Lunch at Twin Gates Lounge

Hi I hope you have been enjoying my blog so far...Observer Food Awards has just passed I believe it was last week Thursday, unfortunately I was not there because I found the entrance fee a little prohibitive. It makes me wonder though. Who exactly do they cater to at this event. The reasoning behind that high cost for entry escapes me. Anyways if last year was $15 k and this year it was $25 k then it's safe to say that possibly I won't be attending that event anymore. It was a must do event on my annual Calender being my love affair with food.

Anyways I'm writing today about Twin Gates Lounge, it's located at Andys Place to the rear of Twin Gates Plaza on Eastwood Park Road. I spent the better part of a day there as they have a large screen which they show sports. Well I watched the final moments of this football season. They serve breakfast and lunch daily. They had the usual offerings of any lunch time restaurant across Jamaica. Fried Chicken, Curried Goat etc. 

They had one of my favorites of all time. Stru Peas with Pigstail and dem fing in Chicken trotters too. Chicken Foot. I don't know how I have come to love stewed peas so much but when I think about it I have a great affinity to anything involving Red or Gungo Peases. 

I ordered a small because I had a late breakfast and was not very hungry but, the waitress advised if I wanted to partake of any stew peas today me better order now because it always done quick. 

I had no intention of missing out so I ordered. It didn't take too long. 

It was well presented I must say, was not 5 stars but what do I expect for $450. The peas were well cooked Pigstail had the right amount of saltiness left in it, because you and I know that if u boil out too much of the salt it nuh taste good again. The chicken feet were done perfectly. I must say the Stewed had an excellent flavour, and it went very well with the sticky rice and the usual tossed salad. 

If I were to rate this meal between 1-10 where 10 is the best I'd give it an 8 because I prefer to have lettuce, cucumber, carrots and tomatoes in my side salad with of course some dressing. 

This wasn't my first time here and certainly won't be my last.

Good going Lando and your team.

If you went to Food Awards and me buck u up anywhere tell me bout it cuz me waa hear.

Later for now John

Pan Chicken in Liguanea

It's a Friday night, went for a drink won't say where....(another blog post) but as you know, one can't just have a drink others will follow. I hoped to get home at 10pm. But it's now 1am but, who is checking on time. I'm starving. 

Options for food at 1am are limited but the ever faithful Hopeton in Liguanea has always been my savior from those pangs of hunger. 

I grew up in Mona so I've come to have a great rapport with the Hopeton. I have been having that chicken since me eye deh a me knee. When I think about it he has been there at that same spot for well over 35 years. 

I usually have chicken breast quarter with National Giant Hardo Sliced Bread, and sometimes grab another piece for good measure. 

Well I roll up to the spot and maybe there are 6 or 7 patrons there, Indian greets me well and asks "waapen Bossy the usual? " I say why would I change after so long, he says "we have breadfruit to enuh", "two slices for me" I responded. 

Then he further up sells...."u nuh Waa try the lamb to".

Well can I tell you...Jerk Lamb by Hopeton is one of the best food treats around town, I think they only do it on weekends though. 

I could not resist I had a quarter pound of that too. The wild gamy  flavour of the lamb with smoky Jerk flavour is definitely a hit and very hard to resist once you have tried it. 

I have never had any regrets whenever I visit Hopeton for Pan Tucky. I love Jamaican Street Food and Pan chicken is definitely the King of that pile.

There are over a dozen pan chicken spots scattered all over Kingston but for me Hopeton is the best.

Thanks for reading See you soon.....

