Suga Taster, Taraja does Traditional Thai in NYC!

Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson with friend, Darya Hall at Thai Villa, NYC.

A few weeks ago, Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson was in foodie heaven at Thai Villa, a traditional and unique Thai Restaurant in the stylish city of Manhattan, NYC.

Located on 5 E 19th St, New York,
the stylish space with dark-wood accents and ornate fixtures had an hour wait time since they had no reservations.

Taraja hopped down to a local rooftop bar and had Cocktails, then was called by the courteous staff of Thai Villa, who informed them that they were ready for their dinner party.

They were seated at the upper level, which overlooked the main restaurant. The ambience was perfect.

Don’t you just love Authentic Thai Cuisine?!

Suga Taster, Taraja enjoyed Chicken Satay, Pla Muk Tod (Fried turmeric coconut Calamari), Soft Shell Crab Mango Salad, Pad Thai (Shrimp, Rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, red onion, egg and peanuts. Gluten free), Ped Ron (Crispy Five Spice Duck) and Moo-Obb Nam Puaung Entree (Grilled marinated Pork).

Chicken Satay – Grilled marinated chicken on skewers, served with peanut sauce, cucumber relish, and grilled brioche.
Pla Muk Tod – Fried turmeric coconut Calamari. Crispy fried Calamari served with roasted bell pepper-peanut vinaigrette dipping sauce.
Soft Shell Crab Mango Salad – Shredded Mango, Peanuts, Coconut Flakes, Red Onion and Cilantro with Thai Chili-Lime Dressing.
Pad Thai (Shrimp, Rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, red onion, egg and peanuts. Gluten free)
Ped Ron (Crispy Five Spice Duck) – Deep Fried Half Duck, Chinese Broccoli, Served with Honey-Soy-Bouquetiere Dressing.
Moo-Obb Nam Puaung Entree (Grilled marinated Pork) with honey-soy glazed, baby bok choy served with coconut sticky rice.

Her overall experience was great, the food came out quickly and they shared the Appetizers which were quite filling. Both the Appetizers and Entrees were absolutely delicious at affordable prices and the service was on point! Suga Taster, Taraja gives them ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Thai Villa

Location: 5 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003, United States

Ph: 212-802-9999

Website: https://thaivillanyc.com/

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

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TGIF to the Blue Mountain Lemonade from Cafe Blue!

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Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson’s Blue Mountain Lemonade from Cafe Blue, Irish Town last Sunday.

TGIF to the Blue Mountain Lemonade from Cafe Blue!

It’s Summer Time and we have been so locked in. Take a drive this weekend up to Cafe Blue in Irish town and enjoy their Blue Mountain Lemonade along with adjoining Restaurant, Crystal Edge’s Jamaican eats.

Take note of the last day for this deal too, ONLY at Fontana Fairview, Super Valu Constant Spring and Sovereign Center locations.

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Enjoy the weekend!

Café Blue, Irish Town

Ph: 876-944-8918

Opening Hours: Mon. – Fri @ 8:30am-4:30pm

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

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More from Austin, Texas…Gourmet Barbecue!

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Crispy Wild Boar Ribs Appetizer (USD$16) with honey and sambal, buttermilk blue cheese dressing, celery and daikon slaw.

Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson was pleased to visit Lamberts Barbecue Restaurant and not get typical BBQ platters, but gourmet BBQ and other meaty fare instead.

You can also enjoy live music at Lamberts’ upstairs Bar too! Feast your eyes.

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Country Style Pork Ribs (USD$21) with fennel and coriander rub, maple chili glaze.

Lamberts Barbecue Restaurant

Location: 401 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701, USA

Ph: 512-494-1500

Menu: www.lambertsaustin.com

Opening Hours: Mondays to Sundays @ 5pm – 10pm

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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Suga Taster, Taraja Enjoys Japanese Cuisine in Texas!

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Spicy Edamame

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Tacu Yaki

Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson enjoyed Japanese Cuisine in Austin, Texas a few days ago. She had a memorable experience at Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen.

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Cheers to that and Happy Thursday!

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Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen

Location: 1303 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Ph: 512-444-8081

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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Seaside Dining with Chef Conroy Arnold that’s not too far away!

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Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson.

Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson’s Rating for Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove

Date and time of visit: November 17, 2019

No. of diners: 4

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum 

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★★★

Food quality: ★★★★★

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★★★

Value for $: ★★★★★

Suga Taster, Taraja’s Breakdown!

Christopher’s at Hermosa’a Cove was the perfect Sunday evening setting. Tucked away on the beautiful beachfront property at Hermosa Cove, the restaurant overlooks the sea for a casual, yet intimate dining experience.

The menu was diverse with a sample of Jamaica’s unique fusion of European, Asian, and Indian flavours with local favorites, braised Oxtail, steamed Callaloo with Scotch bonnet peppers, and of course, jerked Chicken. However, Executive Chef Conroy Arnold decided to tantalize our taste buds with a selection of some of his signature dishes for a unique culinary experience. Our Chef’s special dishes consisted of six courses totalling $7000JMD each and included Red Peas soup, a delicious Salad with tomato, feta cheese and arugula topped off with a honey mustard vinaigrette. We also had a Shrimp alfredo puff pastry, Mahi-Mahi in eggplant sauce, Beef tenderloin with grilled sweet corn and for dessert we had Crème brûlée and a Banana flambé.

