Irene's choice. Neil 3*, Alex 3*, Gerry 2 1/2*, Ken 3*, Irene 3*, RoseEllen 3*, Michael 3*
Overall Rating: 2.9 stars
Total Cost per person: $74.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and Seating: Abysmal
Table Presentation: Good
Settling in - drinks breads etc.: Abysmal
Menu selection, variety price etc.: Good
Specials presentation: Poor
Wine selection, variety and price: Abysmal
Drinks Service: Poor
Food Service: Good
Ambiance: Very good
Music: Good
Food choices:
Entree: Scallops (P) Oyster Kilpatrick (P), Oysters Napoli (P), Smoked Salmon x 2 (VG), Soup (Mushroom Zuccinini and Bacon), (G) Oysters natural (G).
Main course: Duck x 3 (2 G, 1 P), Waigu steak x 3 (P) Rogan Josh curry (G)
Sweets: creme brulee x 2 (G)
Drinks: Yalumba Merlot, Yalumba Shiraz, 2x Jacobs Creek Chardonnay.
Summary: This restaurant is in a motel in the northern end of Digger St. which services the lower end of the motel/apartment tourist market. The greeting and seating was non existent, we were left to find our own table, which we identified because it was the only one set for 7 people. Tables were pushed together and this meant that the person in the middle had to straddle two large chunky wooden table legs. Other diners were obviously lone motel residents, except for one loud group of women obviously on a cheap girls night out. The decor is straight from the 80s with mirrors and heavy wooden furniture.
The wine selection, at $17.00 a bottle was cheap enough but limited to a choice of three Jacobs Creek white varieties and three Yalumba red varieties. Fortunately they do allow BYO. The food selection was standard for this style of restaurant, but the waitress had no idea of the specials, then informed us that half of them were off. Quality was patchy, with all reporting the oyster small and the steaks dry. The smoked salmon, on the other hand, was served in large proportions. One of the duck dishes was so tough it was almost inedible, but the other two were reported tender and fine with a very tasty sauce.
The lights were switched down at 10 pm and we were asked to leave. A nice surprise on the way out was that one of the party turned out to knew the owner from previous restaurants, and we were given a 10% discount.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Mangosteins 18th April
Neil's choice: Rod 3*, Louanne 3 1/2*, Neil 4 1/2* , Irene 4 1/2*, Gerry 4*, Ken 4*, Alex 31/2*
Overall Rating: 3.2*
Total Cost per person: $85.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and Seating: Very Good
Table Presentation: Very Good
Settling in - drinks breads etc.: Very Good
Menu selection, variety price etc.: Very Good
Specials presentation: None
Wine selection, variety and price: Good
Drinks Service: Excellent
Food Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Music: Very Good
Food choices:
Entree: Salt and pepper callimari (G), tempura and Kilpartick oysters (VG), Scallops (G) Oyesters Ninjari (VG), Callimari (NSG), Oysters natural (G)
Main course: Lamb shanks (NSG), Moreton Bay bugs (NSG), Seafood Basket x 3 (G, G, VG), fish of day (G) Atlantic Salmon (VG)
Sweets: Sticky Date Pudding (E) Chocolate pudding (E) Figs (E), strawberries (E)
Drinks: good selection well priced.
Summary: An esplanade restuarant so caters to tourist trade with an emphasis on sea food with a sea food theme. Service was friendly and the incorrect starter drinks were quickly replaced. Cloth serviettes were a bonus. The meals were generally reported to be below standard and this reduced the overall star rating.
Overall Rating: 3.2*
Total Cost per person: $85.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and Seating: Very Good
Table Presentation: Very Good
Settling in - drinks breads etc.: Very Good
Menu selection, variety price etc.: Very Good
Specials presentation: None
Wine selection, variety and price: Good
Drinks Service: Excellent
Food Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Music: Very Good
Food choices:
Entree: Salt and pepper callimari (G), tempura and Kilpartick oysters (VG), Scallops (G) Oyesters Ninjari (VG), Callimari (NSG), Oysters natural (G)
Main course: Lamb shanks (NSG), Moreton Bay bugs (NSG), Seafood Basket x 3 (G, G, VG), fish of day (G) Atlantic Salmon (VG)
Sweets: Sticky Date Pudding (E) Chocolate pudding (E) Figs (E), strawberries (E)
Drinks: good selection well priced.
Summary: An esplanade restuarant so caters to tourist trade with an emphasis on sea food with a sea food theme. Service was friendly and the incorrect starter drinks were quickly replaced. Cloth serviettes were a bonus. The meals were generally reported to be below standard and this reduced the overall star rating.
