Thursday, June 23, 2005

Tasty Cooking


Introduction: Set among a gaggle of small shops at 78 Kings Way Glen Waverley this restuarant is a huge surprise

Ambience: A recently refurbished simple clean and open appearance. Paper covered white table cloths plain and unostentatious.

Service: Prompt and helpful

Food: This was the surprise. A bowl of prawn crackers awaited on every table. Fried one tons (6 for $4.50) with sweet and sour sauce were covered in a fine crisp pastry. The traditonal crab on a bed of noodles in a ginger sauce with shallots was perfectly prepared - the sauce not too thick and the crab not overcooked. A pigeon in Chinese rice wine served cold was the best I have ever eaten.

Desserts of Red bean paste in batter served piping hot and cumquot icecream were also excellent
Wine: Licensed or BYO

Price: We had expensive dishes but still only came to $84.30! Generally inexpensive

Comments: Eat in or take away, lunch or dinner 7 days a week, this is one place I will DEFINITELY come back to and if they continue to maintain this standard again and again

Score: 16.5/20

Matrioshka


Introduction: More like a reception centre than a restaurant. Best to organize a table of eight or ten!

Ambience: A huge uncarpeted room with long tables stage and dance area

Service: Food comes quickly in large volume

Food: Fixed menu Starts with 'Zakoski' a variety of entrees on central platters including smoked salmon, green salad, ratatouille, piroshki, chopped liver, fried fish, olives, followed by main course of shaslik, chicken and chips. Prawns and other seafood are also available for an extra $10. A platter of fresh fruit concluded the dinner

Wine: Byo

Price: $45 or $55 with seafood mains

Comments: A little taste of Russia, . There was a band a couple of girls crooning and an opportunity to dance. A good place for a party for the office staff

Score:13.5 /20

Friday, June 17, 2005

Barcelona Cafe

At 25 Fitzroy St St.Kilda this cold and noisy establishment was a mixed bag

Service: S-L-O-W Our very pleasant waitress tried to make up for some of the Chef's deficiencies with some complimentary Tapas and a Sherry at the end of the night but it was too late to make up for the raw Paella which we sent back nor for the tasteless seafood stew.

Perhaps the tapas are a better deal.
Price: Relatively expensive about $30 for mains
Comments: I would not go back there again

Score:12 /20

Contributed by C

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Pomodoro Quadrato


Introduction: At 315 Toorak Rd South Yarra this small restaurant is as Italian as Italian can be

Ambience: Comfortable, unpretentious

Service: Lucia Gesualdi, the owner, ran off her feet making everyone welcome. I felt almost as though I was eating in her own kitchen!
Food: Straightforward Italian dishes excellently cooked. Assagini ($6.50) set the tone for a really good meal. Bresaola with rocket, whitebait and Eggplant Parmigana were all that could be expected.
Mains ($ 21- 29 Less for pasta or rissotto) were handsome serves. We tried Saltimbocca ala Romana, Rabbit casserole and Eye fillet steak. All were very tasty, tender and satisfying
Wine: Licensed for BYO, corkage $5 / bottle, small wine list with some inexpensive house wines ($18) and several wine by the glass

Comments: This is an above average restaurant with below average prices
Score: 14.5/20

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Centro

Suburb: 225 Clarendon St Sth Melbourne
Melway: 1C H12

Introduction: Long established and always popular basically Italian restaurant

Ambience: Very welcoming and congenial. Good creature comforts

Service: Friendly, efficient without being hurried

Food: A mixed bag of mostly Italian dishes - pastas rissottos veal. I tried the cassoulet which did not achieve the taste of those I have enjoyed at French restaurants. The calves liver with onions and a creamy mousse like mash was excellent as was the duck confit and there were no complaints about the "fruito misto' a variety of battered fried sea food with a small green salad.

The finest dish of all, however, was the chocolate souffle. Order it early if you need to leave early as it takes 20 minutes to prepare.
Wine: Plenty by the glass BYO too and there is an excellent cleanskin outlet next door (Corkage $5 per bottle)

Price: About $85 for two courses for two

Comments: Chef Pietro Caluzzi well deserves Centro's popularity

Score: 14/20

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Evoo - Darwin

Introduction: Extra Virgin Olive Oil gives no clue as to the style of this 3rd floor restaurant, next to the casino, which serves "modern American" or to my mind French International cuisine
Ambience: Very relaxed and pleasant
Service: Very attentative
Food: Attractively presented, well prepared. The seared veal fillet seved with a small half lobster tail on not so crisp fondant potato with garlic sauteed spinach and mushroom ragout ($35) was excellent tho' the lobster tail was a little stringy. The pan-seared Evoo king prawns on lobster rissotto with sauteed asparagus and a lime and dill sauce was above critcism ($30). The oven roast duck breast with crushed kipfler mash, fennel bulb salad and fetta dressing was also excellent.

Desserts Great for lovers of rich food. Both the Cappuchino Mousse and the Frozen Souffle could not be bettered
Wine: a good list with reasonable prices
Price: Entrees about $14 Mains $20 -
$35 Desserts mostly $10
Comments: I think this is probably the best you will find in Darwin and would meet good standards in any city.
If you want to know more about their menu you can find them through www.skycitydarwin.com.au and go to restaurants and Bistro's
Score:15.5 /20


Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Twilight - Darwin

Introduction: Beaut setting, back from the street in a sort of little tropical rain forest
Ambience: Shall we say started off quite well

Service: Very slow and forgetfull

Food: Pretentious. Several entrees on the menu were not available at 8.30 pm on a Friday night. The Mud crab on corn gnochi with a lemony Bernaise sauce was the stand out dish. The mains were spoilt by the heavy unrefined sauces which was unfortunate as the Scotch fillet and the Kangaroo were both very good. Not the Beef however.

Wine: Licenced for BYO Small list not expensive.

Price: On the high side for Darwin Mains about $25 to $30

Comments: It is rare to get a bread roll which must have been reheated or overlooked in the oven for so long it would support a small building!

Score:12 /20

The Buzz - Darwin

Introduction: Most distinguished by its extremely unusual Gents facilities. You will have to go there or ask around to find out why.
Ambience: Very noisy most of the time

Service: Slow

Food: Trio of dips with a buttered and toasted Pita bread agood starter. Paper rice rolls served with a Hoysin and peanut sauce was very tasty. Barramundi and chips was indeed fish and chips! Excellent iced coffee.

Wine: Sorry did not look

Price: Breakfast and lunch 'till 3.00pm about $20 Dinner $26

Comments: Well situated with fine water views

Score: 13.5/20

Speakers Corner - Darwin

Introduction: Attractive garden setting surrounded with large pots of Bouganvillea
Ambience: The better the day the better it is!
Service: Friendly

Food: Simple and very good. Barramundi has a firmer flesh than the Melbourne variety. served with a first class tartare sauce. Seafood salad with prawns and avocado also very good.

Wine: Modest and inexpensive list

Price: Mains $14.50

Comments: Beaut for a casual lunch on a warm day

Score: 13.5/20