artforartssake

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

We had an enjoyable evening here on a quiet Thursday, although I felt that prices were a tad on a steep side for what is really a fairly basic Asian eatery. Three of us dined and we paid $75 for a single plate of shared entrees, two mains, rice and three drinks.

When we arrived at 6.45pm the place was empty but having made a booking (quite unnecessary obviously) we decided to forge ahead. Happily we weren’t the only diners for long as a few other guests soon trickled in. At its peak it wouldn’t have been more than ½ full. Still the atmosphere is quite relaxing if a little bland and the carpeted interior makes for good acoustics.

Full marks to our sole waitress for making us feel welcome. She was helpful, polite and efficient. Orders were quickly taken and there was no long waiting for the courses to come out. And they came out in the right order: Drinks, followed by entrees followed by mains. Finally, a bowl of refreshing sliced oranges (free) to finish off and in a nice touch, hot towels to wipe down after the meal. That made up for the fact that the only dessert was ice cream, which was not what we wanted.

So there’s not much to complain about here. And the food was good too.

Our mixed entrée plate had vegetarian dumplings, chicken wings and money bags. All tasty and went down a treat. For mains we had noodles with chicken and a lamb curry. The noodles were soft and flavoursome and just melted in your mouth. They were well complemented with firm chicken slices, tofu and crunchy mixed vegetables. The lamb was tender in a creamy sauce but there could have been a bit more of it. We thought two dishes plus rice plus starters would have been enough for us but I think we could have done with another dish as portion sizes are a bit small. Still everything was fresh and nicely served.

Toilets are clean and well stocked but you’ll have to walk up a steep flight of steps to get to them. I guess like many restaurants in this area there is provision for two levels of dining but only the ground level is used and the toilets are upstairs. But that of course means that they’re well away from the kitchen which is another plus.

I like coming to this area to dine on a weeknight. There are plenty of choices and you can pretty much get a table anywhere without a booking. There’s two hours free parking at the nearby council car park in Alexander St or, better still, unlimited free parking underneath the Crows Nest Plaza on the corner of Atchison St. I normally choose the Plaza one, as it’s virtually empty at night and there’s no need to rush out before your two hours are up.

Apr 24, 2012

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  8     

From the street you can see garish flashing lights. To get access you walk up a short flight of stairs and through a glass sliding door. We just stumbled upon this place while trawling along Bondi Rd at 7.00pm on a Sat night looking for somewhere to eat and the lights caught our attention.

We were also encouraged to dine here by the 3-course offer for $20, which was even available on a Sat night (normally these kinds of deals are reserved for the graveyard shift between Mon-Thurs nights).

There were a few empty tables which was just as well for us as we hadn’t made a booking and it was about 80% full. By the time we left 1 ½ hours though, later we were the last guests.

It’s a rather non-descript place with a Spartan layout. Plain wooden furniture, wooden floors and bare walls. This just gives new meaning to the expression “no frills”. Best (or worst) are the toilets! There are no signs pointing the way. You walk out a dirty white door down a grotty corridor until you see a door marked “Gents” (or “Ladies” depending on your gender). There I found a single remnant of a bar of soap, no hand towels and the dryer out of action with cord hanging dangerously loose.

Nothing to point the way back to the restaurant. I couldn’t find the door and was about to send out an SOS when luckily another diner walked out into the corridor and I followed his trail back to the restaurant.

So I guess these guys aren’t paying too much attention to these sorts of things. They may think it’s not important but to diners like me it is. No matter how good the food or the service, we won’t come back to a place where toilets lack basic provisions and are hard to find.

The service and food though there were a pleasant surprise. The sole waitress was delightful. Despite being under pressure, she remained calm, pleasant and friendly. And so did the polite gent who brought out the meals even though he struggled a bit with English. Perhaps, this is a family business.

Three of us dined and we ordered two $20 banquets and a dish of Bhindi which are okra pieces sautéed with onion and spice. We kicked off the banquets with serves of vegetable samosas and onion bhaji. Two pieces of each, they were sensational. The samosas had a light crispy coating with a fine texture, lightly fried with a creamy filling. The pieces of onion bhaji were small and delicate with a firm, chewy texture.

