Da Noi (South Yarra) 12/2018

Hard to believe that it is 12 years since we last ate here and it has remained fundamentally unchanged. At that time we had a five course Sardinian style meal with no menu. See https://1001dinners.blogspot.com/search?q=Da+Noi

That's what you get today. Indeed there is so much variation that dishes might even vary from table to table. The narrow two story terrace, home of Da Noi, remains the same 

with a bit of odd decor.

The food used to be excellent and it still is. It had two AGFG hats at that time and only has one now but it's as good as it ever was with most of the ingredients sourced from their own farm.  

The just baked olive bread is too good - we have to be careful not to fill up on it! Wines are a bit expensive 

and almost all Italian.

Every dish was extremely good and left me wishing for more from the oysters.

Well only one, the mini salad, 

the seafood salad,

to the remarkable pasta, 

a feature of every meal. 

My apologies for the horrible photo's. I did not notice the camera was on the wrong setting.

The main course was Saddleback pork cutlet 

which was quite spicy so Sandra could not eat it. The happily and quickly replaced it with a serve of suckling pig 

which was superb.
The meal ended with a pleasant not too sweet dessert. 

It's a happy, noisy place. The wait staff were helpful, friendly and efficient. The food was very good and I'd recommend it anytime. 

Score 16.5/20

Origin Nepal (Canberra) 09/2018

In Canberra rather late I wandered around Northbourne Ave and precinct looking for a good place to eat. 
There were stacks of restaurants but the all seemed very mundane so I chose something a bit different. 
Origin Nepal is very much a place serving traditional Nepalese food. There's a brief menu on a black board outside the door.

The restaurant occupies along room 

which, at 9.00 pm, had only four customers left although it could seat about 50 at it's white clothed paper covered tables.

Decor is very simple.
I chose a classic lamb curry with an accompanying soupy dahl and some fresh and cooked vegetables and rice.

 Not too hot it was a substantial meal.
The lamb, in a herb sauce, was tender and tasted good

The vegetables interesting,

The dahl mild and inoffensive

and the fresh vegetables gave relief from the heat of the dish.

For dessert I had mango and ginger kulfi with jaman.

Among the worst desserts I have ever eaten. Mild mango taste, almost no ginger flavour and the kulfi hard and full of icicles.
It detracted badly from what was otherwise a pleasant meal.
Score:13.25 /20