Sweet & Sour Chicken - $500JMD

Get some Grub for Lunch at Sakura for just $500!

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings
Sweet & Sour Chicken - $500JMD
Sweet & Sour Chicken – $500JMD

The service is alright, you can be in and out within 10 minutes and there is quite a variety to choose from for affordable prices. A Large lunch with 1 Meat, rice and veggies costs $500JMD and a drink costs $120JMD. The menu does not comprise solely of Chinese dishes, there are Jamaican dishes as well. For instance, Cowfoot was served last Wednesday.
Sakura hits the spot for reasonable food when hungry. Nothing fancy and no burst of flavour, but it tastes like what it is supposed to be.

Sakura

Location: 7th Avenue Plaza. Kingston.

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Turkey Bijou Panini from Fromage!

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

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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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Gabby from Suga Lifestyle checks out Food and Drinks from The Terrace at 100!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

Last Saturday, Suga went to check out the early vibe at 100 to see if service and more would be better than a Friday night. Although I wanted to go for lunch time, I made it for dinner. I arrived at about 6:50pm.

My other half and I were pleasantly greeted by a waitress who we are familiar with from other bars, who seems to be doing more supervising now. We were seated in a comfortable area with some plush, colourful cushions. I loved the modern decor and lighting. Colours were mainly grey and white with splashes of colour and the staff looked neat in their uniforms. Music was not loud either. We were even asked if the volume was suitable for us.

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Then suddenly, I was in First class on a plane. We were offered damp rags to wipe off our hands. They weren’t warm though, but definitely a nice touch. When we reached America, we were asked if we wanted lemon in our water. Keep it up 100, keep it up. It got even better, we got Complimentary Chips and salsa while we decided on what to order.

Our waitress was Cardia, who had a very sweet, humble personality. She was not sure of the costs and availability of everything off of her head but being new with such a large menu, she did well considering. She was also quick with following up on requests.

We didn’t order any Appetizers but they had Wings, Tuna stacks, Meatballs, Pita chips and dip and Quesadillas in the $750 to $1200JMD+tx range. Soups were also available for $400JMD+tx.

For a more Sports bar vibe, they had a variety of Flatbreads, Pizzas, Sandwiches and Burgers available mostly for $1200JMD, that went up to $2000JMD+tx.

For a proper dinner, there were Pastas ($1600-$2600JMD+tx), Chicken, Lamb, Beef, Salmon, Shrimp and Pork in the range of $1700 to $3200JMD+tx.

The Drinks menu had a wide range of choices as well. But the prices! $800+tx for a Blended drink and $1339+tx cue of V/X.

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Service time and Quality of food? Quick service within 15 minutes. Supervision of staff was obvious. I ordered the Beef & Reef ($3200JMD+tx), a 6oz filet mignon and a skewer of grilled shrimp, served with a chimichurri sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. My other half ordered the Beef au Poivre, an 8 oz filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies ($2400JMD+tx). Neither of us felt like switching it up to test other items on their menu, so Beef all the way to check their consistency. There is lots of time to return. We both requested our Beef to be cooked medium rare. Mine was on point but my other half’s was slightly overcooked, obvious by the difference in colour and texture when cut. His White rum and tonic was a standard shot so tasted a bit weak. Good for him to know for the future. My Hummingbird was tasty with a twist. Wait, what’s a Hummingbird? Suga was introduced to the Hummingbird back in the day when TGIF was poppin with popular bartender, St. Aublyn the Kidd. When you don’t feel for the cliché Piña Colada or Strawberry Daiquiri, especially at all-inclusive resorts on the North Coast, it’s perfect. A Blended mix of mainly banana, vanilla ice cream, vodka and kahlúa or tia maria. Each bartender has their special touch. 100’s twist was a first, they added chocolate. Not bad at all. It was not overwhelming because I could still taste the banana.

The skewer of shrimp was not that impressive, it needed some flavour. Also, where was my Chimichurri sauce as described in the menu? It was MIA. Stush in the Bush needs to hook them up. That would have given my dish an excellent finishing touch. So, overall, similar to Rojó at Spanish Court’s serving size and price, aka ‘likkle bit’ and the meal assumes you had an appetizer, but lovely plating and presentation. The quality was good not great.

