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How was last Friday night at the New Bar and Hot Spot, 100?

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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Terrible. Suga and many others left sober.
Located at literally 100 Hope Road, is the new Bar 100. It is not only a bar but has a casino with the new, Island Bet and not 1 but 2 restaurants, The Terrace and The Lounge.

1 week after their opening and having people watch the last fight of Mayweather’s career, they should have been ready for the crowd. A huge crowd. People have been wanting and waiting for a new spot eagerly for quite some time now. With the controversy surrounding Don Creary from Ribbiz with his rape charges and The Regency enforcing new policies to keep their guests more uptown in Suga’s opinion or to manage ‘crowd control’ as they call it, 100 is in a real good position to hit them where it hurts.

The bar has a lot of space, upstairs and downstairs, but the parking lot was filled to capacity AND so was the additional parking at 80 Hope Road when it was still early. Wow. So eventually people were parked on the side of Hope road and that is not safe, especially with the fast driving that occurs on that strip in the day much less late at night.

Thankfully the security loves polite ladies not too bad on the eye and Suga just had to wait two minutes until a parking spot freed up inside the venue. But really, how about being creative or innovative and having a proper 2 or 3-storey parking lot, with the hope that your spot is buzzing for a while. Afterall, they have Island Bet and the Gaming Lounge to buffer temporary expenses.

Anyhow, I loved the look of the place. Decor was very modern and tastefully done. Lighting could be better upstairs aka the Rooftop that had thatch covered seating areas, but was good in the other areas. Due to the large crowd, seating was limited. There was only 1 bar upstairs behind a sea of people. Waiters were not abundant or accessible upstairs if one wished to run a tab. It took ages to get a beer by the bar. It’s simple, open and close the cooler door, that’s why I chose beer! Then there was only one computer to cash out people and most persons did not have tabs. The bartenders were not all well versed on the system either. Some persons may have walked out without paying, Macau had that issue when they just opened.

There was a wide crowd variety though; young, old, hype, nerdy, you name it. A sea of out of many one people, with only one exit from upstairs, quite dangerous if you ask me. If something went down, people would have to be jumping off the building. Something for them to consider. What happened to the building code anyway and how did that get approved?

The music? Well it was neither here nor there, I was not impressed. It was not a consistently good mix being played. Maybe the DJ was also confused by the wide genre of people there and how to please the majority. A good DJ always finds a way though. I think it was DJ Bambino playing, who is supposed to be experienced but he either had a bad night or is just better on the radio.

Well, what can I say, when you don’t have any Instagram pics you either shouldn’t be there, were having too much fun or it was too ‘lame’ to be ‘instaworthy’. For me it was the latter.

I wouldn’t advise persons to hit that spot on a Friday night for the next month, especially if you are not a fan of crowds. If you wish to check them out, I suggest going during the week to the bar, as people have had better experiences on week nights.

Fret not though, Suga went to the Restaurant on the Terrace the day after, also scoped out Island Bet and has a fairly good review coming soon!

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.

Image: www.hotels.com

Regency will Deny Access to persons tonight! Back to strictly UPTOWN

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot
Image: www.hotels.com
Image: www.hotels.com

Last Friday night, Mrs. Hussey seemed to be out a bit too late, seated close to the terrace outside of the Regency Bar and Lounge. The recruited, foreign bartender, Thomas’s eyes were peeled supervising the bar, back and forth. Staff including doormen were being monitored closely and it was said that even the DJ was instructed not to play Dancehall, but strictly EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and Soca. Suga smelled the rat that they would soon be filtering crowd access to the ‘high profile’ Bar and Lounge that was ‘high-profile’ no more after hours.

The Regency Bar and Lounge sent an advisory email out today to Loyalty card members, Frequent guests and Business partners.

They stated that from 9pm until closing time, access to the Regency Bar and Lounge will be limited to only those who were addressed in the notification and their friends.

They say it has always been their top objective to provide quality service to all guests, while ensuring that those who are regulars access at all times while fulfilling their obligations regarding Capacity regulations, Safety and a Carefree environment.

Challenges faced concerning the high demand and popularity of their Friday nights have forced them to review their capacity control polices, thus Friday night access adjustments.

The door staff will control access.

Suga advises not to head there tonight, elite or not elite, as it may be a bit chaotic upon entry. Care to check out the new spot on Hope Road, 100? Suga hears it is quite pricey for a cue of rum but will check it out soon!

TGIF! Enjoy the weekend and Keep reading or Follow Suga Lifestyle!

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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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Kingston Kitchen tomorrow!

by What's Hot

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Hey Foodies, Kingston Kitchen returns to Hope Gardens tomorrow from 6pm to midnight. They claim it is their 5th anniversary. I am sure most of us remember the first staging about 3 years ago? Go figure.

Pre-sold tickets are now $800JMD. But do not think this is a cheap event. I believe the concept has been lost a little. Less sampling, more selling and successful sponsors who everybody knows about already, take up a lot of space. Maybe it is part of their deal with the organizers. If you have been to a few of the recent stagings, you would realise you need to travel with some cash, minimum $3000JMD excluding entry money, if you choose about 2 or 3 vendors wisely plus drinks. Otherwise carry more, especially if it is a family night or you are carrying a date. Some spots may have regular plates, lots will have cocktail plates, so be sure to walk around if you are concerned about value for money and head there early!

