darkmatter

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

I worked in Canberra for about six months a couple of years ago. My stay being company funded - I had the luxury of being able to choose where I wished to spend my daily meal allowance. Being inquisitive and having a slight liking for a good meal, I thought that I had fairly well sampled most of the good nosheries in the capital. We were invited to a Xmas function at Tearo Vivaldi, where I had never eaten at before, and I must say, this place is certainly off the beaten track. It's tucked away deep in the heart of the ANU campus. The journey was certainly well rewarded.

For $65, we were treated to a 3 course set menu. Four entree choices, four mains choices and 4 dessert courses followed by coffee/tea with handmade rumballs and port. I have got to say that the food was very well prepared, tasty and lacking that minimalist trend of "find-the-food-on-the-plate" proportions (and may that trend soon cease). The food was served in efficient manner (given there were about 20+ of us), without fuss and each person received the correct dish at a perfectly acceptable temperature. The table was cleared in an unobtrusive manner too.

The ambience was very nice. We were in a private room out the back away from the bar. The room was well decorated with lots of entertainment memorabilia, and added significantly to the dining experience. If I lived in Canberra, I would make this place a regular stop. Highly recommended.

Jan 23, 2011

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  3      Value  2     

Attended a function here, and there was set menu. I have looked at the other reviews here, amd I have to say that I find myself on the side of the detractors.

Yes, there are many Thai restaurants in Sydney. And yes, if this wasn't a bad night (the place was full for the funciton), then the fare is very low quality.

Entrees consisted of money bags (could have been bought from Coles' deep freeze and microwaved), satay chicken (almost impossible to do wrong) and a deep fried crumbed king prawn (of each choice, about one per person). Nothing outstanding, and certainly struggling to represent anything near authentic Thai.

The mains comprised a beef salad, chicken cashew nuts (hey, is this really a Thai dish?), a green curry something, and a squid curry. It seems that the chef had decided that he could get away with serving the same vegetables with a slightly different sauce with a differeent meat for the first two (oh - the cashew nuts was the difference for the chicken).

The green curry something was actually not too bad, maybe something you would (just) expect as a normal serve in most Sydney Thai restaurants. The quantity of the something was a little thin, though. The squid had some ingredient (maybe the squid wasn't fresh, you know, not quite the full squid) that meant this dish was left largely uneaten on most tables. It was strangely bitter.

The pot of peppermint tea was not too bad, and at least hot. The complimentary water on the tables had a very strong chlorine flavour, was hardly cold, and not drinkable. There was no dessert on this fixed menu. The service was average (it was a big crowd) and they managed to serve and clear without too much fuss.

The bulding in which this place is located must be running a fine line between ongoing operation and condemnation. It was old, unrenovated (or badly done so), and needs an earnest fix up. A few "Asian" decorative features were not enough to give sufficient ambience to hide the poor quality of the bulding and the food.

Well, if this is Thai, then point me towards Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia or Malaysia. This place cannot be recommended.

Nov 28, 2010

3.8 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  2     

This place is great. It has an outdoor area which is fine if you are upwind from the smokers (when is smoking in public places going to be banned?). Indoors, there's a urban hip feel about the decor, with some nice sitting areas near the bar (very comfy).

The menu has plenty to offer and there are blackboard specials too. The food is well prepared, ingredients seem to be fresh, and the dishes are very tasty. They are a super friendly bunch here, both floor staff and kitchen (you can talk to them when you go to order).

All in all, an up-ish market bistro, better than your average pub grub. If you are in Newtown, Union is better if you are looking for a good meal. But wait, three years on, nothing remains the same (wasn't that a Led Zeppelin film/album?). Something has dramatically happened here.

No more nice bistro menu. More like standard pub grub. The "blackboard menu" looked pretty un-blackboard-ish - not likely to change often. The lovely menu has been substituted with very limited fare, and the new mains have jumped on the inflation bandwagon. I thought we were living in the most low inflation rate times ever (check your mortgage rate from twenty years ago). Maybe the price is reflective of the GFC. But that's not all. No more credit card, cash only, with no discount.

So from me, it's goodbye, Union. There are so many eateries in Newtown, if this is your idea of putting up something competitive and attracting punters like me, I have to give you a D- (needs to increase effort on homework). I'm really disappointed.

