On Friday night I went to this restaurant, I'm not sure what it's name actually is, as both names are up on signs at the front.
There were five adults and two kids in our party. Kids eat for free if you order before 6:30, so that's what we did.
We ordered chilli prawns, garlic prawns, 2 steaks and a thai beef salad.
The steaks were reported to be really good (as one of our party is a chef, I feel safe in that conclusion!).
The creamy garlic sauce that covered the prawns tasted more like a white sauce :-( but the chill prawns were good.
The flavour of the dressing and the tenderness of the beef in my Thai beef salad were excellent and the portion of meat was generous. The salad part wasn't particularly "Thai" as it consisted of cos lettuce tomato and cucumber with some grated carrot and snow pea sprouts. All of the ingredients were fresh and tasty though, so it was a nice meal.
If you have a young person whose birthday it is, take note that the restaurant owner will sit at your table and do a magic trick which will have them amazed! A great touch and I think that the young girl in question that night will remember it for a long time!
Monday, May 23, 2011
even more April and May!
Okay, two more dining times.
1. More good food from the burbs: I had a beautiful lamb kofta meal (topped with minted yoghurt sauce) with pulao rice at a friend's place recently, preceded by delicious little tomato and feta tarts (with fresh basil from her garden!) - TALENT!
2. I go to Nightcliff markets most Sunday mornings with a bunch of fantastic folk who get together to train at 7am and then we have coffee and a bite. I had a wholemeal crepe with slivered almonds, sliced banana and maple syrup - YUM! There were also BBQ pork ball rice paper rolls and thai fish cakes. What a great start to the day!
1. More good food from the burbs: I had a beautiful lamb kofta meal (topped with minted yoghurt sauce) with pulao rice at a friend's place recently, preceded by delicious little tomato and feta tarts (with fresh basil from her garden!) - TALENT!
2. I go to Nightcliff markets most Sunday mornings with a bunch of fantastic folk who get together to train at 7am and then we have coffee and a bite. I had a wholemeal crepe with slivered almonds, sliced banana and maple syrup - YUM! There were also BBQ pork ball rice paper rolls and thai fish cakes. What a great start to the day!
more April and May
I went to the Cool Spot for breakfast and got the vego cooked breakfast. It had mushrooms, spinach, tomato and eggs. The mushrooms were really delicious and the tomato was lovely and ripe. They also use real butter on the toast.
Also, on the recommendation of a friend at work, I have been trying their iced milk drinks and they are really good. My favourite is the iced mocha or the iced coffee as they use espresso coffee and a scoop of coffee gelato in it!
Also, on the recommendation of a friend at work, I have been trying their iced milk drinks and they are really good. My favourite is the iced mocha or the iced coffee as they use espresso coffee and a scoop of coffee gelato in it!April and May
Quite remiss of me, but I have been dining out and not blogging! Time to get back to it.
Most notably, I had what turned out to be an Easter French toast odyssey!
First there was the new menu at Jamaica Blue (at Casuarina) which includes different toppings for toast and french toast that are all very tempting. Some of the toast toppings I'll be going back for include roasted tomatoes and mushrooms or ricotta, banana and honey.
On the day I went with a friend, I ordered french toast with caramelised bananas and caramel sauce - sadly, no bananas (?) so I had to "settle" for bacon and maple syrup. The bacon was beautifully crisped and the slices of toast were thick and fluffy.
The second French toast moment was at Il Lido. A friend flew in from Bali in the early morning and I got a call saying let's go for French toast!
WOW! This French toast is just awesome! It was served with poached pears, King Island vanilla yoghurt and tangy berry sauce. The view of the waterfront area is really lovely and it was a gorgeous dry season day.
The third French toast moment unfortunately has no photo. I visited my parents and was greeted with hug and a plate of French toast! Delicious.
Most notably, I had what turned out to be an Easter French toast odyssey!
