Exuding a seductively French ambiance — the French Embassy is a stone’s throw away — and tucked away on Hillcrest Avenue in Kingston, Fromage Gourmet Market has always felt like a welcome departure from the culinary norm. For two years, the bistro-style eatery has expertly catered to the Euro-centric palate with a delectable selection of savoury, slow-cooked braises and salads; a menu so good, one could hardly imagine adding or subtracting a single thing. Yet, it seems proprietor and enterprising chef Lisa-Gaye Chin, recently bitten by all things Asian, has managed to do just that!

What began as a sort of gastronomic experiment soon erupted into a public demand for new items to be permanently added to the lunch menu. “We participated in KGN Kitchen, and tried a few new things. The customer response was positive,” Chin told Thursday Life. “We sold out in no time. So we’ve added them to our menu and just in time for the holiday season.”

The new menu is barely a week old, and the upsurge in lunchtime patrons is already noticeable. If this season’s cravings extend to aromatic entrees with a touch of zest, the new menu options of Ital Pasta, Cobb Salad, Korean Pulled Pork Brioche, Crabwich, Crab Lollipop, Bacon and Brie flatbread, Steak and Cheese sandwich, Pulled Pork flatbread, Creamy Pesto Pasta, and the Bang Bang Shrimp Po’ Boy are bound to please.

Visit Fromage at 8 Hillcrest Avenue and give us your feedback:lifestyle@jamaicaobserver.com