Nothing express about KATANA EXPRESS

I was passing by Loshusan Shopping Centre and I decided to try KATANA EXPRESS, which is located inside the supermarket.

I had been here several times before and it seemed to me like a fair and nice option for a speedy lunch time. What gave this place the attribute of NICE was the service they provided because it was friendly, efficient and EXPRESS.

Well, those are things of the past. They have neglected their service and the quality of their food under the very same supervision of the owner.

I entered their little space at 12:35 PM and I was seated by the entrance. Suprinsingly, it took them approximately 10 minutes to come to my table and throw their menu at me. No explanation provided. Then, it took them around 15 minutes to come back and ask me if I was ready to order.

Finally, I did place my order and the food arrived 25 minutes later. Meanwhile, I was trying to figure out why the waitresses were so disorganized and why the owner, or who I supposed it is the owner, was peacefully sitting at a table in a corner without noticing the disdain and carelessly attitude of her staff.

Food wise, I have to say that Katana’s rolls were not really worth the price I paid for them and flavour was not outstanding at all. If they meant to be any kind of side option for East at the Marketplace, they have lost heir mark.

What really surprises me is that they were not able to maintain their service standards for the time they have been in operation. Although it has never been top quality sushi, it used to be a nice lunch experience... after all.

However, somewhere in that process, they dropped the ball.

Shame on them!

I do not recommend KATANA EXPRESS at all and I really encourage its owner to pay more attention to details such as dirty cutlery and plates, servers attitude and speed… after all they want to call themselves EXPRESS.

So, my dear blog reader, keep on eating!

Thanksgiving Galore!

There I was, getting in late for my Thanksgiving dinner invitation at Susie’s. I have to say that I was kind of excited about Susie’s Bakery new phase. I had been to the bar and I was content with the experience, mostly because the service is outstanding. You see from the start that there is an interest from the ownership to satisfy the customer.

When I saw they were going to participate in KRW 2008, I was kind of puzzled because I was accustomed to the idea of Susie’s as a bakery. Although I knew about their lunch service on their both locations and even their very famous breakfast service on Sundays at Southdale Plaza, the idea of seeing Susie’s participating in the same category as East, Aubergine, Jewel of India and Strawberry Hill disoriented me a little.

From what I heard and the look at the menu that I took, their offer was remarkable and people’s comments were good. Everybody was recommending Susie’s as the new hottest spot in town. Therefore, the Thanksgiving dinner invitation was really the best opportunity to see Susie’s at its best.

Well, the menu, which I would have preferred to see in writing, was nice and although I was wanting a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the Jamaican Christmas selections were getting me already in the season’s spirit.

I asked for their lamb chops and let me tell you that these have been one of the best ones that I have tried in a long time. They were also offering rib eye steak, curried shrimp and sliced lamb.

We got our dishes and off we started to eat. I was not very satisfied with the presentation of my dish and I quickly glanced at my party and they all looked the same. I have to say that, presentation wise, these were not very attractive. I also have to mention that there were mixed feeling across the table and not everyone was as happy as I was with my chops.

This is to be taken care of because good service and quality food have to go hand in hand with a constant delivery of good flavor and presentation throughout their selection.

My advice to Susie’s is to tune up those details in order to achieve a flawless delivery. The key of a winning high-level dish is not in the exaggerated amount of food thrown in a plate, as I felt it was done in the case of my Thanksgiving dinner, but in the right combination of quality food, eye appeal and right flavors.

Susie’s is really the hottest place in town. The bar is really nice and the ambiance is superb, but they need to work on few details of their dinner experience to reach their standards they have apparently set for themselves.

As I end this review, allow me to take advantage of these celebrations and the true meaning of Thanksgiving to thank all the persons that read my blog and participate in good spirit.

Your support has been a true blessing.

So, my dear blog readers … keep on eating!

Down with CHEZ MARIA!

Marrying different kinds of food in one place is often times a very hard task to achieve...

I believe that what makes a fusion place successful is not only the combination of food on their menus, but the coherence of their particular concept throughout that facility.

People visiting a fusion restaurant must be able to read that particular food concept from the minute they set foot on that place. They must see it on their décor, their ambiance and, needless to say, on their menu.

This is the case of CHEZ MARIA. They have a fantastic Mediterranean menu, which is truly representative of that region. But I personally think that they have failed at delivering this concept throughout their restaurant.

As soon as you enter CHEZ, you are hinted at the golden days of this place. Two bars, inside and outside dining, servers posted at the door to welcome the clients and mellow music.

Unfortunately, Chez Maria’s good 'ole days are gone and their brazen disregard is showing. Poor quality food, smelly napkins and tablecloths, plastic chairs, slow service, careless servers and disregarded clients.

My LAST meal there was a disaster. I was sitting at a big table with friends and we were not all served at the same time. I was really distraught at seeing that the place was almost empty and the servers were not efficient enough to take good care of ALL the guests… and there were quite a number of these SERVERS! This is clearly a management error and I would not want to imagine what would happen if the place were at least half full.

Although I think that their hummus is the best in town and that they are able to do better than my last experience, I prefer not to visit CHEZ MARIA again for a long time.

They need to have their place overhauled. We should not settle for less than better service and servers, better attention to detail and concept coherence all the way through.

So, my dear blog readers, when thinking to go to Chez Maria, think it twice. There are other options in Kingston where your dining experience will be far better.