For mains we choose the lamb saag and butter chicken. The lamb was well cooked with just enough sauce to give it that perfect flavour but not so much as to drown it. The butter chicken was tender and flavoursome. The Bhindi was a bit of a disappointment as it was too spicy. All that came with a huge plate of rice. We ordered a serve of Bombay potatoes and plain naan to beef it all up.

Everything was fresh and nicely presented in little silver bowls. The banquets included dessert so I chose my fav Gulab Jamun. It was just a small piece but soft and sweet. My friend chose mango kulfi ice cream and even though our third guest didn’t order the banquet, they still brought her an ice cream dessert free of charge which I thought was a nice touch!

All up we paid $90, and that included four soft drinks and two Kingfisher beers. Now that’s good value in these straightened times.

But if these guys want to increase business they better start to improve the overall dining experience by sprucing the place up a bit and putting on at least one extra staff member at busy times.

Apr 07, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Here are a few suggestions to improve the dining experience here:

Increase the size of the print font on the menu so that people over the age of 50 or short-sighted diners can actually read it.

Improve the lighting: The dim lighting might be romantic and restful, but it makes it even more impossible to read the menu.

Keep the doors closed on a cool nights. Doors flung wide open to catch the sea breeze may be ideal on a hot summer’s night, but it’s chilly and draughty on a blustery autumn night.

Get the seating sorted out. You basically have four choices, none of which are too appealing for a family group of five. You can either sit at uncomfortable high bar stools huddles around a little table or at a huge country, style kitchen table which has place for about 10 people but is too big for an intimate family dinner.

Or you can sit counter pub style which is great for solo diners but not for groups. And there are also soft leather couches which are useful for meetings or lounging around but impossible to eat a meal like that. We eventually settled for the least of the four evils: the round table with the high bar stools.

Starters should come out before mains. Don’t bring everything together, because that defeats the purpose of ordering starters. To be fair to these guys though, the menu describes the starters as “snacks and sharing plates” and doesn’t actually use the word “starters” (I know because I checked it online)! Okay so maybe ask diners if they would like the “snacks” before the mains or if they don’t mind having everything brought out at the same time.

Coffee should be served hot not lukewarm.

On the plus side: Service is prompt, helpful and polite. You pay and order at the counter and then collect your food when the buzzer goes off. I guess everything is prepared ahead of time and simply micro-waved as within 10 minutes of ordering our meals were ready.

Serving sizes are generous. You can easily get a table, at least on a weeknight. On the Monday night that we dined, there must have been only a handful of other diners, as you can see from the pics.

Convenient, safe location in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Coogee Beach. Toilets are clean, well stocked and easy to find. If you can get over the chill and the uncomfortable seating, the atmosphere is rather nice with views over to Coogee beach and the place has a relaxed and laid back feel to it. Acoustics are fine and no-one will rush you out of here.

So to the food: Five of us dined and we paid $142 for five mains, a shared mezze plate and a shared serve of green veggies. (Drinks and coffees extra.) All the food was fresh and tasty. My lamb pizza was nicely flavoured with tender lamb and plump, red cherry tomatoes on a thin, crusty base. The cod fillets were delicious, although that serving was a tad small.

The mezze plate which was intended as our starter but ended up as an added shared main (because everything came out together), comes with Spanish chorizo, arancini (fried rice balls coated in breadcrumbs), seared halloumi (goat’s cheese), marinated olives, tzatziki and a few slices of white bread rather grandly described as “wood-fired”, whatever that means! At $25, it was a bit expensive but it had some interesting offerings although I found the halloumi a bit salty.

I think I may yet find it within myself to go back, perhaps, on warm summer’s night. And I’ll study the menu online before I go!

Mar 28, 2012

8 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8      Food  8     

We usually eat here at Klaus’s Brasserie at the Paddo RSL after a movie at the nearby Chauvel Cinema. We’ve never been disappointed and last Saturday night was no exception: excellent value and delicious food. Even the drinks here at the Paddo RSL are reasonably priced: I paid $8 for a schooner of local beer and a soft drink.

Staff are friendly and polite. You pay and order at the counter and within 10-15 minutes a friendly waitress is delivering the meals to your table.

