Gabby Burgess, Kimario Rose-Stewart and Gillian Jackson last Friday at Koi Sushi Restaurant on Hillcrest Avenue.
Throwback Thursday (#tbt) to Lunch with the Girls at Koi Sushi (Ig: @koisushija), above Fromage Gourmet Market at 8 Hillcrest Road.
All Boxes Checked – Good Service – Everthing Tastes Delish – Decent Ambience – Fantastic Cocktails – Sumptuous Dessert – Affordable and Value for Money
Calamari starter – tender, not cliché crispy
Umi Salmon Poke Bowl – just eat it with your eyes
The Haru Roll – a Peppa Swims on the beach experience
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Suga with a Pineapple Lychee Drink from Koi Sushi. Loved it!
Suga is starting off the Birthday Weekend at Koi Sushi on Hillcrest Avenue with the Girls. Tomorrow is the Day though 🙂
Have a Great Weekend!
By: Gabrielle Burgess (CEO, Suga Lifestyle)
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Sunday’s cool, breezy afternoon was perfect for savoury bites and bubbly to celebrate International Women’s Day and contribute to the Canadian Women’s Club of Jamaica’s outreach projects.
Chez Maria’s Vegetarian Pumpkin Kibbeh Cups with hummus on top was both healthy and scrumptious. The winner for seconds if watching your calories. They were paired with Select Brands’ Primal Roots California Red.
Cannonball’s Antipasto Skewer with Lomo, Olive, Tomato, Mozzarella and Mushroom Tortelini was a myriad of flavours that balanced each other well and even further with Harbour Wines’ Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon.
Suga’s husband, Randy Burgess about to enjoy the Lomo & Mozzarrella Skewer along with the Sliced New York Strip Steak with Caramel Onions and Tomato Jam.
Chocolate Dreams
Pistacio Chocolate Bites from Chocolate Dreams.
You have to top off the evening with some sweet! I didn’t mind the spicy either. Chocolate Dreams outdid themselves with their Scotch Bonnet Caramel Fudge and Pistacio Chocolate Bites. Their entire spread was worth the calories. If you like sweet wines, the Roscato Sweet Red courtesy of Harbour Wines was a great choice.
Sweet Red Wine Pairings courtesy of Harbour Wines with Chocolate Dreams’ Scotch Bonnet Caramel Fudge
Great evening filled with Vino, Savoury bites and Beautiful Women. Value for money with Proceeds to a great cause. Well done Canadian Women’s Club of Jamaica. #SugaEndorsed
Suga Tasters and cousins, Gabrielle Burgess and Kimberly Nesbeth enjoyed celebrating International Women’s Day together and all things good that paired with wine last Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Matalon House in Long Lane, St. Andrew.
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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If you laboured yesterday, you surely deserve a prize like this!
Fromage Brasserie’s Surf and Turf Burger with spicy aioli! #SugaEndorsed
Enjoy the weekend!
Fromage Brasserie
Location: Market Place – 67 Constant Spring Road. Kingston.
Ph: 876-649-0820-1
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga is throwing it back to a delicious Chicken Parmigiana that was enjoyed some time ago! Crispy Parmesan chicken, melted mozzarella, marinara pasta.
As Restaurant Week quickly approaches, it is time to peruse menus if you haven’t already and book your desired spots as soon as possible.
Two important tips for Restaurant Week in Jamaica
1. It is best to go during the week. There is fewer people, better service and a better overall experience.
2. If it has to be a weekend night, make reservations for an early time such as 6 or 7pm to avoid the rush.
Fromage Bistro on Hillcrest Avenue is usually my preferred choice over Fromage Brasserie in the Market Place, but have you seen Fromage Brasserie’s menu?!
Fromage Brasserie is in the Epicurean Category ($4300JMD+ Beverages & taxes).
For Appetizers, local blue crab chunks, creamy spinach and tortilla chips as well as Crispy salmon & cream cheese rolls with sweet Habanero sauce have caught my eye.
Fromage Brasserie’s Signature Dish of Lobster, Shrimp & scallop tossed in white wine Mornay sauce & stuffed in lobster tails.
Dessert doesn’t have their signature Bread Pudding on the menu, but the options look just as divine.
If Fromage Brasserie weathers the rush of Market Place diners with smooth service and executes their fine dishes, they should be one of Restaurant Week’s winners for dinner.
Check out Restaurant Week’s Website, http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ to browse categories and what the Restaurants have to offer before the big issue in The Gleaner this Thursday.
***The Price of each category includes a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. Beverages, G.C.T and gratuity additional***
*Reservations recommended*
Fromage Brasserie
Location: Market Place – 67 Constant Spring Road. Kingston.
