Book your Spot at the Table for TASTE with 6 Top Jamaican Chefs and 6 Tantalizing Courses!

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The Chef’s Advocate and Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica present Taste, an evening of Culinary Tapestry on the East lawns of Devon House on Friday, July 26, 2019! 

The Chef’s Advocate, out of Brooklyn, New York, is a marketing and events management firm that supports Chefs in the culinary industry across the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Annette Davidson, who founded the company in 2017, is also known for ‘Savouring Jamaica’, which was held last November at the James Beard House in Manhattan, New York. The event highlighted our country, culture and chefs with an exclusive menu. The James Beard House was once the home of legendary gastronome James Beard, who hosted the very first television food program in 1946.

Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica is Jamaica’s first ‘foodie-centric’ platform dedicated to the celebration of Food in its many forms, taking you on a never-ending epicurean experience across Jamaica; from delicious recipes and trendy, hot, new ‘foodie’ spots, to Jamaican Chefs’ insights and extraordinary gourmet experiences islandwide.

What to Expect?!

Imagine the kind of night to expect, now that The Chef’s Advocate and Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica have teamed up to host Taste!

Five Chefs, George Matthews, Hugh Sinclair (Chef Irie), Jacqui Tyson, Alex D-Great and Lucian Dunn joined by Patisserie Terri Brown Palmer will combine their skills and a myriad of flavours and textures to create an intricately tantalizing six (6) course tasting experience which, will be further enhanced with Wines from Caribbean Producers Jamaica and signature Cocktails.

Meet your Chefs and Patisserie!

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TASTE has been marketed locally and internationally. Be a part of Jamaica, continuing to rise as a Foodies Paradise.
‘When you think TASTE, think
PREMIUM! Think Champagne, Fine Wines, Signature Cocktails, Sumptuous Cuisine and White Glove Service‘. Book your tickets now!
***Ticket Information***
Tickets are available via a Concierge service for Patrons wishing to purchase tickets for TASTE by credit or debit card.
You can contact Pop-Up Gourmet’s Booking Office to schedule your concierge visit or to get the link to pay online by eventbrite.com!
Note that there is ***LIMITED SEATING***(Tables of 10)

Service is available within the Corporate Area on Tuesdays & Wednesdays ONLY.

COST: US$170.00 per person

Booking Office Details:

Telephone: 876.807.5349

Email: [email protected]

FOLLOW Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica on Instagram @popupgourmetjamaica

Facebook: @PopUpGourmet

Website: www.popupgourmetjamaica.com

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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

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Which Restaurant’s Burger hit the spot for Suga last Weekend?

 

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Apologies to my Health and Fitness readers, you will get your Healthy tip tomorrow!

This Burger I had though! Hello Cheat Day! Where? C & C South Beach!

I ordered the Monster Burger that came with fries for $1500JMD. I was just expecting a big burger filled with tomato, lettuce and onions along with its advertised highlight of feta on top.

However, I was pleasantly surprised but terrified by the calories at the same time. The waitress approached the table with a Monster Burger indeed. It had not one, but two beef patties! The beef was fresh, not processed and it took you on a journey from a sharp taste in feta, through to two juicy, tender, well seasoned beef patties then a tasty sauce with beans at the end.

You don’t have to ask if it was filling!

Service was alright and you get a 5% discount with your Pop Up Gourmet Advantage Card. They used to offer 10%, but at least they are still participating.

CC South Beach Restaurant, Sports Bar and Event Venue

Location: 2 Brompton Road. Kingston 5

Ph: 630-4571 or 630-4163

 

 

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What a horrible experience at Spring Garden, Ocho Rios for Suga!

After a lovely Sunday Beach day over Heroes Weekend about week ago, I was adamant that I had to stop by Spring Garden Seafood and Steakhouse on the Bypass Road, Ocho Rios. My visit was well overdue and after a very recent, teasing picture of their Shrimp pasta, I could not let another weekend in Ochi pass without stopping by.

So my friends and I were not in our Sunday best but entered Spring Garden at 6:45pm. Our greeting was alright and we were asked if one of the gentlemen had a shirt with sleeves. The hostess said she would check if it was ok to still enter and came back and said it was fine and directed us to sit by the bar until she was ready to have us seated.

We figured we definitely would not want to go indoors as that would be more formal and had no problem sitting by the outside deck. So when asked our preferred option, we indicated just that and we were seated at 6:52pm and issued our menus.

Our waitress was Regina. She was not pleasant at all. Waitresses should also know how to pronounce ‘Fillet’ fish. We ordered at 7:04pm and no medium-sized (~1 pound) fish were available, so even though I did not want the large, I ordered that. A few minutes later we were told the large had finished as well. Come on now, it is a holiday weekend where it should be expected that Ochi would be flooded with both locals and tourists. I ordered the Grilled Salmon with a side of Baked potato. We also ordered the Crayfish soup and Jerked Salmon. My other friend was not hungry but requested their wine list. He was not impressed at all by the selection. So he didn’t order anything. It was quite limited and most of what was available could not be ordered by the glass. Only Zinfandel and one other were offered by the glass. But in all fairness their bar with rum and other liquor looked stocked!

Screenshot_2015-10-27-09-35-32-1Anyhow, it took a while to be given water and there seemed to be a roll ration. Instead of putting the basket of bread rolls on the table, Regina walked around to us one by one with the basket and asked, ‘Would you like a roll?’ Hilarious. This was not even done in Jerusalem. So clearly when the answer was no, she moved on to the next person. I regret this choice because what happened if we changed our mind or the food just took long to come out?

Well well well, 7:45pm and not even a soup?! The restaurant was only 3/4 full, not packed. There was only one other table with persons on the deck and they left a long time ago. Do you see anyone else on the deck? I don’t.

