Golden Orchid Restaurant

The Golden Orchid Restaurant is located on Marina Boulevard, Cullen Bay. It was formerly known as the Lemongrass Restaurant.

We had been asked to visit this restaurant as it was deemed to be of good value.  I had previously visited the Lemongrass Restaurant and had enjoyed their meals, I was hoping they were still as good.

Unfortunately I was to be disappointed.

As we neared the restaurant the owner beckoned us to come inside and try them out. This was the first thing that I thought was a little unusual. Spruiking for customers gives one the impression that the restaurant is not doing well.
Upon arrival they wanted us to sit outside, however I asked if we could be seated inside. This seemed to be a bit of a problem for them. They tried several times to get us to sit outside. I was adamant I wanted to sit inside in the air-conditioning with plenty of light. As it turned out they had their family scattered around the inside tables, including one child asleep at a table. They vacated one table for us but didn't bother to clean it, we were seated and our cutlery was brought over. We both  felt like we were sitting at a grubby table and at no time did we feel like we could put our cutlery directly onto it.

We began our meal with Mixed Entrees. This consisted of a chicken wing, a spring roll, a curry puff and a money bag, $8. The chicken wing was well cooked but didn't have a lot of meat on it and I felt it was pretty ordinary. The spring roll was fairly tasteless. The curry puff had too many peas in it and the pastry needed to be crisper. The money bag was quite tasty.

I ordered Paw Paw Salad, $12, as I'd never had this before and really wanted to try it. It was made with sliced green paw paw, mixed with garlic, chilli, sugar, lime juice, peanut and fish sauce. It was really delicious and well worth ordering.

Pad Thai, $20, popular Thai fried rice, noodle with egg, chicken, prawns and special seasoning. I wasn't overly keen on this dish, I've had much nicer Pad Thai elsewhere. Possibly too much fish sauce.

The Mongolian Beef, $20, was a real disappointment. It was very ordinary; we couldn't bring our selves to eat the whole meal, I didn't even enjoy the vegetables - I took it home for the dog.

For dessert we had Fried Ice Cream and Thai Sago Pudding with coconut milk, $7 each. Our first disappointment was that they had been served with artificial whipped cream. The fried icecream was not the nicest I've tasted, It was a fairly small serve and they used a low quality ice cream. The Thai sago pudding was presented nicely,( apart from the artificial cream) with green food colouring added. It had a fairly bland taste but was not unpleasant to eat.

We ordered a pot of Chinese tea and were disappointed to find a teabag in it. Our regular readers will remember that we went to the Vietnam Saigon Star recently and had a pot of authentic Chinese tea, which was delicious. If they can do it, why can't the Golden Orchid?

Overall, I was disappointed. This restaurant has had a name change, I'm also wondering if they have changed their chef. The meals were substandard and not worth the money we paid. They need to be more professional in how they accommodate their family members during work time. If customers want to sit inside, they should not have to put up with family members sleeping at tables, noisy family members playing with their toys, or sitting around playing on their computers. This is not their home, not their lounge room. It's a restaurant with paying customers. Clean tables, a pleasant atmosphere, good service and good food is what they should be aiming for.

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.

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.

Rendezvous Cafe

You will find the Rendezvous Cafe in the Star Theatre Arcade, off the Mall, in Darwin. It is open from 6pm to 9pm for dinner and is also open through the day with a different menu for lunch.
This cafe is quite small however they have crammed in lots of tables in order to maximise their customer potential. On our visit we found it was quite busy, almost full to capacity.

The cafe's decor is dull and mismatched. They offer Malaysian cuisine but their decor is far from being South East Asian. From the menu cover to the wall decorations, menu boards and background music we found  nothing that seemed to fit.

Our first impression wasn't a good one. However, we dared to venture on. We found that the menu offered entrees from $6 to $8 and main meals ranged from $12 to $20.

For our entrees we chose Tempura Prawn $8, Vegetable Spring Rolls $6 and Spicy Chicken $6.
The Tempura Prawns were tasty, and the Vegetable Spring Rolls were quite delicious. Unfortunately we found that the Spicy Chicken had been rolled in Chinese five spice and deep fried, certainly not what we had expected. Along with the human hair attached! No one was game to eat the last piece. We pointed this out to our waitress and she came back to us with the decision that we would not be charged for the Spicy Chicken.
We were also amazed that the entrees had been served on one big platter and with no dipping sauce.

All the entrees on offer were deep fried, it's a pity they can't offer an alternative for those people who can't eat a lot of deep fried food.

