I returned to Di Grill Shack mid-April for the Salmon burger, one of my favourites on the menu. It was a Saturday night, but didn’t look so busy. All the paintings were removed from the walls, leaving the decor a bit plain, however a few plants were added indoors close to the seating areas.
The service was still good, staff remained well dressed and pleasant and food was delivered in a timely manner. I ordered the Piña Colada again and it was just as good. The Salmon burger was almost perfect but the temperature could have been on the warmer side. It was as if the burger had to wait a little on the fries because the fries were hot. Other than that, the burger was as tasty and well seasoned as expected.
Although it was a Saturday night, I didn’t stay for more drinks. I was not inclined to with dreary songs like ‘Endless Love’ playing in the background. The decor is also too decent for the name ‘Di Grill Shack’, so perhaps they should revise decor and give the place a bit more of a buzz. My experience in February was better. Rumour has it that there has been a change in management. If true, will Di Grill Shack in Courtyard 71 last? Time will tell.
Two Saturdays ago, I finally got to visit the new restaurant in town, Opa Greek Restaurant and Lounge on Hope Road. I delayed my visit a bit as the reviews were not so good, from the food being bland to getting cold pizza. Nonetheless, many persons did not hesitate to display themselves on instavideo breaking plates with great delight and shouting ‘OPA!’, a renowned Greek tradition to express a joyful emotion or a celebratory response to something.
Upon arrival, my beau and I were greeted from the outside with the door opened for us, which isn’t the norm in Jamaica. The owner and hostess welcomed us pleasantly and we were shown to our seats.
The decor was instantly impressive, however so much blue on the walls can tend to darken the place up a bit. It still had an overall unique tasteful touch and the lighting with the waterfalls was creative. It was refreshing to see well dressed waiters as well.
Our waiter, Alan approached the table immediately and took our appetizer orders. Complimentary pita bread for the first round with the option of getting whole wheat is a thoughtful incentive. My beau ordered a traditional Greek soup, Avgolemono.
I haven’t had Pork in a while so I went with the Gourounopoulo and my date chose the Psari Sharas. Alan brought a Chateau Menuty rose wine for us to taste and we went with his selection.
All orders, excluding the wine arrived in a timely fashion, not having to wait more than 5 to 15 minutes for any of the dishes. By right, the wine should have arrived before or with the main course.
The Pork was a bit on the rubbery side but had a nice flavour. Pairing the Pork with feta was interesting, not sure if it was the best choice of cheese though. The Fish on the other hand was lovely.
The meals seemed to be overpriced, especially for the portions given and perhaps the plates could be a little smaller to skew our judgement. There could also be more of a variety of side options provided with some of the dishes. The majority of appetizers cost close to or over $1000JMD, not to mention a glass of wine, which is also on the high end for a spend.
A birthday was being celebrated that night so plates were broken traditionally with exclamations of ‘Opa’ and persons seemed to be having a good time. I am sure their bill was blinding though, as my dinner for 2 without dessert, including a free appetizer costed $8791.75. The bill included tax and a 10% service charge but who pays $850JMD for soup?! My beau did, but not if I saw that price first.
Opa is a decent place for a planned dinner or celebration with satisfactory service and good but not great food. So after what seemed to be a decent night out for dinner, you will ponder if you really got value for your money.
Friday before last, after a long, hard week of work, I was ecstatic to let down my hair and finally see what the fairly new Japanese Restaurant, Roe in Sovereign North had to offer. Afterall, I have only heard good things, especially of their new healthy twist setting it apart from other Japanese restaurants.
It was already 9:00pm and I was quite famished, wondering if I could manage a wait seeing that the restaurant was full, but I was pleasantly surprised. My beau and I were greeted and seated quickly and they took our orders of Miso soup that we made immediately to fill the gap while we browsed the menu.
As a Personal Trainer, I was instantly impressed with the options of rolls available with brown rice, organic gluten-free soy sauce and low calorie air-fried preparation. Ofcourse, those options attract an additional cost but they were still affordable. Their menu also provided a calorie count for all appetizers, soups and salads and some main course items and specialty rolls.
I went ahead and ordered the Baby Octopus and Dragon roll with brown rice. The Dragon roll consists of fried shrimp, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce. My beau had a little difficulty ordering his appetizer, since they didn’t have the Squid Tempura he requested, but the waiter quickly appeased his disappointment by recommending the Ika Sansai Seafood Salad, that he promised to be just as good in quality and a personal favourite. He followed his advice and also ordered the Black Dragon roll that had the same contents of the Dragon roll substituting the avocado for eel.
The appetizers arrived quickly and were tasty. The recommended Ika Sansai Seafood Salad did not disappoint. A little while after, the rolls arrived. They looked splendid and were in fact just that. The brown rice did not take away the taste and flavours of the content of my Dragon roll.
I can see why last season’s winner of The Voice, our very own Jamaican songstress, Tessanne Chin frequently dines at Roe. The ambience is decent and comfortable, the service is good, the wait staff is knowledgeable about items on the menu as well as additional items used to give them a special burst of flavour and the food is delicious.
