Reviews


Fiesta on Oxford Café, Bondi Junction

Cafes, Mexican / Latin American, BYO, Licensed, Serves Takeaway

Overall 6.7  79

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     


Lured in by a blackboard promising 'The Biggest Nachos in the Universe', I gathered my posse (three of my friends) and headed down Mexico way to Fiesta on Oxford.

Having booked ahead our booth was waiting when we arrived and the restaurant was already full. After ordering a carafe of berry margarita we briefly scanned the menu but with our hearts set on nachos, that's what we had!

Large enough for four adults, our nachos arrived with it's three layers of delicious flavour, slow cooked beef, slow cooked chicken and beans. Each layer was great and there was enough sour cream and guacamole for all four diners. We ordered our jalepenos on the side as only two of us really liked them, but they were very fresh.

After consuming our mound of nachos, we ordered another half carafe of margarita. This time in mandarin flavour. I have to confess, the margaritas were the disappointment of the meal for me as they had a very artificial flavour, like cordial, which I didn't think was very authentic. The sugary sweetness left my mouth tacky.

After some deliberation we also bought two desserts, the churros with chocolate and the cinnamon ice cream with chocolate chips. I loved the ice cream and highly recommend it if you like cinnamon. The staff were really friendly and accommodating and didn't rush us out the door even though on a Saturday night the restaurant closes quite early.

For a fun casual meal, I would recommend Fiesta on Oxford. It cost four adults approximately $30 each and most of the bill consisted of drinks. However, I would recommend you book as it was very busy.

May 08, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Nepalese Kitchen, The, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Nepalese, BYO, Outdoor Dining, Private Room

Overall 7.7  91

6.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  7     


All bound for momo land! I'd not tried Nepalese before, but when invited to The Nepalese Kitchen to celebrate a birthday, I couldn't refuse. A colleague had described the cuisine as a cross between Indian and Chinese, but it was the temptation of dumplings which really sealed the deal for me!

My party were seated in the rear courtyard on an Autumn night, but gas heaters were provided so it wasn't too cold. Being a large group, we ordered the Banquet which consisted of a number of entrees and mains with condiments...no dessert included.

The beauty of the Banquet is that you can try a number of dishes from the menu, which the restaurant suggests you do, as it is the Nepalese way to share food (or so the menu states). You can also swap dishes in the menu to cater for vegetarians.

Sadly, the dumplings, or Momo, in the banquet were not vegetarian (although there is a choice of chicken or vegetarian on the menu) so I didn't partake. However, there were some really great dishes. An entree of tender meat (sorry not sure if it was lamb or goat) with shredded diakon and cripsy rice flakes was great.

So was the eggplant and potato curry and the dahl with beans was great too.
A barbecued meat, which I think was lamb was tasty, but a little chewy. The goat curry was also tasty, but the meat was too fatty for my liking. Since the desserts were not included our table purchased a few to try. The mango kulfi was delicious as was the caramel pudding.

So including desserts, for a banquet for approx 13 people we spent roughly $35 each, which was very reasonable. I would eat at The Nepalese Kitchen again, but next time I would maybe go with a smaller group so I could try different menu items. I would also recommend you book as it gets really crowded.

May 08, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Bills Surry Hills, Surry Hills

Cafes, Modern Australian, Hip and Trendy, Bistro/Brasserie, BYO

Overall 6.1  188

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  7     


I visited Bills for breakfast this morning and was impressed. I arrived early, 7.30 am, and was provided with a glass of water and menu immediately.

I passed on the sweetcorn fritters, deciding to purchase spelt toast and adding bacon, mushrooms and roast tomatoes as my accompaniments. These sides are billed individually and cost between $4.50 and $5 each.

My waiter was attentive, polite and professional and when my meal arrived, he repeated my order back to me, a customer service technique I appreciated. The mushrooms were served in their own bowl on the plate and were sauteed in butter and a whole clove of garlic. The latter I discovered at the end of the meal. As it had softened in the butter, it complimented the roast tomato and spelt toast.

I ordered my bacon crispy and was presented with two generous rashers cooked to perfection. Opting for my coffee after my meal I ordered a very weak skim latte. I was slightly disappointed when the waitress delivered my coffee and announced 'weak skim latte'. The rich colour of the coffee concerned me, since I had ordered it very weak, but, despite the bitter crema, the taste was favourable.

The construction and presentation of the latte was great. However, I would have appreciated a serviette to wrap around the hot glass. Bills uses a Single Origin blend with chocolatey notes which I enjoyed. By the time I paid for my meal at 8.40 am, there was a queue of customers waiting for a table inside, away from the rainy autumn morning.

