specialk

Member since 2006

Last updated on 10th Feb 2012

Reviews

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Displaying: 1 - 10 of 11 reviews

CBD Noodle, Sydney

Restaurants, Thai

Overall 8.5 9

9 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 7 Service 9 Value 10

I've only ever had the chicken laksa here. I just can't bear to order anything else. There was a 1-2 week period where the laksa was a bit bland, but I suspect this was an anomaly (maybe the regular chef was away or maybe they changed the stock, I'm not sure). Every other time, the laksa has been awesome. Definitely worth queueing up.

Aug 11, 2011

Sucre, Balmain

Cafes

Overall 7.2 9

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 8

I'm in love with beignets, and you'll only (apparently) find them in Sydney if you visit Sucre. Dipped in sugar free thick, hot Spanish-style chocolate (the house special), it's an irresistible combination. The one time I didn't feel like beignets I had the mini lemon tart--good--and the chocolate-dipped orange slice--so yummy. The coffee is okay, but then I've only had it once. If I'm at Sucre it's almost criminal not to order the house special.

(A tip for frequent visitors: Sucre's Facebook page occasionally posts online specials and they're very good value compared to the normal price.)

Aug 11, 2011

Vintage Cafe On The Rocks, The Rocks

Restaurants, Mediterranean, Portuguese, Spanish, Good For Groups

Overall 8 40

8 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 7 Value 8

Found this cafe by accident and went in for Sunday lunch. The music, which drew me to the place, turned out to be a live guitar player. I'd eat here just for that! My Vintage Breakfast was good, the poached eggs were runnier than I prefer, but it was no big deal. The chorizos and bacon weren't oily, which was great. My partner had the barramundi and it looked wonderful. I got the first taste and the lemon butter sauce was yummy. He wouldn't let me have a second taste.

My only real issue with our meal was the slow service, the food took ages to come out. The wait staff were friendly and had a chat with us after the meal to invite us to come back for dinner when they have live music, tapas and paella. I'm sure we'll be back.

Oct 17, 2010

Zilver, Sydney

Restaurants, Asian, Chinese, Yum Cha, Fine Dining

Overall 6.7 163

6.8 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 3 Value 9

I appreciate a yum cha restaurant that allows diners to book reservations for yum cha. We smugly walked through the long lunchtime queue at the door only to discover that our reservation was made for the wrong time. It took another 15 minutes to get our table (there were a lot of us), and when we were seated the table still had remains of the last party's food. Eek!

The restaurant had no high chairs for children and the seats are low, so children will probably need to be seated on your lap. The waiting time allowed us to check out the new decor - lots of chocolate and brown. It seems like a strange choice for a Chinese restaurant, and doesn't really go well with the pretty average service. (It's a swanky, modern look and I was expecting swanky, modern service.) We were seated in a room but were pleased to see that we didn't miss out on the good trolleys.

Table service was a bit sketchy, as drink orders took a while to serve. We also requested particular dishes that we hadn't seen on the trolleys and we had to ask 2 or 3 times before we got a proper answer from the staff. Value wasn't bad. Nowhere near as good as all you can eat for $15, but yum cha for 9 tallied to $25pp, including special orders. Not bad at all.

Dec 29, 2006

Lindt Chocolat Cafe, Sydney

Cafes, Swiss, Cake

Overall 6.7 104

6.5 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 7 Service 4 Value 6

The hot chocolate is great although frankly, the novelty factor gets points as much as the taste which is not always consistent. Cake slices are divine although hot chocolate and cake is a combination leading straight to diabetes. The waffles are excellent but akin to highway robbery at $11 a pop. I'm told the ice creams are delicious too. Table service can be extremely abrupt and I've had some waiters verging on the rude. A couple of times, I've had to remind them of an order or request. I haven't tried the rest of their menu (sandwiches, etc.) because the cost is appalling. I'd much rather splurge on the chocolate and desserts and get a $5 sandwich elsewhere.

