Seadogs Pizza and Pasta Bar

Seadogs  Pizza and Pasta Bar is in Cullen Bay.

This dining experience was a real pleasure. We sat inside and were impressed by the host's amiable nature. He seemed to know a lot of the customers quite well, pointing towards a regular clientele. The restaurant was  busy and I was surprised that we did not have to wait long for our meals.

We started with garlic bread, four slices for $4.50. I really enjoyed the garlic bread, it was very buttery with quite a lot of garlic.

I had the Tradewinds Pizza, medium size for $20. Pepperoni, capsicum, sweet brown onion and mozzarella. It was too much for me, luckily I was allowed to take the remaining pieces home. This was one of the nicest pizzas I 'd had for a very long time.

The Lasagna - $18, Home Made the Italian Way, was served with a simple garden salad. It looked like a small meal, however my dining companion enjoyed it and found it to be adequate.

There were quite a few customers sitting outside and we noticed many interesting meals  being served  from the kitchen. I could see the staff working well together to ensure that meals came out without delay.

I'm sure that everyone will enjoy their dining experience at Seadogs.

Crustaceans

At the end of Stokes Hill Wharf we found Crustaceans, a busy scene with lots of customers enjoying the view over the harbour.

Once seated we were given the drink menu and had the ordering process explained to us. We weren't given much time  to check through the menu to decide what we wanted to eat; our waitress rushed us inside to where she explained that all  meals were on display. We made our choice, paid for our meal at the counter and proceeded back to our seats where we took in the pleasant atmosphere. Eighteen minutes later our meals arrived. That was the first sign that something was amiss.

We were astounded to find that our garlic bread ($4.50) was made from hot dog rolls.

The Beef and Reef, 300g ($27.90) came with pepper sauce, chips and salad. I'm sure my friend enjoyed the salad, I can't vouch for anything else on the plate though. I tasted a little bit of the steak and was appalled at its chewiness and lack of flavour. Her prawns ended up on my  plate too. Once again they just didn't taste right.

The Australian Seafood Platter for One ($35.50) looked good. Upon ordering we were able to negotiate a slightly different meal as the squid rings were not wanted, hence this meal came with an extra piece of fish. It's unfortunate that many of our restaurants use farmed barramundi; it just doesn't taste as good. We were bemused by the added fruit plate. Is this one way to cut costs on seafood? The salad plate was ordered as an extra ($4.50) and as it turned out, it was a waste of money. Too much dressing spoiled it. The bugs were tasteless.

I was the unfortunate person who ordered the Western Australian Lobster Mornay (Half) $29.90. I enjoyed the salad and chips. The lobster was tough and chewy. I even had difficulty cutting it. I ate it only because I was hungry.

When our table was cleared away we alluded to the waitress that we were not happy. Later another staff member came and asked us if everything had been okay. We explained what we had not liked about our meals. She informed us that the lobster was "bought in cooked" and that the chef had not had any other complaints that evening.

We started to then wonder about the other seafood. Were the prawns also bought in already cooked? Is this why they were rubbery and an unusual colour?

We decided to end the evening with coffee, tea and dessert. We chose the dessert special, Marshmallow and Strawberry Fondue.

Now look at the photo - does this look like a fondue? No! The marshmallows were small and overly sweet with raspberry and strawberry swirls in them, the chocolate sauce was made from compounded chocolate and we got three hulled strawberries. We paid $14.50 for this. We weren't impressed.

Excellent location, pleasant background music, but we won't be going back for the food.

Moorish Cafe

Moorish Cafe is located on Knuckey Street, ph 8981 0010.

To start with we decided to try several Tapas dishes.
House baked bread with dukkah and olive oil. $4.00 The waitress informed us that it was served with roast vegetables, this turned out to be misleading as the bread itself contained only a few tiny morsels of vegetables.

Grilled pork belly with fennel seeds and rosemary, $7.50. The flavour had not permeated the pork as the herbs were merely sprinkled on the outside of the meat.

Bruscetta with houlmi and sun dried tomatoes, $8.00. This was over-grilled resulting in the bread being burnt making the dish dry and crumbly despite the topping.

