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There is a NEW Spot to Pig Out on Ribs in Town!

by Brand JamaicaFoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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Suga’s Ratings for Zack’s Smoke Shack

Date and time of visit: Saturday, January 4, 2019 @ 8pm

No. of diners: 2

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum 

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★☆☆

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★☆

Suga’s Breakdown!

There is a new Barbecue Smoke Pit in town and it looks like enterprising restaurateur, Kirk Chin of Fromage and more has something to do with it 😉

The new Southern style spot opened its doors just last Thursday, January 2, 2019. It is close to the entrance of Market Place avoiding all current Market Place construction and gives you a Texas vibe upon entry where they nailed the modern ‘Pig Pen’ decor, literally.

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Suga visited last Saturday for Dinner. There is indoor and outdoor seating, but at the moment, it seems like you need to go to the cashier to order, then take the number for your table and pick your desired spot if dining.

The staff is green, but pleasant and attentive. My husband, Randy does not eat Pork (go figure!), so was looking forward to their Beef Brisket. We would have to return for that though, because its coming soon. Otherwise, their Menu, which is likely to change looked like this!

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We ordered a 1/2 pound of the Ribs, 1/4 pound of the Chicken, a large Mac & Cheese, Fries and 2 Beers. Our bill came to roughly $6000JMD, which I found to be quite reasonable because we were also quite satisfied after the meal.

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The Chicken was a bit on the dry side, but they had such a variety of tasty sauces to cover that up and why go to a Pig Pen for Chicken?! The Ribs and Bun Fyah sauce were fire! *I must say that Bun Fyah sauce was quite similar to Stush in the Bush’s Blow Fyah sauce. The formula to spicy heaven.

Tender, juicy ribs that were definitely some of the best that I’ve ever had, with buttery soft corn muffins that had the right touch of sweet really hit the spot.

The Mac & Cheese needed salt, a sharper cheese or some herbs though. But again, their sauces could help with that. I saw some kids at another table plaster their Mac & Cheese with sauce. The Bourbon sauce was quite good.

The Fries were quite tasty if you need another recommended side option.

Anyhow, Zack’s Smoke Shack is a casual, reasonable, family friendly dining spot that should do well and Suga will return.

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Zack’s Smoke Shack

Location: 67 Constant Spring Road. Market Place. Kingston 10. JA

Ph: 876-404-5265

Opening Hours: Sundays – Thursdays @ 11am – 10pm; Fridays – Saturdays @ 11am – 11pm

Instagram: @zackssmokeshack

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

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How was the New Fromage Brasserie in Market Place for Suga?! – Part 2

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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:

How was the New Fromage Brasserie in Market Place for Suga?! – Part 1

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.

My husband had the Crab Stuffed Chicken ($2400JMD) with a side of Rustic Parmesan Potatoes ($700JMD) that we could share. We weren’t sure of the serving size of the entrée but we realised a side order was not totally necessary.

The Chicken was tasty but did not ignite the taste buds.

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Crab Stuffed Chicken – Roasted Chicken Breast stuffed with Local Blue Crab ($2400JMD)

I had the Land & Sea that consisted of Beef Fillet topped off with Shrimp and Crab in a rich Béamaise sauce. I had reservations when it arrived though because after ordering, I realised the waitress made a fundamental error. She did not ask how I would like my Beef prepared. The Courtyard was full and buzzing and we weren’t exactly close to the Restaurant so I was not going to go out of my way to make the request. I ensured I pointed it out to her though and she apologised genuinely and profusely.

The Beef arrived well done, so was not as enjoyable as I would have like it to be. The Béamaise sauce was rich indeed though. It added a spicy touch to the Shrimp and Crab and also complemented the Beef well.

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Land & Sea – Beef Fillet topped with Shrimp & Crab in a Rich Béamaise sauce ($3600JMD)

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.

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How was the New Fromage Brasserie in Market Place for Suga?! – Part 1

by FoodpornRestaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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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.

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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).

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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.

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Lobster Ravioli in a subtle Lemon Cream Sauce ($2300JMD+tx)

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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.

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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.

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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

If you liked this article, follow Suga Lifestyle or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.