First there was the new menu at Jamaica Blue (at Casuarina) which includes different toppings for toast and french toast that are all very tempting. Some of the toast toppings I'll be going back for include roasted tomatoes and mushrooms or ricotta, banana and honey.
On the day I went with a friend, I ordered french toast with caramelised bananas and caramel sauce - sadly, no bananas (?) so I had to "settle" for bacon and maple syrup. The bacon was beautifully crisped and the slices of toast were thick and fluffy.
The second French toast moment was at Il Lido. A friend flew in from Bali in the early morning and I got a call saying let's go for French toast!
WOW! This French toast is just awesome! It was served with poached pears, King Island vanilla yoghurt and tangy berry sauce. The view of the waterfront area is really lovely and it was a gorgeous dry season day.
The third French toast moment unfortunately has no photo. I visited my parents and was greeted with hug and a plate of French toast! Delicious.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Virginia Tavern
So, Desi and I landed at Virginia Tavern on St Patrick's day. We'd been out to Bees Creek teaching Soo Bahk Do and rather than wait until we got back in to town to eat, we thought eating locally would be better. The food was very good.
Desi had the grilled fish and chips while I had the chicken parmigiana with chips and salad.
The chicken parmigiana was made from a whole huge chicken breast (I had to take half home) and the chips were awesomley(?) crispy and cooked with fresh oil.
The grilled fished looked tender and well cooked. All of the salad ingredients were fresh and tasty.
It took a while for the food to come, but I'd eat there again, the food is good :-)
Desi had the grilled fish and chips while I had the chicken parmigiana with chips and salad.
The chicken parmigiana was made from a whole huge chicken breast (I had to take half home) and the chips were awesomley(?) crispy and cooked with fresh oil.
The grilled fished looked tender and well cooked. All of the salad ingredients were fresh and tasty.
It took a while for the food to come, but I'd eat there again, the food is good :-)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Good Food in the 'burbs
I dined out in the suburbs last night. The meal was gorgeous as always, but I'm blogging about what was being made for the kids lunches the next day!
The most delicious little sausage rolls. The pastry was light and crisp and the filling was a delicious, meaty mixture with lots of vegetable in it (tricky parents!). No tomato sauce required!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
K-tong
This time with pictures, thanks to my awesome new Nokia C5 phone :-)
Desi and I went to K-tong (at Casuarina, above the food court) on Friday night, she already knew what she was going to have, as did I :-)
Desi ordered the beef noodle soup and I ordered the BBQ pork chow mein, the same dish as I have had the last two times I came here!
When her soup came out, I could smell the star anise that had been used in the broth, fabulous!
The chow mein is just awesome! The noodles are fried and then covered in a delicious savoury sauce that tastes a little of ginger. There is a lot of vegetable in the dish and generous amounts of the BBQ pork that I love.
On the two previous occasions I came here and had the same dish for my lunch, it was large enough for two! I had to take it away. This time it was simply a nice large serve for one.
They are pretty busy here, so the only downside is that you don't always have a clean table to sit at.
At $14.50, the chow mein is a good price for the amount you get and the service is quick and friendly.
Desi and I went to K-tong (at Casuarina, above the food court) on Friday night, she already knew what she was going to have, as did I :-)
Desi ordered the beef noodle soup and I ordered the BBQ pork chow mein, the same dish as I have had the last two times I came here!
When her soup came out, I could smell the star anise that had been used in the broth, fabulous!
The chow mein is just awesome! The noodles are fried and then covered in a delicious savoury sauce that tastes a little of ginger. There is a lot of vegetable in the dish and generous amounts of the BBQ pork that I love.On the two previous occasions I came here and had the same dish for my lunch, it was large enough for two! I had to take it away. This time it was simply a nice large serve for one.
They are pretty busy here, so the only downside is that you don't always have a clean table to sit at.
At $14.50, the chow mein is a good price for the amount you get and the service is quick and friendly.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Raging Bull Steak House
Took my pa out to lunch for his birthday. We went to the Raging Bull steakhouse in Parap.