Roasted Lamb Rump with hot mint sauce and crunchy polenta served on spiced eggplant puree. $34.00.
I enjoyed the fried polenta, having never eaten this before. I was a bit disappointed that the meal did not come with extra vegetables. The lamb was tender although slightly under-cooked for my liking. I wasn't sure why the mint sauce was referred to as being hot because it wasn't hot in either temperature or flavour.

Grilled Organic free range half chicken, marinated in yoghurt and sweet  paprika, with sweet potato chips and gazpacho salsa, $32.00. This meal was served with a small half chicken. It presented as if there had been very little care taken with the plating.

Sumac spiced NT barramundi fillet with a tahini and avocado puree and a moghrabieh couscous and pomegranate salad, $32.00. This dish presented with an unusual looking salad; it had a type of couscous that we were not expecting.

On the evening we asked for a copy of the menu but were advised to go online to access their website. However, we found out later that the website is not up to date. Eventually we were able to get a copy of the main menu dishes emailed to us by an apologetic owner.
This was a very expensive learning experience for us. We felt the tapas were over priced and the meals quite expensive.

Virginia Tavern

This evening was a pleasant surprise. The Virginia Tavern, located on Virginia Road near Coolalinga, served up two very enjoyable meals.
The tavern is located in the Virginia Shopping Centre, 30km from Darwin and only 10km from Palmerston.  It's small and has a friendly atmosphere. It was quite noisy with lots of locals enjoying their drinks, meals and gaming experience. We sat inside and did not have to wait too long for our meals to be served.

Mexican Barra

Lasagne

Mexican Barra, $25, pan fried with red and green capsicum, semidried tomato, dill, garlic, lime juice in a
tomato base. This dish comes with either baked vegetables and buttered beans or chips and salad. This evening I chose the vegetables and was so pleased I had done so.

When the meal first came out I was a little disappointed that it wasn't very hot. But I was soon to forget about that once I tasted the delicious flavours. The fish piece wasn't very big, but it was tasty and moist. 

I would have to say, that without a doubt, this was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had since starting this blog. 

Lasagne, $19.50, home made, served with garden salad. This was also a very enjoyable meal.

We passed our congratulations onto the chef. 

This tavern has a traditional feel to it, suited to the man on the street and his family. The restaurant has tables both inside and outside on the verandah and this evening they were full.  All the meals I saw coming out were large servings. Their menu was extensive and prices ranged from $16 to $30. 

There is only a small dining area inside, running along the length of the bar. They have a large selection of beers on tap and a good selection of wine. 

Parking is minimal at the centre, however there is parking available across the road. This made for a tricky journey back to our vehicle in the dark. 

There is also a small gaming area but we didn't partake as each machine was occupied. We did however have the opportunity to buy some tickets in the good old meat raffle.

If you are looking for a pub atmosphere with friendly staff and great food, then this is the place for you.

Alaturka Turkish Restaurant

The Alaturka Turkish Restaurant, fully licensed,  is located at 11 Knuckey Street, Darwin, ph. 89419080.

Upon entering we discovered a unique decor to suit the Turkish theme. Paintings around the ceiling, chandeliers and dark furniture with rich red upholstered chairs.


There is an extensive menu, almost too many to choose from. The menu itself is unique with its many pictures of Turkish meals. We immediately thought that these pictures were of the meals offered, but were a little confused as to which picture fitted which meal. The waiter informed us that these weren't for the particular meals on the menu, but were to just show a variety of Turkish dishes. I immediately thought this was a waste of a great idea. Not having eaten at a Turkish restaurant before it would have been great to have had a visual of what the meal was going to look like. Perhaps the owner of Alaturka should consider revamping his menu so that it has corresponding pictures to dishes on offer.



