earthminor

7.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  7     

Booked a table on a Wednesday night. Service was great, really friendly, a few jokes, and suggested we take the left-overs home. We started with the pumpkin seed dip, which I was a little disappointed in, it was a lot wetter than I expected.

Drinks were great, I had the white wine sangria, and my husband tried the hortcha and a hot chocolate. Highlight for me, vegetarian fajitas! The sweet potato wasn't quite as cooked as I would have liked, but mountains and mountains of fillings! Very delicious.

Husband had bean enchiladas, and was most content. The atmosphere was great, happening but not too crowded. I think I'm a weeknight kind of person, I don't like it so loud I can't hear my dining partner. Would come again.

Jan 29, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  5     

I'm disappointed to not have liked this place more. We went for lunch. I had the pho, I've always wanted to try pho, so I couldn't pass up the chance! The broth was flavourful, and the tofu was fine. My husband got the fried quinoa. I thought it was quite bland, but he likes 'calmer' food so he was happy.

It was pretty expensive for what we got, however. There just wasn't that much interest in the dishes. If a friend wanted to go, I'd go again, just to see if I could find something with a bit more spark, but I wouldn't instigate a visit myself.

The furnishings and crockery are fun, however!

Nov 07, 2011

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

I had high hopes, and I have to admit they were a little disappointed. We came for lunch, and I had the baked eggs, while my friend had the pork hash. She loved hers, though she said her green tea was burnt. Mine was quite nice too, but I think the way people have raved about it, I was expecting more. The staff were very nice and accommodating. I also bought the caramelised garlic bread to take home. Again, the service was great, but the taste wasn't so outstanding. It was perfectly fine (though the garlic is really rather jammy), but I wouldn't drive to Botany for it again.

Jun 13, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

We got a veggie burger and a felafel roll, along with a Lebanese coffee. Would have also ordered a tea if I could have caught anyone's eye! Tried for ten minutes, then we shrugged and paid the bill. Food was fine, nothing wrong with it, nothing really to return for.

Jun 13, 2011

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Came here with my parents and husband. We all have very different tastes, but all were happy here. I had a large soup of the day, cream of corn: sooooo goooooood. My husband had the vegetarian pasta, and he was happy with the ratio of pasta to sauce.

My parents enjoyed their Moroccan lamb and sirloin. The servers were very attentive, and put up with my dad's bad jokes with good grace. One of the few places that actually gives you wine from the year advertised on the menu. It is not so expensive when you compare it to the prices of other restaurants nearby. Overall, a very pleasant meal.

Apr 29, 2011

7.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  7     

Booked a table on a Wednesday night. Service was great, really friendly, a few jokes, and suggested we take the left-overs home. We started with the pumpkin seed dip, which I was a little disappointed in, it was a lot wetter than I expected.

Drinks were great, I had the white wine sangria, and my husband tried the hortcha and a hot chocolate. Highlight for me, vegetarian fajitas! The sweet potato wasn't quite as cooked as I would have liked, but mountains and mountains of fillings! Very delicious.

Husband had bean enchiladas, and was most content. The atmosphere was great, happening but not too crowded. I think I'm a weeknight kind of person, I don't like it so loud I can't hear my dining partner. Would come again.

Jan 29, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  5     

I'm disappointed to not have liked this place more. We went for lunch. I had the pho, I've always wanted to try pho, so I couldn't pass up the chance! The broth was flavourful, and the tofu was fine. My husband got the fried quinoa. I thought it was quite bland, but he likes 'calmer' food so he was happy.

It was pretty expensive for what we got, however. There just wasn't that much interest in the dishes. If a friend wanted to go, I'd go again, just to see if I could find something with a bit more spark, but I wouldn't instigate a visit myself.

The furnishings and crockery are fun, however!

Nov 07, 2011

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

I had high hopes, and I have to admit they were a little disappointed. We came for lunch, and I had the baked eggs, while my friend had the pork hash. She loved hers, though she said her green tea was burnt. Mine was quite nice too, but I think the way people have raved about it, I was expecting more. The staff were very nice and accommodating. I also bought the caramelised garlic bread to take home. Again, the service was great, but the taste wasn't so outstanding. It was perfectly fine (though the garlic is really rather jammy), but I wouldn't drive to Botany for it again.

Jun 13, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

We got a veggie burger and a felafel roll, along with a Lebanese coffee. Would have also ordered a tea if I could have caught anyone's eye! Tried for ten minutes, then we shrugged and paid the bill. Food was fine, nothing wrong with it, nothing really to return for.

Jun 13, 2011

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Came here with my parents and husband. We all have very different tastes, but all were happy here. I had a large soup of the day, cream of corn: sooooo goooooood. My husband had the vegetarian pasta, and he was happy with the ratio of pasta to sauce.

