hazchem

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  5      Service  10      Value  10     

Eating World had been dead to me since the closure of Curry Laksa house many years ago. Then Gumshara opened.

Since then and my first bowl of their amazing Tonkotsu ramen with pork spare rib I've been hooked. Add a soft boiled egg and a chilli bomb and you'll have an amazeballs bowl of ramen. Very rich and filling, but even at the bottom of the bowl I'm thinking about how soon I can get back there. Best ramen in the city.

Feb 07, 2012

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

Seriously one of the best food & wine experiences going in Sydney for a while now. Unpretentious service, simple but very delicious italian influenced food and an approach to wine that is unique in Sydney.

Go here, don't order a la carte, just go for the 'Fix Me Up' sharing menu with 'Vinous Journey' (matched wines). If you let Stuart & his team have their way, they will push your perceptions about wine and you'll drink some unusual, but truly, truly delicious wines. I can't fault them, every visit has been stellar.

Jan 22, 2012

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

You know that feeling you get when you get when you're a kid, going around to that aunties house who was an awesome cook, who completely spoiled all the kids? That's what going to La Casa is like. Vibrant, friendly and like being at a great big family dinner, La Casa is a great night out.

Service is great, lead by co-owner Carmel Ruggeri and her brother Tony, backed by Carm's husband Smiley at the bar and a team of super friendly floor staff. You'll never want for anything, that's for sure.

Best pizza I've had in a long time, especially the four cheese. My mouth is watering as I think about it. The rabbit is full of flavour and perfectly cooked. Both pork and beef ribs fall clean off the bone, offering deep flavours and wonderful texture. Mamma's meatballs are amazing and have restored my faith after some run ins with rubbish meatballs elsewhere. Tiramisu, cannoli and the frangipan and marmalade tart are all great too, cannoli being the stand out of my 2 visits so far.

An appropriate wine list, with well priced options from Australia and Italy. Some cocktails as well and Smiley makes a memorable Negroni. The passion and love for what they are doing shines through in everything at La Casa. I really can't fault it, if you haven't been yet why not? Do it.

Nov 02, 2010

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

Food rating is for the coffee. A great, shining light in the Australian specialty coffee world. Always a stunning variety of single estate coffees on offer as well as a seasonal espresso blend and sometimes a guest espresso coffee as well. The owner's love and passion for specialty coffee shines through in everything done at Market Lane, down to their selection of milk and sugar. A great, friendly team make every visit a joy. A must visit in Melbourne for coffee.

Sep 20, 2010

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  9     

The top spot in Ashfield for dumplings! Also quite a few vegetarian options and good service from the staff who know what does and doesn't have shellfish and fish sauce in it, which is great if this is something you need to avoid. Staff are always friendly, decor isn't much to speak of, but that's not what you're here for. Good value Shanghai style food that's always tasty! A regular haunt of ours.

Oh, and FYI star_fire and anyone else wondering, it is standard for any place I've been to in Australia that serves dumplings to have vinegar And soy sauce on the table, so the reason your soy tasted like vinegar is because you chose the wrong bottle! Personally, I like a mix of vinegar, soy and chilli to dip my dumplings in anyway.

Aug 16, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  5      Service  10      Value  10     

Eating World had been dead to me since the closure of Curry Laksa house many years ago. Then Gumshara opened.

Since then and my first bowl of their amazing Tonkotsu ramen with pork spare rib I've been hooked. Add a soft boiled egg and a chilli bomb and you'll have an amazeballs bowl of ramen. Very rich and filling, but even at the bottom of the bowl I'm thinking about how soon I can get back there. Best ramen in the city.

Feb 07, 2012

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

Seriously one of the best food & wine experiences going in Sydney for a while now. Unpretentious service, simple but very delicious italian influenced food and an approach to wine that is unique in Sydney.

Go here, don't order a la carte, just go for the 'Fix Me Up' sharing menu with 'Vinous Journey' (matched wines). If you let Stuart & his team have their way, they will push your perceptions about wine and you'll drink some unusual, but truly, truly delicious wines. I can't fault them, every visit has been stellar.

Jan 22, 2012

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

You know that feeling you get when you get when you're a kid, going around to that aunties house who was an awesome cook, who completely spoiled all the kids? That's what going to La Casa is like. Vibrant, friendly and like being at a great big family dinner, La Casa is a great night out.

Service is great, lead by co-owner Carmel Ruggeri and her brother Tony, backed by Carm's husband Smiley at the bar and a team of super friendly floor staff. You'll never want for anything, that's for sure.

