Kornat (Zadar, Croatia) 08/2018

By now we have eaten at dozens of Croatian restaurants. The food has always been fresh and varied from haute cuisine to generally reasonable home cooking. Venues have been characterised by their simplicity. Many have had incredibly beautiful views from sea side or port side settings. Some have had elegant crockery and glassware and some food has been served with extreme attention to detail and presentation. What has been absent, so far, has been a truly attractive and elegant venue. Kornat is the exception. From the large white clothed tables,

to the comfortable chairs, the solid cutlery and the fine Rona glassware, the uniformed waiters, the bar showing silent Charlie Chaplin movies on a wide screen 

to the art nouveau decor including the attractive glass ceiling 

and the Klimpt toilet decoration 

it speaks everywhere of thoughtful good taste.

They have terrace dining but we were fortunate to get a table opposite the bar. Actually we were fortunate to get a table at all. If you want to go, to be safe, make a reservation.. 

The emphasis of the menu is on fish. We didn't know what to order so, to make it easier for us the waiter brought out a tray of fresh fish. The lobster was still alive and walking off the platter!

Sandra chose a Grouper, the red fish at the front.

The meal started with an amuse bouche of chick pea and olive. 

I chose muscles for an appetiser. 

Most of their fish are offered by weight - x Kuna /100 gm. The mussels were 15 Kuna, about A$3.50 per 100gm. Sandra had a selection of raw seafood.

The cooked fish (baked or grilled) was brought whole to the table 

and then boned by the waiter and served.

The most popular side dish here is Swiss Chard, with or without potato. I chose the Konat thick, rich fish soup. 

We finished the meal with a dessert, initially we were encouraged to take a mille fleur 

which fell apart on presentation and we asked instead for chocolate cake. 

Our young waiter, a son of the proprietor, kindly replaced it without charge. 

So what about the food? The raw fish platter was extremely fresh and helped by the small piles of spicy wasabi. The muscles had not been bearded properly and, despite being tasty, were unpleasant to eat. The grouper was a bit dry and the only sauce available was olive oil. This turned out well as there was no bitterness in the oil they gave us. The soup was rich and delicious with enough fish in it. The langoustine, or what ever it was, was hard to eat but worth the effort. It was fantastic, sweet and moist.

We didn't taste the mille fleur but the chocolate cake was also excellent.

With coffee and three glasses of wine and water the bill came to approximately A$250.

Score 16.5/20

Hursey's (Stanley - North West Tasmania) 02/2018

Tasmania is full of incredible scenery and gorgeous little 'villages' or towns mostly very close to the coast and offering outstanding sea and bush views. 

 

 They also have lots of history and many have plaques in front of some of their more important old buildings.

Stanley is one of those places. 
Thirty years ago the Hursey family, whose fleet fished the west coast of Tasmania, chose to set up a retail fishmongers and a cafe here. After a $1.5 million refurbishment including a second floor the restaurant now seats 100 and seems to be thriving. 

The entry foyer contains large tanks for live fish and lobsters and information about the life cycle of rock lobsters and of some of the fish they serve.

and has a take away food area and fish bar called Kermie's. 

Upstairs, there is also a small lift, there's a small comfortable lounge area 

and the restaurant proper in a large light high ceilinged room 

with views over the wharf

 and water.

A very short walk brings you to the water's edge, 

an aquarium and s heap of lobster pots past their use by date.

Tables, chairs, glassware and crockery are simple and unostentatious.

Decor is also simple with menu information both in hard copy and around the walls.

Lobsters are available, natural, with garlic butter or Mornay. Sashimi too but they need 48 hours notice.

The home made Mornay sauce is excellent and more impressive than the garlic and butter.
For the rest it is a better class of fish restaurant.
 Comments Score: 13.75/20

Fish Frenzy (Burnie - North West Tasmania) 08/2017

Fish Frenzy occupies a smallish space beneath Bayviews Restaurant and Lounge Bar. 
The fore court of this eat in/takeaway fish and chip cafe is adorned with some marine animal like sculptures which struck me as the sort of thing that might scare small children!

Built in the style of many small cafes blackboards advertise the menu's but they also have 

table menus

The place is rather bare, clean and very plain. 

They also have newspapers for patrons.
Apart from fish and chips

and oysters

they also have salads - calamari salad

prawn salad

and sushi

They must buy it in. 
Rather than just the usual vinegar, tomato sauce, mustard, salt and pepper their counter features! an assortment of cookies

For all that it remains a fish and chippery with frills.

Score: 13.5/20

Pacific House (South Yarra) 03/2017

Pacific House has been around for a long time serving a large variety of Chinese food, especially sea food in a simple unpretentious environment. 

It's family friendly, always busy and noisy. It does empty out a lot and quietens down about 9.30 pm.

The walls are 'decorated' with menu items in Chinese.

We started with a simple soup  

which was nothing special.
Our next course, prawn dumplings,

were excellent. A good size, well filled with prawns and the pastry perfectly cooked.
Scallops in a pastry casing were also large and sweet,

however the pastry was a tiny bit undercooked and claggy.
Salt and pepper calamari were tender with a crunchy, spicy accompaniment.

Fried rice was what one would expect.

The best dishes we had were the whole fish. They had barramundi, mahwong, coral trout and parrot fish. Both the barramundi 

and the parrot fish

 

were perfectly prepared, moist and delicate. Could not have been better.

They have an indifferent wine list.

There is 1.5% surcharge for credit cards 

 Comments: A better than average quality suburban Chinese restaurant with a large menu served in simple surroundings.

Score:14 /20