Date nights with Steffi
Karuso with Pamputtee
Published:Thursday | December 15, 2022 | 1:07 AM
The sharing of a meal can form part of a love story, a memorable family occasion, and the way people connect and reconnect. Join me in uncovering some of the best spots in Jamaica to enjoy a meal with the person of your choice. Put on your best outfit, come with a hunger for flavour, and step out on the town for ‘Date nights with Steffi’.
There’s nothing that says Christmas is coming more than the stunning artistry that awaits, walking through the decorated plazas and even those sweet and savoury specials on a restaurant’s menu during the festive period. ‘Tis the season to be merry and bright, and I could not think of someone whose personality matched the holiday mood better than Pamputtae. The popular female dancehall artiste accepted my invitation to chitchat over cocktails at Karuso, located in Tropical Plaza, without hesitation.
She had lots she wanted to bring me up to speed about, following a ‘winning’ feature on Nicki Minaj’s Fine Nine remix of the Likkle Miss dancehall hit originally by Skeng.
Karuso is part of a small and growing cluster of cafes, giving Jamaica a polished, modern, worldly view of sweet cuisine. It was first introduced as a neighbourhood milkshake shop in the heart of the bustling shopping area of Kingston, but one that offered an experience for customers to exercise their creativity, whether the order was a milky creation, ice cream, or pastry. And recently, they added cocktails to the menu, perfect for a date night or post-dinner treat.
“I don’t drink alcohol,” declared Pamputtae as soon as the word cocktails was mentioned, but a few minutes later, our server brought out two special mixes topped with whipped cream, which the Championship artiste could not – and did not – resist. This led us to declare a ‘cheat day’ as we indulged in treats she rarely would.
The cocktails, ‘Milky Way’, made with rum cream, and the ‘Coffee Delight’, which though usually made with a blend of chocolate liqueur and vodka, was tweaked a tiny bit, due to my allergic reactions to vodka. (Weird, I know but I can’t remember if it was just one of those allergies I developed after my second child). The mixologist was understanding and stated that if there was anything a customer needed to change, they would see how best to try and accommodate them.
“That’s what I really like about the staff,” Pamputtae shared, “the service.”
She continued, “Me like that them tend to everybody that walk in, and all of the staff members wearing a smile on them face.”
SOUND BONES
Pamputtae, who was diagnosed with diabetes after the birth of her second son, Jahzere, explained that while her medical condition is of major concern, it does not require her taking insulin and she controls her blood glucose levels, keeping them within the desired range.
She said: “My doctors warn me about controlling my diabetes. I know I’m not perfect, but I try my best to do the right thing in terms of keeping my sugar levels under control. So these cocktails are a once in a blue moon thing. Me love food, but me nuh eat too much of one thing. It means that if I feed on ice cream today, I won’t have it tomorrow or the next day, and if I feel for a beer, I don’t have the entire bottle, maybe a half of it.”
By this point in our conversation, we had demolished our cocktails and moved on to munching on some wraps served with breadfruit chips and the Karuso secret sauce. She had the turkey ham wrap and I went for the chicken. Pamputtae immediately stated, “Eating breadfruit makes you a coward,” but as she continued to dip into the chips, she rebutted with the Jamaican proverb which says, ‘a cowardly man keeps sound bones’ and that she wanted sound bones.
We couldn’t end the evening without a challenge. Pamputtae lives for challenges, and we decided to race through our dessert. Oh gosh … more sweets!!! It was only right that we named it the ‘Karuso Championships’. The ‘Colour Me Coconut’ (which was dubbed by me, the Colour Me Happy Milkshake as seeing the cool mixture gave me a warm and cheerful feeling) and the ‘Elf Shake’, a Christmas special topped with sprinkles and wafers, will give anyone - boy, girl, man, or woman - a sugar rush. Who won? I say it was inconclusive, but Pamputtae is a woman who takes her wins wherever she goes. Truth be told, we were unable to finish them and recommend that anyone who tries them grab a bottle of water to go. Still, it was a sweet end to our one-on-one drinks and dinner outing.
Pamputtae’s review: “It was a good experience. The cocktails were good. I really enjoyed the breadfruit chips mainly because they were lightly seasoned and how fresh they were. The wrap was a healthy addition, and though small, it was still filling. I came there hungry, but I don’t think that is what had the effect on my tastes because I’m a foodie that knows good food. I would pick out if something wasn’t good. It was satisfying. As I said, it was a cheat day, but the cocktails weren’t too sweet, I just make sure to flush my system with water and maybe I’ll have some of my detox tea. I really enjoyed the ‘Karuso championships’ – you know I came out on top, winning – and those milkshakes are definitely something I’d treat my sons to.”