Category Archives: Cairns
Good Friday Seafood Buffet @ Canecutters Restaurant, Palm Cove
You know when you have been looking forward to something all week and then the time that you have been waiting for finally arrives only for you to be massively disappointed? Yeah well that happened to me last Friday (Good Friday) when a group of friends and I went out to the Canecutters Restaurant at the Novotel Palm Cove for their ‘famous’ Good Friday Seafood Buffet. After finding out that my parent’s would be in Adelaide over the Easter weekend I figured I would need to organise some sort of Easter affair myself this year. Leading up to the Easter weekend I noticed a few advertisements in The Cairns Post for the Good Friday Seafood Buffet and after doing a little bit of research online and seeing that it was a regular thing on a Saturday night out at the Novotel I figured it might be a good place to take a group of friends for a catch up. I made a booking for 13 people for 7pm and at 6.50pm we all met in the lobby looking forward to a big feed and for AU$59 a head we were all expecting a good one.
I’m no stranger to buffets having been to some amazing buffets around the world while travelling with my family. The two absolute knockouts would have to be Cafe One in Hong Kong and the Bellagio buffet in Las Vegas. Words simply cannot describe the sheer magnitude of delights that these buffets had to offer, you really have to go and see for yourself. But then at the complete other end of the scale I have also been to some truly dismal buffets like the Circus Circus one in Las Vegas. Dad thought that US$6.95 was an absolute steal but it turns out that you can only eat so many chops swimming in gravy. Now I wasn’t expecting Canecutters to be anything on par with Hong Kong or Las Vegas or Circus Circus for that matter but I was expecting something on par with other pricey seafood buffets in Cairns like the one at the at the now Pullman Cairns International.
Now I have to interject here… When I first mentioned the idea to MS he was extremely apprehensive since he doesn’t really eat seafood so a Good Friday Seafood Buffet didn’t really appeal to him (he wasn’t jumping for joy at the idea like I was). Although the Novotel website assured me that MS and the other two or three non seafood eaters that were coming along that there would indeed be plenty of other things to eat and I quote “For those who are non seafood eaters we have you covered with a tasty variety of hot and cold dishes”. Fair enough but I thought I would call up and make just sure while I was still finalising numbers amongst my friends. Upon speaking to the chef at the restaurant I was again assured that there would be plenty of dishes for the non seafood eaters as he rattled off a long list of things they could expect to eat, the only one that I can remember thanks to my goldfish memory being Fried Rice. So, I figured two confirmations was enough for me and soon enough MS reluctantly agreed after a little more encouragement from me. Below you can see an exert of what I read on the Novotel Palm Cove website. It sounds good right?
We entered the busy restaurant and were greeted by a friendly waiter who led us towards the buffet (a large island in the middle of the restaurant) to give us a quick tour before ushering us over to our table. It was right about that moment that I began to regret my decision to come to Canecutters. I looked back at my friends behind me who also had looks off regret on their faces and I began to feel embarrassed. We all sat down at the table feeling very deflated and a little concerned. I thought to myself there had to be more to the buffet than what we had just had the displeasure of touring. Surely?! Well there was no time like the present so off we trotted towards the buffet. I had a closer look over what was on offer at this so-called famous buffet. There was a large bain-marie of Paella with what looked like imported marinara mix from the supermarket mixed through it. Next there was a whole Asian Inspired Saddletail Snapper that had been picked clean and pretty much only had the carcass left. The chef assured me that there would be a new one out in the next 10 minutes so I moved on. Then there was a Chicken and Cashew Nut Curry (I wish I got a photo of it) that looked so horrible I am pretty sure that nobody in the entire restaurant ate it and I think I can safely say that they didn’t have to replace that dish all night. On the other side was Pippi’s with a Garlic Cream Sauce, Roast Pork and Roasted Vegetables. The Salad Bar consisted of four very unimaginative salads including Potato Salad, Garden Salad, Coleslaw and the world’s most boring Pasta Salad that pretty much only had pasta in it. Unfortunately for my dining companions and I our frowns had not been turned upside down on closer inspection of the buffet.