Aug 30, 2010

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  7      Value  6     

Food - a very good selection of Japanese, and fusion, all selectable off a touch screen, if only you could surf the net while eating (but hey, that would be rude, wouldn't it?). The range is from nibbles to sushi/sashimi, grills, hot pots (they were popular tonight - winter), rice/noodles and even salads.

Ambience - hey ho - you're in Tokyo. Couldn't see Bill Murray at any of the tables, but I'm sure Suntory is available at the bar. Wooden benches and little booths, if you're lucky. No bookings or, if they're full, you have to wait - we spent time (45 minutes) doing some shopping at IGA in Market City across the road.

Ambience would have been way up there but for the presence on our table of a live (at least it wasn't dead and in the food, but alas, didn't sing nor dance) cockroach. A little off putting nevertheless. Being a bit lazy, we didn't bother to iphone pic it, and report them to NSW Health AUthority.

Service - once the food is ordered, it comes out pretty quickly. In some instances, not too soon after the order has been "touch screen-ed". The only downside is you have to get the wait staff to come by to explain any dishes that the picture or description doesn't do justice to.

Value - we paid $75 for three, although we did pig out a little with 3 mains and some sides.

Recommended, but take some insecticide with you!

Jul 08, 2010

6.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  5     

The web site boasts a "9 Course Degustation". We were invited to join some friends for the El Circo meal, based on that proposition. Maybe my maths aren't that good, but the web site menu shows only seven dishes. Perhaps, I am missing something. Anyway, approach things with an open mind, is my motto, out they came. One of the seven "courses" happens to be a "virtual" dish. Some food smells contained in a balloon that you sniff through a small hole in the balloon.

By my reckoning, that's only six courses (but I may be a harsh judge). To be honest, the food is only average. The tastes were certainly different, and the presentation quite novel. But I have to say, food is about, well, food. And I think there seems to be a tendency in a lot of restaurants today to go for culinary trends, like "degustation" and "nouvelle cuisine". The net result for the punter seems to be less food. Certainly, you would not want to starve yourself before eating at Slide's degustation.

The ambience at Slide has to be unique. Set in what seems like a room that was previously a bank vault, the "El Circo" theatre experience involves a glamourous MC with a penchant for risque punch lines, and a multitude of trapeze artists, hoola hoop girl, and two skinny guys doing pole dancing and ordinary dancing. The overall effect is a big distraction from the food. Like the novel presentation of the food, the entertainment is a bit of a novelty but nothing anything better than what you would get at a B grade eatery in Las Vegas.

Another aspect of the ambience was the presence of two tables of one hen's night. I'm not sure if that is very common, but that should give you some indication of the what seems to be a target market. I guess that target would exclude me.

The service was prompt, however, at last, a redeeming factor. This was particularly important given that the place was full and all dishes were served pretty much all at the same time (albeit a little off temperature). Everyone of the staff was smiling. And that can be a good thing!

Considering the cost of $90, and the fare being pretty average, I would say that the value was not all that great. Sure the food was a little different in taste and presentation, but there was not much of it (especially the smelling course). And the entertainment was also fairly average. To be honest, I would prefer to forego the entertainment and have more substance in the meal. There are degustaiton meals available elsewhere in Sydney for only slightly more and that I think are better value. Time for Slide to reinvent itself, I think.

Jun 21, 2010

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

I worked in Canberra for about six months a couple of years ago. My stay being company funded - I had the luxury of being able to choose where I wished to spend my daily meal allowance. Being inquisitive and having a slight liking for a good meal, I thought that I had fairly well sampled most of the good nosheries in the capital. We were invited to a Xmas function at Tearo Vivaldi, where I had never eaten at before, and I must say, this place is certainly off the beaten track. It's tucked away deep in the heart of the ANU campus. The journey was certainly well rewarded.

For $65, we were treated to a 3 course set menu. Four entree choices, four mains choices and 4 dessert courses followed by coffee/tea with handmade rumballs and port. I have got to say that the food was very well prepared, tasty and lacking that minimalist trend of "find-the-food-on-the-plate" proportions (and may that trend soon cease). The food was served in efficient manner (given there were about 20+ of us), without fuss and each person received the correct dish at a perfectly acceptable temperature. The table was cleared in an unobtrusive manner too.

