Jamaican cuisine, especially for a regular Jamaican lunch. Some of the other dishes on the menu include Braised Oxtail ($2200JMD), Boneless Jerk Pork ($2000JMD) and Ackee and Salt Fish with Bammy ($1500JMD). Serving size was good though.

For their International cuisine menu, some items are high while some are comparable to other restaurants. They have Braised Lamb Shank for $4500JMD, Smoked Marlin Platter for $3000JMD. Pastas range from $1300-3000JMD.

They also have a menu for Kids and a Drink menu with a wide range of items to pick, choose and refuse.

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Lots to Explore with NK Deli in New Kingston Shopping Centre!

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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NK Deli located upstairs (same side as the Pharmacy) in New Kingston Shopping Centre at 30 Dominica Drive, is quite a reasonable, central lunch spot. Definitely better than spending twice the money downstairs at Cuddy’z Sports Bar & Restaurant for possible bad service and poor quality food. Don’t even think of going to the other two restaurants upstairs across from the Deli either (Glow Food and N & R Restaurant). They are horrible.

Last Saturday, about 3:25pm, I went to the Deli for lunch. It had a nice layout with indoor and outdoor seating. Limited indoor seating with AC! Outdoors had sufficient fans blowing cool air. Lovely.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted the Grilled Chicken or Jerked Chicken Wrap, so I asked the cashier for advice. She was quite unpleasant and eventually mumbled, maybe the Grilled Chicken Wrap ($475+tx). So I ordered that and my friend ordered the Grilled Chicken Panini ($560+tx), both with a serving of fries (additional cost). Looking around, the Deli supports local products and distributors by having Chocolate Bars, Spreads and more available from Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers, who have previously been promoted on Suga Lifestyle. A small range of Snacks are also available for purchase, healthy and unhealthy, along with Wine and a decadent looking Cheesecake that is prepared fresh daily.

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In about 20 minutes (I thought it could be a bit quicker based on our order), our server came with our orders in styrofoam boxes and saw the look on our faces, realizing that we did not want our order to-go. She asked if the cashier did not ask our preference and I responded that she was quite unpleasant and did no such thing. The server and owner on the other hand, were the total opposite, pleasant and professional. Our server apologized for the inconvenience. Note, one must avoid eating and drinking from styrofoam boxes and cups as much as possible. They are toxic to the environment and rumoured to be harmful to your health.

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Anyhow, my Grilled Chicken Wrap was just OK. It would cater more to rabbits, you know, way too much lettuce in a Spinach Wrap. More chicken please. It was actually somewhat filling though. Restaurants need to play around with their greens more and mix it up a little. Lettuce does not need to be used all the time. There is Arugula, Spinach, Kale, Cilantro and more to add a kick to the flavour of the Wrap or Sandwich.

I wish I ordered the Grilled Chicken Panini though. I tasted it and it was good, with a lovely sauce. Their Cheeseburger and wedges, which I have had before are also quite tasty. Their Fruit Smoothie is very sweet, even with white rum.  Their fries? Bland. They perhaps should try some seasoned fries or add a bit more salt. I had to add salt myself. However, I am looking forward to trying their Jamaican lunch that is quite affordable. Buffet Fried Chicken and Curried Goat were available for $350JMD each! Soup is available as well as many other items such as Wings, Pastas, Pizzas, Pork Chops, Omelettes, Bagels etc. So a pleasing range of items for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

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I have visited NK Deli for their Friday Lymes but wanted to see the regular work day flow. It seems to be great if you want to just get in and out with a decent, affordable meal or even just have a small lunch time link up with someone. The Friday Lyme is quite a mature crowd, however they have started to do Latin nights on some of the Fridays now. Suga may check out one of them and give you the low down. Definitely more to explore at NK Deli. They are open from 7am to 5pm on week days and 12pm to 5pm on Saturdays.

For more information call 876-754-8714.

Instagram: NK_DELI