I ordered Pizolo - Grilled Lamb Cutlets served with Alaturka Dips, $27.50. It came with a crunchy garden salad that had a wonderful pomegranate and olive oil dressing. The rice was light and fluffy with almond slivers however it was fairly bland. There were four lamb cutlets, they weren't very big so I didn't get a lot of meat off them. I found the lamb cutlets to be edible, but they lacked flavour. Two Alaturka dips came with the meal, a yoghurt and cucumber dip and a mixed vegetable and Turkish sauce dip. Once I added the mixed vegetable dip to the rice I was happier with the flavour. My meal wasn't very big but I did enjoy it.

My dining partner ordered Hasan Chef's Mixed Grill, $35.00. This had a combination of Lamb, Chicken Wings, Adana and Kofte all in one dish. This dish looked like it would have been quite filling, having lots of meat on it. It also had the crispy garden salad with pomegranate dressing.

Both dishes were decorated with garnishes. Unfortunately they really weren't practical. One was made from a grapefruit and consisted mainly of the peel. The other had raw zucchini which I couldn't bring myself to eat. An experienced chef once informed us that a garnish served with a meal should always be edible. Inedible garnishes should only be used on presentation platters.

We decided to try the Alaturka Mixed Dessert, $25.00. I would have to say I was a bit disappointed with the desserts. The Turkish Baklava I thought was nice, although it was fairly thin and didn't have a lot of flavour to it. I managed to eat the fig, even though they have not been a favourite of mine previously.  I quite liked the rice dessert, but not the icecream on top of it. As for the other one on offer, well it didn't taste like much at all, and I can't even begin to describe what it was supposed to be - maybe a shredded Baklava.

I decided to try the Turkish Coffee and was so glad I had done so. Lightly sweet, not too thick, just absolutely delicious. At the end of the evening we ordered cups of tea, unfortunately due to the restaurant being so busy and the fact they were understaffed, our tea did not arrive.


We were entertained by a belly dancer. Congratulations to the restaurant owner for providing a form of entertainment, not many restaurants around town do this.



Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed my visit to the Alaturka Turkish Restaurant, even though the meal was not what I had expected, it was still enjoyable. The staff were pleasant and more than willing to answer our questions. They were almost packed out, a testament to how well this restaurant is frequented. I was particularly pleased with the fact that the waiter took off the cost of the Turkish Coffee, this was to compensate for our cups of tea not arriving. A great way to apologise for the inconvenience and to ensure customer satisfaction.

The Jetty Restaurant

The Jetty Restaurant is located in the Pump House on Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin.
This restaurant used to be extremely popular and always crowded. This evening we found it was fairly quiet.

At the Jetty Restaurant you help yourself to a buffet menu which includes seafood, steak, salads, Chinese dishes, desserts, soup and crusty rolls. All for $32.50.

We ordered a  Mocktail, $8.00, after it was suggested by our waitress.  A refreshing drink, I had the Tropical Mocktail, very nice indeed.

This evening we decided to start with dessert as we had been told that to really enjoy a dessert you need to eat it first.  We tried the two cakes on offer and the cheesecake. The cheesecake, by far, was the nicest.

We tried a little of everything that was on offer from the buffet. The seafood was fresh and appetising.

 I really enjoyed the pumpkin soup, lots of flavour and HOT. Being a cool Dry Season night, the soup hit the spot. 

There were small portions of steak, although a little chewy, they were quite nice. The Chinese curried dish was full of flavour, and surprisingly it was actually served with some heat to it. 

Sadly, I have to report that most of the food in the bain marie was barely warm. On such a crisp, cool evening I found it off putting to eat cold noodles, barely warm fried rice, cold vegetables and cold....and cold...and cold... We did pass on our disappointment on this issue and we were told that the pork bits were supposed to be cold, however the rest of the food should have been hot.

The staff were friendly and as it wasn't busy we were well looked after. We finished the evening with a lovely hot cappuccino.

It was pleasant to sit outside on the balcony and look out over the harbour. This restaurant is located in a great spot and would be a good place to bring visitors to Darwin, but unfortunately I would be hesitant to do so after this visit, particularly because of the lack of heat in the food. I'm hoping to hear in future from our regular readers that things have improved.

 

The Noodle House - Knuckey Street

This evening we visited the Noodle House on Knuckey Street, Darwin.
We ordered Combination Chop Suey $22.00, Szechuan Beef $22.00 and Special Fried Rice $13.00.