Jun 27, 2006

Jean-Marc's Patisserie and Boulangerie, Pyrmont

Cafes, French

Overall 7.7 12

7.8 Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 7

This place is really bad for people on a diet. There was a time when I would pop in after lunch every day for a month to buy a chocolate tart. The pastries and desserts are divine! The chocolate dome is awesome if somewhat pricey. The bread and butter pudding and vanilla slice are value for money as the slices are huge. The croissants, danishes and baguettes are all very good. The mudcake/ cupcake was dry the one time I tried it. The cafe itself is quite sparse and the tables and chairs are utilitarian. I've had take-away coffee three times and it always tasted very cardboard-like. This must be due to the diposable cup it comes in because I didn't notice anything amiss when I had it in the cafe. The staff are friendly but since I mostly take away, I don't expect much in the way of service.

Jun 16, 2006

Oscars Lounge Bar & Restaurant, Pyrmont

Restaurants, European, Modern Australian, Vegetarian, Has Bar

Overall 6.3 48

9 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 10

We discovered Oscar's when they had $13 ribs on the menu. The price has gone up slightly but for the size, it's still good value. One friend thought the sauce was too sweet but the general consensus was very positive. The carbonara was also delicious. Pizzas were OK. Steaks were done well compared to other restaurants that charge the same price. I'm told the lobster and champagne for $19 are also excellent. Staff have generally been very good although once or twice the service has been slow and not as pro-active or an order goes astray. Children can dine in for lunch and they accommodate parties very well. Parking around the area is a hassle, though.

Jun 16, 2006

Francois Pastries, Pyrmont

Cafes, Cake Shops and Patisseries, French, Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access

Overall 7.8 10

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 8 Service 7 Value 10

Nothing beats a pie that actually tastes like it has real meat and veggies inside. The spinach and ricotta pie is the best I've ever tasted and the meat and chicken pies are chunky and filling. The desserts not only look good but are delicious too. The lunch special (pie, salad, dessert) is value for money especially if you get a normal-sized slice or tart. Staff are friendly although during busy times can be abrupt. Pies sometimes run out or certain types are not available; desserts change by the day although the most popular tend to be there every day.

Jun 16, 2006

Berowra Waters Inn, Berowra Waters

Restaurants, French, Modern Australian, Vegetarian, Degustation Menu

Overall 8.9 130

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

10 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 10 Service 10 Value 10

Travelling by boat to a restaurant sets up the romance of dining at Berowra Waters Inn. The waiter who picks us up (same guy each time) is always friendly and it's obvious that he loves his job. The food has always been delicious. On my first visit, I had the roast duck entree and regretted I didn't get a roast duck main. Every once in a while, I check the website and when they have it on the menu again, I'll definitely be there. The strawberry vinaigrette drizzled on my salad was so good, I tried to make my own (not so good). The champagne sorbet which we were given for free as they were left over from the Christmas menu, was exquisite. My partner prefers going during the day so he can watch people zipping across the water. I prefer it at night as I find it much more romantic. We always linger and plan for at least 3 hours whenever we visit, not because the service is slow but because we savour each bite and love to linger over dessert.

Jun 16, 2006

Galileo, Sydney

Restaurants, French, Japanese, Fine Dining, Good For Groups

Overall 7.9 145

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

10 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 10 Service 10 Value 10

Charming restaurant, great for a romantic night out. I sat against the wall with soft cushions beside me. Waiter was attentive and very accommodating, offering menu changes to suit our needs. Had the standard degustation menu with a modified entree plate. Egg croquette was tantalisingly tasty. Entree plate was absolutely delicious although the brioche with foi gras was a little overwhelming. Subsequent plates were a blur of wondrous tastes and aromas. The only dish I didn't really like was the noodles in cold water. I think it was supposed to clean the palate but I found it bland and filled me up too much.

Mains were surprisingly substantial, considering it was a degustation menu. I gave up halfway through dessert, collapsed onto a sea of cushions and looked on as my partner did the dessert course justice. I was disappointed that dessert didn't include anything chocolatey but it was just as well because otherwise, I'd have been forced to eat it (out of principle!) and would not have been able to stand up afterwards. The chef came out to talk to patrons and he was quite lovely. We told him we felt like we were on Iron Chef and it turns out he's a good friend of the French Iron Chef. The evening was just perfect.

Jun 16, 2006