Food With A View: Urban Spoon in the Royal Mall

Ever since her childhood days, Nikki Shaw always always loved cooking. She was a fixture in the family kitchen, whipping up dishes to be savoured by all. Fortunately, she also proved to have a flair for business, whether as a manager or as an entrepreneur.

Port Antonio's Royal Mall

Within the imposing walls of the Royal Mall in port Antonio, she has ample opportunity to exercise all her attributes. She manages the property, and is also a "tenant" as proprietor of Urban Spoon, her very own restaurant on the second floor. In the cool airy confines of the eatery, patrons can sit at individual tables or at the bistro counter running along the rear wall. They can also opt for the coveted balcony seats, which look out  onto the entrance to the Errol Flynn Marina, and the bustling town square, as well as upwards towards Titchfield. Of course, if they're really in a hurry, they can have their meal to go. 

Turns out that the culinary space was not her first entry into the business arena. "With a partner, I had started a boutique, which was really a 'crash course' in business," she recalls. Remarkably, both she and the enterprise survived that crash course, and the boutique - in another location  - and restaurant are now operating satisfactorily.

For this, the owner gives copious credit to her staff. "I really have a tremendous team here," she points out. "People who really get that we're trying to offer a higher level of service and they just pitch in and they just jump and give as the situation requires, and that makes a difference."

The interior of Urban Spoon

Of course, the proof is in the eating as they say. Two visits in quick succession - on which we saw repeat customers -  confirmed that the chef knew his way around a savoury piece of meat. The stew pork consumed on our first visit was tender and juicy from start to finish, with just the right proportion of seasoning. On our second visit, we switched to the "house specialty" bar-b-fry chicken, and found that too, to be near perfect, crispy outside, succulent on the inside, with a sweet sauce nicely tempered by hints of ginger, pimento and cinnamon(?). The rice and peas was a little stickier than we'd like on both dys, but markedly better the second day.

Urban Spoon is located in the Royal Mall
opens for breakfast lunch and dinner (will remain until the last customer leaves)
Prices: - US$3-5 for the typical meal (including soda or most soft drinks)

Pimento Lodge: Commanding The Heights

travel along the sweep of Portland's  spectacular Long Bay and the surf, wave after wave of liquid azure crystal, dominates. The sea hurls itself against the accepting shoreline.

Journey up the short, steep hill that runs off the main "square" however, ans a different perspective emerges. The water appears calmer, almost as if one could walk on it


From the balcony or from the expansive pool deck of the Pimento Lodge hotel, if you look down at the Caribbean, closes your  eyes, then open them again, its not hard to have visions of some Mediterranean hilltop villa say, in Italy or Greece.


Billed as "a boutique, family run hotel born of a Jamaican/German partnership" the resort first took shape just about six years ago, when owner Lloyd edwards and his wife returned home after living for many years in the UK as well as in Germany


He had no prior experience in the hospitality industry, but he knew he had a gem of a property on his hands that could be transformed, with not inconsiderable amounts of capital and  sweat equity, into an attractive resort.

Six years later, with the aforementioned stunning poolside panorama, Afro-inspired artwork (by artist Katapul) and eight "suite-sized" guest rooms, Pimento Lodge stands ready to welcome all looking to add that critical extra dimension to the splendid but  well-worn "sun, sea, sand" vacation experience.


Visitors can choose from any number of accommodation packages, from room only, to all-inclusive. and hey, as long as you don't test the wicked undertow, sun, sea and sand is a short hop down the hill if you still desire.


Pimento Lodge can be reached at:

info@pimentolodge.com

Tel. Jamaica + 876 882 5068

Tel. U.K + 44 (0) 7899 801118

Tel Germany + 49 176 764 764 45

Pimento Lodge Resort,
Rose Garden, Long Bay,
Portland