Ph: 876-649-0820-1Â
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Suga brought you the low down for Crisp at The Gardens, Jamaica Pegasus ($5000 All Inclusive) and Picante ($7500 All Inclusive) at The Ruins, UWI Mona’s Visitor’s Lodge, so how were the other JFDF events? Suga Bears and Suga Daddies reported!
Most persons like to get bad news out of the way first. The events with the highest price tags were not that impressive for some patrons. That is, Vintage for $12000JMD all-inclusive and Brunch at the Gallery for $20000JMD/$150USD all-inclusive.
VintageÂ
Meals at Vintage at the Manor in Jack’s Hill were described as basic and a low standard for Ortanique on the Mile, one of the restaurants in Florida that was represented by Owner Cynthia Hutson. Suga Bears enjoyed the view and Dessert though.
Brunch at the Gallery
Brunch at the National Gallery, Downtown Kingston presented by Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau was decorated beautifully by Tai Flora and had a sufficient selection of Wines by Select Brands, but the service of food was slow and it arrived to tables cold. The Brunch was from 11am to 4pm and after a long day, patrons were leaving at 4pm and Dessert was just being served. Should the blame go on the Event Planner, the Chefs or both? It was stated that the execution was poor.
The Menu
The Menu for Brunch at the Gallery (Photo Contributed)
The Presentation of some of the meals were also quite sloppy to say the least.
Vegetables and Greens served at Brunch at the Gallery last Sunday (Photo Contributed)
Did the Incredible Hulk have an accident here?! I was in disbelief and gathered that this was the consensus amongst most tables. This looked nothing like the neatly displayed dish on the Event’s social media page. Cold food, slow service and poor, unappetizing presentation is unacceptable for $20,000JMD. I believe things can be shaken up next year. There are so many other talented, efficient Chefs around and I understand the ambience of The National Gallery, but a change in venue could be considered as well.
Chargrilled Rack of Lamb Presented to a table at Brunch at the Gallery last Sunday (Photo Contributed)
Kudus to award-winning baker, Nadine Burie that probably saved both events. Her desserts are offered at Cafe Blue.
Fresh Fruit Pavlova by Nadine Burie (Photo Credit: @jafoodanddrink)
Setting bad news aside, persons fully enjoyed Meet Street and the Market in Downtown, Kingston ($500JMD entry) last Saturday. A patron said she did not know that Downtown could be so nice. The set up and atmosphere was phenomenal and the vendors outdid themselves.
Vendors that pleased at Meet Street and the Market Last Saturday in Downtown, Kingston
Pork Palooza ($6500JMD All Inclusive) at Palm Drive, Hope Gardens that kicked things off for the festival on the Saturday the week before was a hit. The event is usually the favourite for Patrons. Jamaicans love their Pork! It wasn’t the unanimous favourite this year though.
Which event took JFDF 2017?!
Close call! It has been narrowed down to the new event, Chop Stix ($5000JMD All Inclusive) held at Zen Lawn, Hope Zoo last Wednesday that featured fare from the far East and the zesty, Picante!
Based on Food, Weather and Vibe, Chop Stix gets the edge. Picante had the on and off rain, which was uncontrollable with provisions put in place, but Jamaicans love a new event.
The Chefs, Caterers and Restaurants delivered at Chop Stix! Here was the Menu if you missed it. Chop Stix can’t be missed next year!
So what’s next for my Foodies? Restaurant Week!
Yes, I know Restaurant Week has lost its steam. Marketing has been ongoing but should be revised, including the selection of Ambassadors. JFDF being so close to Restaurant Week definitely overshadowed it.
Menus for Restaurants are more of the same, but it makes your choices that much easier. The good ones will pop out at you. So that means you may need to make reservations quickly or maybe not, because places I called yesterday that are normally booked out weeks in advance seemed to have quite a bit of space left.
For now, I am leaving you with my recommendations for the Epicurean and Delectable Categories. Here you go!
Epicurean ($4300 +tax +gratuity +beverages)
> The Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston.
Despite inconsistencies in service and quality throughout the year, they have managed to keep a good reputation for Restaurant Week so far.
Sidenote: I do not think any Restaurant in Market Place should be placed in the Epicurean Category. The venue is far too casual and a long wait is usually expected.
Out of town? Marguerites by the Sea, Montego Bay. You should expect a spectacular dinner and service with a seaside or picturesque garden view.
There are some other reputable Restaurants listed, but the lack of creativity with their Menus were the deal breakers.
Delectable ($3800JMD +GCT +gratuity +beverages)
> Fromage Bistro on Hillcrest Avenue in Kingston.
Nirvanna Indian Cuisine, Centro-Courtyard by the Marriott and Black Orchid Restaurant at Eden Gardens would be secondary choices.
In the other city? Both options from Mobay are primary choices – Mystic Thai and The Houseboat Grill. So persons can choose between the two based on the Cuisine desired.
