foodie7

Member since 2007

Last updated on 5th Feb 2012

Reviews

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Displaying: 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

Ubud, Kingsford

Restaurants, Indonesian, BYO

Overall 7.4 80

7.5 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 6 Value 9

I have to confess that I love Ubud and it feels a little like a guilty secret. You know when you go that its invariably going to be noisy (if a busy night of the week), the service could be a little scatty, and the chairs aren't what you might call comfortable... but I can't help it, the martabak telor calls me back! I always have a good time!

Ubud is in my local area and the interior always gives a dinner the impression of being a bit more special than if you had gone to one of the asian diner style restaurants done the road, which is part of the appeal. I also love that its easy to have a big group and they don't mind (unlike a lot of the restaurants in the Spot nearby). BYO is a definite bonus and the meals are relatively cheap, paying $15 for a main is a good deal in my book.

Most recently I was there on a Tuesday night for my brother's birthday dinner. The restaurant was probably only a quarter full, if that, so we unusually had quite attentive service. After so many visits I have to confess a propensity to order the same things, the Martabak Telor, with its crispy crepe outside and delicious shallot, egg, minced beef interior, is one of my absolute favourites.

The Kayam Alio is also a firm favourite in my house, with my partner ordering two serves of it for the table this time! (to make sure that the Ubud first timers all would get enough of a taste). This chicken curry has beautiful moorish flavours and the meat just falls apart.

The stir fried veges were fresh and tasty, with the nasi goreng (prawn) a big hit with our table. We were all chuffed when the lights went down towards the end of our meal and out of nowhere came one of the waitresses with a little cake and candle for my brother! They'd worked out that it was his birthday (I dare say the pile of unwrapped presents was the give away) and had arranged this surprise, complimentary dessert, the birthday boy was stoked.

The best tip I can give is to BYO alcohol and be relaxed when you go, so that if there is a wait for your food, or you can't get the waitress' attention, you can focus on your friends (and drink!) and just enjoy the food when it comes. Remember that you're not going there for a perfect dining experience!!

Mar 07, 2008

Ottoman Cuisine, Dawes Point

Restaurants, Turkish, Licensed, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch

Overall 7.8 110

7 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 5 Value 7

My partner and I went to Ottoman for our anniversary this year and were not disappointed. I love that the chairs are actually comfy and make you want to stay sitting at the table!

The waiter suggested we have tasting plates which was a fantastic way to try five different dishes - and for $60! We were really happy with all the dishes we tried, the lamb was delish.

My favourite was the creme brulee for dessert, oh it was the kind of dessert that makes you wish you were at home so you could just swipe your finger around for those last little bits the spoon won't catch!

Totally agree with the comment about the service below though. The service was weird to say in the least. Our waiter had an odd habit of walking off when he was in the middle of a sentence and the long waits to get attention was a little tiresome. Lucky the chairs were so comfy...

Dec 10, 2007

Saigon Bay Vietnamese Restaurant, Darlinghurst

Restaurants, Asian, Chinese, Seafood, Vegetarian

Overall 7.3 43

8 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 8 Value 9

I love this place. The Camp fire chicken is always so delicious and a big crowd pleaser. Every time we come here we always enjoy our meal and the BYO is great. It's always no fuss, easy to get a table, enthusiastic service (despite the language barrier) and yum!

Dec 10, 2007

Cafe Mint, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Cafes, Middle Eastern, Hip and Trendy, BYO

Overall 7.7 106

8 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 7 Service 8 Value 8

This was my second Cafe Mint dinner - I specifically came back for the potato and garlic ravioli with spicy lamb mince and natural yoghurt and wow was I happy I came back! its so delicious. And great value at only $15.

I find the tables and chairs a bit tiny and squishy but its a small space so what can you do...

Service is always cheerful. The bread serving with the zaatar is a bit tiny... never enough for the amount of dip you get. But with that ravioli...I'll keep coming back regardless!

Apr 23, 2007

Strangers With Candy, East Redfern

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, Good For Groups, Hip and Trendy

Overall 7.8 123

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 8

I went to this restaurant when my boyfriend organised a surprise date, and I was very pleased with his choice once we got there! The atmosphere of the courtyard was lovely, perfect for a romantic dinner. The service all night was great - attentive but not intrusive. Although our waitress' propensity to say "Si" instead of yes became a little hilarious due to her Australian accent the rest of the time. The quality of the olive oil we had with our bread in was much appreciated by us both!

The highlight for me was definitely the prawn wonton soup...delicious wontons with a complex light broth. My boyfriend had the delicious lamb shank lasagna - who knew such a small looking portion could be so filling? I had the blue swimmer crab spaghettini with plump gorgeous mussels - the whole meal was a huge success! Perhaps a little expensive with mains almost $30 but overall such an enjoyable experience we didn't really mind.

Apr 23, 2007