Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelence Writer
Small, medium and large lunches from Sue-Fah Restaurant. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WITH RISING cost of food items, especially chicken, which is now selling retail at about $85 per pound, Food found cooked box lunches for $30, $65 and $100. We kid you not!
Many students from inner-city communities of Kinston and St. Andrew are familiar with Sue-Fah Restaurant. Sue-Fah's cheap box lunches are a novel idea to some; however, for others like Angela Mckenzie, the restaurant brings back memories.
McKenzie, now 44, recalls that in her late teens while attending school in Kingston, she used to buy $1 chicken lunches at Sue-Fah. "After school, like midday, me and my friends would go to Sue-Fah and buy lunches. It saved us as many times we could only afford bus fares. But a dollar could give us a box lunch at Sue-Fah," says McKenzie.
Back then Sue-Fah was located on West Queen Street, Kingston. Now the restaurant is on Kings Street (across from Marcus Garvey's Liberty Hall building), with another branch on Ken Hill Drive in Pembroke Hall close to the boulevard in St. Andrew.
When Food visited the branch on Kings Street, there was a commotion for food. Mothers with their children were there. Jamaica Urban Tranport Company workers and many vendors were purchasing food. On the other hand, many may shy away from the restaurant. These include one customer who, because of the stigma attached to cheap food, would never go there - and certainly not in her work uniform.
Sue-Fah seems to be the refuge for many students and the poorer people. "The food nice and it cheap. Daddy cannot afford to give me whole heap a money fi lunch, so often I go there and buy my lunch in the evenings," says Jermaine Scott of St. George's Boys' School in Kingston.
The Food team took the plunge last Thursday and bought six box lunches in small, medium and large. From $500 we got back $145 change. The choices were:
Curried cow skin with white rice (small: $30).
Stewed chicken with white rice (small: $30).
Three fried chicken with rice and peas; one with vegetable, a mixture of shredded carrots and cabbage; and two lunches with macaroni (medium: $65 each).
One fried chicken with rice and peas and macaroni (large: $100).
COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOOD
The rice and peas, definitely not first quality; however, it was tender and the chicken was nice.
Truthfully, I'm surprised for such little money I didn't expect the food to be that good.
It's not gourmet food but it's all right and is a bellyful.
The chicken was well cooked. No sign of rawness.
The $30 lunch is a baby food not enough to fill an adult's stomach.
The stewed chicken is nice and is better seasoned than the lunch I have at my workplace canteen.
How can they maintain such low prices and still prepare such well-seasoned meats?
I didn't get any macaroni or vegetable in my $30 food.