And the prize for the world’s most boring salad bar goes to…
Asian Inspired Saddletail Snapper
True to form as with every seafood buffet I went straight for the seafood loading my plate up with some Pippi’s with Garlic Cream Sauce, whole cooked prawns, oysters and half a spanner crab. Ahem… pretty sure that little exert from the internet up above says that we should have expected Mud Crab. Spanner Crab is a pretty sh*thouse substitute I reckon. I sat down at the table and after exchanging disappointed glances with my friends sitting opposite me KK and JM I hooked into my seafood. The prawns were delicious and sweet and I had a bit of seafood sauce on the side of my plate to dip the lovely freshly peeled meat into. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty peeling prawns because I think the reward is far greater than the trouble. Across the table KK remarked at how horrible and tasteless the Paella was. I hadn’t gotten any because it didn’t look at all appealing and there was also no room on my plate because of the large pile of seafood.
JM asked me what I thought of the Spanner Crab because his was watery and tasteless. That was my next venture so I broke open the body of the crab and picked a couple of pieces out. He was right but saying that it was watery and tasteless was an understatement. It was probably the most horrible piece of crab that I have ever eaten to this day. The crab had been left for too long in the ice slurry before being bought out to the buffet and as a result it was just full of water and runny inside. There was no delicious sweet crab meat that you normally get when you eat crabs (jeez I could have really gone some mud crab right about now). It was that bad that I just sat there astonished and lost for words. The oysters, well, they were okay. They were reasonably sized but there was a little bit of grit in them and they weren’t beautiful and buttery like oysters should be. The Pippi’s were also only ‘okay’ but I realised that more than half of the ones on my plate were just shells with no meat in them as they must have fallen out into the bottom of the bain-marie. The Garlic Cream sauce was just weird tasting. Almost like a fake cream sauce with some sort of soup mix mixed through it. Nothing to write home about or go back for seconds for.
Pippi’s with Garlic Cream
I looked around the table at the large group of friends that I had invited. Some were not eating anything at all, having already tried the six or so dishes on offer and deciding that none of them were worth going back for. Others like me were trying to make the best of a bad situation by eating as much seafood as they possibly could and the rest had already moved onto dessert since they figured that had to better than the savoury options on display.
Prawns, Crab and Oysters oh my!
I went back up to the buffet and grabbing another empty plate I got a small spoonful of Paella (I had to taste it) and some Roast Pork. The fish had been replaced with another whole fish that by the time I had gotten there was already half eaten. I didn’t get any since my sister reckoned that it hadn’t been descaled and wasn’t very nice. That’s enough to turn me off completely plus I’m not a big fan of whole baked fish to be honest. I looked around for some Apple Sauce to go with my Roast Pork but there wasn’t any in sight. Nor was there any other type of sauce for that matter except for some truly horrible homemade Tartare Sauce. Apparently the whole restaurant agreed because the large bowl of Tartare was full and had been since we’d arrived. The Seafood Sauce next to it, however was empty. Plain Roast Pork it is! First up I tried a forkful of Paella and was seriously taken aback at just how disgusting it was. I thought that KK was being dramatic and being a lover of all things ‘rice’ I figured it would be half edible. How wrong I was and I’m going to go as far as to award it as worst dish on the entire buffet. I’m almost 100% sure that the seafood mixed through it was the imported seafood mix you see at Coles and Woolies with the little diced up pieces of salmon, little mussels and big chewy pieces of squid. It was actually the rice that tasted the worst. It just tasted like tomatoes and water. Not even a whole bottle of Tabasco Sauce could have saved that puppy. I pushed it to the side after conferring with KK about how gross it was and moved onto the Roast Pork.