The ambience was very nice. We were in a private room out the back away from the bar. The room was well decorated with lots of entertainment memorabilia, and added significantly to the dining experience. If I lived in Canberra, I would make this place a regular stop. Highly recommended.

Jan 23, 2011

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  3      Value  2     

Attended a function here, and there was set menu. I have looked at the other reviews here, amd I have to say that I find myself on the side of the detractors.

Yes, there are many Thai restaurants in Sydney. And yes, if this wasn't a bad night (the place was full for the funciton), then the fare is very low quality.

Entrees consisted of money bags (could have been bought from Coles' deep freeze and microwaved), satay chicken (almost impossible to do wrong) and a deep fried crumbed king prawn (of each choice, about one per person). Nothing outstanding, and certainly struggling to represent anything near authentic Thai.

The mains comprised a beef salad, chicken cashew nuts (hey, is this really a Thai dish?), a green curry something, and a squid curry. It seems that the chef had decided that he could get away with serving the same vegetables with a slightly different sauce with a differeent meat for the first two (oh - the cashew nuts was the difference for the chicken).

The green curry something was actually not too bad, maybe something you would (just) expect as a normal serve in most Sydney Thai restaurants. The quantity of the something was a little thin, though. The squid had some ingredient (maybe the squid wasn't fresh, you know, not quite the full squid) that meant this dish was left largely uneaten on most tables. It was strangely bitter.

The pot of peppermint tea was not too bad, and at least hot. The complimentary water on the tables had a very strong chlorine flavour, was hardly cold, and not drinkable. There was no dessert on this fixed menu. The service was average (it was a big crowd) and they managed to serve and clear without too much fuss.

The bulding in which this place is located must be running a fine line between ongoing operation and condemnation. It was old, unrenovated (or badly done so), and needs an earnest fix up. A few "Asian" decorative features were not enough to give sufficient ambience to hide the poor quality of the bulding and the food.

Well, if this is Thai, then point me towards Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia or Malaysia. This place cannot be recommended.

Nov 28, 2010

3.8 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  2     

This place is great. It has an outdoor area which is fine if you are upwind from the smokers (when is smoking in public places going to be banned?). Indoors, there's a urban hip feel about the decor, with some nice sitting areas near the bar (very comfy).

The menu has plenty to offer and there are blackboard specials too. The food is well prepared, ingredients seem to be fresh, and the dishes are very tasty. They are a super friendly bunch here, both floor staff and kitchen (you can talk to them when you go to order).

All in all, an up-ish market bistro, better than your average pub grub. If you are in Newtown, Union is better if you are looking for a good meal. But wait, three years on, nothing remains the same (wasn't that a Led Zeppelin film/album?). Something has dramatically happened here.

No more nice bistro menu. More like standard pub grub. The "blackboard menu" looked pretty un-blackboard-ish - not likely to change often. The lovely menu has been substituted with very limited fare, and the new mains have jumped on the inflation bandwagon. I thought we were living in the most low inflation rate times ever (check your mortgage rate from twenty years ago). Maybe the price is reflective of the GFC. But that's not all. No more credit card, cash only, with no discount.

So from me, it's goodbye, Union. There are so many eateries in Newtown, if this is your idea of putting up something competitive and attracting punters like me, I have to give you a D- (needs to increase effort on homework). I'm really disappointed.

Aug 30, 2010

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  7      Value  6     

Food - a very good selection of Japanese, and fusion, all selectable off a touch screen, if only you could surf the net while eating (but hey, that would be rude, wouldn't it?). The range is from nibbles to sushi/sashimi, grills, hot pots (they were popular tonight - winter), rice/noodles and even salads.

Ambience - hey ho - you're in Tokyo. Couldn't see Bill Murray at any of the tables, but I'm sure Suntory is available at the bar. Wooden benches and little booths, if you're lucky. No bookings or, if they're full, you have to wait - we spent time (45 minutes) doing some shopping at IGA in Market City across the road.

