curious-eatie

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  9     

My sister and I enjoyed a late lunch at Piccolo's today, using a coupon for two lunch or breakfast dishes plus two drinks or coffees for $29 which was gifted to us. Having read through all the reviews and the variations in opinion, I really tried to approach the little cafe without prejudice and I have to say...... I really liked it!

I liked the worn, comfy old furniture, especially the little nook by the window, where a young family with two small children were enjoying their milkshakes and people-watching. I liked the barista and the friendly waiter, who stopped for a chat with one of his customers, an eccentric little elderly lady who seemed as though she had been frequenting the place with her dog for most of her life.

I liked how the sugar was in a little glass pot and not in sachets like they are everywhere else these days. I liked how they put grilled halloumi in my steak sandwich and I even liked their tacky, laminated, clip-art designed menus (not sure why but I found them.... endearing. The way you find your kid's school project efforts endearing). I loved the layers of smooth and perfect foam atop my soy cappuccino - flawless coffee, as previously mentioned.

The only thing that ruined my experience was when I asked to use the ladies' and was directed to the courtyard area, where the toilet was situated in a tiny outhouse which appeared to have no working light. The courtyard itself was a dingy, dank, plastic fantastic tack-fest. Gone was the unpretentious, vintage-y cool feel of the front area. I thought I had walked into another cafe.

Overall, I did enjoy my experience at Piccolo Padre, I'm pleased to say that their coffees do live up to their reputation, I would go again for unfussy, well-priced cafe-food with a friend or two of an afternoon in the area.

Jan 31, 2012

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

Have been going to Noggi ever since it first opened late 2011. Not sure why it is listed here as a Modern Australian restaurant as it is actually a frozen yogurt joint but don't be deterred - Noggi's frozen yogurt is the best I've ever had!

The yogurt is smooth and lightly creamy but not too sweet and just bitter enough. You can't fail with the original flavoured yogurt but my favourite is Biscotti, which has a slightly buttery, nutty taste. What I love most about Noggi is that all their toppings are fresh - blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, mochi rice cake pieces, Tim Tams, Oreos..... and you get them included in the price, unlike Wow Cow, where you have to pay $1.00 per topping (and you only get a tiny spoonful).

The price menu says you get 3 toppings but the staff always give us a choice of 5, and they are always very generous with the toppings, squashing them into the yogurt so they can pack more and more into your cup.

If you can brave the crowds of chatting/screaming teenagers then it's definitely worth a try. Don't be deterred by the long line that sometimes goes around the corner, the wait is surprisingly not long at all and no matter how crowded it's been, we've always been able to score a table in the little seating area at the back.

Jan 30, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  6      Value  9     

Chilli Jam is one of my all-time favourite Thai restaurants in Sydney. I took a friend who was born and raised in Thailand and who had been less than wowed by the offerings at the hundreds of Thai eateries in Australia, and he said that Chilli Jam's food was undoubtedly the most authentic-tasting Thai that he had tasted outside of Thailand!

All the classics and your favourites are there on the menu, done exactly the way they should be. I love their duck curry and the thai beef salad. Pricing is higher than your average Thai but it's so worth it especially because the portions seem to be double per dish. The portions are beyond generous, we're always guaranteed lunch for the next day (and it tastes just as good re-heated and eaten out of a takeaway box!).

Decor and ambience, lighting, music are all lovely and swish. The service is no better or worse than what you get at all Thai restaurants, but it'll do, the waitresses are efficient and polite enough in their own shy, reserved way.

I've come here for Sunday lunch with a large group of friends, Mum's birthday dinner with the family, weekday dinner with the girls, entertaining a guest from overseas, it seems to befit any occasion. Definitely recommended.

Jan 28, 2012

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  6     

I first discovered Sofra in 2006 and have been going there for Adana ever since.
I've confidently introduced the place to many friends and have created many more fans of the restaurant by doing so.

The servings are generous although I have to say, back in the days they used to give a lot more bread than they do today. I prefer Turkish over Lebanese because I prefer Turkish bread and the meats generally taste less salty but at the same time, flavoursome. I always get the double chicken and I love the smoky grilled flavour that never fails to satisfy.

Chips are always fresh and made to order and the service is efficient and friendly enough. I like how it's also a lot cleaner than other Turkish places I've been to in the area.

Jan 27, 2012

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  3      Service  8      Value  7     

After reading the reviews on Eatability.com, I was eager to try Malaysia O'Town Kopitiam. I had only ever tried Malaysian food that was not home-cooked at Kuali in Lane Cove and some laksa places in Parramatta which are all quite far from where we live in the inner west so I was happy to hear about this place in Croydon.

As expected from the reviews, the interior was of poor taste but I knew from experience that appearances can be deceiving when it comes to cheap Asian dining. I chose the nasi lemak and my boyfriend ordered the laksa, and roti canai for a side. The roti canai as mentioned in other reviews was unimpressive and over-priced considering the lack of quality (I would pay $5 for good roti canai any day).

Our food arrived too quickly for it to seem as though it had been cooked to order and surely enough, the nasi lemak was only just warm. It tasted nice, although it probably would have tasted better if it was hot and freshly cooked.

My boyfriend was, on the other hand, delighted with the laksa. Being a fan of laksa and having tried it at many restaurants and noodle places in Sydney, he gives it a positive review.

Waitstaff were pleasant, polite and unintruding. Ambience might be improved with a playlist of some more appropriate music, as opposed to the radio station ads and chart music that we could hear from our table.

Overall, our experience was good, but we weren't blown away. I would go there again for a quick, casual, no-nonsense, cheap, local Malaysian meal.

