Zest Restaurant

Zest Restaurant is located at the Novotel Darwin Atrium, on the Esplanade. Upon arrival our waiter didn't give us the opportunity to choose between being seated outside, in the humidity, or inside in air-conditioning; we were immediately taken outside to the patio. However, we asked if we could be sat inside, I for one wanted the pleasure of air-conditioning and adequate lighting. 

Main meals range from $18 - $39. Breads, $8 - $10. Entrees, $14 - $19. Desserts, $11 - $20

The menu displays vegetarian, gluten free or healthy options and also advertises flexibility when ordering; you may ask the chef to adapt meals to suit.

Zest offers a range of Australian and New Zealand wines.

Our waiter suggested we try the "Paprika Soup" ($9) as one of our entrees. It's very odd that a soup would be named after a spice. We were originally informed that it had potato and bacon; we found that it contained mushrooms, bacon and onion. Its texture was thick, it lacked garnish and did not look appealing. It came with a slice of toasted bread. I was disappointed with the soup's mild flavour. Unfortunately, the soup had been served in a cold plate and arrived barely lukewarm, it was returned to the kitchen to be heated up.

We all enjoyed the Jalapeño Bread ($10); served with tomato salsa, sour cream and guacamole. We delved into it before I could get a clean photo.

The Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers with Mesculin Salad and Raita, ($14), was a good choice; it was moist, fell apart in your mouth and had lots of flavour. It looked great and was worth purchasing. Unfortunately we did not get a photo of this entree.

We'd had a rough start to our meal, with the soup entree having to be returned to the kitchen, and hoped that the rest of the meals would improve. Alas, this was not to be. 

When my Fettuccine, ($22) arrived I was astonished. It looked flat, there wasn't an awful lot in the plate, and there were components of the recipe missing. It was advertised as having zucchini, rocket, basil, tomatoes, lemon and pine nuts. My meal, however, had no rocket, lemon or pine nuts. The meal wasn't very hot as it had been served in a cold plate.

At this stage the Team Leader came to our table to find out what our concerns were, he then scurried off to the kitchen to attempt to improve on our situation. When he returned he informed me that they had "run out of pine nuts and rocket". He offered me the chance to order something else off the menu, however I chose to stick with the Fettuccine as there was nothing else that appealed to me. As he left our table the waiter came out with the next plate of Fettuccine for me, this time there was a lot more in the plate and it had some broccoli mixed through it. This one was also served in a cold plate and lost its heat quickly. The waiter informed me that the "rocket" was in the meal, I did find one piece of greenery that could have possibly been rocket.  But still no lemon or pine nuts!  As for the flavour, predominantly Parmesan, I could not taste any Basil. The lemon and pine nuts would have made a huge difference to the flavour of this meal.

The Thai Beef Salad, ($18) came with rice noodles, chilli, basil, mint, cashew nuts and nam jim dessing. This salad looked great, it had been served with ample height, had plenty of colour and interest.

Upon ordering we had enquired as to what type of fish was being used and were told it was Barramundi. We enquired further as to whether it was farmed or wild Barramundi. Our waiter informed us it was wild. We waited with eager anticipation, as not too many restaurants are using wild barramundi these days.

Market Fresh Fish, ($29) with crispy herb batter, panzanella salad, saffron aioli grilled lime and potato cris; this meal looked appealing. The fish was white which led us to believe it definitely was wild. I tried a piece of panzanella and found it rather chewy.  (Panzanella is usually made from stale bread which has been toasted; it soaks up the flavours of the dressing). Unfortunately the batter overpowered the fish.

Steamed Baby Vegetables, ($8) were ordered to complement our meals. We suggest that Zest changes the name of this to 'Steamed Vegetables' as they definitely were not baby carrots or baby zuchinni.

We decided to order desserts; we wanted to give them another chance to get it right. We ordered the Chocolate Decadence, Bourbon and Date Pudding, and Mixed Berry Cheesecake. The Team Leader came back to us and explained that a mistake had been made with the cheesecake, it had been "put into the freezer instead of the fridge when it was brought in", and hence it was frozen.  We ended up ordering the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta instead.

Chocolate Decadence, an array of chocolate delights arranged with berries and soft chocolate anglaise, $18. We were disappointed with this dessert; the white chocolate had coconut sprinkled in it, the dark chocolate had almond slivers which had not been toasted. This was a dessert that any one of us could have quickly put together ourselves at home. There was very little on the plate and we informed the Team Leader that we felt this dessert was a waste of our money.