Tamarind - March
Gerry's choice. Gerry 4*, Alex 5*, Ken 5*, Irene 4 1/2*, Neil 5*
Overall Rating: 4.7 stars
Total Cost per person: $130.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and seating: Excellent
Table presentation: Excellent
Settling in: drinks, breads etc. Excellent
Specials presentation: None
Menu selection, variety and price: small but good. Vegetarians catered for.
Wine selection, variety and price: wide variety and well priced for this style of restaurant.
Drinks Service - Rating:
Food Service - Rating:
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent
Music - Rating: None
Free Appetiser: Tuna tartar
Entree: Sam Choy Boo (Ken), Scallops (Irene) Peking duck Spring Rolls (Neil) Peppered Quail (Alex) Mixed platter of entrees (Gerry)
Main course: Tasmanian Ocean trout (Ken 10/10) Pink Prawn and Cuttlefish curry (Irene 8 1/2 /10) Crispy Baby Barrimundi (Alex 14/10) Crispy Pork belly (Gerry 8/10)
Sweets: we all had sweets but I didn't write them down!!
Drinks: yes - several bottles of red and white - good quality and good selection.
Summary: This is considered one of Cairns best restaurants and located on the ground floor of the Casino, adjacent to the Sofitel Hotel it is aimed at the upper end of the Cairns dining market. The theme is Asian but with sufficient choice on the menu to cater for all. Everything rated extremely well and was superbly presented with the imagination and panache one would expect from a restaurant of this calibre The only down side was some diners reported their meals very salty, and/or heavily sauced. The curry and the pork belly in particular. This brought the overall rating down from 5 to a hotly debated 4 1/2 stars.
Overall Rating: 4.7 stars
Total Cost per person: $130.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and seating: Excellent
Table presentation: Excellent
Settling in: drinks, breads etc. Excellent
Specials presentation: None
Menu selection, variety and price: small but good. Vegetarians catered for.
Wine selection, variety and price: wide variety and well priced for this style of restaurant.
Drinks Service - Rating:
Food Service - Rating:
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent
Music - Rating: None
Free Appetiser: Tuna tartar
Entree: Sam Choy Boo (Ken), Scallops (Irene) Peking duck Spring Rolls (Neil) Peppered Quail (Alex) Mixed platter of entrees (Gerry)
Main course: Tasmanian Ocean trout (Ken 10/10) Pink Prawn and Cuttlefish curry (Irene 8 1/2 /10) Crispy Baby Barrimundi (Alex 14/10) Crispy Pork belly (Gerry 8/10)
Sweets: we all had sweets but I didn't write them down!!
Drinks: yes - several bottles of red and white - good quality and good selection.
Summary: This is considered one of Cairns best restaurants and located on the ground floor of the Casino, adjacent to the Sofitel Hotel it is aimed at the upper end of the Cairns dining market. The theme is Asian but with sufficient choice on the menu to cater for all. Everything rated extremely well and was superbly presented with the imagination and panache one would expect from a restaurant of this calibre The only down side was some diners reported their meals very salty, and/or heavily sauced. The curry and the pork belly in particular. This brought the overall rating down from 5 to a hotly debated 4 1/2 stars.
Coolums on the beach at Holloway's Beach - February
Ken's choice - Ken 4*, Irene 3 1/2*, Gerry 2*, Alex 3 /12* 16th February 2008
Overall Rating: 3.2 stars
Total Cost per person: $70.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent - verandahs overlooking the beach make this one of Cairns most atmospheric resturabts.
Music - Rating: Good - quiet middle of the road backgorund music. soothing and matched ambience.
Unfortunately your intrepid reporter did not take notes that night and can't remember what everyone ate. The food for everyone was considered good to very good. What let the restuarant down was the service. One member of the party who had not been well asked for an entree serve of risotto as a main, only to be informed that this was not possible. Only main course sizes could be served. Later she asked to take the remainder home, but was also informed this was also not possible. On paying for the night, when we complained about this, the owner informed us that the waiter was incorect and we could have had an entree size. She reduced the bill accordingly.
Overall Rating: 3.2 stars
Total Cost per person: $70.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent - verandahs overlooking the beach make this one of Cairns most atmospheric resturabts.
Music - Rating: Good - quiet middle of the road backgorund music. soothing and matched ambience.
Unfortunately your intrepid reporter did not take notes that night and can't remember what everyone ate. The food for everyone was considered good to very good. What let the restuarant down was the service. One member of the party who had not been well asked for an entree serve of risotto as a main, only to be informed that this was not possible. Only main course sizes could be served. Later she asked to take the remainder home, but was also informed this was also not possible. On paying for the night, when we complained about this, the owner informed us that the waiter was incorect and we could have had an entree size. She reduced the bill accordingly.
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