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Salad with tomato, feta cheese and arugula topped off with a honey mustard vinaigrette.

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Mahi-Mahi in eggplant sauce.

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Shrimp alfredo puff pastry.

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Banana flambé.

There were no delays during the courses, however it was a quiet night, which allowed for personalized, attentive treatment. Chef Arnold did an excellent job showcasing his talent and the group was extremely satisfied and pleased with the service.

Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove continues to be #SugaEndorsed !

Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove

Location: Hermosa Lane, Pineapple Hermosa Cove, Villa Resort & Suites, Ocho Rios

Ph: 876-974-3699

Edited By: Gabrielle Burgess

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Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson hits Bellefield Restaurant and Bar in Montego Bay!

Suga introduces you to Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson!

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Taraja is a Civil Engineer/ Military Officer and her favourite dish is anything with Pork! Her favourite casual place to eat in Kingston is Triple T’s Eatery and Miss T’s Kitchen for out of town. For special occasions, she visits Ivan’s Bar & Restaurant out of town and frequently goes to Tamarind Indian Cuisine in Kingston.

Taraja enjoys globe trotting and has hit quite a few countries already including Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic and more. However, she says the country she has travelled to with the best food, is Peru.

According to Taraja, the character trait that declares her as a certified foodie is that she eats and cooks for entertainment!

Suga Taster, Taraja Jackson’s Ratings for Bellefield Restaurant and Bar

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[Photo source: Edward Rattigan (Google Photos)]

Date and time of visit: October 23, 2019 (Lunch time)

No. of diners: 6 adults

Name of Server – Nickesha 

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum 

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★★☆

Food quality: ★★★★★

Serving amount: ★★★★★★

Plating: ★★★★★

Value for $: ★★★★★

Suga Taster, Taraja’s Breakdown!

Nestled in the hills of Fairfield, Montego Bay, Chef Robert Joseph’s Bellefield Restaurant and Bar at Bellefield Great House was a pleasant lunch time surprise. They had a wide selection of items on their menu, however the group chose to select from the lunch time special menu, which was reasonably priced at $1000JMD per person to include a small Soup of choice and an Entree.

The service was excellent. We were greeted at the entrance and seated immediately. The server was courteous and highlighted all the specials for the day. I selected the Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup topped with roasted coconut shavings, which boosted the flavour of the soup. It was quite tasty.

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Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup (Sml)

The Entree did not arrive right away, but the group was distracted by basking in the pleasant ambience of the estate. We had Island Style Fried Chicken served with rice and peas and roasted vegetables. Other options were Chicken Penne Pesto, Whole Red Snapper with fries and Jerk Grilled Chicken with rice and peas/Baked Potato.

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Bellefield Restaurant’s Island style Fried Chicken ($1000JMD +tx – Sml Soup + Entree combo)

The portions were adequate and the Chicken was fried crispy to perfection with a delicious Bbq sauce on the side.

Bellefield Restaurant is in the Savoury Category ($2800JMD) for Restaurant week that starts today and ends on November 17! Give them a try!

Bellefield Restaurant and Bar

Location: Bellefield Great House, Fairfield Ave, Montego Bay

Ph: 876-952-2382

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Edited 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 Lifestyle brings you Suga Tasters!

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The website, Suga Lifestyle was launched in November 2013 by Gabrielle Burgess a.k.a Suga.
Since then, I have been bringing you up to date, exciting reviews of culinary hot spots and hidden gems across the island and even a few international ones too.
I was given the honour and pleasure of being a Food Judge for The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards in 2014 and served as a Jamaica Gleaner Restaurant Week Ambassador by the public’s vote in 2015.
Suga Lifestyle has been known to keep it real, giving honest, yet balanced reviews, taking you through each review line by line, almost letting you feel as if you were there.
Suga Lifestyle has grown a lot since 2013, where it has maintained its goal of intending to inspire, educate and entertain via various types of posts categorized by; GW Art,
Restaurant Reviews and Ratings, Brand Jamaica, Charities, Health and Fitness, Sports and more. The blog, currently has a reach of over 1,500 followers and grows daily.
To further expand Suga Lifestyle’s reach, I have selected Suga Tasters!
Suga Tasters are Objective, Observant, Adventurous travelers and foodies that support Brand Jamaica. They enjoy taking photos and keeping up to date and in touch with the Culinary industry, the Chefs, Bakers and Caterers that keep it alive and thriving, and of course, hot spots and hidden gems in Jamaica, Florida and Washington DC. 
Suga Bears, Suga Babies and Suga Daddies, I present to you, Suga Lifestyle’s Suga Tasters!
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As time goes by, you will hear more from them. But first up, is
Craig Fleming!

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Suga Taster, Craig Fleming

Craig is a Logistics Specialist, but also a Private Chef. His favourite dishes are Smoked Salmon and Petrossian Beluga Caviar Pizza from Spago in Beverly Hills (USA), Escargots from the Terra Nova Hotel and Pho!
Craig’s favourite places to eat casually out of town are Stush in the Bush, Mystic Thai, Woody’s Portland and Jack Sprat, Treasure Beach.
Craig is even more straighforward than Suga, has Cosmopolitan culinary expertise from travelling, culinary school and various events.
Look out for Suga Taster, Craig Fleming’s Review tomorrow!

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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