What better place to host a luncheon in honour of the Jamaican launch of the Marley Fragrance collection than at the Gap Café, a culinary haven and true representation of the island’s rich gastronomic heritage?

On Saturday, September 20, the 2022 Kaya Group-restored rustic boutique café, nestled at an altitude of 4,200 ft above sea level and located on the hillside near Hardwar Gap, welcomed an intimate group for lunch hosted by son of Bob Marley, entrepreneur Rohan Marley and Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Novia McDonald-Whyte, and catered by award-winning chef Alexa Von Strolley.

The tranquil get-away-from-it-all experience in the mountains commenced for many with a cup of freshly brewed Marley Coffee. This was followed by amuse-bouche of Earl Grey Cured Salmon Roulade with mango & bergamot crème fraîche on cassava crisp and Tiny Lemon-Sage Crab Tartlet with whipped avocado & citrus zest. There was, too, Kaya Herb House vegetarian and jerk chicken sausage pizza courtesy of Italian chef Leonardo Sammarco.

Guests now seated at the M-Style designed tablescape strewn with fruits, herbs and flora, a nod to the Marley Fragrance collection napkins-at-the-ready, perused the thoughtfully curated Von Strolley menu. “For me, food and fragrance tell stories the same way — through memory, layers, and emotion,” Von Strolley shared with
Thursday Food.

“When I designed this menu, I treated the fragrance notes like ingredients and asked myself: how would this smell/ taste on a plate? Bergamot became an Earl Grey cured salmon roulade with mango and bergamot crème fraîche on dasheen crisp. Sage grounded the lemon sage crab tartlets with whipped avocado and citrus zest, while neroli turned into a bright vinaigrette for the mandarin and grapefruit salad with avocado and candied cardamom pecans. For the main course, seared snapper with mango-agave glaze, saffron coconut rice and sage brown butter carried those warm herbal notes — and for Rohan we created a vegetarian cauliflower steak prepared the same way so he could experience the identical fragrance journey. Finally, ambrette inspired the lemon pavlova with passionfruit mango curd, giving the dessert a delicate but grounding finish. Each dish was my way of letting guests taste the Marley Fragrance journey. Usually you smell a fragrance, but here, our diners experienced it in a whole new way — on the plate, brought to life through flavour,” she concluded.

Von Strolley undoubtedly showed her range and there was effusive praise for her interpretation and stylish delivery.

Photos: Karl Mclarty & JRoyal Productions

Tiny Lemon-Sage Crab Tartlet with whipped avocado & citrus zet (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Chef Alexa Von Strolley plates the starter: Mandarin & Grapefruit Salad with avocado, candied cardamom pecans & neroli vinaigrette. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Table talk with co-hosts Rohan Marley (left), Novia McDonald-Whyte, and Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun. (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Mandarin & Grapefruit Salad with avocado, candied cardamom pecans & neroli vinaigrette (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Cauliflower Steak atop saffron rice (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

(Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Senior perfumer for DSM-Firmenich Clement Gavarry enjoying freshly-brewed Marley Coffee (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Mandarin & Grapefruit Salad with avocado, candied cardamom pecans & neroli vinaigrette (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Kaya Vegetable Pizza, homemade dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, onion, mushroom, black olives vegetable pizza (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun welcomes guests. (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Guests enjoying the main: Seared Snapper with mango-agave glaze, saffron coconut rice & sage brown butter. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Chef Alexa Von Strolley adds a dollop of mango-agave glaze to Rohan Marley’s main: Cauliflower Steak over saffron rice. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

A guest tucks into seared snapper with mango-agave glaze, saffron coconut rice & sage brown butter (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Mixologist Orane Edwards adds Cinzano Prosecco D.O.C. to orange juice for the perfect Sunrise Mimosa. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Lemon & Ambrette Pavlova with passionfruit mango curd (Photo: JRoyal Productions)