Paella
Finally a dish that I actually liked! The Roast Pork was actually sliced Pork Belly, which didn’t bother me at all because I frigin love pork belly! There was just the right amount of meat to fat ratio although if I had to be picky (which I do – you know me) it would have been nice if the skin was actually crispy. Instead it was chewy and underdone, no crackling in sight *sad face*. If there was one food item that I could eat as much as I wanted and never get sick or fat from it would be pork crackling. I would go to the supermarket and buy those rolls of pork rind, crackle it up in the oven and sit on the couch and watch episodes of Ellen. I really am a fatty at heart. I asked a couple of my crew members what they would like to eat as much of and never get sick, one of them replied lamb fat and the other replied Wild Turkey. Alcohol doesn’t count. Duh. Okay I’m getting off subject.
Roast Pork
The large scrap bowl of seafood shells and scraps situated in front of me that myself and everyone down my end of the table was using was so full that we had resorted to leaving entire plates of seafood and other scraps in the middle of the table. The plates hadn’t been cleared and replaced with new ones since about 15 minutes after we had sat down( at least 40 minutes ago). The place was well understaffed and I looked over at the waiter (only 1 of 3 for the entire restaurant) who was run off his feet trying to keep up with the demands of about 50 people on our side of the restaurant that we were seated on. It didn’t look like we would be getting our plates cleared or new seafood scrap bowls anytime soon.
After my plate of sinful but yummy pork I went back and ate some more seafood, this time forgoing the crab (which the majority of which I am almost positive went in the bin at the end of the night) and just sticking to the prawns and oysters. I had to get my money’s worth since the rest of the dishes were certainly not at home at a buffet costly almost AU$60 each. Then I headed over to the Dessert Buffet to see what I could get from there. Each of the desserts looked yummy and there was about 6 different bite sized sweets to choose from plus some Apple Pie looking thing. I grabbed what looked like a Chocolate Brownie, a cupcake with an Easter Egg on top and a piece of Rocky Road and went back to my table. First up I tried the Chocolate Brownie which was really just a piece of Chocolate Cake that tasted like it came out of a Sara Lee packet but Sara Lee is probably 10 times better to be honest. I took one bite and left it. Next up was the Cupcake. On top was some sort of weird but yucky yogurt tasting pink icing. Again I took one bite and left the rest (yeah okay I ate the Easter Egg of course). Lastly was the Rocky Road. Now I’m not really a fan of peanuts at the best of times (unless they are chocolate coated ones) but this Rocky Road tasted just like you had shoved a whole handful of dry peanuts into your mouth. The peanut taste completely took over from the chewy marshmallow and the creamy chocolate. I took two bites of this one just to be sure and but it back down. I am not normally one to waste food since my dad and I used to have eating competitions and I was always taught to eat every last bite but the dessert was dismal and again I wasn’t the only one that thought that. Another friend across from me MG said that the Chocolate Mousse was actually very good to which KK next to her agreed. MS disappointed with the desserts that he had chosen went over to the Dessert Buffet to get a chocolate mousse only to be told that there were none left and that the desserts that were laid out on the buffet were all that was left for the night. Way to crush his spirits.
Dessert Buffet
Cupcake with ‘Yogurt’ Icing and Rocky Road
To my left my sister was poking a couple of items around her plate with her fork complaining about how terrible the food was and how I had told her that there would be plenty of food for non seafood eaters. To my right MS had eaten an entire plate of pork and some bread rolls (he never eats bread rolls) and basically called it quits after being told there was no chocolate mousse left. I looked across the table at my vegetarian friend who had stopped eating about 10 minutes after we arrived finding there was little to nothing for him to eat. Down the other end of the table I was met with looks of discouragement and frustration. Again I felt embarrassed and disappointed because I had gotten all my friends (and one family member) to drive all the way out to Palm Cove and asked them to pay AU$59 a head only to have an absolutely godawful feed and it was all my fault. We had all expected to come out and stuff our faces at Canecutters ‘Famous’ Seafood Buffet and have a great meal but alas we (I) were sadly mistaken.