For a restaurant that is not within a hotel, is not fine dining and is more of a bar with a casino feet away, does it really need to be so fancy and expensive? Probably not. Especially if people would be consuming a lot of liquor and need some affordable, wholesome ‘grub’. For instance, Monte Carlo’s tasty burgers for $900JMD does a great job satisfying just that.

What’s going on for the rest of the new hit spot? – The Lounge, Gaming Lounge and Island Bet

Suga took a tour. The TV logistics of The Lounge was excellent. Great for sports and A/C for the hot times. There was also a screen that covered the whole side of one of the walls behind the bar, it was huge, bigger than the Projected screen at Cuddyz.

People seemed to be gambling casually in the Gaming Lounge. It wasn’t crowded. Probably not as popular yet. BUT I know what will be popular soon! ISLAND BET. Again, a familiar face. They got one of Just Bet’s competent employees, Marc-Anthony Pinnock who patiently took me through how Island Bet works. No paper or scratch pads. Purely Electronic. Print outs with the odds are not available as yet, but will be soon. Otherwise, the odds are available on the monitor they have there for customers, including a wider range of bets. Just Bet would have to have their employee take about 10 minutes to check the system online or just say it isn’t available as yet.

Here comes the best part. Island Bet will offer Live betting so you won’t be blocked by Just Bet who change their odds quite often. You will also be able to create an account, add money to it and BET ONLINE. How convenient! Ha! Of course there is an up side and down side to that, but wonderful when you don’t have to leave your house. Also, bets will be made in US dollars. But fret not, the payout is in the US equivalent as well. So if the dollar slides more than the day you bet, you get more money than expected if you win.

One monitor for logging in would not work for a crowd betting on the World Championships for example, but they are finetuning their logistics so that betting is not a hassle and there is time before the Olympics!

Suga senses an exciting Sports season ahead and will be returning.

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 AND VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to be 

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador!

Go to http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ambassador

You have 10 votes per device and wifi connection until October 2, 2015. Just Refresh the page after each vote as instructed. Much love!

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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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Red Lobster gone totally Ghetto in ATL!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

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In real life! Braiding cornrows in a restaurant, really? Low. I kid you not, there is an instavideo for proof. I was told the Red Lobster chain was deteriorating to a very low standard, that is, ‘bring a side chick to’ or ‘carry a girl to Burger King for a date’ kind of standard. I did not believe. But this has to be a breach to the Health code. Shame on them for not escorting them out immediately.

JoJo’s Jerk Pit and More’s Menu expands, Service improves but Quality still very very Regula

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

I have visited JoJo’s three times in the past month. Definitely not by choice but occasions arose. What can I say? Their menu has expanded! Wow. However, on a full night with live music, expect slow, poor service. Only order things that are on their grill, such as Jerk Chicken and Pork, the fastest of the slowest. That sums up the first visit.

The last two visits had a new but familiar face. Good old Glen that hops around from bar to bar, claiming its when they need service to speed up and improve he is called upon. I can see why, because there is usually a long wait at JoJo’s. Glen is slightly annoying in personality but humorous around the edges, confident and most importantly, usually serves efficiently. 

The last two visits included a half empty Tuesday night and a fairly full Saturday night with fast service for both nights from Glen and the kitchen. The food? The taste is ever so basic. Nothing special. Go there if you have to or you are just hungry and need some simple grub. What’s up with that Jerk Chicken Pizza?!!! Slices of thick hard dough bread with hardly enough ketchup or sauce, some tasteless cheese and bland chicken. Not even likkle oregano and pepper? Poor. 

Saltfish Fritters? Ok but too much batter.

Their Gungu Peas soup is nice and filling. 

The Cook up Saltfish ($350) could be spicier but it is quite tasty.

Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork with fries, rice and peas or sweet potato are usually reasonably tasty as well.

Their Philly Cheese Steak sandwich that has Chicken but not Steak is delicious.

Their prices? With the exception of that horrible excuse of a Pizza for $400JMD, prices are extremely affordable. Makes sense and aligns with the basic quality of food. Hopefully the fast service is maintained.