At this point I was feeling a little daunted as to my prospect of getting a decent meal, however, I was hungry and looking forward to the Stir Fried Seafood with Vegetables that I had ordered. Alas, I was to be disappointed.

Stir Fried Seafood with Vegetables, $18.
Three prawns, three pieces of squid, nine pieces of silken tofu. I am not a fan of tofu and if this meal had been advertised on the menu as having tofu I would not have ordered it. Luckily it came with a generous serving of rice. I would also have to add that the flavour was exquisite and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the meal. I  was adventurous and tried one piece of tofu; left the rest. To me tofu is a filler, something you add into your cooking because it's cheap, helps to cut costs and it fills up the plate.

I checked the menu once again and realised that none of the meals had any explanation as to what they actually contained.

Chicken Laksa, $12.
The cafe advertises that it has the best Malaysian Laksa in town. I'm wondering if there are  any other Malaysian restaurants in Darwin? I'm also wondering how they could presume that they are the best? The comments from my friend, who had ordered the Chicken Laksa, would make me believe that she does not agree with their statement.

Green Prawn Curry, $20.
The initial reaction from this meal was that the cook had forgotten to add the prawns. They were found at the bottom of the dish. This points to the prawns being cooked separately, placed in the dish then the curried vegetables placed on top. Consequently the prawns won't have the wonderful flavour from the curry. This didn't detract from the enjoyment of this meal though, as my friend scoffed it down with obvious pleasure.

We found that communicating with the staff was quite difficult. It would be best not to ask too many questions, just order off the menu and eat.

I was keen to try the Gula Malaka at $7 for my dessert, unfortunately they had run out. I also couldn't get an explanation from them as to what it was; another communication break down.

This cafe is obviously popular, the prices are very reasonable, and it would seem that they have a regular clientele. It's not flash, it's not the most spectacular meal, the service is not the best, but it is just a cafe after all.

Table Forty Three

Table Forty Three is located on the ground floor of the Mantra Pandanus , 43 Knuckey St, Darwin, ph 89012920.

We decided to try out their special deal, two courses and a glass of Devil's Corner wine for $39.00. On arrival we discovered that it was two seafood main dishes on offer. This was a huge problem for us as one of our ladies has an allergy to seafood. Also, only two game dishes were on offer for entrees, Kangaroo and Duck and Chicken Terine. We felt we should have been informed about the choices when making the booking, especially as it was the Manager of the restaurant that had explained the special deal when we phoned. Luckily for us the waitress was able to organise a chicken dish and we proceeded with our order. Management should look at offering a wider variety, usually you would find a fish, a chicken and a red meat dish to choose from. This way most clientele would be catered for.

For entrees we ordered the  Kangaroo, and Duck and Chicken Terine. For our main meals we had Char - Grilled  - Chicken, Steamed Mussels and Thread-fin Salmon.

Duck and Chicken Terine

The Duck and Chicken Terine was made from chicken thigh and duck leg. This was a huge serving with two generous slices and was enjoyed immensely.

Grilled Kangaroo

The Grilled Kangaroo was served with baby spinach leaves, caramalised onion and couscous. This was also quite a big serving for an entree.  It had been cooked to perfection, still slightly pink in the middle.  I'm not a great fan of kangaroo meat however, the caramalised onions helped to make this dish enjoyable.

The waitress had informed me that kangaroo tastes just like lamb. In fact kangaroo does not taste like lamb at all. It is a very lean meat, quite stringy and has a distinctive flavour to it. It's certainly a meat that one has to acquire a taste for. My advice to any wait staff would be to take more care with their explanations.

Steamed Mussels

Fifteen delicious steamed Black Lipped Mussels served on a bed of pasta with spicy tomato and garlic sauce. On the normal mains menu it is advertised with grilled sour dough bread  however  I was not given any. Eating this dish took me back to my childhood, digging for pippies and toheroas with Mum cooking up seafood fritters.

Char Grilled Chicken

Whole chicken breast served on a bed of sweet potato mash with  harissa jus and a cherry tomato salad. This meal looked fantastic and was enjoyed immensely.  I tasted the sweet potato mash, the best I've ever had.

Threadfin Salmon

The Threadfin Salmon was served with quinoa (grain), sautee spinach, roasted cherrry tomato and herb salad with a lemon myrtle beurre blanc. Another superb meal that looked and tasted great.

Cheese Selection for Two

The cheese selection for two came with a mild Cheddar, a Bree and a Mainland Blue and was served with fresh and dried fruits, grissini and crackers.  Unfortunately it was served with stale crackers, however once pointed out to the waitress she was able to procure some fresh ones for us. It was advertised with croutons and quince paste, we did not get any.