We all decided that we had eaten enough and headed to the counter to pay for our meal. Normally I am not one to pipe up and complain, much preferring to go home and write about it later, but like I said I was so disappointed and embarrassed at the meal that I made the Restaurant Supervisor aware of the situation. I explained to her that there were a few non seafood eaters in the group and I had been assured that there would be plenty of non seafood options for them and also how absolutely appalling the quality and selection of the food was. To give her some credit she did take the time to listen to me and offered her sincerest apologies to myself and the rest of the group. She also offered to let the non seafood eaters pay only AU$29 which was the price of the buffet for a child. Although I wasn’t trying to get out of paying or anything like that there was no way in hell I was paying full price. C’mon if you pay AU$59 a head for a buffet you expect it to be good and this wasn’t worth the price at all, we might as well have gone to Charlie’s on the Esplanade. We all agreed that AU$29 was a fair price to pay. Upon leaving the restaurant we were approached by a local couple who had also complained about the food again saying how disappointed they were. They too were embarrassed because they had taken friends from England to the buffet as a way to showcase the local seafood and fresh produce that Cairns has to offer but were left more than a little red-faced. I sympathised with both of them and we all vowed that we would never return to the now famously bad Seafood Buffet at Canecutters.
PS: Sorry about the terrible photos in this post. There were heaps of people around and the lens on my phone kept fogging up. Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. I know.
Canecutters Restaurant
Novotel Palm Cove Resort, Coral Coast Drive, Palm Cove QLD 4879
Ph: (07) 4059 1234
Opening Hours: 7 days 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Website: http://www.novotelpalmcove.com.au/canecutters-restaurant.html
Little Ricardo’s, Cairns
After our massive binge in Sydney the last thing that MS and I wanted to do was come home and continue on our downward spiral… NOT! We started out with the best of intentions but at some point in time on our flight home we decided that we would re-start our healthy eating the next day and not that afternoon as originally planned. (Disclaimer: I’m not going to be one of those people that harp on about healthy eating and me being on a diet and other boring sh*t like that because when it comes down to it I normally eat what I want, within reason, but like I said I have a particular goal in mind – no it’s not just to lose weight – and all this is part of the story, ok?)
Then the conversation of just where we were going to eat that night began. MS, true to form, wanted to go to Bel Paese since he had quite a penchant for large creamy bowls of pasta and cheesy garlic bread. I was a little reluctant to go to Bel Paese, firstly because our last dining experience there wasn’t anything to write home about and because, well, I have already written about that place. If I was only allowed one cheat meal a week then in theory it needed to be somewhere that we hadn’t already been so I could post about it on foodvixen later. So, we decided on the pasta theme but couldn’t think of where to go. I suggested Fasta Pasta, La Fettuccina and Villa Romana but neither of us were really excited by any of those suggestions. Last time I went to Villa Romana, which was years ago, my dining buddy found a giant moth in her salad and last time MS and I went to Fasta Pasta we ordered two completely different dishes to find they both tasted exactly the same. As for La Fettuccina, well, I am saving that one for a special occasion. Then I remembered a little place that we had walked past on Sheridan Street about six months ago. Hell, we drive past it nearly every day. So off to Little Ricardo’s we went.
Little Ricardo’s is located on the strip of cheap motels directly across the road from Cairns High. Everyone has driven past and seen it there, as have I. It’s just inside, near the pool area of the Adobe Motel. I don’t know how long it’s been there but at the very least it’s been there since 2008 because an outdated sign out the front claims that Little Ricardo’s was voted Best Pizza in 2008 by Cairns locals. We went inside and found ourselves in a quaint little restaurant with dim lighting, a stocked wooden bar over to the left and the air conditioner turned up full bull. We were greeted by a friendly waitress whose name was Julie Ann and since there was no one else in the restaurant at the time she let us choose our table. With a bit of a shiver from the aircon MS and I chose one-off to the side out of the direct breeze. Julie Ann asked if we would like her to turn the fan above us off to make us a little more comfortable to which we happily obliged. She then brought us over a couple of menu’s and a jug of water with some glasses and left us for a few minutes returning to take our drinks order. I was happy to stick to water but MS asked if he could have a glass of Coke to be brought out with dinner. The menu had the usual Italian fare and although the pizza’s were voted the ‘Best in Town’ in 2008 we were both there for the pasta.
