Oliver's Fine Australian Cuisine 27th Feb. 2009

Michael's choice. Present: Rod, Louanne, Neil, Michael, Rosellen, Alex, Gerry, Ken , Irene
Overall Rating: 4.9 stars - our top restaurant so far !!
Total Cost per person: $106.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
Greeting and Seating: Excellent
Table Presentation: Excellent
Settling in - drinks breads etc.: Excellent - warm crusty bread with eggplant and sundried tomato dip was supplied complimentary and rated Excellent.
Menu selection, variety price etc.: Excellent
Specials presentation: n/a
Wine selection, variety and price: Excellent
Drinks Service: Excellent
Food Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Excellent although garden type style was considered a little casual for such elegant dining. The historic black and white photos throughout the restaurant provided interesting discussion points and added a Parisian feel to the restaurant.
Music: Piped background music - unobtrusive and appropriate.
Food choices:
Entree: prices for entrees were in the high teens early $20 mark. Pumpkin soup; Smoky Oysters in lime foam; Emu and caramelised shallots; Duck proscutio; Taste plates consisting of four samples - Pumpkin soup, Crocodile, Duck proscuto and prawn with noodles. All were rated Excellent except the emu (Very Good) and the Soup rated only good as the "froth" style did not produce enough "body".
Main course: prices for main courses were in the high $20 - high $30s. Both Scallop and Prawn bisques were rated Very Good. The Barramundi was rated Excellent and "to die for". Both Pork dishes were rated as Very Good, whilst the Yellowtail King Fish was downgraded from Excellent to Very Good as it was a bit salty. Kangaroo Shabo Shabo was rated as only Good, not because of the quality of the meal maybe, but because the diner, unattracted to raw meat dishes, was not made aware that Shabo Shabo is a raw meat style, cooked in a soup at the table.
Sweets: prices for sweets were in the high teens - mid $20s. The chocolate volcanoes - hardened chocolate cake with warm runny chocolate centres were voted the hit of the night and the assortment plates of four desserts, including a smaller version of the volcano were also highly regarded. The fruit salad was accompanied by an interesting champagne coconut foam and the trio of creme Brulees - dragon fruit, mango and traditional were delectable. All desserts were rated as Excellent.
Drinks: 2 bottles of Grenache at $67.00 each and 3 bottles of Chardonnay at 30.00 each
Summary: A most impressive but little known restaurant in Cairn's tourist souvenir strip. The narrow frontage gives little indication of the quality of the restaurant within. The food was for the most part exquisite and the service impeccable. Understated professionalism is the only description. Each dish and the ingredient in each dish was special. This is without doubt one of the best restaurants in Cairns. Some of us considered it equal to Cairn's best known quality restaurant - Tamarind and many of us considered it better than Tamarind. certainly a recommendation for a special evening.

Next choice: Neil. Date Third Friday in March - 20th March