(Photo: Naphtali Junior)
Preps are complete, knives sharpened and chefs ready to put their skills on full display. The award-winning Jamaica Food+Drink Festival, now in its eighth year, opened last evening with Jamaica's much-loved protein: Pork; continues this evening with Vintage (sorry but this event is fully-subscribed) and heads into the weekend with Crisp, Friday night at the Kingston Waterfront, Picante at Hope Gardens on Saturday and culminates Sunday, with the hot-ticket Brunch.
Prior to the festival start however, event principals and sponsors enjoyed two Wednesdays ago, a Sneak Taste of each evening's offerings at the Jamaica Food and Drink Kitchen.
Thursday Food takes you inside an evening of exquisite fare and cocktails sprinkled with the requisite bonhomie.
Jamaica Food+Drink Festival principals, partners and friends raise a toast to the eighth staging of the award-winning event Naphtali Junior
Salt & pepper pork with Beijing noodles and marinated cucumbers by Kerry Lyn (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
Picante by Lisa ChinHoney scotchy scallops with bacon butter corn hashNaphtali Junior
Crisp by Theo SmithOctopus spring roll with spicy coconut sauce paired with Heineken Beer Naphatali Junior
Chef Theo Smith presents his Crisp by Theo Smith (below): octopus spring roll with spicy coconut sauce paired with an ice cold Heineken beer Naphtali Junior
Salt & pepper pork with Beijing noodles and marinated cucumbers paired with 'Apple Pie on the Rocks'Naphtali Junior
"Apple Pie on The Rocks" (inset) was the perfect complement for Kerry Lyn's salt and pepper pork with Beijing noodles and marinated cucumbersNaphtali Junior
Picante (below) presented by Lisa Chin:Honey scotchy scallops with bacon butter corn hash paired with Cavicchioli ProseccoNaphtali Junior
Saleema Barclay's trio of desserts: mini passionfruit chocolate kisselo on lemon tuille, mini pear mint pavlova with white chocolate yoghurt mousse, and mini red wine glazed strawberry grape tartletsNaphtali Junior
Charissa Skyers' buttermilk jerk fried chicken, brown butter cornbread, pickled watermelon rinds, scotchy pimento honey is captured by a guest Naphtali Junior
New York strip, thyme & scotch bonnet au jus, shallot confit, fried capers, potato pave, rosemary truffle aioli paired with Robert Mondavi Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Naphtali Junior
Alexa von Strolley (above) presents her New York strip, thyme & scotch bonnet au jus, shallot confit, fried capers, potato pave, rosemary truffle aioli paired (at left) with Robert Mondavi Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for JFDF Vintage Naphtali Junior
Charissa Skyers (inset) presents buttermilk jerk fried chicken, brown butter cornbread, pickled watermelon rinds, scotchy pimento honey — captured here by a guest — paired with Ruffin Prosecco Rose for the JFDF BrunchNaphtali Junior
Saleema Barclay presents her trio of desserts: mini passionfruit chocolate kisselo on lemon tuilleMini pear mint pavlova with white chocolate yoghurt mousseMini red wine glazed strawberry grape tartlets paired with Ruffino MoscatoNaphtali Junior
Jamaica Food+Drink Festival Sneak Taste Six-Course MenuNaphtali Junior
NCB execs Tracy-Ann Spence (left), chief operating officer NCB Capital Markets and Audrey McIntosh, NCB Head of Private Banking raise Heineken toasts to their institutions first-time involvement in the Jamaica Food + Drink Festival Naphtali Junior
JFDF Sneak Taste six-course menu was presented by (from left) Kerry Lyn, Alexa von Strolley, Lisa Chin, Saleema Barclay, Charissa Skyers and Theo Smith Naphtali Junior
Ovando Gayle, Select Brands mixologist presents the welcome melon cooler beverage (left) and the "Apple Pie on the Rocks" Naphtali Junior
Desserts by Saleema Barclay for JFDF 2022Naphtali Junior
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