Come savour all the flavours

Slowly grilled, evenly marinated herb chicken breast topped with crispy smoked bacon with guacamole and garlic aioli nestled between buns is among the savoury meals on the Margaritaville menu in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay for the upcoming Restaurant Week.

Sous chef Glendon McFarlene, who has the responsibility to oversee the menu at Margaritaville in Montego Bay, uncovered the secret behind this scrumptious burger dubbed the California Chicken Burger.

"We had to ensure that all the flavours worked well with each other. Even the cheese that is in the burger played a critical role. We used Swiss cheese because if we used other kinds of cheese it would have changed the entire taste of the burger. The guacamole gave it an interesting flavour on the taste buds, especially when you begin to chew it with the smoked crispy bacon," the chef explained.

Chef McFarlene has 21 years of experience in the business of food. After spending some 15 years at the Sandals Resorts Group, he moved to Margaritaville when, in his opinion, he has done a lot to advance his knowledge in the business side of the food.

"When you work in a resort, you only focus on preparing the food. You don't have to think about cost management, prepare budgets and balance the business side of food. At Margaritaville, I've really learnt a lot about the business side that has helped me to grow. In addition, chef Cecil Jagdath has really taught me a lot," he noted.

As an appetiser, Chef McFarlene outlined that during Restaurant Week persons have the opportunity to have their choice of conch fritters, potato wedges or an in-house favourite, chilli cheese fries.

Made from ground beef, the spicy home-made chilli drizzled on fries with diced tomatoes, scallion and melted cheese topped with sour cream is not only creative, but just absolutely delicious.

- Sheena Gayle