There was no dilly dallying in deciding what we wanted at Little Ricardo’s, even MS made up his mind quickly for once. We chose the Garlic Bread (AU$5.90) as our entrée but asked if we could have cheese on it as well. Julie Ann happily obliged and assured us it wouldn’t be a problem. Then for his main meal MS chose a large Boscaola with Tasty Cheese, Mushroom and Parmesan for AU$23.90 with Fettucine. He also added bacon, chicken and a hint of chilli to his dish (we’re not difficult customers I swear!), which Julie Ann said was also not a problem at all. After tossing up between the Amatriciana and the Marinara pasta I ended up going with the Marinara which was described on the menu as Fresh Local Seafood Combination with the choice of Cream or Tomato Base for AU$25.90. The Fresh Local Seafood Combination sold me pretty much straight away. I also chose the fettuccine and opted for the tomato base as opposed to the heavy cream base. Ok, ok I have a confession to make… I ordered a large serve too. Don’t judge me.
While we were waiting for our meals to arrive a couple more tables filled up and then a couple more until there was about 5 more occupied tables in the restaurant. I was pretty impressed considering that it was a Monday night. Many restaurants in the city would struggle to get that amount of people in on a Monday. Julie Ann brought over a big bowl of ‘stinky cheese’ as MS calls it whereas I just call it powdered Parmesan Cheese and some little plates and cutlery followed closely by our entrée of Cheesy Garlic Bread. We got three pieces each and after fighting over who got the three biggest pieces we dug in. The Garlic Bread was simple, yet tasty and with just the right amount of cheese melted over the top. It was really yummy and not as yellow as it looks in the picture below. We even managed to save a couple of pieces to mop up our pasta sauce with. I have a massive weakness for Garlic Bread and if I were religious I would ask god “Why, oh why did you invent Garlic Bread?” Just when I think I am going good and eating well. BAM! Someone brings out a loaf of Garlic Bread (or I order it) aaaaaaand I’m screwed.
Cheesy Garlic Bread for AU$5.90
Right before our meals arrived and without prompting Julie Ann brought MS over a glass of coke and placed it on the table in front of us. Again I was impressed. I hadn’t had service this pleasing in Cairns for a long time (with the exception of Waterbar and Grill). The owner of the restaurant Richard brought us out our main meals which were placed steaming hot in front of us. He saw me whip my iPhone out to take a couple of pictures of the food and politely offered to take a picture of the two of us. Errr, yeah sure! Richard was lovely and friendly and we had a bit of a laugh with him about him covering half of the photo with his thumb. Never mind, nothing a little photo cropping won’t fix and I have sh*t tins of photos of MS and I at dinner anyway. The large serve really was a large serve. Each of our bowls were overflowing with large mounds of pasta. There was plenty of extra bacon and chicken mixed through MS’ Boscaola and he was beside himself as he twirled his first mouthful of fettuccine around his fork. After a few mouthfuls the only sentence that escaped his mouth was ‘Oh god this is good’ as he twirled more fettuccine around his fork. It was that good that he ate till he couldn’t fit another mouthful in, leaving only a couple of strands of pasta in the bottom of his bowl and announced that Little Ricardo’s was his new favourite restaurant.
