5stardiner

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  7     

It was a Monday night and we noticed Le Tonkin was still open and had a few tables full and looked like a nice place and so we ventured in.

The Good - We were seated promptly at a table of our choice and our order was taken without any trouble. The entree of pancake with pork and prawn stuffing was nice and crispy and the sauce accompanying it complemented it perfectly. The fried rice with ham was deliciously flavoursome and highly recommended for any fried rice lover.

The Bad - We ordered a beef stew in a hotpot from the menu and instead received beef in a bowl in what looked like a soup. The waiter apologised and said they 'no longer put it in a hotpot because it is messy'. That would have been fine had the contents actually looked like a stew. We tasted it in case our eyes were deceiving us and it was completely bland and not what a stew with its rich concentrated sauce would taste like. We advised the waiter that it was not what we ordered (which was a beef stew in a hotpot) and that we did not want it. He took it away.

Next came our other main, soft shell crab in tamarind sauce. Being a tamarind sauce lover, I was looking forward to biting into the crispy crab with its tamarind covering. Instead we received what tasted like salt and pepper soft shell crab with two side sauces of sweet chilli and another clear looking sauce that I did not even try. We asked where the tamarind was and were told it was cooked with the crab. We could not see it and could not taste it either. We did not want to complain any further.

The waiter approached us and offered to take 10% off our total bill because of our disappointment with the beef stew. We suggested that the entire dish be taken off our bill as it was not what we ordered. He went away to speak to 'senior staff' and returned and advised that our other option would be to take 50% off the beef dish.

We again requested that the entire dish be taken off as it was not what we ordered (not to mention the tamarind crab which had no tamarind). Eventually he agreed to remove from the bill.

I would not return due to my experience but I would say give it a try as they do have some good redeeming dishes. However, my suggestion would be to really clarify all your orders at the time of order as the wording of the menu is confusing and to ensure you get exactly what you are expecting.

Jan 10, 2012

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  6     

Nice interior, beautiful views from the balcony, extensive wine list and reasonably good food. I would recommend booking in advance if you would like a table on the balcony.

Feb 10, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Went here on a Friday night and sat upstairs on the nice little balcony which was perfect for a warm summer night. Tapas menu is different from the usual and has a modern twist. The various tapas dishes were delicious and full of flavour. I tried black pudding for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how great it tasted. I would definetely return.

Feb 10, 2011

3.5 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  2     

I attended Christine's birthday (see review below) and was witness to rudeness I have never seen towards a paying customer. It was her birthday and she asked for a bruschetta bread and was asked to go get some from in front of others at the other end of the table. Our group was large and we ordered lots of drinks, surely a bruscetta was not too much to ask given the food was limited and people were still hungry seeing we shared a pizza between 3-4 people (from a set menu $35pp). The 'head' waiter was arrogant and rude beyond belief - you never ever treat a paying customer like that. Surely saving on a bruschetta and being rude and dismissive towards a customer is not worth the negative reviews you see here!

Nov 16, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.5 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  2     

I went here on a Friday night and this place was pretty quiet. It is in a great location with beautiful views over darling harbour. The service was slow to non-existent. We ordered a cheese platter only to receive a platter with literally 6 bites of cheese, not exactly a platter.

Another 2 dishes that we ordered never arrived. Complaints were ignored. We asked for our bill but it also just never arrived. We walked over to front desk to pay and you would think it can't get any worse but it does. The bill was missing a couple of items, we certainly were not going to bring it to their attention, we deserved a tip!

It's a real shame this place is quiet which I put down to awful service. The food is actually tasteful but overpriced. This place has real potential with its location and space. They just need to invest in customer service and value.

Nov 11, 2010

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  7     

It was a Monday night and we noticed Le Tonkin was still open and had a few tables full and looked like a nice place and so we ventured in.

The Good - We were seated promptly at a table of our choice and our order was taken without any trouble. The entree of pancake with pork and prawn stuffing was nice and crispy and the sauce accompanying it complemented it perfectly. The fried rice with ham was deliciously flavoursome and highly recommended for any fried rice lover.

The Bad - We ordered a beef stew in a hotpot from the menu and instead received beef in a bowl in what looked like a soup. The waiter apologised and said they 'no longer put it in a hotpot because it is messy'. That would have been fine had the contents actually looked like a stew. We tasted it in case our eyes were deceiving us and it was completely bland and not what a stew with its rich concentrated sauce would taste like. We advised the waiter that it was not what we ordered (which was a beef stew in a hotpot) and that we did not want it. He took it away.

Next came our other main, soft shell crab in tamarind sauce. Being a tamarind sauce lover, I was looking forward to biting into the crispy crab with its tamarind covering. Instead we received what tasted like salt and pepper soft shell crab with two side sauces of sweet chilli and another clear looking sauce that I did not even try. We asked where the tamarind was and were told it was cooked with the crab. We could not see it and could not taste it either. We did not want to complain any further.

The waiter approached us and offered to take 10% off our total bill because of our disappointment with the beef stew. We suggested that the entire dish be taken off our bill as it was not what we ordered. He went away to speak to 'senior staff' and returned and advised that our other option would be to take 50% off the beef dish.

