Tuesday 31 January 2012

Dollyz cafe Concord

a lazy saturday morning so husband and i decided to make a trip to concord one of our favourite weekend brunch spots. tried to go to espresso organica which was closed til late january. so looked for the place with most people and found dollyz cafe. husband wanted breakfast and he ordered eggs benedict with salmon only $12.50. while i had to have some carbs so went for the spag bol also only $12.50. lots of flies everywhere - all around majors bay road but food was great with good servings and quick service.

food 7/10
value 9/10
service 8/10
ambience 7/10

Friday 20 January 2012

Ta Fong Noodles Homebush West

my ongoing search for the perfect pho. i have been eating at the flemington pho restaurants ever since i was about 6 years old. abandoning my regular pho at saigon (across from the station), i thought i'd try this place on henley road.
i am not going to give points for service or ambience because generally these places are pretty dirty and the service is awful - but that really goes together with a pho joint.

the stock here was a bit thick and a bit sweet for my liking. and the beef was too thick.

i also had the rice paper rolls with prawn and pork. okay but nothing to write home about.

so the pho score - with a bowl of pho costing $9

is 6/10


Ta Fong Noodle House on Urbanspoon

Thursday 19 January 2012

Exquisito Rhodes

just a quick lunch at rhodes food court. havent had a good baked potato for awhile. got myself a baked spud with ham and pineapple with garlic butter, sour cream and shallots (isnt it actually meant to be chives).

anyway $7.90 for the spud and $1 extra to get a can of drink. they only have the schweppes type drinks.

potato has gotten a lot smaller than i remember. otherwise tasted ok

price 7/10
taste 7/10
ambience 6/10
service 7/10

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Jonga Jip Eastwood

Bossam is a classic korean dish where you have cooked pork that you have together with kimchi, lettuce, spiced radish often mixed with oysters.
Jonga Jip does this dish really well, especially if you order the large one and it comes out in a big basket.

Also the great thing about this restaurant is all the side dishes - i think 8-10 different types.
Allows you to taste various korean dishes
It has the tables with the electronic bells you can press to get the waiter so that you're not sitting around for the waiter to come all day.


Food 8/10
Price 7/10
Ambience 7/10
Service 8/10

Jonga Jip on Urbanspoon

Ragu Pasta & Wine Bar Sydney Westfield

there are so many places to eat at westfield sydney food court. i ve been to most of the places now but this was before i had started the blog so no photos. Anyway tried the pasta joint in the middle of the food court which claims to make their own pasta. gave the humble lasagna a go. for $17 the size of the dish was pretty small - it is just a food court after all. i assume since it took quite a while to come out that it was freshly made - none of that cafe microwave things. there is a separate eat in area which i assume would cost more as it requires table service but didnt ask.

food 6/10
price 5/10
ambience 6/10
service 7/10





Ragu Pasta & Wine Bar on Urbanspoon

Thursday 5 January 2012

Pancakes Plus Cafe Bankstown

Pancakes have to be one of my favourite breakfast foods.
But I also like to eat them randomly during the day.
Anyway whilst working a short stint in Bankstown I discovered the pancake cafe in Bankstown Centro.
Next to the fruit shop, quite dimly lit, casual eatery.
Had the lemon pancakes.
They're not as fluffy as the ones at Pancakes on the Rocks and after eating one I wonder if they were slightly underdone.
But anyway enough to fill my pancake craving.



Price 7/10
Taste 6/10
Service 6/10
Ambience 5/10

Fortune Palace Chinese Restaurant Carlingford Village

So I am fan of crustaceans and I must say that lobsters definitely provide the most meat.
So on my quest to find yummy affordable lobster, and calling up different places to find out prices I came across Fortune Palace Chinese Restaurant in Carlingford Village advertising $28.80 for 1/2 kg of lobster.
Now - not being Chinese could not read anything but the numbers, and I'm sure there was fine print in there. (plus no writing in English at all for the seafood)


So we walk in and ask for lobster to share between 2 people
and here comes the catch (which I have been subsequently told is common in chinese restaurants) - I need to order 2 other dishes. mmm... anyway can't argue with the rules so end up ordering random vegetables and meat that didn't really want to have.


The ginger and shallot lobster I must say was quite yum.
Since then we have gone back a couple of occasions and each time the criteria seems to change - they have different prices on weight.
On one occasion there was a chlorine type smell to the lobster which I later googled to find out that meant they may not be fresh. Also, the last time the sauce was gluggy.