Ambience would have been way up there but for the presence on our table of a live (at least it wasn't dead and in the food, but alas, didn't sing nor dance) cockroach. A little off putting nevertheless. Being a bit lazy, we didn't bother to iphone pic it, and report them to NSW Health AUthority.

Service - once the food is ordered, it comes out pretty quickly. In some instances, not too soon after the order has been "touch screen-ed". The only downside is you have to get the wait staff to come by to explain any dishes that the picture or description doesn't do justice to.

Value - we paid $75 for three, although we did pig out a little with 3 mains and some sides.

Recommended, but take some insecticide with you!

Jul 08, 2010

6.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  5     

The web site boasts a "9 Course Degustation". We were invited to join some friends for the El Circo meal, based on that proposition. Maybe my maths aren't that good, but the web site menu shows only seven dishes. Perhaps, I am missing something. Anyway, approach things with an open mind, is my motto, out they came. One of the seven "courses" happens to be a "virtual" dish. Some food smells contained in a balloon that you sniff through a small hole in the balloon.

By my reckoning, that's only six courses (but I may be a harsh judge). To be honest, the food is only average. The tastes were certainly different, and the presentation quite novel. But I have to say, food is about, well, food. And I think there seems to be a tendency in a lot of restaurants today to go for culinary trends, like "degustation" and "nouvelle cuisine". The net result for the punter seems to be less food. Certainly, you would not want to starve yourself before eating at Slide's degustation.

The ambience at Slide has to be unique. Set in what seems like a room that was previously a bank vault, the "El Circo" theatre experience involves a glamourous MC with a penchant for risque punch lines, and a multitude of trapeze artists, hoola hoop girl, and two skinny guys doing pole dancing and ordinary dancing. The overall effect is a big distraction from the food. Like the novel presentation of the food, the entertainment is a bit of a novelty but nothing anything better than what you would get at a B grade eatery in Las Vegas.

Another aspect of the ambience was the presence of two tables of one hen's night. I'm not sure if that is very common, but that should give you some indication of the what seems to be a target market. I guess that target would exclude me.

The service was prompt, however, at last, a redeeming factor. This was particularly important given that the place was full and all dishes were served pretty much all at the same time (albeit a little off temperature). Everyone of the staff was smiling. And that can be a good thing!

Considering the cost of $90, and the fare being pretty average, I would say that the value was not all that great. Sure the food was a little different in taste and presentation, but there was not much of it (especially the smelling course). And the entertainment was also fairly average. To be honest, I would prefer to forego the entertainment and have more substance in the meal. There are degustaiton meals available elsewhere in Sydney for only slightly more and that I think are better value. Time for Slide to reinvent itself, I think.

Jun 21, 2010

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  7     

Friday night and the temptation of the $39 for two dishes in the offing was too much to overcome. Having recently embarked on a mission to find a good eatery in Pyrmont, this one looked the business, despite some mediocre reviews in Eatability (it still ranks amongst the best in the area).

So ... 7.00 pm and hardly a customer in sight (not a good sign, but at least we knew we wouldn't be waiting for our dishes). I went for the oysters entree, and duck for the main. My partner went for the zucchini flowers followed by lamb.

My dishes were great. The oysters a reasonable size, with an exquisite sauce of champagne and ginger. Very subtle, and served at exactly the right temperature, chilled. The duck was flavourosme, not too dry and came on a bed of baby spinach. We complemented the dishes with a rocket salad (fresh and well mixed with dressing), and sour dough bread. Lovely.

The wait staff were very friendly and attentive (even to the extent of trying to fill our sparkling mineral water with an empty bottle). The meals were served in good time. Get this right, it's not pub grub (aka bistro style). I would recommend this place.

Sep 05, 2009

4 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  6      Value  2     

Before you eat here, please log on to their web site and check out the menu:
/> http://www.mercuresydneyairport.com.au/mercure_dining.html />
The mains range from $25 (vegetarian dish) to $35 (steak). And remember, this is Arncliffe. No harbour views. So what's the intent here? Fine dining? We went with a friend who was having a birthday, and although we were warned about the steep prices here, we thought it would be a treat for our friend. We are generally happy to pay for good food (we love the Shangri-la's Altitude Restaurant).