I had a traditional Wiener schnitzel, which comprised two generous pieces of fresh, tender schnitzel coated in a thin, crispy batter and cooked to perfection just the way I like it. It was accompanied by a healthy serve of creamy coleslaw and thin, crunchy chips. My wife had a beef burger which also came with chips and coleslaw. The burger meat was soft and full of flavour. We also ordered a side of red cabbage, which was sweet and tasty and the perfect complement to the meat.

All for $45: that’s nothing to complain about.

Atmosphere is fairly typical of an RSL club: bland, 1970s style decor but homely and comfortable with the carpeted interior absorbing some of the noise from a bunch of rowdy patrons sitting nearby. Place was about 70% full: Not bad for around 9’ish on a wet and windy Saturday night in autumn.

This is the ideal venue for a supper after a movie or I guess any other time you happen to be in the area. It’s conveniently located a few doors down from the Paddington Town Hall on Oxford Street.

Just be aware that because it’s a club, there is a minor logistical problem of membership. Non-members need to sign in and if you live within a 5km radius, you’ll need to show the badge of another club.

Mar 24, 2012

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  8     

As tourist attractions go, this is a Sydney must-see and that’s the reason we came here: to show off the city to overseas guests. On that level at least it doesn’t disappoint. Of course you can always go up the tower independently, but for the extra money it’s worth it to get a meal as well.

We arrived at 6.45pm on a Wed eve so we were able to enjoy the view in both the fading glow of the daylight, dusk and evening. And of course it was spectacular even though it was a grey, rather dreary day.

As a buffet though it is nothing more than average and, as other reviewers have pointed out, the service leaves much to be desired. It’s not that you’ll leave here hungry or that you won’t find at least one or two dishes that you like, but some dishes were disappointing and there isn’t a great range to choose from.

For me the cold meats and salads were a nice surprise. The beef was tender and nicely flavoured and the salads were all fresh and tasty. On the hot food side, the braised lamb was the winner while the beef steak was tough and chewy. There aren’t many starters to choose from but I enjoyed the vegetarian spring rolls and the Chinese-style dumplings. The desserts were too sweet for my liking and the fruit selection was limited to melons only.

It’s clear that they’re understaffed and that they need to replace the maitre d' with someone a little more cheery and customer focused. This guy either doesn’t enjoy his job or is under too much pressure and needs an assistant! The lower ranks though while obviously overworked were all pleasant and polite. But still, it took ages to get our drinks orders taken: I generally like to enjoy a drink before I start eating but there was no chance of that here. It also took ages for dirty dishes to be cleared away.

Whilst I realise that current management can’t do too much about the cramped and awkward layout of the place, a bit of a makeover at least in the furniture and decor department wouldn’t be a bad thing. The chairs are old-fashioned wood and steel ones that wouldn’t be out of place in a railway canteen. Tables are similarly old fashioned and small.

And a word of warning: Don’t lean too far forward to look at the food on offer as you’re likely to bonk your head on the steel overhang. Even the toilets are small and cramped although full marks to these guys for installing those express hand dryers.

With our Ent Bk vouchers we paid a tad under $50 a tick. So I’m not really complaining about that or about the quantity and quality of the food, I just think that a makeover in the interior design department, an increase in the staff complement and a new and friendlier maitre d' would help things. The downstairs staff also seemed a little out of their depth when faced with a rush of guests.

But having said all that I still wouldn’t hesitate to take an overseas guest here, not at that price.

Mar 15, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

We had an enjoyable evening here on a quiet Thursday, although I felt that prices were a tad on a steep side for what is really a fairly basic Asian eatery. Three of us dined and we paid $75 for a single plate of shared entrees, two mains, rice and three drinks.

When we arrived at 6.45pm the place was empty but having made a booking (quite unnecessary obviously) we decided to forge ahead. Happily we weren’t the only diners for long as a few other guests soon trickled in. At its peak it wouldn’t have been more than ½ full. Still the atmosphere is quite relaxing if a little bland and the carpeted interior makes for good acoustics.