Those of you who have been around for a while will remember the location being called "Jessies", where you got awesome steaks and chilled red wine Darwin style back in the 80s.
The steaks were beautifully cooked. The distinction between medium well and medium was there and the flavour of the meat and it's tenderness were excellent.
You have a choice of salad and chips or mash and vegetables. I like lightly steamed vegetables, but the vegetables that came with the steak that day were so lightly steamed that they were almost raw. However, the mash was all smooth excellence!
Your drinks are brought promptly and the table service is reasonable (although last time I came here, they forgot our entree entirely!) and the food comes out when the steak is cooked - so if you order your steak well done it states on the menu what the cooking time will be so you know what to expect.
They appear to have a wine cellar but we weren't offered a wine list and I didn't think to ask.
I will go back as the steaks are fantastic, the rest I can cope with in the pursuit of such excellence :-)
Those of you who have been around for a while will remember the location being called "Jessies", where you got awesome steaks and chilled red wine Darwin style back in the 80s.
The steaks were beautifully cooked. The distinction between medium well and medium was there and the flavour of the meat and it's tenderness were excellent.
You have a choice of salad and chips or mash and vegetables. I like lightly steamed vegetables, but the vegetables that came with the steak that day were so lightly steamed that they were almost raw. However, the mash was all smooth excellence!
Your drinks are brought promptly and the table service is reasonable (although last time I came here, they forgot our entree entirely!) and the food comes out when the steak is cooked - so if you order your steak well done it states on the menu what the cooking time will be so you know what to expect.
They appear to have a wine cellar but we weren't offered a wine list and I didn't think to ask.
I will go back as the steaks are fantastic, the rest I can cope with in the pursuit of such excellence :-)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Finlay's Joint
Brand new year! Yay! More dining out to be done.
First foray for the year was Finlay's Joint. I went with a friend on Sunday last.
I'd booked for lunch at 12 but we were both hungry earlier so we got there at 11:30.
Man that place is noisy! The acoustics are really bad and as soon as there are more than about 12 people inside the large dining room it's hard to hear each other talk.
I love the old furniture and the chairs are really comfortable.
We grabbed menus and quickly went to order.
We were informed that the lunch orders wouldn't be made until after 12 as it was still their breakfast service time. The only other places that do this so strictly to my knowledge are places like MacDonald's and Hungry Jacks. Finlay's is a restaurant/cafe with a full kitchen so I'm at a loss as to why they couldn't do a steak sandwich and a chicken parmigiana before 12.
We were told that we could order now (11:30) but wouldn't get the food for at least another 25 minutes.
As we didn't want breakfast foods, we made our order and ordered tea to drink in the interim. The tea came out quickly but was really weak, it was awful.
There are self-serve/shared bottled sauces and self-serve water from a cooler.
When the food arrived, there were generous servings.
The steak in the sandwich was good quality and tender; and the chips were really good.
The chicken schnitzel was a good thickness and well-cooked.
Unfortunately there were rotting greens in the salad. I find this disgusting and it's really a pet hate for me - it should never happen.
ambience: 5/10
food: 7/10
service: 6/10
wine list: none
value for money: 8/10
First foray for the year was Finlay's Joint. I went with a friend on Sunday last.
I'd booked for lunch at 12 but we were both hungry earlier so we got there at 11:30.
Man that place is noisy! The acoustics are really bad and as soon as there are more than about 12 people inside the large dining room it's hard to hear each other talk.
I love the old furniture and the chairs are really comfortable.
We grabbed menus and quickly went to order.
We were informed that the lunch orders wouldn't be made until after 12 as it was still their breakfast service time. The only other places that do this so strictly to my knowledge are places like MacDonald's and Hungry Jacks. Finlay's is a restaurant/cafe with a full kitchen so I'm at a loss as to why they couldn't do a steak sandwich and a chicken parmigiana before 12.