My breakfast was simply prepared and whilst the portions weren't large, they were satisfying. The produce was noticeably fresh. I am confused as to why my meal wasn't served piping hot. Since there was only one other table of three patrons when I ordered. And only seven tables occupied when I was halfway through my meal, I don't understand why my meal had begun to noticeably cool by the time it was served.

What most impressed me was the level of customer service. I observed my waiter was attentive and polite to other customers even though the cafe was becoming quite busy. Even with a tip, which I only give if I think the service is deserving, I spent $25 which is a competitive price for an inner city breakfast.

I look forward to exploring other menu items at Bills in the future. I do advise planning an early visit for breakfast if you don't want to wait.

Mar 05, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Ten Buck Alley, Darlinghurst

Restaurants

Overall 8.7  9

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  7     


I'd been looking forward to my visit to Ten Buck Alley all week. After getting up early to beat the rush I arrived at the cafe at 7.30 am only to find out that on Saturdays they open at 8am (Thanks for the wrong information yourrestaurants.com!).

Things didn't start off too well. I ordered a quarter strength skim latte and the one I received looked very strong. I had to ask for another coffee to be made as the waiter had mixed up my order and told the barista (owner?) to make me a double shot 3/4 latte. When I explained to the barista what I really wanted, he was very good humoured about it and the coffee presentation was fantastic!

Ten Buck Alley use a Colombian brand of coffee called Little Marionette (if I remember correctly) and it is very drinkable. It's flavour is very distinctive but still had the caramely notes I love (no sugar needed!)

As I don't eat eggs, I skipped the free range eggs with soy linseed and asked the waiter if I could just choose toast with a selection of sides to accompany it. He agreed.

I chose the white levian sourdough with chorizo, bacon, avocado ($3.50 per side), oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms ($3.00 per side).

The option of choosing sides to go with a basic breakfast option appeals to me and I was pleased to see the menu reflecting this.

The presentation of my brekkie was great! The toast came separately with butter on the side. My sides arrived on a plate of their own and the mushrooms in a separate bowl(on the plate), which I really appreciated as none of the other ingredients got soggy!

Each portion size was adequate. Two large slices of toast, 2 whole roma tomatoes (halved), two rashers of bacon, half an avocado and the chorizo was large.

My favourite items were the sourdough which was lightly toasted with a delightful tangy sour taste. The chorizo was spicy and was complemented by the full flavoured herbed tomatoes.

The best thing about the whole meal was that all the ingredients were fresh and delicious!

Being early in the morning the ambience was lacking a little but I did enjoy triple j being played on the radio. I was a little disappointed with my waiter who also forgot my cutlery, which I had to ask for.

However, I left the cafe sated (truth be told, a little too full - but that's my fault for ordering lots of tasty morsels!)and felt my bill of $22.80 was justified - mainly because the ingredients were of a high quality.

I look forward to trying more of the menu options at Ten Buck Alley and recommend you try it too!

Feb 19, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Cossies Cafe, Surry Hills

Cafes, Modern Australian, Restaurant Bookings

Overall 7.5  24

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  2      Service  6      Value  5     


I am on the hunt for the perfect big breakfast. I'd like quality and quantity, good customer service and fantastic coffee. Cossies is not the place to meet my needs! My friend had recommended their early bird breakfast deal with coffee and orange juice included. Sadly, this now only had the choice of either coffee or juice. The waitress was friendly, however, she also seemed to be new and I had to repeat my inquiries twice each.

I asked for a very weak skim latte (cause I'm a traditionalist and usually this request gets me a coffee tasting caramelly and delicious!). When my coffee arrived and the waitress said 'weak skim latte', I clarified by asking 'very weak?', which she confirmed it was. It looked too dark, so I took a sip-it was too strong. So I removed some of the crema to ensure I wasn't just tasting some residual bitterness. It was still too strong. For me it was undrinkable so I left it.

The big breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, sausage and tomato was meager. I don't eat eggs, so had not ordered them. The toast was buttered, which is a bit old school. I think customers should be served their butter on the side so they have the option of using it. Also, only one of the two slices was decent, the second was tiny. The mushrooms were bland and the bacon was OK. I had asked for crispy bacon and the chef had at least made an effort to do this. The sausages were tiny, like two chipolatas.

Whilst the fans kept the cafe cool on a hot summer day, overall I was disappointed. Given this was my first experience at Cossies, I'm reluctant to return.