Two selections of cake on offer

Seven dollars for coffee and cake was hard to pass up. This photo shows two pieces that we had already cut in half to share. The cakes were a decent size and good value.

There were two Devil's Corner wines on offer, a red and a white. We were able to taste the two wines, with quite generous tasters in order to assist us with our choice. We chose Sauvignon Blanc, this went well with our meals.

Table Forty Three offers entrees that range from $16 and up to $30 for a dozen oysters, the main meals start at $26.50 and go up to $45.00  for a 250g filet mignon with prawns. All desserts are $12.

I would have to say the atmosphere is a little unusual. They offer alfresco dining, although without the busy hustle and bustle on the street found in other parts of Darwin. I felt like I was sitting in a train terminal, with people coming and going past our table all the time. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor, just off the hotel foyer. It is air-conditioned but as the restaurant is open to the street it did get a bit warm.

As you walk from the dining area to the counter there is a tricky step which is hard to see. As we dined we noted four people nearly come to grief on it. I would advise the owners to take a look at this.

We found the staff to be extremely helpful with our waitress going out of her way to smooth over our initial hurdle. We had three different staff attend to us over the evening, they were all friendly and willing to attend to our queries. I really enjoyed the meal and the great service. Yes, we did have a few hiccups, but they were attended to with professionalism. I would have no qualms in spreading the good word about this great restaurant.

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.

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.

Hungry Hearts

You will find Hungry Hearts at the Oasis Shopping Village, Palmerston.

hhearts@bigpond.net.au
www.hungryhearts.com.au
ph 8932 8042

And why were we here on a Thursday? And for lunch?  Well, the holidays caught us out again, with this Friday night being New Year's Eve we had to meet for our weekly feast early. We decided to try out Hungry Hearts and I was pleasantly surprised. I'd always thought it was just a coffee shop. Well I was wrong!

We ordered from the special's menu.
Nasi Goreng $12.90; a huge plate full of delicious Indonesian rice topped with a fried egg.
Fettuccine with chicken, mushroom and spinach in a creamy sauce $14.50; a large serving, really pleasant sauce, a very enjoyable meal.
Tuscan chicken and vegetable pie with salad $8.50; homemade old fashioned pie, large salad. A really nice meal  served with NO CHIPS. Well done. For once, a chef who feels comfortable about serving meals with no chips.

Pleasant staff, yummy cappuccino, and glasses of water - we were well looked after.

Their normal menu looked really interesting too. They have a wide range of food from breakfasts to snacks, meals, desserts and cakes. Something for everyone. Prices are reasonable.

Hungry Hearts also cater functions.

I'm glad I tried them out. No longer will I walk past this shop thinking it's just a normal coffee shop.

Elements

Elements is located at the Free Spirit Resort, right beside BP Palms, close to Palmerston.

www.darwinfreespiritresort.com.au

ph. 08 8935 0888

Due to Christmas Eve being a Friday evening we decided to dine out early this week, hence we lobbed at Elements on a Tuesday evening. As it turned out, Tuesday evening is Sri Lankan night, $19.95, all you can eat, including salads, hot meals and dessert.

 None of us would have ordered these meals ordinarily, but we saw it all laid out in the bain marie and the delicious curry aromas were very alluring. Lamb curry, chicken curry, rice, fish and eggplant were on offer. We tried a bit of everything, then went back for seconds for the ones we liked in particular. A delicious meal, one that we all enjoyed immensely.

The salad bar had an interesting mixture of salads and accompaniments.

A traditional Sri Lankan pudding was on offer. The look of it didn't appeal to me, however, I'm glad I took the plunge and tasted it as it was absolutely delightful. They also had a traditional plum pudding, one that tasted very much like it was home cooked. They had a delicious syrup to complement the plum pudding. Lots of healthy fruit salad was also on offer.

One thing that impressed us was the professionalism of the staff. Chef kitted out in traditional  "chef wear." All the staff dressed smartly in their uniforms. All the staff were very pleasant and hospitable. Even the chef came out and spoke to us, asked us if we had enjoyed our meals. We were waited on like royalty.

Water served at the table and a strong, tasty cappuccino went down well with the meal.

We checked out their standard menu, some interesting meals to be had there and quite reasonably priced. They also offer children's meals, one of which is  roast, including vegetables. Well done!

There was only one thing that I didn't like - the number of flies hanging around the food. They really do need to find some way of covering the bain maries.

 Elements is an open air restaurant, we were lucky on the night that it wasn't too hot. Plenty of fans overhead made it very comfortable.