Full marks to our sole waitress for making us feel welcome. She was helpful, polite and efficient. Orders were quickly taken and there was no long waiting for the courses to come out. And they came out in the right order: Drinks, followed by entrees followed by mains. Finally, a bowl of refreshing sliced oranges (free) to finish off and in a nice touch, hot towels to wipe down after the meal. That made up for the fact that the only dessert was ice cream, which was not what we wanted.

So there’s not much to complain about here. And the food was good too.

Our mixed entrée plate had vegetarian dumplings, chicken wings and money bags. All tasty and went down a treat. For mains we had noodles with chicken and a lamb curry. The noodles were soft and flavoursome and just melted in your mouth. They were well complemented with firm chicken slices, tofu and crunchy mixed vegetables. The lamb was tender in a creamy sauce but there could have been a bit more of it. We thought two dishes plus rice plus starters would have been enough for us but I think we could have done with another dish as portion sizes are a bit small. Still everything was fresh and nicely served.

Toilets are clean and well stocked but you’ll have to walk up a steep flight of steps to get to them. I guess like many restaurants in this area there is provision for two levels of dining but only the ground level is used and the toilets are upstairs. But that of course means that they’re well away from the kitchen which is another plus.

I like coming to this area to dine on a weeknight. There are plenty of choices and you can pretty much get a table anywhere without a booking. There’s two hours free parking at the nearby council car park in Alexander St or, better still, unlimited free parking underneath the Crows Nest Plaza on the corner of Atchison St. I normally choose the Plaza one, as it’s virtually empty at night and there’s no need to rush out before your two hours are up.

Apr 24, 2012

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  8     

From the street you can see garish flashing lights. To get access you walk up a short flight of stairs and through a glass sliding door. We just stumbled upon this place while trawling along Bondi Rd at 7.00pm on a Sat night looking for somewhere to eat and the lights caught our attention.

We were also encouraged to dine here by the 3-course offer for $20, which was even available on a Sat night (normally these kinds of deals are reserved for the graveyard shift between Mon-Thurs nights).

There were a few empty tables which was just as well for us as we hadn’t made a booking and it was about 80% full. By the time we left 1 ½ hours though, later we were the last guests.

It’s a rather non-descript place with a Spartan layout. Plain wooden furniture, wooden floors and bare walls. This just gives new meaning to the expression “no frills”. Best (or worst) are the toilets! There are no signs pointing the way. You walk out a dirty white door down a grotty corridor until you see a door marked “Gents” (or “Ladies” depending on your gender). There I found a single remnant of a bar of soap, no hand towels and the dryer out of action with cord hanging dangerously loose.

Nothing to point the way back to the restaurant. I couldn’t find the door and was about to send out an SOS when luckily another diner walked out into the corridor and I followed his trail back to the restaurant.

So I guess these guys aren’t paying too much attention to these sorts of things. They may think it’s not important but to diners like me it is. No matter how good the food or the service, we won’t come back to a place where toilets lack basic provisions and are hard to find.

The service and food though there were a pleasant surprise. The sole waitress was delightful. Despite being under pressure, she remained calm, pleasant and friendly. And so did the polite gent who brought out the meals even though he struggled a bit with English. Perhaps, this is a family business.

Three of us dined and we ordered two $20 banquets and a dish of Bhindi which are okra pieces sautéed with onion and spice. We kicked off the banquets with serves of vegetable samosas and onion bhaji. Two pieces of each, they were sensational. The samosas had a light crispy coating with a fine texture, lightly fried with a creamy filling. The pieces of onion bhaji were small and delicate with a firm, chewy texture.

For mains we choose the lamb saag and butter chicken. The lamb was well cooked with just enough sauce to give it that perfect flavour but not so much as to drown it. The butter chicken was tender and flavoursome. The Bhindi was a bit of a disappointment as it was too spicy. All that came with a huge plate of rice. We ordered a serve of Bombay potatoes and plain naan to beef it all up.

Everything was fresh and nicely presented in little silver bowls. The banquets included dessert so I chose my fav Gulab Jamun. It was just a small piece but soft and sweet. My friend chose mango kulfi ice cream and even though our third guest didn’t order the banquet, they still brought her an ice cream dessert free of charge which I thought was a nice touch!