Feb 05, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



More Reviews...

Photos




Profile

Member since 2006

Last updated on 1st Jun 2012





Reviews

Sort by Review Rating Review Date


 

Displaying: 1 - 7 of 7 reviews



Fiesta on Oxford Café, Bondi Junction

Cafes, Mexican / Latin American, BYO, Licensed, Serves Takeaway

Overall 6.7  79

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     


Lured in by a blackboard promising 'The Biggest Nachos in the Universe', I gathered my posse (three of my friends) and headed down Mexico way to Fiesta on Oxford.

Having booked ahead our booth was waiting when we arrived and the restaurant was already full. After ordering a carafe of berry margarita we briefly scanned the menu but with our hearts set on nachos, that's what we had!

Large enough for four adults, our nachos arrived with it's three layers of delicious flavour, slow cooked beef, slow cooked chicken and beans. Each layer was great and there was enough sour cream and guacamole for all four diners. We ordered our jalepenos on the side as only two of us really liked them, but they were very fresh.

After consuming our mound of nachos, we ordered another half carafe of margarita. This time in mandarin flavour. I have to confess, the margaritas were the disappointment of the meal for me as they had a very artificial flavour, like cordial, which I didn't think was very authentic. The sugary sweetness left my mouth tacky.

After some deliberation we also bought two desserts, the churros with chocolate and the cinnamon ice cream with chocolate chips. I loved the ice cream and highly recommend it if you like cinnamon. The staff were really friendly and accommodating and didn't rush us out the door even though on a Saturday night the restaurant closes quite early.

For a fun casual meal, I would recommend Fiesta on Oxford. It cost four adults approximately $30 each and most of the bill consisted of drinks. However, I would recommend you book as it was very busy.

May 08, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Nepalese Kitchen, The, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Nepalese, BYO, Outdoor Dining, Private Room

Overall 7.7  91

6.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  7     


All bound for momo land! I'd not tried Nepalese before, but when invited to The Nepalese Kitchen to celebrate a birthday, I couldn't refuse. A colleague had described the cuisine as a cross between Indian and Chinese, but it was the temptation of dumplings which really sealed the deal for me!

My party were seated in the rear courtyard on an Autumn night, but gas heaters were provided so it wasn't too cold. Being a large group, we ordered the Banquet which consisted of a number of entrees and mains with condiments...no dessert included.

The beauty of the Banquet is that you can try a number of dishes from the menu, which the restaurant suggests you do, as it is the Nepalese way to share food (or so the menu states). You can also swap dishes in the menu to cater for vegetarians.

Sadly, the dumplings, or Momo, in the banquet were not vegetarian (although there is a choice of chicken or vegetarian on the menu) so I didn't partake. However, there were some really great dishes. An entree of tender meat (sorry not sure if it was lamb or goat) with shredded diakon and cripsy rice flakes was great.

So was the eggplant and potato curry and the dahl with beans was great too.
A barbecued meat, which I think was lamb was tasty, but a little chewy. The goat curry was also tasty, but the meat was too fatty for my liking. Since the desserts were not included our table purchased a few to try. The mango kulfi was delicious as was the caramel pudding.

So including desserts, for a banquet for approx 13 people we spent roughly $35 each, which was very reasonable. I would eat at The Nepalese Kitchen again, but next time I would maybe go with a smaller group so I could try different menu items. I would also recommend you book as it gets really crowded.

May 08, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Bills Surry Hills, Surry Hills

Cafes, Modern Australian, Hip and Trendy, Bistro/Brasserie, BYO

Overall 6.1  188

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  7     


I visited Bills for breakfast this morning and was impressed. I arrived early, 7.30 am, and was provided with a glass of water and menu immediately.

I passed on the sweetcorn fritters, deciding to purchase spelt toast and adding bacon, mushrooms and roast tomatoes as my accompaniments. These sides are billed individually and cost between $4.50 and $5 each.

My waiter was attentive, polite and professional and when my meal arrived, he repeated my order back to me, a customer service technique I appreciated. The mushrooms were served in their own bowl on the plate and were sauteed in butter and a whole clove of garlic. The latter I discovered at the end of the meal. As it had softened in the butter, it complimented the roast tomato and spelt toast.

I ordered my bacon crispy and was presented with two generous rashers cooked to perfection. Opting for my coffee after my meal I ordered a very weak skim latte. I was slightly disappointed when the waitress delivered my coffee and announced 'weak skim latte'. The rich colour of the coffee concerned me, since I had ordered it very weak, but, despite the bitter crema, the taste was favourable.

