Introduction: An adventure in Indian food mostly North Indian but with wide variety including many vegetarian meals at 194 Barkly St, St.Kilda.
Ambience: Pleasantly rowdy with a Bollywood DVD (with subtitles) playing on the large overhead TV screen
Service: The owner manager made a point of seeing that our needs were catered for in terms of appropriate dishes for some delicate palates. He was extremely amiable and determined to please
Food: We had the $27 Banquet which was plenty to eat including excellent Roti, Tandoori chicken, of course, Saag - tasty lamb in a pureed spinach, a lamb grilled chop and a Biryani follwed by icecream made Indian style from boiled down milk, Mango or Vanilla flavour. Excellent flavour but suffering from a little ice formation, perhaps too long in the freezer. Herb spiced Indian tea, or ordinary tea or coffee if you wish. This was all classical Indian cooking with fine flavours not destroyed by excessive chilli
Wine: I advise you to bring your own tho' they do have a good range of beers, specially Indian.
Price: Entrees $6 - 9 Mains $10 - 17
Comments: A pleasing addition to the St. Kilda eating scene
Score: 14/20
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Claypots
Introduction: A fish and shellfish specialist restaurant at 213 Barkly St, St.Kilda
Ambience: I am unsure what they are trying to achieve with their grotty bare 5 ply tables and chairs to match except for half a dozen old railway carriage seats on a bare concrete floor. The decor is bare with a huge metal octopus hanging from the ceiling of the main room It's no frills. BASIC. Water is offered in old bottles and the glasses are about as ugly as you can get.
Service: Unhurried, There is a menu on a blackboard and almost no flexibility so the waitress can only tell you a little about the spices
Food: On arrival we were offered a small slice of focaccio with a light, creamy tzadiki. Many of the main courses, but not all, are for two, or more, with prices from $20 for a small crispy skin John Dory with baked potato and Bok Choy to $80 for wild barramundi. A small flounder poached in mirin $25 is about half the size of what you would get at Topogigio There is no doubt about the freshness of the seafood which is offered with a variety of middle eastern spices. None the less, at the end of the day, the cooking is also very basic. There are no sauces available not even tartare.
There are no desserts and I didn't ask about tea or coffee. Frankly I couldn't wait to leave
Wine: BYO Bring your own glass too if you want something pleasant from which to drink
Price: This is not a cheap restaurant. At the extreme 6 oysters for $30 and they're nothing special. They take cash only
Comments: This is something of a cult restaurant that I have been keen to visit for sometime. Unfortunately I found it profoundly disappointing That the food is good could not make up for the other deficiencies
Score: 11/20
Ambience: I am unsure what they are trying to achieve with their grotty bare 5 ply tables and chairs to match except for half a dozen old railway carriage seats on a bare concrete floor. The decor is bare with a huge metal octopus hanging from the ceiling of the main room It's no frills. BASIC. Water is offered in old bottles and the glasses are about as ugly as you can get.
Service: Unhurried, There is a menu on a blackboard and almost no flexibility so the waitress can only tell you a little about the spices
Food: On arrival we were offered a small slice of focaccio with a light, creamy tzadiki. Many of the main courses, but not all, are for two, or more, with prices from $20 for a small crispy skin John Dory with baked potato and Bok Choy to $80 for wild barramundi. A small flounder poached in mirin $25 is about half the size of what you would get at Topogigio There is no doubt about the freshness of the seafood which is offered with a variety of middle eastern spices. None the less, at the end of the day, the cooking is also very basic. There are no sauces available not even tartare.
There are no desserts and I didn't ask about tea or coffee. Frankly I couldn't wait to leave
Wine: BYO Bring your own glass too if you want something pleasant from which to drink
Price: This is not a cheap restaurant. At the extreme 6 oysters for $30 and they're nothing special. They take cash only
Comments: This is something of a cult restaurant that I have been keen to visit for sometime. Unfortunately I found it profoundly disappointing That the food is good could not make up for the other deficiencies
Score: 11/20
Monday, March 20, 2006
AYA
Introduction: This old favourite has been at 1193 High St Armadale for nearly 20 years
Ambience: The long narrow room with tables down one side and a cabinet displaying the freshest of fish on the other side has a distinctly oriental feel to it
Service Attentive and informative
Food: Generally of very good standard. The ingredients are excellent however some of the dishes are somewhat bland. The seafood hot pot is a prime example and the traditional Japanese hot pot has the same problem. The roasted eggplant entreeis excellent and the steam crab dumpling very delicate. Their Tempura dishes are all crisp and as tasty as can be expected. The deep fried soft shell crab, another simple dish served with tempura and dipping sauce was especially pleasing.
