#tbt to a Healthy, but Memorable Dinner from the Renewed Hard Rock Hollywood, Florida!

Charred Octopus with Romesco sauce and roasted Marcona Almonds. (US$22)

Throwback to probably the best Octopus I’ve ever had, 3 Thursdays ago!

Suga had a GNO at Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, a staple of the renewed Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida.

The menu offers prime cuts of beef, signature raw bar & delectable seafood selections, and more. I heard of their state-of-the-art wood fire grills and Josper coal ovens and was eager to try their Lamb Chops, but they were unavailable that night.

So I had the most delish Charred Octopus as a starter with Romesco sauce and roasted Marcona Almonds. Perfectly grilled. Tender, succulent, with a crispy outside and slightly smoky flavour from the wood fire grill.

I then enjoyed the Parmesan crusted Salmon, complemented by a tasty Beurre Blanc sauce with a glass of vino.

Parmesan crusted Salmon in a Beurre Blanc sauce (US$36)

Excellent service and food, accompanied by live entertainment. Their menu has high quality options that are value for your money.

**Reservations recommended** Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is #SugaEndorsed.

Council Oak Steaks & Seafood

Location: Base of the Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, Florida.

1 Seminole Way
Hollywood, FL 33314

Ph: (954) 327-7625

By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle; Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist)

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

How’s the Pre-Christmas Burn Coming?! Ditch the Creamy Sauce!

Grilled Salmon with mashed potatoes and veggies from Fromage Brasserie

Filling, tasty & healthy all at the same time. Get your Pre-Christmas burn on. The Holidays are fast approaching and I’m sure we will celebrate whether we can afford to or not.

Last Sunday at Fromage Brasserie
in the The Market Place, I had the Grilled Salmon with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

I ditched the creamy sauce and requested a lemon sauce on the side. I didn’t get that, but the crusted almond topping was good enough for me.

Remember you can SIGN UP for a Nutrition Consultation with ME, Suga Lifestyle’s Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist, Gabby today using link below:

Personal Training



By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle; Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist)

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

Suga Taster, Randy had Rainforest Seafoods’ NEW Poke Bowl for Lunch!

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Last Tuesday, Suga Taster, Randy Burgess ordered Rainforest Seafoods’ NEW Tuna Poke Bowl for Lunch. He thought it was definitely filling, as it had a healthy serving of Veggies: carrot, cucumber, radish, snow peas and Edamame. Additionally, it had a good serving size of Tuna and sticky Sushi Rice. The Tuna was spicy since it was drizzled with Sriracha sauce, but the Veggies cooled down the palate and everything was fresh!

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Was it Value for Money?

Randy thought the cost was way too much with delivery, but tasted good. By ordering through the Pekkish App, the Tuna Poke Bowl costed $1960JMD, but $2754.00JMD when delivery and service charges were added.

Any Suggestions for Rainforest Seafoods?

Suga Taster, Randy would love to see a Salad option with no rice and an option to pick up at the Crossroads branch.

Rainforest Seafoods also offers Smoked and Cooked Salmon Poke Bowls, Raw and Cooked Rolls, Sushi Platters and Bento Boxes (Japanese Lunch Boxes)  exclusively through Pekkish Jamaica in Kingston for delivery and in Montego Bay at the Seafood Market, which offers Free Delivery.

Edited By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)

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

Suga’s Night of Fine Food and Bubbly with City Views at 20 South!

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An intimate setting was created last Friday night on the rooftop of 20 South Luxury Apartments for Chef Garfield Jr.’s sold out Popup Kitchen by the exclusive, Sip and Savour on the 7th floor.

Just 2 weeks after Chef Garfield pleased the crowd at Jamaica Food and Drink Festival’s Picanté with his Candied Mango Tamarind Pork, Scotch Bonnet Caramelized Onions and wild garlic challah, Suga was excited to see what he had to offer.

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I sat at Table 5 with my husband, Randy and our server was quite attentive and pleasant, ensuring that wines courtesy of CPJ kept flowing throughout the night.