My parents enjoyed their Moroccan lamb and sirloin. The servers were very attentive, and put up with my dad's bad jokes with good grace. One of the few places that actually gives you wine from the year advertised on the menu. It is not so expensive when you compare it to the prices of other restaurants nearby. Overall, a very pleasant meal.

Apr 29, 2011

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  6     

We came for dinner the night of the royal wedding. Only one other couple in the restaurant, who were regulars, so along with the parents who cook and the son who does the waiting, we all ended up watching the TV together!

There aren't as many options to make things vegetarian here as at other Mexican places, but what we had was good. My husband had the vegetarian dinner, and I had a stuffed capsicum with a burrito. More beans would have been nice, but it was all tasty (and unhealthy, of course!). A highlight was a very strong feta-ish cool dip that came with the meal.

I thought the prices were a little higher than normal, but the food was nice, freshly prepared, and the waiter was very friendly! It's very much a family affair. We'll come back, I'm sure if we ask they will do bean versions of things for us, it's that kind of friendly place.

Apr 29, 2011

4.8 Average

Food  4      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  4     

We got take-away for lunch at the office, so I can't really comment on the ambience! I ordered over the phone, and the guy explained the $7.50 specials. They were ready to go when we went to pick them up, in sooo much packaging! He had described the special as crispy pork, with rice, egg and beans. When I said I was vegetarian he said he'd do one with avocado.

While we were picking them up, my colleague saw some interesting looking buns, which we were told were stuffed with cheese and bacon, so she bought two. When we unpacked back at the office, we found that for all the boxes there wasn't so much food (though certainly plenty for lunch). The rice was rice. The pork was mostly fat. The egg was fried and meh. My promised avocado was missing with a fried banana in its place. There were also these fried rice starch cake things that were the blandest thing you've ever tasted. The beans were the best thing, and they were average.

There really was very little flavour in any of it! Just.... bland. And then the 'cheese and bacon' turned out to be this odd sort of cheese-like doughy centre. No-one is keen to go again! Shame, the man certainly acted friendly and accommodating!

Apr 01, 2011

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  6     

Went for a weekday lunch with a friend. She had a breakfast-style fry up, and I had the brown rice porridge special. They had run out of the tea I wanted, so I said no tea, then they got really confused and tried to bring us tea we didn't order. But it all got sorted out and they didn't try to leave us with anything we hadn't ordered.

My friend's fry-up looked about what you'd expect. I'd imagined a rice porridge to be creamy, but all the grains were separate. It was very sweet, but came with a giant dollop (I mean huge!) of mascarpone, which I mixed in and then it was very creamy indeed! It had some chunks of pear and fig, which were nice. It was a bit overly sweet to order again, but it was very interesting and different so it was nice to try!

My friend said her husband loves the lychee coconut frappe, so that may be worth a try!

Mar 26, 2011

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

I'm so surprised to see so many poor reviews! We walked in off the street after accidentally ending up in the suburb on a Friday night (long story...) and found our night rescued by this place! The service was good, and the menu had lots of vegetarian options. We tried the mixed chat for entree, which we'd never had before. Kind of like the Indian answer to nachos! It was my favourite thing of the night, cool and creamy with crunch.
For mains we had butter paneer. I wasn't a big fan of this, as it didn't taste much like the usual butter sauce but rather lots of capsicum, but husband loved it. Also had a plain naan and a special naan stuffed with cheese and tomato. Almost like a pizza! Very greasy but very tasty! The mango lassi was the thickest I've ever seen, and came with a garnish of pistachio nuts.
I'd totally return... on purpose next time!

Mar 06, 2011

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  6     

Despite being vegetarians, I think my husband and I are not the target customers for this restaurant. It is a nice funky place, good food on the menu, very friendly service people, so we liked the food and felt welcome but we were after a romantic dinner for two, and this is a trendy party place. They do that well, but it is really really loud in there. You've got to yell. So I would go back, but with a group of friends, not my partner for a date.

The food was above average, though not as exceptional as I was hoping. I was hanging out for the zucchini flowers, but they're just not as decadent without a melting cheese inside. The springrolls were nice to average. The falafel was probably the savoury highlight for us; never had betel leaves before! That I'd order again; I'd try other things on the menu next time.

For dessert my husband had the chocolate brownie, and said it was tasty and above average. I had the mango and tapioca pudding, which was nice and very filling! The coconut ice cream it came with was filled with actual chunks of ice in it, which really let it down. Perhaps the freezer is up too high or something? I let it melt a bit and then it was better.

Service was really good, and the surroundings are nice. The tables and chairs are a bit oddly shaped and mildly uncomfortable, though I agree they look lovely.

Argh, I hate to sound so down on this place when I think there's a lot of good stuff happening! Really just think it's my personal preference for quiet coming through. Definitely worth a visit, it may suit you to the ground!

Mar 06, 2011