The desserts are better than expected their mousse being exceptional
Wine: A modest list at reasonable prices
Price: A little above average. About $50 a head
Comments: Well worth a visit for Japanese food lovers
Score: 14/20
Ambience: The long narrow room with tables down one side and a cabinet displaying the freshest of fish on the other side has a distinctly oriental feel to it
Service Attentive and informative
Food: Generally of very good standard. The ingredients are excellent however some of the dishes are somewhat bland. The seafood hot pot is a prime example and the traditional Japanese hot pot has the same problem. The roasted eggplant entreeis excellent and the steam crab dumpling very delicate. Their Tempura dishes are all crisp and as tasty as can be expected. The deep fried soft shell crab, another simple dish served with tempura and dipping sauce was especially pleasing.
The desserts are better than expected their mousse being exceptional
Wine: A modest list at reasonable prices
Price: A little above average. About $50 a head
Comments: Well worth a visit for Japanese food lovers
Score: 14/20
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Afghan Bakery and Take Away
Introduction: This single room Halal restaurant in Thomas St Dandenong ( about 250) has half a dozen tables and 6 items on the menu of which the last is Bread They had run out of bread and rice but got supplies from next door (Afghan Sahar Takeaway)
Ambience: It looks like a barely furnished dump
Service: The "chef" put the food on the table with the help of his mate who happily picked up the bread and moved it in his , we hope but doubt, reasonably clean hands
Food: The lamb kebab served with a a mild curry sauce and a great slab of warm flat Afghani bread plus an ungarnished garden salad was de-licious. there was also the posibility of Chicken kebab or a minced lamb shish kebab but we ordered the Pilau a special long grain Basmati rice with raisins some shaved nuts and fine strips of carrot served with meatballs. This required our chef to run in to the retaurant next door from which he returned with the rice dish and a light lamb curry with lentils. Another excellent dish.
No desserts. No tea or coffee. Soft drinks in the frig.
Wine: Not available
Price Mains $6 to $10 Bread $1 and that's all there is
Comments: This place has two things going for it. It's very tasty and it's very cheap As seems to be becoming customary in some of these places rather than serviettes they have a box of tissues on each table!
Score: 12/20
Ambience: It looks like a barely furnished dump
Service: The "chef" put the food on the table with the help of his mate who happily picked up the bread and moved it in his , we hope but doubt, reasonably clean hands
Food: The lamb kebab served with a a mild curry sauce and a great slab of warm flat Afghani bread plus an ungarnished garden salad was de-licious. there was also the posibility of Chicken kebab or a minced lamb shish kebab but we ordered the Pilau a special long grain Basmati rice with raisins some shaved nuts and fine strips of carrot served with meatballs. This required our chef to run in to the retaurant next door from which he returned with the rice dish and a light lamb curry with lentils. Another excellent dish.
No desserts. No tea or coffee. Soft drinks in the frig.
Wine: Not available
Price Mains $6 to $10 Bread $1 and that's all there is
Comments: This place has two things going for it. It's very tasty and it's very cheap As seems to be becoming customary in some of these places rather than serviettes they have a box of tissues on each table!
Score: 12/20
Monday, March 13, 2006
Wallah Falafel and Grill
Introduction: A Moroccan and Israeli influenced Shishlik, Burger or Pita pocket restaurant at 302 Carlisle Street Balaclava
Ambience: Pretty well indistiguishable from a dozen similar places on strip shopping centres
Service: Amiably inefficient
Food: The Pita pocket stuffed with eggplant, hommus and garden salad with plenty of beef - you could have lamb, beef kebab or chicken if you liked, was large and very satisfying. Served with a tiny plate of lightly marinated vegetables it made an excellent lunch. Their Felafel balls are large, crisp on the outside and soft in the centre and go well with the lightly lemon flavoured hommus
Price: Cheap cash only at present Dips $6 - 7.5 Snacks $4 - 9 Pita pockets $7 - 8.5 Mains $15 - 17.5
Comments: Open from 11.00 am 'till late every day. Rather limited menu but good value for a meal of its type A revisit was as good as before with the addition that the menu is being enlarged and now includes salmon fillet - barbecued, and steak
Score: 13.5/20
Comment After a fire their has been a pleasant renovation.