I ordered The Salmon and Randy went for The Oxtail. Then we eagerly watched Chef Garfield Jr and his team prepare our dinner right in front of us, with the ambience of light music in the background and the view of city lights.

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We didn’t have to wait long before two well plated dishes arrived at our table.

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Slow Braised Oxtail tossed with local aromatics and spices, Italian dumplings, fresh parmesan and mozzarella cheese ($3500JMD).

The Oxtail was tender to the bone and tantalized the tastebuds with the local spices and flavours. The serving size was quite small, but ask and you shall receive because when Chef Garfield took a walk around to greet guests and gather feedback, he ensured extra Oxtail was brought to our table.

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Cast Iron Toasted Almond with Oven-Roasted Pineapple Crusted Atlantic Salmon, marinated and cooked in emulsified butter and deglaze with white wine ($3200JMD).

I was quite satisfied with my Salmon dish though. Decent portions, well cooked Salmon with a delicious crust on top.

Chef Garfield’s PopUp Kitchen is certainly #SugaEndorsed and another one is quickly approaching. So stay tuned to his instagram page, @chefgarfieldjr as well as Sip & Savour, @sipandsavourja (Ph: 876-665-0231).

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Chef Garfield Jr with Suga at his PopUp Kitchen last Friday, November 15, 2019.

By: Gabrielle Burgess a.k.a Suga (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)

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

TGIF to these Macarons from the Newest Hot Spot in Town!

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Strawberry and Vanilla Macarons from the AC Lounge at the AC Hotel Kingston.

The Macarons at the AC Lounge are delish.

The AC Lounge at the AC Hotel Kingston is the newest hot spot in town and is great for light food and cocktails. Stop by and have a great weekend!

AC Hotel Kingston

Location: 38-42 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston 5. JA. W.I 

Ph: 876-750-3000

Website: http://www.achotelkingston.com/

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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

 

Suga does Lunch Gypsy style at Gypsy House Tapas!

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Suga’s Ratings for Gypsy House Tapas Restaurant

Date and time of visit: Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 2:00pm

No. of diners: 1 adult

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Décor: ★★★★☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★★☆

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★★

Suga’s Breakdown:

Quiet restaurant tucked away on the side of Chelsea Avenue that is appropriate for a lunch or dinner date. The location smears aesthetics, but inside is a whole different world, a gypsy world.

The menu has a variety of items falling under the category of international cuisine, but highlights Spanish and Jamaican dishes.

The staff, including Head Chef, Shane Stamp were polite and welcoming. I believe that for such a unique menu, my server, Kereen should have given me a brief introduction to the dishes of various cuisines being offered. The menu takes you from Jamaica to Mexico, over the wall to the USA, deports you back to Puerto Rico, then takes you on a tour as far as Spain and more. Kereen could have been a bit more attentive too, to check how my lunch was going. Afterall, I was by my lonesome.

I am not sure why, but my appetizer and main were served at the same time. I ordered Gypsy House favourites.

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Saltfish Ceviche ($500JMD +tx +Serv. charge) – Pick up saltfish served on top of twice fried, pressed green plantains

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Seafood Paella ($1000JMD +tx +Serv. charge) – Classic Spanish one pot, yellow rice, vegetables, Chorizo, Seafood and Chicken

Servings were large for a reasonable price. The Saltfish Ceviche was tasty indeed. Their Seafood Paella was nose-running spicy and full of flavour. I enjoyed it.

Kereen informed me that Mama Gypsy Jerk Chicken and Island Pancakes, as well as the Char Sui Pork Belly appetizer are favourites too. So I will probably give those a try next time.

Gypsy House was definitely value for money. I have had food from Gypsy House Tapas at various local events, but I prefer dining there.

Check out Gypsy House Tapas Restaurant for Lunch or Dinner this week!

Gypsy House Tapas Restaurant

Location: 18 Chelsea Avenue. Kingston. Ja

Ph: 876-665-3154

Facebook; Instagram: @gypsyhouseja

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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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Suga’s Healthy Salmon, Pesto Pasta and Homemade Creamy Sauce!