We again requested that the entire dish be taken off as it was not what we ordered (not to mention the tamarind crab which had no tamarind). Eventually he agreed to remove from the bill.

I would not return due to my experience but I would say give it a try as they do have some good redeeming dishes. However, my suggestion would be to really clarify all your orders at the time of order as the wording of the menu is confusing and to ensure you get exactly what you are expecting.

Jan 10, 2012

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  6     

Nice interior, beautiful views from the balcony, extensive wine list and reasonably good food. I would recommend booking in advance if you would like a table on the balcony.

Feb 10, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Went here on a Friday night and sat upstairs on the nice little balcony which was perfect for a warm summer night. Tapas menu is different from the usual and has a modern twist. The various tapas dishes were delicious and full of flavour. I tried black pudding for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how great it tasted. I would definetely return.

Feb 10, 2011

3.5 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  2     

I attended Christine's birthday (see review below) and was witness to rudeness I have never seen towards a paying customer. It was her birthday and she asked for a bruschetta bread and was asked to go get some from in front of others at the other end of the table. Our group was large and we ordered lots of drinks, surely a bruscetta was not too much to ask given the food was limited and people were still hungry seeing we shared a pizza between 3-4 people (from a set menu $35pp). The 'head' waiter was arrogant and rude beyond belief - you never ever treat a paying customer like that. Surely saving on a bruschetta and being rude and dismissive towards a customer is not worth the negative reviews you see here!

Nov 16, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.5 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  2     

I went here on a Friday night and this place was pretty quiet. It is in a great location with beautiful views over darling harbour. The service was slow to non-existent. We ordered a cheese platter only to receive a platter with literally 6 bites of cheese, not exactly a platter.

Another 2 dishes that we ordered never arrived. Complaints were ignored. We asked for our bill but it also just never arrived. We walked over to front desk to pay and you would think it can't get any worse but it does. The bill was missing a couple of items, we certainly were not going to bring it to their attention, we deserved a tip!

It's a real shame this place is quiet which I put down to awful service. The food is actually tasteful but overpriced. This place has real potential with its location and space. They just need to invest in customer service and value.

Nov 11, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Really good Italian food - the salmon carpaccio entree was great as was my main of prawn linguine. Good place if looking for a hearty weeknight meal.

Nov 11, 2010

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

Went here on a weeknight - the place is beautiful , particularly the outdoor area out the back. Food and service are great. I highly recommend the Angel prawns entree as well as the soft shell crab main on their specials menu. Each of the dishes was nicely presented and full of flavour. One of the nicer Thai restaurants in Sydney.

Nov 11, 2010

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  7     

Nice restaurant with good food. The Japanese seafood entree was nice as was the miso baked Black Cod. My only real disappointment was coming across three bones almost the length of my little finger. I complained to the waitress only to be told the kitchen does its best but sometimes they miss some bones and that they are not the type you can choke on (they certainly looked the type!). Not what you would expect from a two hat restaurant. But overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

May 31, 2010

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

I did not expect to find this little two chef's hat restaurant tucked away in a little graffits alley but strangely enough this added to the ambience and feel of this eatery.

There were some standout dishes and some good but average ones. The real standout dish would have to be the beef cheek with cauliflower puree and Pedro Ximenez sauce, it was to die for. The beef combined with the puree and sauce literally melted in my mouth, the flavour and texture was truly amazing. The croquette with Mahon cheese was really tasty. The wagyu with poached egg and truffle foam was also a great dish if you can handle the saltiness. I enjoyed all dishes except maybe the salt cod tapas which I thought was nothing special.

Great, knowledgeable and friendly service, I will definitely return here on my next Melbourne trip if only to have the beef cheeks again!

May 17, 2010

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Went here based on the 2 hat rating and expected a lot from this place. This is one very fine dining establishment. From the moment you walk in service is pretty much faultless.

In terms of the food, I have mixed feelings. I really loved their complimentary three spices served with fresh bread. This was followed by a lovely complimentary appetiser of kingfish sashimi atop a jelly base. My entree of yellowfin tuna sashimi, bonito pannacotta, soy and wasabi foam was absolutely spot on, it had all the right flavours and textures. The main of fried john dory with cauliflower cream, roasted kipfler potato, seared scallop and caviar was quite nice even if I wanted to see more scallop and caviar in the dish.

My friend's dishes weren't as interesting, the entree of steamed crab and ginger dumpling tasted like something you could get at any thai place and their main of steamed malloway in spiced tomato and tamarind broth didn't blow either of us away. We also could not justify the $48.50 that was paid for the mulloway main which had a small fillet of mulloway and no other overly costly ingredients.

Some dishes especially the tuna sashimi were great but I really expected more from a two hat establishment, especially given the overpricing of their menu. The complimentary bread and three spices as well as appetizer were a great touch and service was very attentive. This is a great place to go for a special occasion as it truly looks and feels like a very fine dining establishment.

May 17, 2010