My first impression of this restaurant was that it was old and dingy. There were quite a few people there, a large table of birthday revellers, and a number of smaller parties, all seemed happy, enjoying their food. We did notice that patrons didn't hang around, once their meal was finished they left fairly quickly. 

The waiter was eager to take our order for food and drinks. No water was served at the table, however we were able to order from a small selection of soft drinks. 

Our meals were served quickly, within 10 minutes of ordering and the waiter served us up some Special Fried Rice. We were then left to enjoy our meals. I had a quick lesson on how to use chopsticks and  managed a few morsels before I gave up and delved into the food with a fork.

Two words summed this meal up for me. "Fairly ordinary." I was a bit disappointed as I'd had this restaurant recommended to me by my son. 

The Combination Chop Suey had an unusual tasting meat in it, I thought it was pork, however the waitress told us it was chicken. There were no prawns in it, such a disappointment. This meal didn't do much for me at all.

The Szechuan Beef had a delicious sauce; a subtle spicy dish. The strips of meat were extremely thin, with a crispy coating and had obviously been deep fried. It was only the tasty sauce that saved this dish. 

Overall, disappointing for the price paid.

The Hub

Every year the Hub, in Palmerston, sends out a birthday letter which entitles you to a free meal. These are a really great way to say thank you to members. This evening two of us had the birthday letters, a good excuse to spend a pleasant evening at the Hub.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Creamy Garlic Prawns

Grilled Chicken Breast with Creamy Garlic Prawns - $22.00

Chicken Schnitzel Mexicana topped with Melted Cheese, Jalapenos, Guacamole and Sour Cream -$17.50 (unfortunately, no photo of this meal)

Chicken Schnitzel with Garlic Prawns - $22.00

Chicken Schnitzel with Garlic Prawns

All three meals were huge, with lots of vegetables. We did find it really unusual that no potatoes came with the meals. We asked about that and three delicious baked potatoes with sour cream were brought out for us. 

The Hub was really busy tonight, thus it did take quite a while for our meals to be served. We had bread rolls to nibble on while we waited. I find it disappointing that they don't bake their own bread rolls. The rolls on offer look like the standard ones you can buy from Woolworths. 

The staff here are always pleasant and the atmosphere is warm and relaxing. One comment that I'd like to make is that I feel it's about time a new entertainer was hired; we need a fresh voice to listen to. It would be ideal to have an entertainer who could actually play the piano, not one that bashes away at an electronic keyboard while mutilating lyrics. 

Bogart's Bar and Ingrid's Grill

Bogart's is located on Gregory Street, Parap. It's been around for years, had several owners and various styles attached to it.

It's current owner, Lars, has hit the jackpot. Upon entering you feel as if you are in a special world surrounded by artwork, prints, interesting lighting, harem-style fabric swathed across the ceiling, and eclectic pieces of furniture. You gaze around, trying to take it all in - there's something new and interesting everywhere you look.

The bar was packed with patrons obviously enjoying themselves. This is a popular watering hole for locals.

The restaurant was very busy, there's plenty of tables and all were full. The kitchen doesn't close until 10pm and we noticed people coming in quite late to be seated, some having to wait until a table was empty. This is something I have not noticed at a local restaurant for some time and is certainly an indication of how well this establishment is patronised.

Four of us dined at Bogart's this evening. We started with a shared Entrée - Bogart's Tasting Plate. $45 - serving four. This was a really interesting assortment. Mixture of Prosciutto, Cacciatore, Roasted Mediterranean Veggies, Olives, Goat's Cheese, Squid and Gravlax with char-grilled bread. This was a huge serving, more than enough for the four of us for an entrée. The Gravlax was wonderful, cured for 36 hours with sugar, salt, pepper and dill. I'm sure there were other secret ingredients from "Grandma's recipe." The goat's cheese had a really interesting flavour and was extremely smooth, a delight to try. I found it hard to stop myself from eating the olives and veggies. I never knew I could enjoy artichokes so much. The squid was tender, quite an achievement. Unfortunately the Proscuitto was a little fatty, not the nicest I've had. Bogart's Tasting Plate is certainly worth trying.