Jan 27, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  9     

My sister and I enjoyed a late lunch at Piccolo's today, using a coupon for two lunch or breakfast dishes plus two drinks or coffees for $29 which was gifted to us. Having read through all the reviews and the variations in opinion, I really tried to approach the little cafe without prejudice and I have to say...... I really liked it!

I liked the worn, comfy old furniture, especially the little nook by the window, where a young family with two small children were enjoying their milkshakes and people-watching. I liked the barista and the friendly waiter, who stopped for a chat with one of his customers, an eccentric little elderly lady who seemed as though she had been frequenting the place with her dog for most of her life.

I liked how the sugar was in a little glass pot and not in sachets like they are everywhere else these days. I liked how they put grilled halloumi in my steak sandwich and I even liked their tacky, laminated, clip-art designed menus (not sure why but I found them.... endearing. The way you find your kid's school project efforts endearing). I loved the layers of smooth and perfect foam atop my soy cappuccino - flawless coffee, as previously mentioned.

The only thing that ruined my experience was when I asked to use the ladies' and was directed to the courtyard area, where the toilet was situated in a tiny outhouse which appeared to have no working light. The courtyard itself was a dingy, dank, plastic fantastic tack-fest. Gone was the unpretentious, vintage-y cool feel of the front area. I thought I had walked into another cafe.

Overall, I did enjoy my experience at Piccolo Padre, I'm pleased to say that their coffees do live up to their reputation, I would go again for unfussy, well-priced cafe-food with a friend or two of an afternoon in the area.

Jan 31, 2012

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

Have been going to Noggi ever since it first opened late 2011. Not sure why it is listed here as a Modern Australian restaurant as it is actually a frozen yogurt joint but don't be deterred - Noggi's frozen yogurt is the best I've ever had!

The yogurt is smooth and lightly creamy but not too sweet and just bitter enough. You can't fail with the original flavoured yogurt but my favourite is Biscotti, which has a slightly buttery, nutty taste. What I love most about Noggi is that all their toppings are fresh - blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, mochi rice cake pieces, Tim Tams, Oreos..... and you get them included in the price, unlike Wow Cow, where you have to pay $1.00 per topping (and you only get a tiny spoonful).

The price menu says you get 3 toppings but the staff always give us a choice of 5, and they are always very generous with the toppings, squashing them into the yogurt so they can pack more and more into your cup.

If you can brave the crowds of chatting/screaming teenagers then it's definitely worth a try. Don't be deterred by the long line that sometimes goes around the corner, the wait is surprisingly not long at all and no matter how crowded it's been, we've always been able to score a table in the little seating area at the back.

Jan 30, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  6      Value  9     

Chilli Jam is one of my all-time favourite Thai restaurants in Sydney. I took a friend who was born and raised in Thailand and who had been less than wowed by the offerings at the hundreds of Thai eateries in Australia, and he said that Chilli Jam's food was undoubtedly the most authentic-tasting Thai that he had tasted outside of Thailand!

All the classics and your favourites are there on the menu, done exactly the way they should be. I love their duck curry and the thai beef salad. Pricing is higher than your average Thai but it's so worth it especially because the portions seem to be double per dish. The portions are beyond generous, we're always guaranteed lunch for the next day (and it tastes just as good re-heated and eaten out of a takeaway box!).

Decor and ambience, lighting, music are all lovely and swish. The service is no better or worse than what you get at all Thai restaurants, but it'll do, the waitresses are efficient and polite enough in their own shy, reserved way.

I've come here for Sunday lunch with a large group of friends, Mum's birthday dinner with the family, weekday dinner with the girls, entertaining a guest from overseas, it seems to befit any occasion. Definitely recommended.

Jan 28, 2012

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  6     

I first discovered Sofra in 2006 and have been going there for Adana ever since.
I've confidently introduced the place to many friends and have created many more fans of the restaurant by doing so.

The servings are generous although I have to say, back in the days they used to give a lot more bread than they do today. I prefer Turkish over Lebanese because I prefer Turkish bread and the meats generally taste less salty but at the same time, flavoursome. I always get the double chicken and I love the smoky grilled flavour that never fails to satisfy.

Chips are always fresh and made to order and the service is efficient and friendly enough. I like how it's also a lot cleaner than other Turkish places I've been to in the area.

Jan 27, 2012

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  3      Service  8      Value  7     

After reading the reviews on Eatability.com, I was eager to try Malaysia O'Town Kopitiam. I had only ever tried Malaysian food that was not home-cooked at Kuali in Lane Cove and some laksa places in Parramatta which are all quite far from where we live in the inner west so I was happy to hear about this place in Croydon.

As expected from the reviews, the interior was of poor taste but I knew from experience that appearances can be deceiving when it comes to cheap Asian dining. I chose the nasi lemak and my boyfriend ordered the laksa, and roti canai for a side. The roti canai as mentioned in other reviews was unimpressive and over-priced considering the lack of quality (I would pay $5 for good roti canai any day).

Our food arrived too quickly for it to seem as though it had been cooked to order and surely enough, the nasi lemak was only just warm. It tasted nice, although it probably would have tasted better if it was hot and freshly cooked.

My boyfriend was, on the other hand, delighted with the laksa. Being a fan of laksa and having tried it at many restaurants and noodle places in Sydney, he gives it a positive review.

Waitstaff were pleasant, polite and unintruding. Ambience might be improved with a playlist of some more appropriate music, as opposed to the radio station ads and chart music that we could hear from our table.

Overall, our experience was good, but we weren't blown away. I would go there again for a quick, casual, no-nonsense, cheap, local Malaysian meal.

Jan 27, 2012