All up we paid $90, and that included four soft drinks and two Kingfisher beers. Now that’s good value in these straightened times.

But if these guys want to increase business they better start to improve the overall dining experience by sprucing the place up a bit and putting on at least one extra staff member at busy times.

Apr 07, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Here are a few suggestions to improve the dining experience here:

Increase the size of the print font on the menu so that people over the age of 50 or short-sighted diners can actually read it.

Improve the lighting: The dim lighting might be romantic and restful, but it makes it even more impossible to read the menu.

Keep the doors closed on a cool nights. Doors flung wide open to catch the sea breeze may be ideal on a hot summer’s night, but it’s chilly and draughty on a blustery autumn night.

Get the seating sorted out. You basically have four choices, none of which are too appealing for a family group of five. You can either sit at uncomfortable high bar stools huddles around a little table or at a huge country, style kitchen table which has place for about 10 people but is too big for an intimate family dinner.

Or you can sit counter pub style which is great for solo diners but not for groups. And there are also soft leather couches which are useful for meetings or lounging around but impossible to eat a meal like that. We eventually settled for the least of the four evils: the round table with the high bar stools.

Starters should come out before mains. Don’t bring everything together, because that defeats the purpose of ordering starters. To be fair to these guys though, the menu describes the starters as “snacks and sharing plates” and doesn’t actually use the word “starters” (I know because I checked it online)! Okay so maybe ask diners if they would like the “snacks” before the mains or if they don’t mind having everything brought out at the same time.

Coffee should be served hot not lukewarm.

On the plus side: Service is prompt, helpful and polite. You pay and order at the counter and then collect your food when the buzzer goes off. I guess everything is prepared ahead of time and simply micro-waved as within 10 minutes of ordering our meals were ready.

Serving sizes are generous. You can easily get a table, at least on a weeknight. On the Monday night that we dined, there must have been only a handful of other diners, as you can see from the pics.

Convenient, safe location in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Coogee Beach. Toilets are clean, well stocked and easy to find. If you can get over the chill and the uncomfortable seating, the atmosphere is rather nice with views over to Coogee beach and the place has a relaxed and laid back feel to it. Acoustics are fine and no-one will rush you out of here.

So to the food: Five of us dined and we paid $142 for five mains, a shared mezze plate and a shared serve of green veggies. (Drinks and coffees extra.) All the food was fresh and tasty. My lamb pizza was nicely flavoured with tender lamb and plump, red cherry tomatoes on a thin, crusty base. The cod fillets were delicious, although that serving was a tad small.

The mezze plate which was intended as our starter but ended up as an added shared main (because everything came out together), comes with Spanish chorizo, arancini (fried rice balls coated in breadcrumbs), seared halloumi (goat’s cheese), marinated olives, tzatziki and a few slices of white bread rather grandly described as “wood-fired”, whatever that means! At $25, it was a bit expensive but it had some interesting offerings although I found the halloumi a bit salty.

I think I may yet find it within myself to go back, perhaps, on warm summer’s night. And I’ll study the menu online before I go!

Mar 28, 2012

8 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8      Food  8     

We usually eat here at Klaus’s Brasserie at the Paddo RSL after a movie at the nearby Chauvel Cinema. We’ve never been disappointed and last Saturday night was no exception: excellent value and delicious food. Even the drinks here at the Paddo RSL are reasonably priced: I paid $8 for a schooner of local beer and a soft drink.

Staff are friendly and polite. You pay and order at the counter and within 10-15 minutes a friendly waitress is delivering the meals to your table.

I had a traditional Wiener schnitzel, which comprised two generous pieces of fresh, tender schnitzel coated in a thin, crispy batter and cooked to perfection just the way I like it. It was accompanied by a healthy serve of creamy coleslaw and thin, crunchy chips. My wife had a beef burger which also came with chips and coleslaw. The burger meat was soft and full of flavour. We also ordered a side of red cabbage, which was sweet and tasty and the perfect complement to the meat.

All for $45: that’s nothing to complain about.

Atmosphere is fairly typical of an RSL club: bland, 1970s style decor but homely and comfortable with the carpeted interior absorbing some of the noise from a bunch of rowdy patrons sitting nearby. Place was about 70% full: Not bad for around 9’ish on a wet and windy Saturday night in autumn.