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Why did we even wait so long? Under normal circumstances we would have voiced our disgust already and left. But it was a holiday. We had friends visiting. There was a lot to catch up on and we were just in relax mode. But this is where it got ridiculous and inexcusable. Regina, our waitress who did not have the decency to follow up with us even once in the past 45 minutes walked leisurely up to the deck, passed us, looked at an uncleared table, said nothing to us, did nothing about the table either and just passed us right back.

At this point we were ready to leave. It was approaching an hour and no food. Not even soup. Not even an apology for having us wait. I walked to the bar to ask for the supervisor/manager. Regina was blending a drink at 7:55pm and still said nothing to me. She was the only one available to ask for the supervisor so I did just that. The manager came and apologised for our wait and said they were plating our food as we spoke. So I said ok but forget about the soup. That would not make any sense now.

Then after an hour, here are our plates!

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How filling right? Now I am aware there is a shortage of the usual sized potatoes on the island but I was paying the same price for my dish including that side. They should have put the same serving, hence 2 small potatoes to make up for the shortage.

Disgraceful service and serving size. If we were allowed to dine in casual wear at the restaurant, we should have been treated like anyone else if that was a factor any at all that triggered inside Regina’s head.

The quality was decent. I appreciated that they did not overcook the salmon like most restaurants. The sauces were good as well to complement the salmon.

Spring Garden doesn’t seem to have a bad reputation out there but I have no desire to return or recommend them. Hopefully they can get it together within the next two weeks and have a serious talk with and/or train their staff.

The silver lining? Usually after such horrible service where diners are not pleased, something complimentary is offered. Nothing was offered. But thanks Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica for my Advantage card, giving me my 10% discount. We dine out very very regula!

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Turkey Bijou Panini from Fromage!

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Last Saturday, I needed a quick, light bite that was somewhat healthy because of the Sunday binge ahead at the Restaurant Week launch (Review coming soon folks!).

I quickly realised I was due a visit to Fromage Gourmet Market and made my way there a few minutes before 3pm.

I received the usual pleasant greeting and good service. I already knew I wanted a Panini, so ordered instantly, choosing the Turkey Panini Bijou over the Smoked Marlin Panini. I was happy to hear I had the option of having my Panini with wheat bread. Fantastic!

I had to wait 5 minutes more than I would have liked to though, because I do not think a Panini should take more than 15 minutes, but it arrived hot and was quite flavourful with the blue cheese.

The mason jars for drinking water or juice and flesh flowers on the table added a refreshing touch.

My Panini was also quite affordable and filling, costing $900JMD +tx. Thanks to Pop Up Gourmet Jamaica, I could use my Advantage card there for my 10% discount, so my bill did not go over a $1000JMD.

I am delighted that Fromage has maintained a high standard of service and food quality and also revise their menu so patrons never get bored there.

Fromage Gourmet Market

Ph#: (876) 622-9856

Address: 8 Hillcrest Ave., Kingston 6

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Have you gotten your Early Bird Tickets to Simply Red as yet?!

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It’s that time again! The Heart Foundation of Jamaica’s fundraiser, Simply Red, will be Friday September 25th on the lawns of Jamaica house for $7000JMD, offering food and wine to your heart’s content. No pun intended. However, Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica has Early Bird Tickets until this Friday, September 11th for $6300JMD, so get them while you can!

Call 876-807-5349 for your Early Bird tickets. 

Need a remind


er of what this event has to offer? Check out Suga’s review from last year here:

Simply Red! Wine and Food Galore! Gabby checks out BBQ Oxtail, Cheese fountains and more

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Tea Tree’s Crappy Service but Good Crêpes

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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

Waitresses step it up at Bamboo Blu, Mammee Bay

Since Suga’s review of Bamboo Blu last November, waitresses have definitely improved their service. Last Ash Wednesday was not only a Public Holiday but a Ship Day, with many tourists docking from their cruise. However, with a busy kitchen and bar, waitresses were pleasant and food and drinks arrived quickly.

There was nothing special about the Jerk Chicken, but their Jerk Chicken Wrap was quite tasty and spicy. It was all about the sauce. Their sweet potato mash was savoury as well, but their fries are way too oily.

Improvement appreciated though. Thanks as well to Pop-Up Gourmet for me being able to get a huge discount, making it easier for the waitress to get a good, well deserved tip.

Spicy Jerk Shrimp Pasta @ Macau

Service is still not the best at Macau, but their spicy Jerk Shrimp Pasta is extremely spicy and delicious! Penne and fettuccine pastas are so common, I was impressed to see them serve bow tie pasta. It was filling and the sauce was on point. Ensure water is present though. They had a 2-for-1 Heineken special last Friday, but it wasn’t clear how long that promotion may last. Then ofcourse, using my Pop-Up Gourmet Advantage card dropped the bill even lower.

Tag a ‘Foodie’ friend and you both could win Pop-Up Gourmet Advantage Cards!

Participate in Pop-Up Gourmet’s promotional giveaway to commemorate their First Anniversary. The first raffle draw will be next Wednesday, then there will be more for about two weeks after.

So what do you have to do to enter? Share the above photo, use the hashtag #myfoodiefriend and tag a friend(s) and Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica.

The winners will be given the option to choose 1 friend to give the 2nd Advantage card to.

Both you and your friend must be following @popupgourmetjamaica on Instagram or like their Facebook page for your repost to be considered.

***For Instagram users: If your account is private, message Pop-Up Gourmet Jamaica so that they can follow you to see your entry.

Share and tag away for a chance to begin or continue enjoying Instant Savings of 10-20% at over 70 Restaurants, Bars and Clubs across Jamaica!