Zest Bourbon and Date Pudding, with ice cream, fresh strawberries and bourbon caramel, $14. The pudding was light and delicious. Perhaps a bit more bourbon would be nice as it was extremely hard to taste, but apart from that we really enjoyed this dessert.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with hibiscus, champagne jelly and candied star fruit, $12. We were informed that the hibiscus was not available; we were asked if it was alright for them to substitute it with star fruit. This dessert was already advertised with candied star fruit, but was still served with only the one piece. We did however enjoy this dessert.

As we looked around the restaurant we noted the tables were covered in heavy white tablecloths that looked like they needed a good starch and iron. A freshly starched and ironed tablecloth will instantly dress up a restaurant giving it an upscale atmosphere. If Zest was to take just a little more care with their table presentation it would make a world of difference.

The service was adequate; we were attended to promptly, our water filled often. The waiter was pleasant and chatted amiably; he made us feel welcome.

The management, 'Team Leader', was very apologetic and offered drinks on the house. A pity he didn't go further and offer for the three of us to come back and experience a better meal all round at a discounted price. He spent quite a bit of time at our table trying to placate us, a little too much time in my opinion.

 We were advised that the "executive chef" was in the kitchen keeping an eye on the newer chefs. I was quite amazed with this statement. How could an executive chef allow meals to go out nearly cold? And how could an executive chef not inform staff that certain components of a meal were not available? And worse, how could an executive chef allow a meal to be served when several of its components were missing? And what executive chef would train their staff to serve hot food on cold plates?

Overall a disappointing experience. 

Bahn Thai Restaurant

We decided to visit the newly opened Bahn Thai restaurant in Palmerston, situated on the corner of Maluka Drive and Rolyat Street.

Our first impression was good. Clean, freshly painted and with a touch of Asian authenticity. At first we were seated in the corner, with myself looking straight into the walls. Not being happy with my view we asked to be moved to a different table. We were offered another table where I would be looking into a wall. Eventually we got to choose - great, this evening we could have a table that  would normally be for four people. Room to move!

We decided to share our main meals and get a fried rice to complement them.

Royal Thai Massaman

We were surprised when the Royal Thai Massaman was served in a soup bowl. For $26 we felt this serving was quite small. The beef was obviously silverside and had not been cooked in the curry sauce. The beef was tender and the sauce was delicious. Just not enough of it.

Chicken Fried Rice

The Thai style Fried Rice, $19, with spring onion, tomatoes and coriander was a little greasy. You could taste the peanut oil.

Chicken Pad Thai

Thai style fried noodle with bean sprouts and peanuts, at $19 this was the best meal for value we had on the night. Quite delicious.

Prawn Chu Chee

Tiger prawns with spicy coconut sauce, $27.00. We counted 10 prawns, they were delicious. I could have eaten the whole plate myself. The spicy coconut sauce being the nicest I've ever tasted.

The meals at this restaurant are not big, make sure you order extra to fill the gap. It's a pity they don't serve their meals with steamed rice.

Desserts range from $7 to $8.50 and are mostly made up with western style icecream desserts. We had wanted to try the glutinous rice balls with coconut milk, the only Asian style dessert on offer,  but they weren't available.

They also have a comprehensive wine list.

We were disappointed with the service, they were very slow to attend to us. Our meals weren't brought out at the same time. It's just as well we were sharing meals and could start on the first one.

Brrrrr - this is a very cold restaurant. The air-conditioning is powerful. Our meals were nearly cold when served, most likely because the air-conditioning chills them off too quickly.

Some of our meals had peanuts in them and they weren't advertised with peanuts. If you have an allergy, make sure you ask about each meal.

We ended our evening with tea and coffee. Be prepared for another lengthy wait, they only have a small coffee machine. No pots of tea, only a tea bag. Shame!

I found that sitting at the table was quite uncomfortable. The chairs are too low for the tables and there is no way you can tuck your legs under the chair because of their design. The tables have four splayed feet, like cafe tables. This makes it quite awkward when placing your feet.

Overall, I was a little disappointed with the Bahn Tai Restaurant but I'd be prepared to try them again. Next time I'll order steamed rice to fill the gap...and take a shawl.

Santa Fé Cafe - Berrimah

Chicken Spinach
Meatballs

This evening we ventured out of Palmerston and headed to the Hidden Valley Tavern where we dined at the Santa Fé Cafe. A quiet restaurant, but one with a certain charm.

An interesting menu, it was hard to choose.

From off the special's board a delicious meal of Chicken Spinach Meatballs, served with garden salad and rosé sauce was enjoyed immensely. This was, by far, the best meal at our table and well priced at $17.50.

Chilli Beef

The Chilli Beef at $17.50 was also a reasonable choice. Quite a filling meal, not too spicy, very tasty indeed. However, one thing that would have improved  this meal was the choice of meat. The meat wasn't as tender as it should have been making me think it was a cheap cut of meat.