To be honest, this was not fine dining fare. The mains were a good bistro standard, with no "sides" accompanying the mains (this is not obvious from the descriptions in the menu), so not are you looking at expensive mains, but you have to supplement this with additional spend for vegetables.

One dish, the plate snapper for two did look like a great redeemer for this place. They had run out of this dish when we had arrived, but we did see it served on another table. Boy, was this a classic case of Murphy's Law of restaurants (the dishes on other tables always look better than the ones you have ordered, and they always arrive on the other table before yours). The fish looked succulent, and voluminous (they must have been mating with whales).

What is even more surprising about this restaurant is that it is located in an hotel that is often used by airlines to accommodate passengers from flights that have been cancelled or delayed. Talk about a captive audience. No local eateries that are nearby to choose from. I guess the diners are not likely to return or write up reviews in "Eatability".

Anyway, if you want to go a long way for indifferent fare and have lots of spare cash, this is your place to go. Enjoy.

Aug 16, 2009

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

I'm not sure what happened to r0zle, but we went for Mother's Day luncheon buffet. What a great choice. Having been to a few buffets around Sydney, we found this to be one of the best. Where do you start?

Food - the choices were wide. The seafood was plenitful, no lobster, but who can complain? The oysters were a little small, but still, very tasty. The hot dishes were very tasty, and not suffering from bain-marie-itis. Once slight disappointment, one of the dishes ran out sand was not replaced as quickly as demanded. The salads were plentiful and fresh, and the soup of the day, crab and prawn bisque was very satisfying without any overload of MSG.

Ambience - this eatery is located in the middle of the refurbished Treasury Building. Set just off an enclosed courtyard, the wonderful arched verandahs presents a great place to eat. The furnishings are solid without being heavy, and the table clothes are very crisp. On the ground floor of the atrium, there was a very competent jazz trio which added significantly to the dining experience.

Service - the staff were very efficient in providing water, topping up the (yes) bottomless sparkling wine, clearing dishes, clearing crustacean remnants, and answering queries about what other days the buffet is on.

Value - well, $90 per person is fairly steep for a lunch, but we stayed a good two and half hours, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There was no rush, and the queues at the food stations were not excessive (especially when considering it was Mother's Day). The motto "pace yourself" (or Murphy's Law of buffet dining) applied very well.

Highly recommended.

May 11, 2009

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  8     

Sometimes when you eat out, you suffer from the weakest link syndrome. We went on Friday night, but alas, one amongst us doesn't eat pork (neither Jewish nor Islamic). So that accounted for about three pages of the menu. Undaunted, we managed to work out a reasonable fare - two starters (shredded chicken and calamari (big portion)) and three mains, including fish (excellent), lemon grass chicken (average), and diced fillet beef (still a little tough). Despite the limitations, all the dishes were tasty (notwithstanding the remarks above - must have been in a picky mood), presented well, and the service was very good (no misunderstandings, and advice that they were busy and would get to us as soon as we could).

The ambience is cosy, if a little cramped. One criteria we use for deciding if a restaurant cuts the mustard is how full it may be at any one time. We arrived at about 9:30, and people were queuing on the footpath. Now there's a recommendation. I think the general consensus must be correct. Total for four was a smidgeon under $100. This is a beauty!

Dec 09, 2008

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  9     

Having been in Tokyo a couple of months ago, and having watched a Japanese film (on fish and eating) on the weekend, we thought we would return to Hikaru, which we've been to before, but too lazy to write a review. In a word, great value. Sorry, two words. We had octopus balls, a sashimi salad, chicken katsu, eel, and these latter two came with rice, miso and edamame. It is BYO, but they do serve saki ... lovely on a cool spring night. The service was good (although one mains dish was served a while after the first, which was not important becasue we share). The ambience not overwhelming (certainly no sign of the Hillsong tunes a previous reviewer mentioned, and no Hillson posters on the wall, either, unless those sushi pictures were in code).

I would return here anytime - good wholesome Japanese fare (not necessarily Shibuya class, but that costs nearly $2000 in air tix alone), and very good value for money. Keep this place to yourselves. Don't mention it to Sydney Morning Herald! Highly recommended.

Dec 09, 2008