Boscaola with Tasty Cheese, Mushroom, Parmesan and extra Bacon, Chicken and a hint of Chilli (AU$23.90)
Looking down at my pasta I could see two big fat juicy scallops with the bright orange roe on them (as it should be!) and my mouth began to salivate. There was also prawns, fish and super tender pieces of squid mixed in as well. My Marinara was absolutely to die for and I was glad that I had chosen that over the Amatriciana (even though I hadn’t had the Amatriciana yet). The pasta was cooked ‘al dente’ and the bountiful bits of seafood throughout my dish were all full of flavour and cooked to perfection. My mouth is seriously drooling thinking about this dish. There was just the right amount of sauce, not too little, not too much and with a bit of ‘stinky cheese’ sprinkled over the top I too ate nearly the entire bowl and mopped up the remaining sauce with my ‘smaller’ pieces of Garlic Bread. The only thing that I think it needed was a little hint of chilli but that was my own fault for not asking for it. Where’s my bottle of Tabasco sauce when I need it?
Marinara with Fresh Local Seafood Combination and the choice of a Cream or Tomato base (I chose Tomato obviously) for AU$25.90
MS and I joked that we had just traveled to a foodie lovers paradise (AKA Sydney) and then flown back to Cairns and had the best meal and service of the entire weekend. Even though the restaurant picked up with more arrivals after our own Julie Ann didn’t miss a beat and delivered fantastic, efficient and friendly service from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. The atmosphere and dining setting isn’t fantastic and to be honest it’s pretty dated but you know what? I think it works. On doing a little bit of online research it appears that Little Ricardo’s is ranked 5th in Cairns out of over 200 restaurants on Trip Advisor, which doesn’t mean a whole lot since I am still trying to figure out why an ice cream shop is number one, but it definitely pays homage to the wonderful things Richard and his team are doing down there at the Adobe Motel. (No offence to the ice cream shop.) The only problem with going to Little Ricardo’s for the first time is that now MS and I want to go there all the time and have already been back again (this time for more Cheesy Garlic Bread and to try the Amatriciana). Little Ricardo’s where have you been all my life?
Little Ricardo’s
191 Sheridan Street, Cairns QLD 4870 (Adobe Motel)
Ph: (07) 4051 5266
Opening Hours: 6 days Mon – Sat 5pm till late
Website: http://www.littlericardos.com
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Waterbar and Grill, Cairns
It’s 1.25am and I am at work struggling to put pen to paper so to speak but I know that if I don’t get this post done then it could be a good two and a half weeks before I get one up. I figure now is as good a time as any to write about my dining experience at one of Cairns’ favourite restaurants, Waterbar and Grill. A couple of friends and I were pondering over where to go with a group of us for an early dinner on a Sunday evening so I decided on Waterbar and Grill since I had been pining to try this particular dish that my sister had recommended, I knew the food was good and they were happy to split the bill there. It seemed like the perfect suggestion. Everyone else happy with it (not that they really had a choice) and a group of nine of us met there at 6pm last Sunday.
I had already rung up and made a reservation a couple of days before knowing full well how popular and busy Waterbar is on any given day due its waterfront location and great food. I have dined at Waterbar and Grill countless times since they opened around six years ago and have never had a bad meal. In fact if anyone ever asks me where to get a good steak in Cairns I always recommend Waterbar and Grill before any other restaurant. It had, however, been over a year since I last dined there and I was hoping that nothing had changed, in fact I pleasantly surprised because things seemed to have only gotten better since my last time.
It was a bit of a catch up dinner for my friends and I since now ALL of us are in relationships and have our own shit going on we don’t get to catch up with each other as much as we would like (translates to: now we have to be responsible and not go out on the town every weekend till all hours of the morning), plus I work away so that makes things just that little more difficult. Thankfully we were seated inside because it was still stinking hot outside and the air conditioning was a welcoming cool change from having drops of sweat running down your spine. Two of our friends were already seated with drinks and as we sat down the waiter asked us what we would like to drink. True to form MS and I went for the glass of coke and glass of Sauvignon Blanc respectively (Angel Cove I think was on the cards for me tonight). Within minutes the rest of our crew had arrived and promptly ordered drinks from the waiter. About five minutes later our drinks ensued and I was elated at just how quickly the whole event had taken place (drink service that is).