When the Ovenbaked Lemon Pepper Threadfin Salmon was served I immediately thought it looked disappointing. And I was right. It was a small meal,  had little flavour and certainly was not worth $22.90.

Threadfin Salmon

Although the staff were pleasant enough the ladies serving could do with some hospitality training. Leaning across the table and handing the plate to the customer to place on the table themselves is just not the right thing to do.

We didn't stay for extra drinks, dessert or coffee. Need I say more?

Cazalys Palmerston Club

Upon entering the club the non members were unceremoniously told that we needed to hand over photo ID, no explanation given. One club member in our party asked several times if she was required to sign us in - she was rudely ignored. I handed over my student ID card and was told to stand in front of the camera, still no explanation. I asked the young lady behind the counter if there was any written document pertaining to this ritual and was given a look of bewilderment. I had to explain again what I required from this club. Obviously they had nothing prepared and on hand at the counter, I was told that the Manager would bring something to me at my dining table.

When the "Privacy Statement" arrived roughly half an hour later we all read it with interest. Apparently giving my ID to them upon entry gives the club permission to store my information for up to 365 days, share my ID with other clubs using this system and the Police.

I can understand the club wanting to maintain a safe environment for their members, but I did feel that having to hand over my ID plus get my photo taken was a bit obtrusive. If the lady behind the front counter had explained politely why we were asked to do this, or had written information to hand out straight away, it would have been more appropriate.

Anyway, over the first hurdle.....

The club was busy, always a good sign.

Four of us dined this evening, and we were all satisfied with our main meals.

Schezuan Chicken - not a huge meal, but adequate for $15. Very tasty.

Chicken Kiev - tasty, moist chicken, creamy pepper and mushroom sauce.

Stir Fried chili Prawns - an enjoyable meal.

The salad on offer is basic, bordering on boring.

Fresh fruit - rockmelon - a pleasant way to cleanse the palate after spicy dishes.

After having such a tasty main meal we all decided to try our luck with desserts. We shouldn't have!

Baked Cheesecake - bland with a texture not typical of a baked cheesecake. We were adamant this was not baked.

Cream (creme) Brulee - only had a very thin Brulee topping.

Pavlova - small and mushy, lacking the crispy meringue that I love so much.

Sticky Date Pudding with Ice Cream - Pleeeeeease, where is the customary custard that traditionally goes with a sticky date pudding?

Service was great, meals were served promptly, staff pleasant. A drink waiter came to our table several times.

Coffee machine behind the bar - with skinny milk, a bonus.

Poky machines handy in the room next door, free coffee and nibbles for punters.

Later on in the evening the thump, thump music started in the bar next door. Time to go!

The bouncer had kept a watchful eye on us all evening, I wasn't sure if it was because I'd asked for information about the ID process or if he was just doing his usual job. As we were leaving he asked if we needed a taxi called. I thought this was a very helpful gesture and certainly not one offered by bouncers in other local sporting clubs.

Palmerston Tavern

Yes, yes, yes...thankyou! At long last, an enjoyable meal for all.

As I entered I noted the number of customers. We were quite early, 7pm, and already quite a few people were there. It's a large dining area, there were several big tables laid out for group bookings, with a smattering of customers sitting at them, making me think that bigger group bookings were still to arrive. As the night progressed the customer flow was steady.

Friday night turns out to be the Fish Special night. Two of us decided to order the Picatta Barra, and the third lady ordered a schnitzel. You order at the counter, we were lucky and did not have to line up in a queue.

Our meals were served in less than 10 minutes. We were all quite surprised, and pleased, at their promptness. This started a discussion on what techniques the chef would be using in order to pump meals out quickly. As both the fish and the schnitzel could be cooked quickly we felt safe that our meals hadn't been half cooked previously.

I'd ordered the Picatta Barra as I'd never heard of it before. I was amazed to find my piece of fish wrapped in a batter of egg, making it look like an omelet. It was actually quite tasty. The meal was very small, but in proportion to the price of $13. If I had known how small the meal was going to be I would have ordered an entrée to go with it, but this is more to do with how hungry I was on the evening.

My friend who ordered the schnitzel really enjoyed her meal too. It was pleasant to hear positive comments from all.

The one thing we felt needed improving upon was the accompanying salad. Our salad was served in a very small dish, probably less than a cupful, and we all felt it was inadequate.

The only other thing that I myself thought should be changed was the lack of decaffeinated coffee.

Overall, the Palmerston Tavern was a pleasant experience. Service was prompt, staff were friendly, food was great.