The construction and presentation of the latte was great. However, I would have appreciated a serviette to wrap around the hot glass. Bills uses a Single Origin blend with chocolatey notes which I enjoyed. By the time I paid for my meal at 8.40 am, there was a queue of customers waiting for a table inside, away from the rainy autumn morning.

My breakfast was simply prepared and whilst the portions weren't large, they were satisfying. The produce was noticeably fresh. I am confused as to why my meal wasn't served piping hot. Since there was only one other table of three patrons when I ordered. And only seven tables occupied when I was halfway through my meal, I don't understand why my meal had begun to noticeably cool by the time it was served.

What most impressed me was the level of customer service. I observed my waiter was attentive and polite to other customers even though the cafe was becoming quite busy. Even with a tip, which I only give if I think the service is deserving, I spent $25 which is a competitive price for an inner city breakfast.

I look forward to exploring other menu items at Bills in the future. I do advise planning an early visit for breakfast if you don't want to wait.

Mar 05, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Ten Buck Alley, Darlinghurst

Restaurants

Overall 8.7  9

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  7     


I'd been looking forward to my visit to Ten Buck Alley all week. After getting up early to beat the rush I arrived at the cafe at 7.30 am only to find out that on Saturdays they open at 8am (Thanks for the wrong information yourrestaurants.com!).

Things didn't start off too well. I ordered a quarter strength skim latte and the one I received looked very strong. I had to ask for another coffee to be made as the waiter had mixed up my order and told the barista (owner?) to make me a double shot 3/4 latte. When I explained to the barista what I really wanted, he was very good humoured about it and the coffee presentation was fantastic!

Ten Buck Alley use a Colombian brand of coffee called Little Marionette (if I remember correctly) and it is very drinkable. It's flavour is very distinctive but still had the caramely notes I love (no sugar needed!)

As I don't eat eggs, I skipped the free range eggs with soy linseed and asked the waiter if I could just choose toast with a selection of sides to accompany it. He agreed.

I chose the white levian sourdough with chorizo, bacon, avocado ($3.50 per side), oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms ($3.00 per side).

The option of choosing sides to go with a basic breakfast option appeals to me and I was pleased to see the menu reflecting this.

The presentation of my brekkie was great! The toast came separately with butter on the side. My sides arrived on a plate of their own and the mushrooms in a separate bowl(on the plate), which I really appreciated as none of the other ingredients got soggy!

Each portion size was adequate. Two large slices of toast, 2 whole roma tomatoes (halved), two rashers of bacon, half an avocado and the chorizo was large.

My favourite items were the sourdough which was lightly toasted with a delightful tangy sour taste. The chorizo was spicy and was complemented by the full flavoured herbed tomatoes.

The best thing about the whole meal was that all the ingredients were fresh and delicious!

Being early in the morning the ambience was lacking a little but I did enjoy triple j being played on the radio. I was a little disappointed with my waiter who also forgot my cutlery, which I had to ask for.

However, I left the cafe sated (truth be told, a little too full - but that's my fault for ordering lots of tasty morsels!)and felt my bill of $22.80 was justified - mainly because the ingredients were of a high quality.

I look forward to trying more of the menu options at Ten Buck Alley and recommend you try it too!

Feb 19, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Cossies Cafe, Surry Hills

Cafes, Modern Australian, Restaurant Bookings

Overall 7.5  24

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  2      Service  6      Value  5     


I am on the hunt for the perfect big breakfast. I'd like quality and quantity, good customer service and fantastic coffee. Cossies is not the place to meet my needs! My friend had recommended their early bird breakfast deal with coffee and orange juice included. Sadly, this now only had the choice of either coffee or juice. The waitress was friendly, however, she also seemed to be new and I had to repeat my inquiries twice each.

I asked for a very weak skim latte (cause I'm a traditionalist and usually this request gets me a coffee tasting caramelly and delicious!). When my coffee arrived and the waitress said 'weak skim latte', I clarified by asking 'very weak?', which she confirmed it was. It looked too dark, so I took a sip-it was too strong. So I removed some of the crema to ensure I wasn't just tasting some residual bitterness. It was still too strong. For me it was undrinkable so I left it.

The big breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, sausage and tomato was meager. I don't eat eggs, so had not ordered them. The toast was buttered, which is a bit old school. I think customers should be served their butter on the side so they have the option of using it. Also, only one of the two slices was decent, the second was tiny. The mushrooms were bland and the bacon was OK. I had asked for crispy bacon and the chef had at least made an effort to do this. The sausages were tiny, like two chipolatas.