While we chatted and caught up on new ventures, diets, birthday weekends away at Mt Quincan and harrowing tales of Steve Irwin’s final moments (still to this day makes me want to cry like a baby) we had a look over our menu’s and told the waiter what we wanted. Before I start I will say that I’m not going to write a book about everyone’s meal at the table, as there was nine of us in total and to be honest I really just couldn’t be arsed especially since most people at the table ordered a variation of the same dish, aka a steak. A steak is a steak in my book, as long as it’s a good steak and in the case that it’s not then I’ll write about it. I was really only concerned with the entrees and what MS and I were having for this particular post as I don’t want to rattle on too much. MS ordered an entrée of Salt and Pepper Squid with Coriander and Lemon for AU$16 while after a big day of eating and the day before I was to start my new ‘mass gain’ eating plan (the implications that will have on both me and my blog will be explained in a later post but seriously FML). I opted for no entrée figuring that MS would share some of his with me. Unbeknownst to the rest of us at the table my beautiful friend MG, being the lovely and overly generous hostess with the mostest that she is (our own personal one anyway), ordered a couple of dishes as entrees for the entire table to share. I was delighted but also felt bad at the same time. MG chose a Selection of Dips – Walnut and Chilli Pesto, Roast Beetroot and Hummus with Warm Crisp Bread for AU$15 and the Boerwors – Traditional South African Sausage served with Garlic Mash for AU$26.
No longer that fifteen minutes passed before the entrees arrived at our table. The Selection of Dips were yummy but it’s pretty hard to balls up a dip platter unless of course you try to make your own organic dairy free pesto for a Trivia Night like I did, because lets face it, pesto is no good without cheese in it. MS’ Salt and Pepper Squid was probably some of the best Salt and Pepper Squid that I have tasted while dining out for a very long time (Mum and Dad’s squid still reigns supreme though). It was tender and fresh with just a light dusting of flour and was a very reasonable sized serve (much bigger than I was expecting). I managed to snavel a couple of pieces off MS’ plate but to be honest I was way too captivated by the large sausage in front of me to pay attention to the squid.
Salt and Pepper Squid with Coriander and Lemon for AU$16
Luckily for me the humongous Boerwors was placed directly in front of me and with much encouragement from MG to eat it I simply couldn’t help myself along with the rest of the table. MG also ordered a side of Red Wine and Chilli Sauce as a dipping sauce to go with the Boerwors. I have to say that this dish was absolutely delicious and I was deeply saddened by the fact that I had to share this dish with the rest of the table and also the fact that I hadn’t ordered it for my main course. Fail. The Red Wine and Chilli Sauce is so good that I could literally drink it and a mouthful of that ‘oh so smooth’ Garlic Mash with this sauce drizzled over the top is heavenly. Admittedly I’m not normally a fan of mash (I just don’t see what all the fuss is about) but I thought I was off mash for life after tasting my crew mates ‘Mash Surprise’ into which he literally puts anything and everything. Last time he made it not only was there potato in it but ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, parsley, pepper, spring onions, red onion and at least another three items that fail to spring to mind at 2am on this fine morning. Now you know why myself and the rest of my crew call it ‘Mash Surprise’. Unfortunately I’m yet to convince my crew mate that less is more in the mash department. But back to Waterbar’s Garlic Mash… I don’t know what they do to it, it’s smooth, it’s creamy, it’s garlicky and it must be really bad for you but it’s so damn good that who really cares? I could shower in that shit! The chunky Boerwors curled up in a big meaty pile on the plate also didn’t disappoint in all it’s mouthwatering fleshy goodness. The nine of us (minus one who is a vegetarian) absolutely annihilated the entire dish.