We were told that we could order now (11:30) but wouldn't get the food for at least another 25 minutes.
As we didn't want breakfast foods, we made our order and ordered tea to drink in the interim. The tea came out quickly but was really weak, it was awful.
There are self-serve/shared bottled sauces and self-serve water from a cooler.
When the food arrived, there were generous servings.
The steak in the sandwich was good quality and tender; and the chips were really good.
The chicken schnitzel was a good thickness and well-cooked.
Unfortunately there were rotting greens in the salad. I find this disgusting and it's really a pet hate for me - it should never happen.
ambience: 5/10
food: 7/10
service: 6/10
wine list: none
value for money: 8/10
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cornucopia
Ahh, Cornucopia. An old favourite for Sunday brunch and always a great place to take visitors.
For those of you who haven't been (what the hell are you doing living in Darwin and not visiting here?), Cornucopia is a cafe/restaurant located at the Museum and Art Gallery on Conacher St. It's open for breakfast and into the afternoon.
You sit on a raised deck overlooking the water, which even on a hot day remains cool and breezy. So when booking, asking to have a table outside is the way to go.
Booking is recommended, especially on Sundays and most days in the tourist season. On Sundays, you can expect a request to rebook your table or you may indeed be the second (or third!) group of people to use that table that day.
So, to the menu. The decision is usually a bit tough as they offer fancy eggs, for example, eggs royale (with smoked salmon), delicious salads and really good fish and chips.
On this occasion one of my friends and I had the raw energy salad, not as boring as you'd think. A good variety of tastes and textures for example, marinated beans, cheese, sultanas, roasted peanuts, grated carrot, bean sprouts and other salad vegetables.
My other friend went for the light snack of the fish cakes. They came with a good sized side salad and dipping sauce. There were three on the plate and they looked as if they were made from fresh white fish with herbs through them, wrapped in very thin bean curd sheets and deep fried.
Always check out the specials menu for the salad of the day, it's always good. The regular salad item is also very good, it's a smoked salmon and snow pea salad with avocado, topped with an orange and poppy seed dressing.
One thing to note, and it is on the menu for your information, they don't split bills here.
The service is efficient and friendly and the portions are a good size.
Apologies, I didn't check out the wine list.
ambience: 8/10
food: 8/10
service: 8/10
value for money: 8/10
wine list: another time!
For those of you who haven't been (what the hell are you doing living in Darwin and not visiting here?), Cornucopia is a cafe/restaurant located at the Museum and Art Gallery on Conacher St. It's open for breakfast and into the afternoon.
You sit on a raised deck overlooking the water, which even on a hot day remains cool and breezy. So when booking, asking to have a table outside is the way to go.
Booking is recommended, especially on Sundays and most days in the tourist season. On Sundays, you can expect a request to rebook your table or you may indeed be the second (or third!) group of people to use that table that day.
So, to the menu. The decision is usually a bit tough as they offer fancy eggs, for example, eggs royale (with smoked salmon), delicious salads and really good fish and chips.
On this occasion one of my friends and I had the raw energy salad, not as boring as you'd think. A good variety of tastes and textures for example, marinated beans, cheese, sultanas, roasted peanuts, grated carrot, bean sprouts and other salad vegetables.
My other friend went for the light snack of the fish cakes. They came with a good sized side salad and dipping sauce. There were three on the plate and they looked as if they were made from fresh white fish with herbs through them, wrapped in very thin bean curd sheets and deep fried.
Always check out the specials menu for the salad of the day, it's always good. The regular salad item is also very good, it's a smoked salmon and snow pea salad with avocado, topped with an orange and poppy seed dressing.
One thing to note, and it is on the menu for your information, they don't split bills here.
The service is efficient and friendly and the portions are a good size.
Apologies, I didn't check out the wine list.
ambience: 8/10
food: 8/10
service: 8/10
value for money: 8/10
wine list: another time!
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