***Stay tuned for more Restaurant Week choices from Suga Lifestyle.***
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga returned to Fromage Brasserie that opened recently in the Market Place for dinner with hubby two Saturdays ago at 8pm. I hoped to have better quality food after being disappointed with the first visit.
If you would like to refresh your memory with the experience of my first visit, click here:
It was night time and diners were out. The Restaurant was full and we had no reservations so had no problem with being seated in the Courtyard. The hostess was quite pleasant and accommodating and it was refreshing to see such bubbly, courteous staff compared to the last visit.
We skipped appetizers and went straight for the main and ordered at 8:15pm. I appreciated the waitress coming to inform us that they were plating at 8:35pm, the point at which we would be expecting the food to arrive. The food came out literally 2 minutes later as promised.
The quality of food was better this time around, but different types of dishes were chosen. At the end of the day with a full tab plus G.C.T and Service charge, I think the items are too pricey for the mediocre standard of food you are getting despite the Restaurant being at a bigger and better location. I have to revisit Fromage Gourmet Market on Hillcrest but if memory serves me correctly, the quality of food was much better there and I know for a fact the prices for some of the same dishes were much less. So for now, I will stick with the original Fromage.
Fromage Brasserie
Location: Market Place- 67 Constant Spring Road. Kingston.
Ph: 876-649-0820-1
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this article, follow Suga Lifestyle or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Suga and a friend visited Fromage Brasserie that opened recently in the Market Place. It is a bigger location for Fromage Gourmet Market on Hillcrest that we know and love. They are one of my favourites.
I loved the elegant, modern decor from the ceiling to the floor. The hostess was pleasant and the waitress was professional. Seating was comfortable but not so sure about the 2-seater tables. They looked a bit too small.
Lobster Bisque ($700JMD +tx)
I ordered the Lobster Bisque ($700JMD) recommended by the waitress that came out quickly but it was not in the usual Bread Boule that Fromage offers. However, I realised that I did not specify mainly because the waitress did not ask. The salt seemed to have gotten away in the soup so I was disappointed.
The Bacon Shrimp Chowder would need half an hour more to be ready so my friend didn’t bother to order it.
For the main I had trouble deciding because they had so many items on their menu. I think less items should be on the menu, similar to the Fromage on Hillcrest. Sometimes less is more.
I was deciding between the Seafood Risotto that I had seen pictures of and the Lobster Ravioli. Again, the waitress recommended the Lobster dish, saying the Risotto tends to be a bit heavy because of the Saffron cream sauce and I wasn’t in the mood for that so ordered the Lobster Ravioli ($2300JMD).
I recommended that my friend who loves Shrimp Pasta have the Pesto Pasta with Shrimp ($2000JMD).
Pesto Pasta with Shrimp ($2000JMD+tx)
When the food arrived in reasonable time I wish I recommended that for myself because I clearly made the wrong decision. My friend’s Pesto Pasta with Shrimp was delish. I started to wonder if the waitress just recommended Lobster dishes because it had Lobster. She had seemed confident with her recommendations but she was wrong this time.
Lobster Ravioli in a subtle Lemon Cream Sauce ($2300JMD+tx)
I’m not sure if the Chef was having an off day but I know the kitchen wasn’t pressured. There were other diners but the Restaurant was far from full.
As you can see, the presentation was poor. I saw no evidence of a Ravioli wheel or stamp used to properly shape the pasta. The Ravioli was overcooked and/or it had too much flour. It had a doughy taste and the taste of the Lobster was absent. The sauce wasn’t much to be desired for either. It needed more of a lemon zest and perhaps some chopped basil, fresh parsley and a touch of garlic.
The inside of my Lobster Ravioli
I told the waitress it was horrible and not to recommend it again. Hopefully the Chef gets it right soon or it should be removed from the menu.
I couldn’t let my first visit end on such a bad note after expectations were high. So I ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese that looked salivating in pictures and on plates passing my table to other diners.
Lobster Mac & Cheese ($1000JMD)
The Lobster Mac and Cheese ($1000JMD) came out quickly and definitely saved the day. Presentation got 10/10 but the quality got 7/10. Believe it or not, it actually didn’t taste as good as it looked. It was tasty but lacked flavour. I think it needed a more pungent cheese and some garlic and herbs to spice it up. The Lobster Mac and Cheese at The Regency Room, Terra Nova is still a winner.
It was a disappointing visit and I felt robbed paying for that Lobster Ravioli but it is still early days for the Restaurant and I know given the history of the owners they will keep striving for better quality and service. The new Brasserie seems a bit pricey but I shall return in the near future to try some meat dishes such as the Feta Crusted Lamb ($3050JMD), Steak and Frites ($2000JMD) and the Korean BBQ Pork Ribs ($2450JMD).
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Fromage Brasserie
Location: Market Place- 67 Constant Spring Road. Kingston.
Ph: 876-649-0820-1
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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