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Suga’s Salmon with Pesto Pasta topped off with a Homemade Creamy Sauce

Enjoy Restaurant Style Salmon at home like Suga!

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets
Salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Ashebre’s Spicy Dairy-Free Basil Pesto
Gluten-free/Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti
Cherry Tomatoes (Sliced)
Fat-Free Philadelphia Cream Cheese/Low-fat Greek Cream Cheese
Onion
Garlic powder
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Almond milk/Skimmed milk

*I didn’t get the chance to purchase Capers, but for those who like Capers with Salmon, it is not needed with the strong taste of Ashebre’s Spicy Dairy-Free Pesto sauce

*Ashebre’s Spicy Dairy-Free Pesto can be sourced at John R. Wong Supermarket, Kingston Ja

Method (Serves: 2)

Salmon Fillets

1. Tilt the Salmon fillet up/Lift and bend it to make several slits on the skin side of the Salmon with a very sharp knife. (This makes the Salmon cook quicker, the skin crispier and does not let the Salmon curl up in the heat)

*Don’t slice too deep or you will overcook the Salmon

2. Season the Salmon with Salt and Black pepper

3. Lightly grease frying pan with Olive oil over medium heat

4. Place Salmon fillets in pan skin side down to prevent overcooking

3. Look out for a distinct white line in the middle of the fillet at about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the Salmon. When you see it, the Salmon is cooked halfway through

4. Flip the Salmon and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the skin is crispy.

5. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and steam your Salmon for about 10 minutes to be cooked medium. Add an extra 2-3 minutes to cook medium-well.

Pasta

1. Cook Thin Spaghetti until tender and drain in coriander.

2. Add sliced Cherry tomatoes and mix in some of Asbebre’s Spicy Dairy-free  Pesto Sauce.

Creamy Sauce

Make your own healthy version of a Creamy Sauce instead of using an Alfredo sauce or Coconut cream sauce to put on your Fish or your Pasta.

Melt olive oil, garlic powder, onion, cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese and almond/skimmed milk in a pot, with varying amounts to create your desired consistency.

Plating

Plate Spaghetti with Salmon fillet on top. Add a little Pesto sauce to the Salmon and layer your homemade creamy sauce on top. Yum!

Enjoy!

By: Gabrielle Burgess (Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist)

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

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New Restaurant in Kingston! Steak House on the Verandah at Devon House!

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The Launch of the New Restaurant at Devon House, Steak House on the Verandah owned by Marilyn Burrowes was held almost a month ago on Sunday, October 15th.

The Steak House resides at the exquisite location once held by late Culinary icon, Norma Shirley who owned Norma’s on the Terrace.

The Restaurant is managed by Michael Fulford and the man responsible in the kitchen is Chef Alex D-Great.

Premium local, Dry-Aged Steaks are their specialty and they offer other delectable delights and desserts accompanied by a substantial selection of wines.

I visited the Steak House for a Lunch date with my other half, Randy last Saturday at 2pm. We were greeted pleasantly by the staff and our waitress was Princess, who we were familiar with from another establishment.

She took us through the menu and after giving us a few minutes, she took our orders and was quite attentive throughout our stay.

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Challah Bread served to start off our Lunch!

Appetizers

Randy had the Jamdung Onion Soup, which was different from others out there. The cheese was on the bread instead of in the soup and the soup was more like a beef broth, richly flavoured with onion. For something that had a scotch bonnet label, it was not spicy though.

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Jamdung Onion Soup ($900JMD) – Very rich scotch bonnet beef stock, loaded onion and served with a Gruyère cheese corn bread.

There were other choices that I wasn’t interested in, such as Salads, Wings, Pumpkin Shrimp Bisque and Tempura Shrimp ranging from $900-$1200JMD. I knew they offered Bone Marrow, however Princess told us that was on their Dinner menu. She quickly offered to speak with the Chef and he agreed to fulfil my desired preference. Thank you Chef!

