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.

Dolly's Bar

Dolly's Bar - Hibiscus Tavern

Dolly's Bar has a pleasant atmosphere, a quaint decor with a mixture of interesting seating options inside, and is obviously a popular spot with the locals.

From off the menu we ordered Marinated Lamb Cutlets, served on a sweet potato mash $19.50; Tuscan grilled chicken breast with Italian salad, served with a light mango coulis, $16.50; and Irish Stew with tender pieces of lamb slow cooked with seasonal vegetables, $13.50.

We had paid for the meals on two dockets but had explained that we were sitting together on the one table. I ordered garlic bread and asked for that to be brought out first. Not long after we sat down the Irish Stew was brought out. Why? Where were the other meals? And where was the garlic bread? We sent the Irish Stew back, we wanted all our meals to be served together.

The young lass informed us soon after that she had found our other docket and the meals would be ready soon.

Yummy garlic bread. The first plus.

There were three medium sized marinated lamb cutlets which were quite tasty and the gravy was delicious.  Unfortunately though this meal was served with chips which really was ridiculous as the lamb chops were already sitting on a bed of (almost cold) mashed sweet potato. Two servings of potatoes on the one plate is not a brilliant idea. There was no salad. The meal was small and not filling at all.

Later on I inquired as to whether a salad should have come with the meal or not, and I was informed that yes, it should have. I asked for a small refund, the manager came out to speak to me, apologised and offered either a free drink or dessert.

Interestingly, we noted several other people had sent their meals back as they didn't have salads either and I overheard one lady at the counter complaining that she had not got hers. It seems the kitchen staff need some further training in this area.

The Tuscan Grilled Chicken was actually a very nice meal indeed. "Beautiful" was the comment given. It was presented nicely with not too many chips. Another plus.

The Irish Stew was a dismal failure. Tasteless, even the seasonings didn't help. The stew consisted of 6 small pieces of lamb, potato puree, potato chunks, carrot and celery. It had a pastry round on top to give the appearance of a pie. At $13.50 this dish was an injury to taste buds and  pocket. We wondered where the traditional dumplings were. This meal needed some drastic improvements.

The free dessert brought out was the Homemade Citrus Cheesecake served with ice-cream, cream and chocolate sauce.  I had seen it on the menu, it sounded good and I wanted to try it out. I shouldn't have. The texture and taste of the base was definitely that of a packet mix. It had a stale taste to it. The chocolate sauce was cheap and nasty, with a sharp taste that went up the back of your nose. Whipped cream from a can! How hard is it to whip fresh whole cream?

We were disappointed. One nice meal out of two. Not good enough.

It was almost a relief when the music forced us to leave.

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?

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.

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.