This is the ideal venue for a supper after a movie or I guess any other time you happen to be in the area. It’s conveniently located a few doors down from the Paddington Town Hall on Oxford Street.

Just be aware that because it’s a club, there is a minor logistical problem of membership. Non-members need to sign in and if you live within a 5km radius, you’ll need to show the badge of another club.

Mar 24, 2012

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  8     

As tourist attractions go, this is a Sydney must-see and that’s the reason we came here: to show off the city to overseas guests. On that level at least it doesn’t disappoint. Of course you can always go up the tower independently, but for the extra money it’s worth it to get a meal as well.

We arrived at 6.45pm on a Wed eve so we were able to enjoy the view in both the fading glow of the daylight, dusk and evening. And of course it was spectacular even though it was a grey, rather dreary day.

As a buffet though it is nothing more than average and, as other reviewers have pointed out, the service leaves much to be desired. It’s not that you’ll leave here hungry or that you won’t find at least one or two dishes that you like, but some dishes were disappointing and there isn’t a great range to choose from.

For me the cold meats and salads were a nice surprise. The beef was tender and nicely flavoured and the salads were all fresh and tasty. On the hot food side, the braised lamb was the winner while the beef steak was tough and chewy. There aren’t many starters to choose from but I enjoyed the vegetarian spring rolls and the Chinese-style dumplings. The desserts were too sweet for my liking and the fruit selection was limited to melons only.

It’s clear that they’re understaffed and that they need to replace the maitre d' with someone a little more cheery and customer focused. This guy either doesn’t enjoy his job or is under too much pressure and needs an assistant! The lower ranks though while obviously overworked were all pleasant and polite. But still, it took ages to get our drinks orders taken: I generally like to enjoy a drink before I start eating but there was no chance of that here. It also took ages for dirty dishes to be cleared away.

Whilst I realise that current management can’t do too much about the cramped and awkward layout of the place, a bit of a makeover at least in the furniture and decor department wouldn’t be a bad thing. The chairs are old-fashioned wood and steel ones that wouldn’t be out of place in a railway canteen. Tables are similarly old fashioned and small.

And a word of warning: Don’t lean too far forward to look at the food on offer as you’re likely to bonk your head on the steel overhang. Even the toilets are small and cramped although full marks to these guys for installing those express hand dryers.

With our Ent Bk vouchers we paid a tad under $50 a tick. So I’m not really complaining about that or about the quantity and quality of the food, I just think that a makeover in the interior design department, an increase in the staff complement and a new and friendlier maitre d' would help things. The downstairs staff also seemed a little out of their depth when faced with a rush of guests.

But having said all that I still wouldn’t hesitate to take an overseas guest here, not at that price.

Mar 15, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

What a nice surprise this place is.

Doesn’t look like much from the outside but it’s pleasantly cosy and homely inside. And it’s easy to find, next to the Medina Executive Apartments on Coogee Bay Road, about 500m up the road from the Coogee Bay Hotel.

We made a late booking for a 7.30pm table on a Fri night. As we were entertaining overseas visitors who were staying at the Medina, we asked for a table looking out onto the street and they obliged us. So our guests were treated to the sights and sounds of Aussie Friday night street life on the famous (or infamous) Coogee Bay Rd in all its glory!

All the waitresses here are pleasant, helpful and polite. One though who showed us to our table seemed to struggle with her English, so some up-skilling may be necessary especially when she didn’t even understand the word “menu”. I think the maitre d' must have picked up on this as she was promptly replaced by another young lady who was efficient in handling our rather complicated order for five people.

And the food was fresh, tasty and served in just the right quantities. But I suggest that you pay attention to the name of this place. “Spicy Thai” is no exaggeration because some dishes are pretty hot, especially one of the vegetarian ones which had one of our guests dashing outside for fresh air. But that’s no reflection of the quality of the food, just be sure to order mild stuff if hot chillies aren’t your thing.

My Penang beef curry though wasn’t overly spicy. The meat are tender and flavoursome and neatly presented in thin, edible slices and accompanied with a selection of crunchy, green veggies in a tangy coconut cream sauce.