Why to I keep going back - because it is cheap lobster. Still about 1/2 the price at other restaurants.
Service is variable. I think in any chinese restaurant you're never treated as well if you don't speak the language. But generally there have been english speaking waiters that make sure we get out free post dinner red bean soup, orange piece and glutinous rice balls.

Price 8/10
Taste 7/10
Service 5/10
Ambience 5/10

Fortune Seafood restaurant on Urbanspoon

Oliver Brown Chocolate Cafe Top Ryde

Hidden in one of the tunnels along the Piazza at Top Ryde Shopping Centre, this is a chocolate cafe good for a post meal stop.
Being a keen waffle fan - and loving the ones from Max Brenner, tried the waffles here.
Not sure if they are made on premises, but they were the tough Belgian type.
Smothered with chocolate.
Must say I like the Max Brenner ones better.

Quite a lot of mothers with prams so not the best place to catch up on reading.


Price 6/10
Taste 6/10
Service 7/10
Ambience 7/10

Oliver Brown on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Ca De Vin Melbourne

Desperately wanting pasta whilst shopping in Melbourne.
Did a quick google search and realised there was an Italian joint just nearby.

Had the seafood pasta - and initially tasted great, but there were fine fish bones in the pasta which made the experience slightly unpleasant.







Price 6/10
Taste 6/10
Service 7/10
Ambience 6/10




Ca de Vin on Urbanspoon

Garran Bakery Cafe

Known for its cakes
Just looks like an ordinary bakery with your morning rush of tradies wanting their meat pies
Had a croissant and juice for breakfast



Price 7/10
Taste 7/10
Service 7/10
Ambience 6/10

Mee's Sushi Manuka, Canberra

The problem with Canberra is that there are no decent sushi places
They consider sushi as in the rolls - mmm...
Anyway - I guess when desperate you just have to accept what's available




Price 7/10
Taste 6/10
Service 7/10
Ambience 6/10

Mudcrab at home

The local mud crab supplier in Canberra
Mr Crab http://mrcrab.com.au/
delivers live mud crab to your door - for anywhere between $30-40 per kg - depends on season, male or female and how long since they've flown over from the Northern Territory

Crustaceans have got to be my favourite food type
So with no help from hubby - preparation of Singaporean Chilli Crab

BEFORE

AFTER

Cosmorex Coffee Canberra

My hubby is absolutely obsessed with coffee
So while in Canberra he insisted on driving to Cosmorex - to get his fresh roast
Anyway I'm one of those people who go to a coffee place and orders a hot chocolate - great creamy texture to the milk though





Price 8/10
Taste 8/10
Service 8/10
Ambience 8/10

XY Dumpling House Canberra

For a person that loves yum cha as much as myself - an all you can eat yumcha restaurant was just too irresistible to pass up on.

For $16.80 for lunch - can eat as much as you can handle
The quality of the yum cha is substandard and I'm sure they use the frozen stuff but still - so cheap

This was the restaurant in Belconnen.
There is also one at the Deakin sports centre which seemed to have a few more customers.



Price 9/10
Taste 6/10
Service 7/10
Ambience 5/10

Kingsleys Steakhouse Canberra

October 2011
Needed to fill by meat craving and what better way than a trip to a steakhouse
Kingsleys is located within the shopping centre at canberra centre


Price 6/10
Taste 6/10
Service 6/10
Ambience 7/10

Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse on Urbanspoon

Sage Restaurant Canberra

This was our night out after hubby passed his exam.
The entrees were fantastic but I was a bit disappointed by the lamb which had a huge bit of uncooked fat attached - as per the waitress that is how it's meant to be.

Had the 3 courses for $70pp

Entrees
- yellowfin tuna ravioli; slow cooked pork belly (huge size for entree - hubby was full just after this)
Mains
- duck a l'orange, roasted lamb rump


Desserts
- butterscotch creme brûlée, warm chocolate and lapsang souchong fondant with kiwi foam


Price 7/10
Taste 5/10
Service 6/10
Ambience 7/10



Sage Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Sydney Olympic Park Golf

Loving the weekend offer of spending $15 on breakfast and getting a free small bucket of balls.
This time went just for the breakfast while hubby practiced on the driving range

Big breakfast for $15


Price 9/10
Taste 7/10
Service 8/10
Ambience 8/10