WAQU

9 Highly Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

After months of consideration, I finally had the 5 course dinner meal at WAQU. I left the restaurant satisfied, but there was an overwhelming feeling that the dishes were too experimental; too many textures and flavours on each dish which could have been simplified for taste and visual purposes.

Food - 5 course dinner menu, portions were very good, although the main was smaller than my 3rd course. I felt the menu lacked a theme, or consistency. Each course did not harmonise with the previous and the latter. The quality of ingredients used were fantastic, and fresh. I thoroughly enjoyed the Green tea soba with blue swimemr crab. A modern twist on a classic Japanese dish. The dessert platter was very disappointing, lacked originality - red bean mousse, green tea ice cream with pistachio.

Ambience - lovely feel. A modern design, very spacious feel with each table being quite private. Good control of noise and use of space.

Service - faultless, it was lovely to have the waiters describe each dish. All staff were conscientious, and helpful. Never once did we need to ask for our glasses to be topped up.

Value - for $55 is it great value, a good dining experience. Although the dishes lack wow factor, it is a nice restaurant for a casual meal.

Jan 18, 2010 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Each dish was interesting and unique. We enjoyed each of those little dishes with fun surprise. Hospitality was fantastic! We had a little son and as soon as he started crying, the waitress came and offer him some ice cream. Tables were full on that Sunday night. Better to book.

Jan 13, 2010 

5.5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  4     

WAQU is typical of a number of restaurants that strive to be great but only obtain a tad above mediocrity. When oh when, will restaurants work out the difference between a tasting menu and a course menu e.g. main course.

The menu is designed for a very petite woman who is on a diet, not a hungry man. The meals at this restaurant left us all hungry enough to go across the road after the meal and have a gelato and coffee filler. Lets go through the criteria list.

Ambience: Low lighting and dark walls with very dark floors left one with a very comfortable feel. Double glazed glass killed any noise from the busy highway outside. Good sized tables spread far enough apart to give some privacy was appreciated.

Service: Was Ok but lacked a degree of professionalism with one waiter attempting to take our plates before we had finished the course. The description of each course was a nice touch, however, when we asked a question the waitress had great difficulty understanding us. One gained the impression of "parrotting".

Food: The most important criteria. I could describe each course in detail but will generalise with the following. Presentation of the dishes was very good. The fourth course of Kurobuto Pork was delicious. Unfortunately, in most of the other courses a short cut or the easy path was taken in preparation rather than a true Japanese experience.

An example of this was crumbed chicken when tempura chicken would have been far better. Most of the other courses seemed to have the same tasting sauce over and over again. No originality.

Value for Money: Well it isn't, that simple. We were charged $48 for a bottle of wine that sold across the road at the hotel for $19, thats 250% markup. The food portions were far to small leaving one hungry.

Bottom Line Wagu gives their motto as "Japanese food with a Western influence" when it should be "Western food with a Japanese influence". Won't be going back on course sizes and value for money.

Jan 11, 2010 

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

Had the Spring menu. Think this place is a bit over-rated. 5 dishes for $55 is quite good value for the originality and effort with the food, but at the end of the day, I just left feeling a bit disappointed with the flavours.

The best dish was the dessert, probably because they had the truest and plainest flavours, and these desserts I could probably find at the buffet of a 5 star hotel (am I asking too much?). I'm not an expert on fine dining or fusion food, but nothing really wow'd me.

Jan 06, 2010 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  6     

I was dragged out here to try out this place. I had $55 "meal" (the only other option was the $68 6 course).

The quality of the ingredients were top notch (beef was fantastic). Flavours were very good, variety was excellent, sauces were sublime! However, for course 4, the snapper, that was nothing special (wouldn't recommend it). Tasted like overdone fish from any other place.

So, why am I only giving this place a 7 for food? For starters, the Ssapper I mentioned above, and secondly because this place leaves you walking out with an unsatisfied stomach. I am not asking for monster portions, just a little more to feel like you've had a meal,not an entree.

It's a nice restaurant, the place is nicely laid out. It is a restaurant where you can take a date or a business guest. Service was not horrible, waiters/waitresses were attentive and professional. The problem was I couldn't understand a single word some of them said.

I'm sure people of higher culture than I would dispute what I have written, but my review is for the casual diner or food lover.

Jan 02, 2010 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Daughter took me for our (early) Chritmas Dinner and we had the $55 meal. If you don't know what to order this is a great way of enjoying different dishes with the most wonderful flavour. Everything was perfect. The staff were very attentive and good at explaining each dish. The ambience was good too as you can hear yourself speak (I hate tiled restaurant floors) and the lighting was fine too. I would love to go back and have recommend it to everybody.

Dec 26, 2009 

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  8     

Went for the first time since their relocation. Food were nicely presented as usual but weren't impressed with the service at all. The waitress who served us had disgustingly long hair drawn to the front and were dangerously close to the food, every time she pointed her long finger nail at the food to explain each dish, I had to look away because they were as long as her fingers! They should take better care of their waiting staff's appearance first than the food.

Dec 21, 2009 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

We had the 5course meal and were not disappointed. The play of flavours on the tastebuds, the wonderful staff who explained our dishes and how we should eat them and the selection of drinks were all a nice surprise. Would definitely love to come back here again.

Dec 19, 2009 

6 Average

Food  1      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  9     

Went to Waqu last week for a birthday dinner. Restaurant looked great and we went for the $55 tasting menu. Absolutely inedible, obviously the chefs are playing with the food so much that they forgot about flavour! Every course was horrible, the only thing I could eat was the chocolate icecream at the end.

Dec 13, 2009 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  9     

For $55 this is a place thats well worth the try, you could can see they did put the effort into making the dishes although not much ambience I reckon but it is great value for money. Nice wine selection. Walked pass the private dining area to go to the toilet and must say the private dining is a bit bland in decor. But overall will return there again!

Dec 02, 2009