Archive for Jamaica
I had the pleasure of creating yet another spectacular wedding for my clients, Joy & Norman, in Negril, Jamaica in March 2010 and again walked away just awed by the resourcefulness and friendly professionalism of Negril. Dubbed the capital of casual, the friendly and laid back town boasts many talented artist and artisans such as the folks at Kush Art; beautiful properties - too many to name here, and gregarious and warm residents such as, Lembert, driver of the One Love Shuttle and president of the Negril Cluster, an association that is redefining Negril as the heart of Jamaica’s cultural mecca and the place to taste and do everything Jamaican.
As a destination planner who specializes in Jamaica, I am also very aware of the environment and try to incorporate elements of green into my client’s weddings. I do this by locally sourcing as much of their wedding needs as is possible and this gives me the opportunity to meet with an amazing array of Jamaican talent.
In comes Ryan, the artist and owner of Kush Art on Negril’s One Love Drive. This is a must stop on your tour of attractions of the west end of town because here you can find any items handcrafted from bamboo, wood, clay or fabric. All their work is custom made and by hand and is in essence the closest you can get to commissioning your own work of art, whether it be furniture, a painting of jewelry or clothing. Ryan has produced chargers, candle holders and trays for my tabletops and has also produced jewelry for my brides as gifts for her bridesmaids.
Another noteworthy mention is that whether wedding vendor or not, everyone is willing to assist with your vision of your clients wedding and even when an off the cuff and slightly quirky idea blossoms (aka coconut husks as vases!), the local coconut vendor will be happy to help and will even have them delivered via scooter taxi when I am too busy to make the pick up myself!
Though my clients are happily off honeymooning at Breezes Negril, I continue to receive many quick notes of thanks for a day well done and as they remember little parts of their wedding that was meaningful to them.
Congratulations Norman and Joy!
Moving on to epicurean and delectable delights and you can walk into the Palm Court Restaurant at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, Strawberry Hill Hotel, Norma’s on the Terrace at The Devon House or Red Bones Blues Café. Any of these restaurants will treat you to fine dining and customer service as only Jamaicans can. If you can imagine it, they can find it. Anything and everything is on the menu, at a price! It is well worth the extra expense however because it is a food experience that you will find hard to top. From hand rolled sushi to fresh seafood dishes and the best steak tartare (The Palm Court Restaurant), topped with signature cheesecakes and fresh brewed Blue Mountain Coffee (with a dash of 125 year old VX Special, if you wish!).
Many classic dishes are done with a dash of island flavor to make them uniquely Jamaican; so tropical fruit flavours to complement steak Roquefort; sweet potato fries to replace the traditional savoury fries; mint, pineapple and mango flavours with pork and lamb served up with superb sunsets and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea are all on the menu.
Strawberry Hill Hotel or Boone Hall Oasis is a must do for Sunday Brunch if you are in Kingston. Perched 3100 ft above sea level in the Blue Mountains, the former will give you high mountain air, majestic views, extravagance and luxury. Their Seville Orange seared Duck Breast or Jerk Style Lamb Rack will give you an idea of that island flavor on the classics I mentioned earlier. As a favourite, I am partial to their Ceviche Martini with a vodka libation!
Boone Hall Oasis by comparison is a rustic, totally Jamaican experience by the river, however don’t be fooled by the location. Stephen and his team will whip up anything from an international buffet that will surprise and tantalize your palate and as you take off your shoes and wade into the river to sample your goodies on a rock, you will know the true meaning of a foodie’s paradise! Recommendations include their shrimp dish in a rum sauce (he won’t budge with the recipe!!) and this year for restaurant week they had a codfish bruschetta in an avocado shell (maybe they’ll make it for you if you ask really nicelyJ) and coconut ice cream served in a papaya boat, sprinkled with ortanique liquer, and there’s that island flavor again…
Moving on to the Palm Court Restaurant at the Hilton Kingston will take you into international cuisine as only an international hotel like the Hilton knows how to deliver. Anything and everything goes as Olivier and his team strive for perfection everyday and brings the best of Asia, Europe and North America to your table. Everything on the menu is fabulous and please never order your steak well done as this French Food & Beverage Director will remove it from your table and to the nearest bin…”It is simply a barbaric way to have a steak”! Tres desagreable (pardon my french if I messed that up!).
Alas! I have waxed poetic about food for long enough and need to move on. Check back tomorrow for more destination wedding news from 2009!
Food in Jamaica….where do I begin?
I guess this will probably be a two part post because it is important to note that you can find any type of cuisine in Jamaica for any kind of palate and on any type of budget.
Maybe I will just borrow the categories that restaurant week uses so that I can separate and give you a variety. Let’s start with restaurants that serve Jamaican fare, and we’ll call that Tasty! The first ones that come to mind are Starapple’s on Hope Road in Kingston, Bobsled in the Montego Bay Airport Departure Lounge, Gloria’s Roadside and Top Shop for seafood in Port Royal, Gimbilyn Restaurant at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston and for local flavor if you are adventurous, the “pan chicken” stop at the corner of Mannings Hill Road and Whitehall Avenue also in Kingston. Those would be my top picks for great Jamaican flavor anytime. There are certainly many other places that you can find the experience but these are my favourites.
At the restaurants, you can find traditional Jamaican meals such as the island’s national dish of ackee ( a local tree grown vegetable) and saltfish (salted cod) with fried dumplings ( a mixture of flour, salt and water, made into a dough and then fried) or boiled green bananas. You will also have a choice of many more local or regional dishes to tempt your palate with island flavor. You will also be able to get fresh seafood, and when I say fresh, I mean literally just caught and brought to the restaurant directly from a fishing boat (Gloria’s for example, is right by the seaside) cleaned and seasoned and cooked to your liking.
No Jamaican experience would be complete without jerk chicken or jerk pork with festival (a dough made from flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and water and fried…yes we do love fried!) hardough bread or bammy (a savoury cake made from dried cassava flour and salt and baked on a large flat, metal disc over a wood fire). You can find this quintessential Jamaican dish on any street corner, on any road, in any parish on the island! There are many popular places for this in every parish, Faith’s Pen in St. Catherine, enroute from Kingston to Ocho Rios Portland Jerk Center as well as a myriad of stops on Spur Tree Hill on the border of Manchester and St. Elizabeth.
Stay tuned for more epicurean and delectable Jamaican delights from our diary as we taste our way through 2009!