Whilst the fans kept the cafe cool on a hot summer day, overall I was disappointed. Given this was my first experience at Cossies, I'm reluctant to return.

Feb 05, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Four Ate Five, Surry Hills

Cafes, European, BYO, Serves Breakfast, Serves Lunch

Overall 7.5  12

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.8 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  5     


Recently a friend and I dined at Four Ate Five. We perused the menu and two waitresses were polite whilst we took our time. As it was a Saturday afternoon, it was not busy. The waitress who took our order informed me that all dishes were made to order when I enquired if I could have a substitute for roquette. Our meals; pulled pork sandwich on sourdough and a pulled pork salad, arrived promptly. Both dishes were tasty and I would recommend them for a light lunch on a summer's day.

Everything was going well, until... Half way through eating her salad, my friend found some shredded hard plastic (similar to that of a take away container) in her salad. After a discussion we decided to tell the staff, since we have both worked in the food service industry and concluded that we would like to know if this had happened to one of our customers.

We waited for a waitress to come to our table and my friend showed her the plastic and politely informed her that she found it in her salad. The waitress (not the one that had been accommodating earlier) didn't apologise, but said 'can I get you something else'. My friend declined and asked for the remainder of the salad to be packaged for take away. The waitress complied, returned with the uneaten portion of the salad and slammed it down on the table in a huff and without a word stormed off. Her lack of customer service and inability to deal with conflict was amazing. Especially since my friend had been polite when bringing the problem to her attention.

Whilst I understand that mistakes can happen and this may be a one off, it has put me off patronizing the establishment again. Perhaps if management send their staff to customer service and dealing with conflict training patrons would have a better experience.

Feb 05, 2011

Was this review helpful?   |



Kam Fook, Bondi Junction

Restaurants, Chinese, Seafood, Yum Cha, BYO

Overall 5.9  108

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  5     


I have been eating yum cha at Kam Fook Bondi Junction regularly for some time now and my experiences have previously been good, however, since November 2006 the only word i can describe for both the service and food is disappointing.

I attended Kam Fook for yum cha in both November and last week on 29.12.06 and was extremely saddened by the lack of choice and service.

The range of yum cha dumplings, which is usually plentiful was restricted to three types: prawn, scallop and prawn, chicken and spinach. For the second time in a row, the favourite dessert of mine and my friends was not available; deep fried sesame custard balls.

When we requested this dessert the waitress could not hide her exasperation and rolled her eyes at myself and my fellow diners. When our table was informed that the dessert was 'sold out' we asked for a substitute we had seen on a trolley moments before, which was now 'sold out' too. This discovery was only made after asking three different staff, as the first waitress did not return.

Our tea was not replenished and general service to the table for drinks was inadequate, infact, non-existent. When I made a polite request at the end of our meal as to when the items my guests and I usually enjoyed would return, the answer was still 'sold out'.

All in all this was an extremely disappointing experience especially since it was the first time one of my guests had dined at kam fook for yum cha. Although convient for myself and most of my friends, I will certainly not be organising yum cha at Kam Fook in the near future, preferring to dine at Nine Dragons in Chinatown instead.

Jan 01, 2007

Was this review helpful?   |



 

Displaying: 1 - 7 of 7 reviews



Scroll map



No photos yet






Book a Restaurant Table
Daily Deals
Special Offers
Best of Sydney
Order Takeaway
Free to order | No markup
Book a Hotel Room
Where?
No fees | Best rate guaranteed

Arrive

Depart


Anonymous photo Anonymous

Login / Register

Recently Viewed
Tell a Friend

Lists

Favourites

    No items

New List

Add

Body Left Cached User Nav : showCached : true, time: 0ms


Newsletter

Get deals, specials & news!

Sign Up
View a previous newsletter

Browse Sydney

expand Arts & Leisure
expand Health & Beauty
expand Hotels
expand Restaurants & Nightlife
expand Services
expand Shops

Restaurants & Nightlife Categories

expand Cuisines
expand Dining Atmospheres
expand Dining Features
expand Hotel Amenities
expand Bookings Online
expand View
expand Dietary Standards
expand Parking Facilities
expand Delivery, Pick Up & Catering
expand Awards
expand Internet Access
expand Accessibility
expand Arts & Crafts
expand Fitness & Recreation
expand Guided Tours
expand Hotel Room Facilities
expand Parking Types
expand Pool, Spa & Gym Facilities
expand Public Amenities
expand Sport Types

Within Sydney




Close