All up we paid $115 for five people and that included two shared starters, five mains and boiled rice all round. We brought our own wine – (it’s byo) but I couldn’t even tell you whether they charged for corkage as the price was so reasonable, I couldn’t be bothered to check.

This is a small place and it’s obviously developed a loyal following as it was quite full the night we dined. However, the quick turnover of tables should ensure that you don’t have to wait long if you’re willing to hand around.

Toilets sadly are non-existent but you are free to use the ones next door ones at the Medina and those are clean and well stocked if a little difficult to find.

I wouldn’t hesitate to come back here. It’s pleasantly casual and relaxed in a convenient location. Service and food are of the highest quality. Just don’t expect desserts or coffee as we couldn't find any on the menu.

Mar 11, 2012

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  3      Service  7      Value  3     

We’ve dined here many times before but on Sunday night it was a hellhole. The noise was so bad from the next door beer garden and the few rowdy tables near us that even though there were only two of us, conversation was impossible. Maybe it was my fault for sticking around when it was obvious from the moment we arrived that we were in for a “rough” night! But I guess when you’ve made your arrangements and you’re entertaining an out-of-town visitor you aren’t too keen to go through the embarrassment of changing plans midstream. So we pushed on, but it was horrid.

The only people who should be dining here are the loud, drunken groups spilling over from the beer garden. It’s a bit outrageous for them to charge you $29 for a steak in such an environment where you can’t even hear yourself think. And it’s not just the noise: The whole place looks shoddy and uninviting. Tables aren’t cleaned and furniture is untidily sprawled all over the place after diners leave, with no-one bothering to put them back in their place.

And don’t waste time trying to make a booking. I emailed my request twice and received no response apart from automated replies thanking me for my interest and promising that someone would be in touch within 24 hours. Of course, that never happened. I also twice tried to call but wasn’t even able to get through to the bistro. But in any event it was hardly necessary as the restaurant was only about half full. Even getting access now is a problem with both entrances on Arden Street closed off so you have to go around and enter via Coogee Bay Rd.

The drill these days is that you order and pay at the counter and then collect your meals when your little buzzer goes off. Last time we ate here, meals were delivered to our table. But they can’t even afford you this little courtesy anymore. At least the lady who took our order was pleasant and friendly!

We ordered two 300g steaks, mine with mash and veg and my friend’s with chips and salad. The veggies were just the frozen packet variety. The steak though was pleasantly edible with tangy mushroom sauce, well cooked the way I liked it and the creamy mash complemented it nicely.

The only reason we came was the freebie meal with the Entertainment Book. So I don’t think we’ll be rushing back here in a hurry.

Mar 06, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

I lunched here on a Thursday afternoon for the first time in many years But it’s still the same stylish but laid back old Cosmo that I remember from the 80s and 90s despite everything else around it in Double Bay falling apart (loads of empty shops and offices, abandoned cinema and wall to wall “For lease” signs.)

It must have been only about half full at lunchtime so we were easily able to get a table even though it wasn’t the best table.

And the Cosmo is still a top spot for lunch or tea on a warm summer’s day. Most of the tables are outdoors but under cover so you avoid the glaring sunlight but still get to enjoy the cool air blowing through the place.

And if you sit near the entrance or facing the road you get to watch the passing parade as well.

I ordered a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich with salad and an Earl Grey tea. My friend had an apple strudel and coffee. The toasted cheese and tom was just the right size for a casual lunch. There were two slices neatly presented with toothpicks through the middle and a decent serve of mixed salad: lettuce, plump red cherry tomatoes and a creamy portion of coleslaw with red cabbage. A perfect meal for me washed down with a refreshing cup of my fav Earl Grey tea. The strudel was huge with fresh, crispy pastry and overflowing with a tasty apple and sultana filling.

And the second best thing I liked about this place, after its prime location, was the friendly service. The waitresses were helpful and polite and a tad playful. Not obsequious or fawning just jovial enough to share a joke with in an encounter of good-natured banter. They were simply delightful.

Shopping centre toilets are clean, modern and well stocked.

Even though Double Bay is in the economic doldrums, parking is still a nightmare. Look for two-hour free parking in Ocean Street, about 10 mins walk away.