Best pizza I've had in a long time, especially the four cheese. My mouth is watering as I think about it. The rabbit is full of flavour and perfectly cooked. Both pork and beef ribs fall clean off the bone, offering deep flavours and wonderful texture. Mamma's meatballs are amazing and have restored my faith after some run ins with rubbish meatballs elsewhere. Tiramisu, cannoli and the frangipan and marmalade tart are all great too, cannoli being the stand out of my 2 visits so far.

An appropriate wine list, with well priced options from Australia and Italy. Some cocktails as well and Smiley makes a memorable Negroni. The passion and love for what they are doing shines through in everything at La Casa. I really can't fault it, if you haven't been yet why not? Do it.

Nov 02, 2010

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

Food rating is for the coffee. A great, shining light in the Australian specialty coffee world. Always a stunning variety of single estate coffees on offer as well as a seasonal espresso blend and sometimes a guest espresso coffee as well. The owner's love and passion for specialty coffee shines through in everything done at Market Lane, down to their selection of milk and sugar. A great, friendly team make every visit a joy. A must visit in Melbourne for coffee.

Sep 20, 2010

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  9     

The top spot in Ashfield for dumplings! Also quite a few vegetarian options and good service from the staff who know what does and doesn't have shellfish and fish sauce in it, which is great if this is something you need to avoid. Staff are always friendly, decor isn't much to speak of, but that's not what you're here for. Good value Shanghai style food that's always tasty! A regular haunt of ours.

Oh, and FYI star_fire and anyone else wondering, it is standard for any place I've been to in Australia that serves dumplings to have vinegar And soy sauce on the table, so the reason your soy tasted like vinegar is because you chose the wrong bottle! Personally, I like a mix of vinegar, soy and chilli to dip my dumplings in anyway.

Aug 16, 2010

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

Went here for the first time on Friday night and its tops. I love trying all sorts of different food and had been wanting to go here for some time. We ordered the extra spicy soup, delicious but you must like your spicy foods to even consider this one and another that was subtle, chicken broth, dates and goji berries.

A great night with a large group of friends, this is one of my favourite ways to eat. A large table, communal food and everyone chatting, cooking and having fun. Lamb, beef, tripe, pigs blood, fish tofu, tofu, quail eggs, daikon, winter melon, cabbage, enoki, wontons, shallot pancake were all delicious and with so many more things on the menu we'll be going back again and again.

Ideal for large groups, and best if you book ahead. Do it.

May 23, 2010

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

I've been to Taiki a few times now, both with clients and with friends. I have always found the food to be well prepared, and the sashimi is fresh and delicious. Other dishes such as chicken karaage and sizzling wagyu are high on my list of favourites too.

Draught Sapporo is an extra bonus! Staff are friendly, helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Certainly amongst the best Japanese food I've had in Sydney.

Jan 25, 2010

9 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  10     

Food score is for the coffee. I've been a couple of times and have noticed that this new espresso bar do struggle with their consistency. To the owner's credit, he has remade an espresso for me that either he knew wasn't right, or could tell from my actions wasn't right.

Either way, any place that can pick up their mistake, correct it and apologise for it deserves high marks in my books.

Usually a blend and a single origin are on offer, roasted by Toby's Estate. Good to see another coffee place opened by a passionate team. Best coffee south of king st and north of Surry Hills. Certainly one of the best in the CBD.

Jan 25, 2010

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

Food score here is influenced by the coffee on offer.

Russ and his team are doing great things for specialty coffee on Sydney's north sure. Passionate and knowledgeable, sourcing high quality coffees and treating them with care and love from roast to cup. Milk coffees and espressos are always good but if you want to try something a little different get a brew from the Clover. Its a brewed coffee and well worth checking out. Great prices on coffee considering the quality of the raw product they are using and the effort that goes into sourcing it.

I've had some sandwiches and soup here a few times and have always enjoyed the food. Another one for coffee snobs out on the cafe trail!

Jan 25, 2010

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  1      Service  5      Value  1     

Like JWM001 my friends and I have been going to Yum Cha at East Ocean for many years. This morning we were mortified to discover that they have done away with trolleys and now you have to order off a menu. This hasn't led to an improvement in the food, and similarly, the calamari was cold and not very nice. Other dishes were average at best.

It now takes twice as long to get what you want with a price increase in the order of 50% on what we paid for a similar amount of food as late as December last year. Despite going regularly to East Ocean for 5+ years, we won't be going back. I just hope Marigold hasn't done the same thing!

Jan 17, 2010