John

Wing King at Halifax

Well I hope you all are enjoying my blog, I'm a foodie at heart, and I love dining out.
Not sure if you all know but, Wing King hosts a Lyme on Fridays at Halifax where they serve menu items which are not sold in their stores. Namely stuffed wings. These wings are much larger than the ones you would get at the stores and they are stuffed with Jalepeno and cheese and there is another variety which slips my memory now. I can certainly say to you now that these stuffed wings are to die for. The very first time I had them I could not forget them. It's so good I usually order more than I can eat.
So it's a an easy Friday evening for me and the end of the week work pressure have subsided. I decided that Halifax for wings is a must. My mate and I got home, prepared ourselves and headed out for this treat. We arrived and parked outside near the entrance of the house, it's a rather easy going atmosphere with maybe a dozen other people who had the same idea as us were already satisfying themselves with with these wing treats. I said my hellos and got to ordering. My mate ordered grilled wings and I ordered stuffed wings with Jalepeno and cheese. We sat down and waited on our orders. The sounds of easy to listen to music filled the air but low enough to encourage conversation. The owners had other menu offerings such as jerked pork, Mac and cheese balls and potato wedges. Mac and cheese balls are delicious when done properly but, I've found that when had at the stores they tend to be over done. The owner asked me to taste the jerk pork which I guess he was pushing, I accepted and he brought a piece. Well might I be kind and say that I've had better, a good jerked pork in my humble opinion is more than just making a jerk rub/marinade applying it to meat and then grilling it, jerk has to have a smoky flavour that goes along with the herbs and spices. A true jerk takes time.
So our orders are here and smells good for sure. I'm excited because I've waited all week long for this treat. Wow one dozen wings stuffed with jalepeno and cheese and Mac and cheese balls to go with it. I had bacon cheddar and buffalo wild sauces for my wings.
My mate likes the stuffed wings but, hates greasy foods so she opted for grilled wings which she totally enjoyed with guava jerk sauce.
The wings lived up to my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I wish I could come every Friday for this treat but time and work seldom allows it. Big up Mr Morgan and his team for his innovative wings.

The not so jolly Jolly's on Port Henderson Road

Well I was in Portmore maybe two Saturdays ago and wanted something to eat, couldn't think of anywhere else but Hellshire Beach or Back Road, time wouldn't permit the drive to the beach so back road was not a hard choice. Well where else on back road to eat but at the world famous Jolly's. It was a rather warm day out, typical of this time of year in the tropics. The drive to Jolly's took us about five minutes and we drove unto the compound that seemed vacated. I literally had to ask if they were open for business.
Well they were much to our delight. We entered the restaurant space which had a bar area and a large enough dining hall to seat maybe 60 persons. This place in my recollection has seen far better days. Rusty as opposed to rustic is the adjective that comes crashing to my mind. I do not care to describe the different reasons. So we had to choose our fish, my companion and I wanted steamed fish, parrot for her and of course snapper for me. If it were entirely left up to me I would eat hog snapper every time I sat down to have fish. There is no other fish as enjoyable as a steamed hog snapper.
We were whisked off into a room near the kitchen with some large freezers, the fish were neartly arranged in the bottom of the freezer in order of size, the fish seemed fresh and it was hard to make up my mind, I eventually decided on a 1 and a 1/2 lb size snapper and my companion found a red parrot which is her her favourite.
We waited in the dining hall while my companion sipped on a cup of fish tea which was much to her satisfaction, she really enjoyed it. Some other diners came in maybe about 2 other couples.
While waiting some young ladies (not sure if ladies aptly describes them) entered the hall, they wore hair of varying colours and were dressed like ladies of the night. They were very boisterous and began hurling insults at at one of the ladies who was seated at another table. The whole atmosphere changed and the proprietors seemed unperturbed about this unfolding situation. That lasted for a short spell and they got what they came for and left.
Our meals arrived and by the looks of things they seemed to match up to what we expected of the establishment. The fish looked good and tasted good too, lots of okra to my delight with the usual water crackers and I ordered fried green plantains to go with it. Was well delivered. We had tropical rhythm with our meals although I would have much preferred a nice home made natural juice or even simple lemonade would have done the trick. All in all the food was good but atmosphere and surroundings needs a lot to be desired. So Jolly's not so jolly anymore.