Let CHEZ MARIA's people know that they have to take their business seriously or they will keep on losing clients.

Keep on eating ...and reporting!

CHILITOS (CHILL-EAT-OS) on Hope Road

JA-MEXICAN food!

What a clever combination!

I have been to Chilitos several times and my view has fluctuated every time I go. I was sold on this idea since the very beginning, because it seemed to be a new option among the scarce selection of fast food places in Kingston. But sometimes, I feel that I am not very attracted to the place itself.

Let me explain...

Chilitos not only did it present itself like a new option... it was a "cool" option. They have created a quasi-lounge ambiance in that old house located on Hope Road that makes me want to see where they can go. Unfortunately, they have not gone further.

This place gives you the option of seating at their verandah or even their at their porch listening to NICE music, which says a lot about their relaxed atmosphere. They also have a room filled with posters of music artists, some sofas, chairs and magazines, which reminds me of a nice bar that I visited once in Paris.

The Parisian bar in question was an eclectic mixture of furniture, music and drinks that was called Le bar sans nom (The Unnamed Bar) and it was characterized for a very laid-back and hip atmosphere. Once, I even saw Sydney Pollack entering that bar and I immediately realized that the place was set to be full of amazing stories.

Chilitos has the laid-back effect place (unintended comparison) and it's full of young people and music. The managers are very nice and the concept is attractive. However, even though I am fascinated with the idea of having a JAMEX (TEXMEX) restaurant and I am in tune with the lounge idea, I feel that Chilitos needs to pay closer attention to some details, such as lighting, tidiness, concept coherence and customer comfort.

We were lacking the variety of TEXMEX cuisine in Kingston and I believe this is a good start.

Nonetheless, go there, try their TACO SALADS, their FLAUTAS, their BURRITOS and their CHIMICHANGAS. If you find yourself spoilt for choice, ask one of the staff members and they'll be delighted to advise you about their options. Go with their FRESH juice options, which is far better than a soda pop.

If you want to take full advantage of the JAMEX experience, try Chilitos on a day where they have a live music group. You will be in awe at the mixture of Texmex food and Jamaican underground ambiance.

So, my dear blog readers... are you up for Jamex tonight? If so, drop by Chilitos and don't forget to let them know that we are expecting MORE!

Keep on eating and demanding good service!

CAFE AUBERGINE @ The Market Place

This place is really WONDERFUL.

Perhaps, it may not be suitable to visit on a daily basis, due to the pricy menu, but it's certainly fitting for special occasions... and they will let you feel that way.

Aubergine has all the ingredients for success: impeccable service, outstanding ambiance, attention to detail and FABULOUS food.

We made a stop at the outside BAR for the aperitif and we immediately knew that we were off to a good start. The people at the restaurant had prepared one exquisite table inside one of their rooms and it was nicely dressed and lit with candles all over the place. APPEARANCE, as I have always said, is extremely important and it rounds up the dinner or lunch experience.

I recommend several dishes from this restaurant: their onion soup and their bouillabaisse (restaurant’s trademarks and simply delicious), their pates (luscious and rich in flavour), and their excellent escargots (utterly delectable).

As main course, some of us went for the SURF and TURF, and it was one of the best Filet Mignons that I have tried while others tried the DUCK and their PORK medallions. Everything was extremely delicious!

I have dined at Cafe Aubergine in other occasions and the experience has always been FANTASTIC. They have transferred all the charm and flavours of their place in Moneague to Kingston with flying colours.

Even their other more casual restaurant option, CAFE ROMA, is a success! Try it for lunch and you will see what service is all about. Please, ask for the TIRAMISU for dessert!

Two thumbs up for Cafe Aubergine, waiters and charming owners!

So, dear blog readers, comment, share and, most of all, keep on EATING!

Oh... TGIF!

I have given a try to TGIF several times, but it does not seem to conquer me. I was very enthusiastic about this place when they first opened in 2005 because it really offered a new alternative for a nice food at a good price. However, it seems that time has caught up with them and they have not made any effort o keep themselves up to date. Even this American food chain has tried to remain "cool" in the USA by adding new plates to their menus, improving their service formula and being creative.

Here in Jamaica they seem to be at a STANDSTILL. Although, servers really make an effort to keep their smiles ON at all times, the quality of the food has gone downhill. The famous TGIF's burgers are really meager and their steaks are almost invisible in size, just to mention a couple of examples.

I was there today, against my will, I should say, and it was SAD to see the level of deterioration that this restaurant has suffered. Worn out menus, damaged lamps, dirty wood boards... it was a SAD spectacle.

I went for a sure choice and ordered a fajita dish and I think that I was the luckiest on our table. My colleagues' dishes were not really appetizing and we rushed through our meals to get out of the place as soon as we could.

Notwithstanding, I have to say that the service was GOOD and the girl who served us was smiling and helpful.

I certainly believe that they need to rethink their place. Add some local dishes, TGIF style, reprint their menus, speed up the serving process, lower the music and give a in-depth clean to their place.

TGIF has a lovely location, but I think that it has not embraced Jamaica yet. We should demand that as customers... they need to be reminded that they have to keep up with our standards. We demand innovation, quality food, nice service and creativity and this has to be be part of the new GAME of the sports bar.

So, my blog readers, give me a hand in letting our dear TGIF people know that we still want of them, but we want them to be GOOD... not AVERAGE!

Keep on eating!