This is a great place to eat. You can enjoy a swim in the pool, as long as you are spending your money either at the bar or in the restaurant. So far I can only vouch for the Sri Lankan food but I think you should  go and check it out, I'm positive you will be pleased.

The Arch Rival - Palmerston

Archies without a doubt would be the best place to eat in Palmerston. Three of us dined here this week and we all enjoyed our meals.

We decided to try out the $14.95 specials: Cindy's Malay Chicken Laksa, Oven Baked Pie, Thai Green Chicken Curry. All three meals were presented nicely, were ample servings and tasted delicious.

Staff were pleasant, all had smiles and were extremely helpful. This was quite a change from previous experiences we've had at other Palmerston restaurants.

We scrutinised the menu and were pleasantly surprised to see a wide range of dishes. There would be something here for everyone to enjoy.

Just one comment where Jason could improve upon - the kid's menu needs revamping. I really don't like kid's menus that serve lots of chips, and the chicken nuggets must go. Kids deserve a nice meal too. It would be pretty easy to cook up a small steak and serve it with salad. Too many children are obese these days, restaurants need to do their part in educating children in how to appreciate good meals.

Overall we were very pleased with The Arch Rival, I would have no qualms in suggesting this restaurant to others. A big thumbs up to Archies.

Eventfully Yours

This Friday evening we spent with colleagues and friends at our workplace. The company and atmosphere made the night. The catering firm "Eventfully Yours" served us with a mediocre meal.

Entree of seafood, prawns and oysters - no thought put into how we would wash our hands after peeling prawns. We had to organise our own finger bowls.

Traditional roast turkey was pressed, processed meat.

Honey Glazed Ham, looked like they had bought the ham at Coles, sliced it up and poured a tiny bit of sauce over it.

Barramundi fillets oven baked with a local kumquat butter - the fish was a little dry, cooked too much.

Roasted glazed pumpkin and carrots - these were okay.

Creamy scallop potato bake with cheese - not enough cheese I felt.

Egg plant parmesan topped with cheese and parsely - this was delicious.

Thai style salad with coriander - unusual, perhaps a little too much coriander.

Fresh bread rolls with butter portions - the first bread roll I've had since we started our blog.

Dessert - Cheese platter and Tartlet Fingers - The lemon meringue tart was dry and gooey.

The caramel tart suspiciously looked and tasted like it had tinned caramel as the filling.

The cheese and bikkies were nice.

Catering firms really should train their staff better. It's quite rude to take away someone's plate before they have finished eating.

I was hungry so I ate, however I felt that I could have prepared the same meal myself. Nothing special.

Quizzes and party games, what more could you ask for? It was fantastic listening to Sand sing once again.

We did have a great night.

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.

Red Lantern - Palmerston

Well...where do we start.

Grimy looking windows, If you walked past through the day time you would not want to enter these premises. Luckily once inside you realise it's the transfers on the windows that make them look this way.

Very ordinary attire worn by the waitress. She looked very much like she was going out for a jog, tight leggings and all.

Comfortable chairs - quite a pleasant change, and a proper tablecloth on the table. Elegant looking menus. Dimmed lights but no candles at the tables.

We waited about half an hour for the first meal to be brought out, and around another ten minutes before the others arrived.

Two of the ladies ordered Laksa Soup, one without pork. When the soups arrived they were told that the chef had not wanted to make a mistake so both soups had no pork. Now, is this a qualified chef, or is he just a cook who does not know what he is doing?

Both of these ladies did not like their Laksa soup. Too watery and no flavour. It was also interesting to note that later on in the evening both of these ladies had headaches and did not feel well.

My meal was quite tasty, prawns with cashew nuts, although I was a bit put off by the odd aroma when it first arrived. I couldn't work out if it was the over abundance of bamboo shoots or the cooking oil used.

The fourth meal was satay prawns, this meal went down well too. I would have to say though that both the prawn meals were quite small.

Quite a few people at the restaurant although not fully booked out. Lots of people ordering take aways. It started to get a bit warm as the air conditioner worked overtime.

They allowed us to pay the bill separately, with no fuss. A plus.

As we were paying our bill a couple left the restaurant telling the staff at the counter that they had only been served their entrees and had been waiting two hours for their main meal. They were not prepared to wait any longer.

Oh I forgot, my plate had a big chip out of it.

Overall I found it inadequate and would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Kenny's Fusion Grill - Palmerston

NOTE - this restaurant has now closed. 

Kenny's is fairly new to Palmerston and is on a site that has seen several other restaurants. One of my friends commented that this might be an omen.