I’m sorry I’ve been away from this place for so long, have rediscovered it can’t wait to go back.

Mar 01, 2012

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Strange name for a Japanese restaurant but then these guys seem a bit unsure of themselves generally. As everyone knows, Wagga Wagga is a quintessentially Aussie town in country NSW not a name one would associate with Asian cuisine.

But be that as it may, this is the “new kid on the block” at The Spot dining precinct. And at least in appearance, it stands out amongst the general drabness of the rest of the Spot eateries. It’s a comfy and airy place, with rattan chairs with cushions and large tables in a neat, stylish and modern layout. Doors flung wide open to the street make it an ideal venue on a hot summer’s night.

We dined on a Sat eve at 9.00pm, after the movies. It was about half full at that time so we were easily able to get a table. But don’t be misled as it could well have been fuller earlier on, so bookings for peak times are probably warranted at least for now while it’s still a novelty.

I think it’s important to clarify that Waga is a Japanese bbq restaurant, something akin to a Korean bbq rest. here you are supposed to cook your own food. So in the middle of each table, is a round grill-type cooker for this purpose. But at least at Waga, this is optional and if you decide to forego the self-cook option for normal table service then they’ll disable the cooker by placing a wooden disk over it and then, hey presto your table has even more room.

Needles to say, we chose the normal table service option. Whilst all the wait staff were pleasant, helpful and polite I found it a bit odd that we to ask for cutlery, serviettes and even a beer glass.

We couldn't really understand much about the menu as there were few explanations. But our patient waitress took the time to explain ea dish in an effort to help us to find something that suited our tastes.

Eventually we settled on a vegetarian sushi, a fried chicken dish, an almond and lettuce salad (pity it said nothing on the menu about the bacon in it) a fried chicken dish, vegetable dumplings and a bean curd and rice. Just to test the cooker we also tried the self-cook mushrooms. Everything was to our liking except for the cook-your-own mushrooms which were a tasteless disaster but, perhaps, we didn’t cook them right.

The fried chicken dish was especially nice with tasty, fresh chicken in a crispy batter. That contrasted nicely with the dumplings with their soft chewy exterior and tasty veg filling.

All up and including a beer and green tea we paid $60 for that lot. Portions were a touch on the small side but because we ordered a variety of dishes we managed to stave off the hunger pangs.

Toilets are clean and well stocked if a little lacking in privacy with wide open doors. Lighting and atmospherics were satisfactory with the tables well spaced out.

But overall, I’m not sure though that I’ll be rushing back here soon. Somehow the bbq idea just doesn’t appeal. If I want to cook myself, I may as well stay at home and do it there.

Feb 21, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

Smooth is a new and welcome addition to an otherwise drab and lifeless Willoughby Rd dining strip. The decor is modern and stylish and the seating is comfortable with soft chairs and large tables. The place is spacious and airy with wide doors flung wide open to the street, there’s no outdoor seating but this place hardly needs it. So the ambience inside is casual and relaxed. It was only about 1/3 full on the night we dined, so acoustics were fine and we had no probs conversing.

We started off with two starters: money bags and curry puffs. The curry puffs were warm and fluffy with a flavoursome onion, potato and carrot filling. By contrast, the money bags were perfectly crispy outside and I liked the tender minced chicken inside.

For mains we shared the Massaman curry with roti and the Pad See Ew, which are fried noodles with chicken and bean sprouts. Everything was fresh and tasty and clearly made only with the best ingredients. Best dish of the night was the Massaman curry. The tender meat pieces just melted in your mouth and were perfectly complemented with the rich and creamy coconut milk sauce. A piece of fried roti to accompany was a nice touch not seen before in a Thai restaurant.

We finished off with a sticky rice pud with custard, again something quite original and delicious. Helpings were generous and you’ll never leave here hungry. All up, and including three soft drinks and rice we paid $75 for that lot which I was more than satisfied with.

Service was friendly, helpful and polite and dishes came out in record quick time. Toilets are clean and well stocked and you’ll be able to get two hours free parking at the nearby Council car Park.

I can recommend this place and will certainly be coming back.

Feb 17, 2012