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Spicy Bone Marrow ($1150JMD)

That Spicy Bone Marrow was divine. It was so seductive, sweeting me up with the sauce, then hitting me up with a fiery, zesty flavour.

Entrees

Steak House on the Verandah sources their Steak locally from The Meat Experts Ltd. Meat Experts operates out of St. Ann and they have been making quite a name for themselves with their high quality, hormone-free meats.

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12oz Rare Dry-Aged Ribeye Steak ($5750JMD) with Black Truffle Butter, Béarnaise Sauce, Sautéed Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes (Photo credit: Craig Anthony Fleming)

I had my mind set on having the Ribeye Steak ($5750JMD), but they were all out.

We had the Filet Mignon and Dry-Aged New York Steak with our choice of two sides and a sauce. We both requested our Steaks to be cooked medium rare. Mine arrived overcooked, but I decided not to reorder. It was still tender in some areas. The Steaks were delish, especially with the Coffee Demi Glaze.

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Filet Mignon ($4100JMD) served with Coconut Callaloo, a Cheese Potato Croquette and Coffee

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Dry Aged New York Steak ($4900JMD) with Red Wine Reduction Sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Vegetables + ($150JMD – Caramelized onion)

If you are a Steak Eater, especially a lover of premium cuts, your bill may turn out to be quite high. A couple going for 3 Courses over two glasses of wine and sharing Dessert can rack up a $20,000JMD bill. However, there are more affordable options excluding the premium cuts. The menu also satisfies persons who aren’t Steak lovers with plates of Chargrilled Salmon ($4050JMD), Rosemary Herbed Chicken Breast ($2150JMD) and Fettucine Fungi Alfredo ($1250JMD) with the options to add Chicken ($600JMD) and Shrimp ($1000JMD).

Dessert

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Flourless Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Ice cream ($1200)

They did not have Vanilla Ice Cream. How come?! Not disappointing though, because I like Strawberry Ice cream. The Cake was warm and tasty.

Coffee/Tea ($350) was the other option for Dessert, but there was no need for a range of options. Persons can walk around afterwards and choose from many other shops to satisfy the sweet tooth while enjoying the historic grounds as well.

I enjoyed the succulent food served amidst the ambience and attentive service by the staff on my Lunch date at the new Steak House. I will return not only for the Ribeye, but to try their Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich for $1400JMD, which consists of Julienne Steak cuts, mushrooms, bell peppers and caramalized onion with a side of seasoned fries.

Great start Steak House on the Verandah! Keep it up. #SugaEndorsed

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Gabby a.k.a Suga from Suga Lifestyle and husband, Randy Burgess enjoying Lunch at Steak House on the Verandah last Saturday, November 4, 2017.

Steak House on the Verandah

***Reservations Recommended***

Location: Devon House

Ph: 876-616-8833

Facebook: @steakhouseja

Opening Hours:

Mon. to Thurs. @ 12noon – 9:30pm

Fri. & Sat. @ 12noon – 10:30pm

***Closed on Sundays*** 

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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Gimbilyn at Alhambra Inn Meets Expectations for RW and is Booked Out!

SuGa Readers have been dining up a storm and found that Gimbilyn was fully equipped with staff to tackle Restaurant week with very little wait time and a floor supervisor overseeing the area and checking on waiters as it should be.

Staff was pleasant and even the Chef came out to address diners regardless of the pressures in the kitchen. Commendable that he had things under control to escape the heat a little.

Staff was also well-trained in offering suggestions from the menu and selection of wines.

Reviews came in that the Shrimp salad was tasty but had a small serving in comparison to the Pepper Pot soup. However, if you ordered a Shrimp salad followed by Grilled Pork chops, they were sure to make up for it, as they were thick portions.

The Tucker Chicken Florentine with layers of creamed callaloo, cheese and tender Chicken breast topped with panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese looked and tasted delicious. The Grilled Salmon with Tamarind and Ginger Glaze was good and their signature Bread pudding was divine.

Kudos to Gimbilyn!