We watched in awe as amazing meals were brought out to other tables. The meals looked huge and customers seemed to be enjoying them immensely.

Our meals arrived. I was disappointed with my choice. Thai Chicken Salad. The chicken was a bit dry and there was far too much chili. I do like chili, but this was too much and spoiled my meal. The salad was pretty basic.

There was much consternation and discussion at the table over how the rice had been presented. A mound of rice with a cherry on top. NO chef would have been trained to serve rice in such a fashion. NO woman wants to be confronted with food that imitates a part of the female anatomy.

Our meals were not as big as those we had seen served to other customers. We then realised they had most likely ordered the specials - quite pricey specials I might add.

I noticed the chef (or is he just a cook) looking through the window of the kitchen door. He kept looking out at the customers. This was a bit off-putting.

Service - Not once were we asked if we would like to order a drink. Kenny's is byo, however they do have soft drinks in a fridge.

Decor - not changed since the last owners had it. Still has the pizza sizes painted up on the wall. Tacky!

For me it was disappointing.

The Hub - Palmerston

The Hub has been around for years. Family oriented sports club, situated next to CMAX cinema.

Over the years the Hub has changed chefs several times. Some good, some not so good. I had heard on the grapevine that the present chef was okay, so decided to book a table for Friday night.

Line up and order your meal, typical club style. Menu hasn't changed in years. Same old thing.

Staff are pleasant and do their job adequately.

The salad bar had the usual salads offered, I tasted most of them and found them all to be quite tasty indeed. The potato salad was divine.

We didn't have to wait too long for our meals. I ordered the Chicken breast with garlic prawns. I'd have to say the chicken was a bit dry. It's hard to find a restaurant that doesn't over cook a chicken breast. The sauce with the garlic prawns was too salty. I love my chips, but these ones just weren't crispy enough for me. I actually left some on my plate!

Surrounded by local children - I had forgotten that families come here for dinner. I felt like I needed to hide. Maybe they should set up an area with tables that have no children.

Decor - how many colours can you see? It looks like they bought all the paint that was on special at Bunnings.

Gaming - spend your money and get a lovely hot chocolate and piece of fruit cake. Now, that was pleasant.

Overall - I was hungry so the meal hit the spot. But it was a club meal, nothing overly special.

Hog's Breath - Palmerston

Newly opened restaurant, one that I had been eagerly awaiting.

It's a long, narrow restaurant giving one the feeling that we are squashed in like sardines. The seats are quite narrow and hard to sit on. Obviously not meant for customers to partake in long, leisurely meals. Very busy, very noisy.

Service is great - smiling, happy employees. Bending over backwards to assist.

The meals were quite good although rather small for the price. The amount of meat on the ribs would have been one mouthful.

Split bills. This is fantastic. Hog's Breath has the facility to allow split bills on their registers.

K-Tong in Palmerston

K-Tong has been in Palmerston for a few years and has a fairly good reputation.

This night K-Tong was a big disappointment. To be honest, I'd eaten there previously and had really enjoyed the meals. But this night they just couldn't get it right.

Service - they certainly weren't falling over us, it was as if our table had the plague and they were warned to keep their distance.

When the final ladies arrived and sat down we waited and waited and waited for service. Finally we called a waiter over and asked for glasses and water.

The young lady taking our meal orders seemed confused and perhaps didn't understand English that well, she had great difficulty understanding that she needed to write up two of the meals as separate orders. Eight ladies at the table. Six ladies ordered meals to be shared. Two ladies ordered separately.

The shared meals came out far too slowly with not enough on the plate. Sitting around for quite some time waiting in between dishes. One of the dishes we believe they forgot all together as the waitress started clearing away peoples' plates before the final dish was served. At that stage one of the ladies, who was rather upset, told the waitress to "forget the final dish, it's too late now, we don't want it!"

Now as for the two ladies that had ordered separately. One ordered Laksa, a soup dish. Her meal was the first one served. The other lady waited, waited, waited and waited, quite patiently, until such time that she was completely starving and feeling a little left out so inquired as to where her meal was. Ten minutes later a rather haphazardly slapped together dish was served. It looked like they were trying to make up for their mistake and cooked two pieces of fish, both crumbed, and had slapped them onto a plate on top of each other. Quite bizarre.

Paying the bill - oh no, one of those restaurants that does not like people paying separately. How hard is it to use a calculator and work out what each person pays?

Overall the experience was quite disappointing. Service was poor. Food not as good as previously experienced. And we were made to feel like aliens because we wanted to pay separately.