Bogart's Tasting Plate

For our main meals we had Bogart's Planksteak - $38, Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon - $34, Fresh Fish of the Day (Cod) - $34, and Italian Style Lamb Shank - $31.

Bogart's Planksteak - Grilled Porterhouse, Pom Dushees, Green Beans wrapped with Bacon, Grilled Tomato and Mushrooms, topped with Bearnaise sauce. This was a fairly decent sized steak, 350g, served on an African Mahogany platter, apparently a Swedish custom.  A very enjoyable meal, although I would have liked more beans. The sauce was exquisite. Eating off a wooden platter did make me wonder about its cleanliness, however I was assured the platters were scrubbed with stainless steel wool, scrutinised carefully,  then washed and sterilised in the dish washer.

Bogart's Planksteak

Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon - Crispy skinned salmon served on chat potatoes with asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes with a creamy  mustard sauce. This was a good sized serving, the roasted tomatoes were delicious and the whole meal was enjoyed immensely. "It tasted beautiful."

Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon

Fresh Fish of the Day - Cod. Another meal that was described as "beautiful" it came with vegetables and not a scrap was left on the plate. A testament to how delicious it was.

Fresh Fish of the Day

Italian Style Lamb Shank - slowly cooked in Napolitana sauce with Olives and Chunky Onions. Served on mash with peas and parmesan. This was an enormous serving and fabulously tender.

Italian Style Lamb Shank

We really enjoyed our evening at Bogart's. The host was sociable and a pleasure to talk to, he spent quite some time at our table explaining some of the recipes and how three of his signature dishes come from his "Grandma's recipes."

We could not have asked for better service, our waitress for the evening was attentive and ensured we were well looked after. She was informative and was able to answer all our questions.

Bogart's also offers entertainment, live music started at 9pm shortly after our host, Lars, announced to his patrons the significance of the day - 100 years since the city had its name changed from Palmerston to Darwin.

This restaurant is a must-go-to venue. Do yourself a favour and book soon.

Elements - Chef's Table

We had waited with eager anticipation for the Chef's Table at Elements. Sean Gould, the manager, had emailed through the menu so we could advertise on our blog.
It was disappointing for Sean to see that he had not filled the tables; last minute cancellations dwindling the numbers.

The advertised menu was changed slightly, with cheesecake being offered as the dessert. A truly delicious cheesecake, one that brought questions for the chef at the end of the night. Unfortunately he was forced to admit that he had not cooked the cheesecake, and that it had been bought. This I felt was a massive blunder on their behalf. When showcasing your staff's culinary expertise you should only serve dishes that have been cooked on site. The cheesecake blunder  made me shake my head in despair.

The evening had started off on a better note. The Deluxe Canapes had interesting toppings. Salami with kiwifruit, tomato salsa and mustard cream; Camembert cheese, strawberry and sweet balsamic vinegar; ham, cucumber, and salsa with chilli lime pesto. Interesting flavours that complemented each other. It was a shame though that all three canapes were on bread bases. If different  base options had been chosen we would have experienced a different taste sensation with each one.

Our entree was Marinated Tasmanian Salmon, Avacado Prawn Maki and Asian Slaw with Wasabi Lime Cream. It was presented beautifully, the salmon and Maki tasted great together, and with just a touch of Wasabi it wasn't overpowering.  I'm not a great fan of salmon but I found this entree palatable. The Asian Slaw was really interesting.

I would have to say that I was disappointed with the main meal. The Middle Eastern Spiced Pistachio Crusted Lamb Terderloin was massacred. Yes, the pistachio crust was crunchy and very tasty with its mild curry - clove, cardamom and cumin. The lamb, however had been overcooked. All three of my pieces were chewy, to say the least. After asking the diners on either side of me I ascertained that out of nine pieces of lamb, only one was tender. The presentation was elegant, and the vegetables were edible. I particularly enjoyed the snow peas.