Who will be there?

● Fromage Gourmet Market

● Sheriff Gourmet BBQ Ribs

● NCR Sheep Ltd. – Fresh, Local Lamb 

● Chef Brian Lumley with Best Dressed Chicken Jamaica

● Tooksie Kay Catering

● Soupie

● Liqy Liqy – All Natural Popsicles

● Street Food Saturdays

● Tea Trea Creperie

● Fork in the Road Food Truck from Mandeville

  ….. and more!

Pre-sold tickets can be bought at Candy Craze (Manor Park), Chocolate Dreams Jamaica (Devon House), Cafe Blue (Sovereign) and Tea Tree Creperie (80 Lady Musgrave Rd.).

If you don’t get to try everything, take some cards for another time.

Have fun !

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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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Tea Tree’s Crappy Service but Good Crêpes

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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My fiancé and I visited Tea Tree’s fairly new location on Lady Musgrave Rd. for a lunch date last Saturday afternoon at about 4:00pm. The staff greeted us nicely and we chose to sit outside. Though inside was lovely with the AC, outside was cool as well, had comfortable seating and a quiet ambience with light, modern music. We were waiting for a little while and wondered why because we thought the waitress would walk with us and hand us the menu. She came out without the menu and when I told her I thought she was bringing it out she responded that she was going to clean the table first because it gets dusty out there sometimes. That could have been done simultaneously. I certainly do not need to rest the menu on the table to read it. On the other hand, if the table was not prepared, she should have asked us to wait a few minutes for her to ensure it was, seat us and then provide the menu. Perhaps more training is needed?

We were left with the menu for some time to make a decision. The waitress returned and took our orders, but to my disappointment there was no Guacamole for the White Corn chips and no Gluten-free OR Vegan Crêpes available. That should have been mentioned when we were given our menus. Luckily we were people with a flexible diet. So we ordered the Hummus and Pesto Pita Chips instead, the Chicken au Poulet Crêpe (Chicken breast, mushrooms, white wine dill sauce and mozzarella) and Beef Stroganoff Crêpe (mushrooms, onions, creamy stroganoff with beef tenderloin).

The appetizer arrived quickly with the boring waitress and it was alright. The Crêpes arrived in reasonable time afterwards and looked like huge servings. Huge servings they were because I was full when I was finished. Compared to my visit at the previous location, the Crêpes were now more filling and tastier. Service was better then though. The flavour of the creamy stroganoff and mushrooms was especially delightful, complementing the fork-tender beef quite well. As we were chatting and enjoying our Crêpes, we noticed that we were not given a Drink menu. We requested one and they did not have any mint leaves to make their popular Magic Mint lemonade. Really?! What did they have? Someone needs to do a proper inventory and have a chat with some local farmers if the crop isn’t meeting the demand. So I had a plain lemonade that was not as refreshing, but filled the void that water could not.

A different waiter came to us, a quite charming young man unlike the dull waitress before, asking if everything was ok and if we needed anything else. Was he for the night crowd? What a difference! I didn’t get his name but I know our experience would have been much better with him. Anyhow, we asked for the bill, then I decided before I left I would leave ‘Suga Lifestyle’ along with something I liked on the glass window. Space was limited but there was some high up. The waiter gave me the cup of markers, I took one and he brought the ladder. Being just 5ft 4″, I realized with the long stretch that if I wrote in common letters it would not be legible so just decided I was going to write ‘Suga Lifestyle’ in all caps and leave it at that. As I was doing so, I was shouted at across the room to keep it small. Based on the tone used, the fact that I wasn’t a 5 year old and knowing that they would soon run out of space anyway, I quickly finished writing in the one line I planned to and started to step down to hear the same nagging voice closer behind me, apparently one of the ladies in charge, saying just to put a signature etc., also asking what I wrote. I enlightened her that it was just Suga Lifestyle, I do reviews and walked out the door. Sadly I couldn’t leave right away because we needed to pay the bill. The silver lining so I wouldn’t leave completely annoyed? I got my Pop-Up Gourmet Discount and left with a full, satisfied tummy.

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Tea Tree Crêperie Sweets & Savouries

Location: 80 Lady Musgrave Rd. Unit #2. Kingston 10, Jamaica 

Ph.: 876-978-7333 

Email: [email protected]

Website (includes menu): www.teatreecreperie.com

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Rotaract Club of St. Andrew with Sangster’s Book Stores’ Stationery Drive

by Charities

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The Rotaract Club of St. Andrew has partnered with Sangster’s Book Stores for a Back to School Stationery drive, where the proceeds will go towards Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School students.

From now until the end of August you can visit one of the participating Sangster’s Stores located in Mall Plaza, Springs Plaza, Sovereign, Portmore Pines or 33 King Street and just drop your contributions in the box provided.

To donate you can also contact the Rotaract Club of St. Andrew at [email protected].

Follow them on Instagram: rcsa_connection