East Japanese restaurant and Brick Oven

Hi guys, just want to thank you firstly for reading my blog. It truly has been a long way coming, been encouraged by friends family and most people I know to write about food. I'm not only interested in food but, how well it is served and presented. In a nutshell I just want to promote a spirit of excellence. So here I am enjoy.....
So it is an easy Sunday for me went to church got back home for my usual nap. Got up pretty hungry and my mate and I decided no to cook being that it was so late. We decided to check out what's good at the food court at the Market Place. For who don't know it, it's a collection of approximately 7 restaurants offering varying cuisines all in one place located on Constant Spring road.
During our trip we decided on Chinese food from China Express. It was not the best weather condition out but, we persevered, luckily we got a parking space near the entrance. We entered the restaurant and was greeted by a host with the temperament of a drill sargeant with rain on his parade. We asked for a table for two and was directed to a table near the service area and bar. I declined the offer and was told that's the only two seater available at the moment. He said we could wait and have a drink from the bar while waiting but we opted not to as we were hungry. I cynically told him I would wait by East Japanese restaurant since I can't be accommodated now. So we exited and went over to the other restaurant. We were greeted by a very friendly and more accommodating waiter whom offered us several choice if seats. We sat down and engulfed by the very well decorated and quiet, it was very good ambience for dining. Tables were well set and everything seemed to have its place.
I thought to myself that the service here is usually great. The items on the menu were well presented with pictures and a brief description of the Japanese fare. We decided on the Miso Soup for starters and my mate ordered the fried battered shrimp, I opted for the same. Upon ordering the waiter guided us to the lunch specials which included the items we opted for and a salad. we ended up saving by ordering the lunch special.
So it was Miso Soup, Battered Fried Shrimp Platter and a Salad for her and mine the same except I opted for Teriyaki Chicken served with plain rice instead of the shrimp.
The background music was very soothing, smooth Jazz added so much to the experience.

So our Soups and Salads arrived very well presented I thought. The Miso soup was good except that it could have been a tad bit warmer for my liking, the Salad was very fresh, excellent very crisp leaves of lettuce with carrots and other toppings. The first course was great my mate and I agreed.
The waiter promptly removed the used plates and we waited for approximately ten minutes for the main course. She was excited and almost couldn't wait to see her order. Finally it came and we were quite impressed by the presentation of the Shrimp Dish mine wasn't bad but I'm not sure how creative one could get with my order. We shared from each others plates as we always do. The chicken was very good, excellent I may say, the texture and flavoring was to point and went very well with the very fluffy plain rice it was served with. The battered shrimp was good but, to garner the true flavor you had to dip into the Soy Sauce dip provided, the Shrimp was served with bits of Fried Battered Carrots, Sweet Peppers and Sweet Potatoes. Honestly that meal was not much to my liking but my mate enjoyed it thoroughly but maybe I mark harder lol.
She also had the Hot Saki but, I'm not so much into alchohol. I tasted it but honestly I don't know what to say about that.
I think the dining experience at East Japanese Reataurant was good, friendly helpful waiters, great ambience and we dined for under $4000.

We decided to have dessert but, elsewhere we thought of going by Devon House to have that wonderful cheese cake at Chocolate Dreams. Well we didn't quite make it there, as we were driving there was a serious downpour. We however stopped by the Brick Oven to have ice cream and maybe cake. As you might know parking there is usually a chore, we parked eventually and got inside. Ambience hmm I might say is very different from where we just left. Staff there seemed a bit more pre-occupied in the latest suss so there was no real greeting. I scanned the cake and pastry show case but nothing grabbed me. Whilst there was a great variety of offerings the presentation of the display itself could have been better.

This place I thought had a lot of promise when it just opened but, like many eateries have failed to maintain that sprit of excellence. Even the very upkeep of the surroundings have fallen. The service was once great but, management have failed to keep the staff on their toes when it comes to customer staff relations. So we ordered a one scoop cone and a double scoop Sundae. I went to get our orders and told the server the Guava for the single scoop and I wanted to taste the flavour called rocky river before deciding on it. I asked if I could taste it and the server was quick to say that there are out of tasting spoons. (I wondered what's the point of telling me that they are out of tasting spoons though)I said Ok, and asked if that meant that I won't be able to taste it, she said yes(with an inappropriate tone) and began opening a spoon for the sample. I tasted it and exclaimed that it wasn't different from regular chocolate and another server who realized that my server wasn't going to explain the difference, told me that it had marshmallows and nuts. I decided to have a go at it along with coffee topped with choc syrup and nuts.
We sat down and ate, I have found though that Devon house iscream is not half of what it was like back then in terms of the flavouring.
Despite not making it to Devon House to chocolate Dreams for cheese cake our outing to dine was great.

Bye for now,
John

Until another outing....