Other changes include an increase in prices by $3 or $4 and a credit card facility. Service is also improved
The Age Cheap Eats has given them 2 stars
Ambience: Pretty well indistiguishable from a dozen similar places on strip shopping centres
Service: Amiably inefficient
Food: The Pita pocket stuffed with eggplant, hommus and garden salad with plenty of beef - you could have lamb, beef kebab or chicken if you liked, was large and very satisfying. Served with a tiny plate of lightly marinated vegetables it made an excellent lunch. Their Felafel balls are large, crisp on the outside and soft in the centre and go well with the lightly lemon flavoured hommus
Price: Cheap cash only at present Dips $6 - 7.5 Snacks $4 - 9 Pita pockets $7 - 8.5 Mains $15 - 17.5
Comments: Open from 11.00 am 'till late every day. Rather limited menu but good value for a meal of its type A revisit was as good as before with the addition that the menu is being enlarged and now includes salmon fillet - barbecued, and steak
Score: 13.5/20
Comment After a fire their has been a pleasant renovation.
Other changes include an increase in prices by $3 or $4 and a credit card facility. Service is also improvedThe Age Cheap Eats has given them 2 stars
Friday, March 10, 2006
Lemnos Tavern
Introduction: Traditional Greek style tavern on High St. Prahran
Ambience: Nicely decorated with nostalgia inducing pictures of Greek islands. White linen tablecloths and serviettes.
Service: Efficient
Food: The usual dips, served with bread. The fried eggplant was particularly good. We tried 3 fish dishes. The whole boned barbecued whiting was as good as it gets - this delicate fish deserves its reputation as the queen of fish. The barbecued Blue eye fillets were also very good. The barbecued boned whole snapper was slightly less successful as there were plenty of bones left. The flesh of the snapper is a lot more fibrous but the taste could not be faulted. The side dish of potato chips was to my taste - crisp and well cooked
Wine: BYO - my host provided!
Price: Around $50
Comments: Astonishing to find that Tartare Sauce was not available! Still worth a visit
Score: 13.5/20
Ambience: Nicely decorated with nostalgia inducing pictures of Greek islands. White linen tablecloths and serviettes.
Service: Efficient
Food: The usual dips, served with bread. The fried eggplant was particularly good. We tried 3 fish dishes. The whole boned barbecued whiting was as good as it gets - this delicate fish deserves its reputation as the queen of fish. The barbecued Blue eye fillets were also very good. The barbecued boned whole snapper was slightly less successful as there were plenty of bones left. The flesh of the snapper is a lot more fibrous but the taste could not be faulted. The side dish of potato chips was to my taste - crisp and well cooked
Wine: BYO - my host provided!
Price: Around $50
Comments: Astonishing to find that Tartare Sauce was not available! Still worth a visit
Score: 13.5/20
Riva
Introduction: On the Marina at St.Kilda this is a beaut setting particularly on a warm summer night
Ambience: Very open with increasingly louder music as the night passes. A bistro/cafe style bare wooden tables many with views across St.Kilda or the bay
Service: Our waitress was well informed but aggresive in style
Food: Surprised me with its quality which was better than I expected. The entrees are substantial. The pork belly and duck stack a small meal. Despite explicit explanation of what warm blue means and a promise to return the dish if overcooked the less than tender porterhouse steak came back medium rare. A second attempt was rare but I resisted the temptation to send it back again. The linguini marinara was excellent with good taste and lots of seafood - salmon, prawns, mussels, calamari and wimpy's
Wine: A small and very ordinary list.
Price: Seems to be about average these days. $45 per head
Comments; Reasonably good food. in an unsophisticated place with considerable potential
Score: 13/20
Ambience: Very open with increasingly louder music as the night passes. A bistro/cafe style bare wooden tables many with views across St.Kilda or the bay
Service: Our waitress was well informed but aggresive in style
Food: Surprised me with its quality which was better than I expected. The entrees are substantial. The pork belly and duck stack a small meal. Despite explicit explanation of what warm blue means and a promise to return the dish if overcooked the less than tender porterhouse steak came back medium rare. A second attempt was rare but I resisted the temptation to send it back again. The linguini marinara was excellent with good taste and lots of seafood - salmon, prawns, mussels, calamari and wimpy's
Wine: A small and very ordinary list.
Price: Seems to be about average these days. $45 per head
Comments; Reasonably good food. in an unsophisticated place with considerable potential
Score: 13/20
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Cafe Vic
Introduction: At the Arts centre. Set up for prompt service for pre show dinner or post performance supper.