A fish course was offered to those who did not want to try the lamb. A huge slab of fish was presented for their enjoyment. A little overcooked being a little dry in places, however it was enjoyed immensely.

I had been looking forward to the Mixed Berry Mousse with Saffron Mango and Pears, but alas that was not to be. As stated previously, I did enjoy the dessert. In fact, this to me was the best course of the evening. And as it turned out, the one course not fully prepared by the chef at Elements. They did make the chocolate basket with fruit, which I would have to say was interesting. The basket tasted like Oreo chocolate biscuits. I felt it was a mismatch though, the white chocolate sauce didn't quite match the lemon cheesecake.

We had been served with a different wine with each course. Trilogy champagne to complement the canapes, 2006 Barossa Chardonnay to complement the entree, 2007 Cabernet Merlot or 2009 Barossa Valley Grenache to complement the main meal, and 2008 Botrytis Semillon to complement the dessert.  I'm not a wine fanatic, so can't make a lot of comment on them apart from the fact that the Semillon was heavenly.  Kain Fowden, from Pernod Ricard Australia, assured us that we would be able to purchase these wines locally, from the Hub.

I expected a culinary adventure in a semi  formal atmosphere with a little wine to taste with each course. I got instead an abundant amount of wine, in a casual, party atmosphere. We were treated to tippets of information relating to the food and wine. Diners were asked to comment and  it was interesting to note that those present were more inclined to speak about the wine. Not a lot was said about the food. A lot of wine consumed and a lot of stories told at our table, some of these stories were just a little over the top, especially when coming from the manager.

When the food and beverage staff came out at the end of the evening we were allowed to fire our questions at them. Once the chef  admitted to buying the cheesecake I was disappointed but somehow not surprised.

(Photo removed by request from the Free Spirit Resort Staff)

I'd like to thank Sean and his staff for putting on the Chef's Table. You didn't quite pull it off this time, but I'm sure that in the future you will not make the same mistakes.

Cafe Durack

This week we decided to stay local and eat as cheaply as possible due to a fairly expensive dining experience coming up next week. Hence we ate at Cafe Durack, Palmerston, which you will find beside the service station at the bottom of Durack.

When we drove up to the cafe, on dusk, we nearly didn't stop. The tinted windows and no sign of life gave us the impression the cafe was closed. Luckily for them we took a closer look. My first advice to the owners would be to put some brighter lighting outside or some  sort of flashing open neon sign; I'm sure others driving past would have also got the impression it was closed. It wasn't until much later, when it had become dark, that you could notice the lights inside.

Upon entering we found a warm and inviting cafe with delicious cakes on display and an interesting menu. We chose the Durack Burger, Fish and Chips, and Beef Curry.

Durack Burger - $12.50 - homemade beef pattie, egg, bacon, cheese, salad and chips. This was a BIG burger and certainly was a filling meal. The homemade pattie was rather bland lacking in flavour, however it had melted cheese over it which saved the day. The chips were hot and crispy.

Fish and Chips - $15.95 - local Threadfin Salmon, salad and chips. (With this meal you could have a choice between Barramundi or Threadfin Salmon.)  The meal was served with a garden salad and crispy chips. It was a big meal and certainly enjoyable.

Beef Curry - $9.95 - curried beef and rice. This meal was ordered off the special's board. It was a small serve, if you're really hungry you would be better off with one of the more substantial meals on offer. The curry was really spicy, which may not be to everyone's liking. The meat was tender and lean. This was a very ordinary looking meal with no garnish.

We finished our evening with coffee and Apple Pie. We were saved from fake whipped cream by being allowed to have icecream with it.  For me the apple pie was rather bland, I would have preferred some sweetness or extra flavour in it, such as cinnamon. Perhaps if it had been warmed up it would have improved the taste. All their cakes are made on site by the cook and I would have to say they all looked really delicious.

The cafe was not busy, we wondered how many people had driven past not realising it was open. It has potential; the staff are pleasant, the menu is adequate and the cafe itself is clean and inviting. There is also an outside eating area. Their prices are good compared to the size of the meal served. If you are looking for a low key dining experience, this may be the place for you.