Ambience: Always packed before performances, which is 6 nights a week. Tables outside on warm nights
Service: Take your tray, examine the menu while in the queue, uniformed staff fill the order, move to the cashier, go and eat! You need about an hour to have a comfortable time to eat without hurry
Food: Pretty good. We were running a little late so only tried two dishes. The piping hot beef pie with mashed potato and steamed vegetables and the lamb rump with same vegetables and mash.
Both were well prepared, the large piece of lamb medium rare, the vegetables crisp and the mash smooth and creamy. Other dishes such as pork on Asian greens and a chicken dish looked attractive.
Wine. Asmall selection including 175 ml bottles
Price: Modest. Mains $16 to $21
Comments: I will have to try this again
Score:: 13/20
Ambience: Always packed before performances, which is 6 nights a week. Tables outside on warm nights
Service: Take your tray, examine the menu while in the queue, uniformed staff fill the order, move to the cashier, go and eat! You need about an hour to have a comfortable time to eat without hurry
Food: Pretty good. We were running a little late so only tried two dishes. The piping hot beef pie with mashed potato and steamed vegetables and the lamb rump with same vegetables and mash.
Both were well prepared, the large piece of lamb medium rare, the vegetables crisp and the mash smooth and creamy. Other dishes such as pork on Asian greens and a chicken dish looked attractive.
Wine. Asmall selection including 175 ml bottles
Price: Modest. Mains $16 to $21
Comments: I will have to try this again
Score:: 13/20
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Ugly Sister
Introduction: One of a myriad of breakfast all places> On the corner of Balaclava Rd and Westbury St
Ambience: Unfortunately this place put me in an ugly mood. The style is modern/ugly a noise trap with no redeeming features.
Service: Pleasant and quite efficient
Food: I only had eggs benedict which was mared by an overcooked poached egg covered in a too heavy Hollandaise sauce sour with vinegar.
Price: Hot chocolate or coffee $3 00. Extra 30 cents for Soy milk
Eggs Benedict $13
Score: 10/20
Ambience: Unfortunately this place put me in an ugly mood. The style is modern/ugly a noise trap with no redeeming features.
Service: Pleasant and quite efficient
Food: I only had eggs benedict which was mared by an overcooked poached egg covered in a too heavy Hollandaise sauce sour with vinegar.
Price: Hot chocolate or coffee $3 00. Extra 30 cents for Soy milk
Eggs Benedict $13
Score: 10/20
Monday, February 20, 2006
Waterfront
Introduction: Another in the Zampelli stable at Station Pier on the water behind Campari
Ambience: Unpretentious, some large square glass top tables for 8 the remainder bare wood The cane chairs are a hazard for ladies stockings when bits of the cane have broken away. The noise level made it difficult to have a conversation with anyone but the person immediately next to you.
Service: Initially slow later very slow
Food: The concentration is on seafood. Their menu is available on their internet site.
We tried the Snapper and blue swimmer crab cake, Spanish style pepperonatta the black lip mussels with garlic white wine and chilli the tomato and mozzarella salad with mustard cress and the Boston clam chowder. Each was quite tasty but undistiguished. For mains the roast salmon fillet on fennel and marmalade was OK, the 3 nice beer battered flathead fillets with chips and house tartar sauce very very nice and the roasted whole baby snapper with tomato and herbs and the whole baby NZ flounder were also quite nice without being specially good
The desserts are all large but the Vanilla creme brulee was particularly disappointing. They had a much better apple and rhubarb crumble with icecream but best of all was the pannacotta with pear which must have been on special
Wine: We drank Cape Mentelle Cab Sav Blanc ($40) which suited the meal well. The reasonable wine list can be viewed on their web site at www.waterfrontstationpier.com.au
Price: See the menu About $60/head for 3 courses plus wine
Comments; Another slightly better than average middle of the road restaurant
Score: 13.5/20
Ambience: Unpretentious, some large square glass top tables for 8 the remainder bare wood The cane chairs are a hazard for ladies stockings when bits of the cane have broken away. The noise level made it difficult to have a conversation with anyone but the person immediately next to you.
Service: Initially slow later very slow
Food: The concentration is on seafood. Their menu is available on their internet site.
We tried the Snapper and blue swimmer crab cake, Spanish style pepperonatta the black lip mussels with garlic white wine and chilli the tomato and mozzarella salad with mustard cress and the Boston clam chowder. Each was quite tasty but undistiguished. For mains the roast salmon fillet on fennel and marmalade was OK, the 3 nice beer battered flathead fillets with chips and house tartar sauce very very nice and the roasted whole baby snapper with tomato and herbs and the whole baby NZ flounder were also quite nice without being specially good
The desserts are all large but the Vanilla creme brulee was particularly disappointing. They had a much better apple and rhubarb crumble with icecream but best of all was the pannacotta with pear which must have been on special
Wine: We drank Cape Mentelle Cab Sav Blanc ($40) which suited the meal well. The reasonable wine list can be viewed on their web site at www.waterfrontstationpier.com.au
Price: See the menu About $60/head for 3 courses plus wine
Comments; Another slightly better than average middle of the road restaurant
Score: 13.5/20
Friday, February 17, 2006
Arabesque
Introduction: A design of intertwining flowers, leaves and vines common on persian rug
Ambience: Simple decor, bare tables, cloth serviettes, carpet does not diminish the noisy vitality of the place. A few tables outside are beaut on the right night
Service: The boss (Jeff Malouf, brother of Greg) and two waiters share the work.
Food: Down to earth good quality Middle Eastern cuisine with distinct well balanced flavours. For starters the eggplant with tomato salad and tahini youghurt dressing was as good as it gets because the eggplant was perfectly cooked. The filo pastry stuffed with lamb and pine nuts was a little dry with a delicate flavoured entree however the pomegranite essence dribbled on it was rather overpowering. The traditional cabbage rolls with spicy lamb and rice with a tomato salsa was also extremely tasty.
For mains the BBQ lamb kebabs served with tomato were cooked as requested and tender and tasty as were the lamb cutlets served with stuffed vine leaves and a yoghurt sauce. The best dish of the lot however was the whole baby barramundi beautifully baked to retain its flavour served with roast potato and a tahini sauce
For dessert there were 3 choices The pistachio and halva icecream which is very rich, a rose water flavoured soft custard topped with spun sugar and pistachio and Turkish delight and baclava excuse the spelling please. These were enhanced when accompanied by Cardamon flavoured Turkish coffee (without sugar) served in a small finjan or Syrian flower tea
Wine: BYO $6/ bottle Modest list around $30/bottle
Price: Around $55 gets you a very good dinner
Comments: The entrees are large and all the dishes are good or better than good without being too fancy.
A good Middle eastern eating experience
Score: 14/20
Ambience: Simple decor, bare tables, cloth serviettes, carpet does not diminish the noisy vitality of the place. A few tables outside are beaut on the right night
Service: The boss (Jeff Malouf, brother of Greg) and two waiters share the work.
Food: Down to earth good quality Middle Eastern cuisine with distinct well balanced flavours. For starters the eggplant with tomato salad and tahini youghurt dressing was as good as it gets because the eggplant was perfectly cooked. The filo pastry stuffed with lamb and pine nuts was a little dry with a delicate flavoured entree however the pomegranite essence dribbled on it was rather overpowering. The traditional cabbage rolls with spicy lamb and rice with a tomato salsa was also extremely tasty.
For mains the BBQ lamb kebabs served with tomato were cooked as requested and tender and tasty as were the lamb cutlets served with stuffed vine leaves and a yoghurt sauce. The best dish of the lot however was the whole baby barramundi beautifully baked to retain its flavour served with roast potato and a tahini sauce
For dessert there were 3 choices The pistachio and halva icecream which is very rich, a rose water flavoured soft custard topped with spun sugar and pistachio and Turkish delight and baclava excuse the spelling please. These were enhanced when accompanied by Cardamon flavoured Turkish coffee (without sugar) served in a small finjan or Syrian flower tea
Wine: BYO $6/ bottle Modest list around $30/bottle
Price: Around $55 gets you a very good dinner
Comments: The entrees are large and all the dishes are good or better than good without being too fancy.
A good Middle eastern eating experience
Score: 14/20
Monday, February 13, 2006
Improving Deteriorating Closed!
Improving
Da Noi
Le Gourmet
Melba Brasserie
Bacash
Deteriorating
Silky Apple
Lynch's
Healesville Hotel
Closed
Lantana
La Madrague
Pomodoro Quadrato
Tasty Cooking
Near East
Watergrill
Da Noi
Le Gourmet
Melba Brasserie
Bacash
Deteriorating
Silky Apple
Lynch's
Healesville Hotel
Closed
Lantana
La Madrague
Pomodoro Quadrato
Tasty Cooking
Near East
Watergrill
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