Boerwors – Traditional South African Sausage served with Garlic Mash for AU$26 (shit photo – awesome food)
Next up our main meals arrived and on the recommendation of my sister I had committed the ultimate sin and ordered a salad at a steak restaurant. She insisted that every time she dined at Waterbar she ordered the Grilled Lamb Salad with Rocket, Cous Cous, Haloumi Cheese, Lavosh and Goat’s Cheese Dressing and raved about how good it was. I tend to think that my sister knows what she is talking about when it comes to good food (not as much as me of course but hey) so I went with it and boy did I regret it. It’s crap watching everyone around you chow down on beautiful big, juicy steaks with oozy Red Wine and Chilli Sauce and giant skewers of Espatada when you are munching on slivers of lamb and squeaky bits of haloumi. I’m not going to blame Waterbar for making a shitty salad, although it was, but myself for ordering a salad at a steak restaurant. Both the lamb and the haloumi were cold and there just didn’t seem to be a whole lot to the dish other than rocket. I am a big fan of the Rocket Salad at Waterbar but that’s when I have it as a side salad with a big juicy steak, not an entire bowl of it. Thanks for the bum steer TW. Sad panda. I’m going to liken ordering salad at a steak restaurant to eating Western food in Thailand. You just don’t do it (sorry to all those vegetarians out there).
Grilled Lamb Salad with Rocket, Cous Cous, Haloumi Cheese, Lavosh and Goat’s Cheese Dressing (AU$24)
MS on the other hand was happily munching away on his 250g Prime Rib Eye with Garlic Mash, Red Wine and Chilli Sauce AND Blue Cheese and Caper Butter for AU$34. Apparently the mixture of the Red Wine and Chilli Sauce and Blue Cheese and Caper Butter with lashings of Garlic Mash is a taste sensation according to MS and after tasting a forkful I think I am going to have to agree, but lets face it, everything tastes better with Blue Cheese. To my left everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they caught a glimpse of AA 400g Prime Rib Eye on the Bone for AU$42. All steaks at the table were cooked to everyone’s liking, as you would expect at a steak restaurant, but as we all know can not always be expected. MS thoroughly enjoyed his meal, as did everyone else at the table apart from yours truly.
250g Prime Rib Eye with Garlic Mash, Red Wine and Chilli Sauce AND Blue Cheese and Caper Butter for AU$34
Apart from the delicious food (forget about the salad ok, just forget it) what impressed me the most while dining at Waterbar and Grill was the outstanding service. It was, as the website says, exceptional and in my opinion probably some of the best service that I have received when dining out in Cairns in a very, very long time. Our glasses of water were topped up regularly, our water jugs replaced before they were empty an without asking, our drink orders were filled numerous times without us having to summon any wait staff and when our meals were brought out the each member of the wait staff knew exactly who ordered what and exactly whom to put it in front of. It was certainly a breath of fresh air and those that dine out regularly in Cairns know how rare it is to find such superior service. However, this particular Sunday wasn’t a one-off occasion, Waterbar and Grill continues to deliver great food and service day in, day out which is probably why they have been named FNQ’s Best Steak Restaurant numerous times over the last few years (except for last year for some reason). If you are looking for a succulent steak, great atmosphere and service that is second to none then get yourself down to Waterbar and Grill at The Pier if you haven’t already although I suspect most of you have. Just don’t make the same mistake that I did and order salad. Also, watch out for those darn ceiling fans.
Waterbar and Grill
Pier Shopping Centre, Pierpoint Rd, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 1199
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 11.30am – 11pm, Sun 11.30am – 9.30pm
Website: http://www.waterbarandgrill.com.au
My friend Baking Myself Happy ordered this Vege Stack during our lunch date at Caffiend early last week and I just had to post to about it. My Quinoa Salad was good but I had serious food envy when her dish came out! How good does it look?! By all accounts it tasted as good as it looks 🙂
Caffiend
5/78 Grafton St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 5522
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 7.30am-2pm, All day breakfast, Lunch 12pm-2pm
C’est Bon, Cairns
Since neither MS or I had time to celebrate Valentines Day on Valentines Day this year we saved our night out till the Saturday after and went and had dinner at C’est Bon together. We called up last-minute after umming and ahhing about whether or not we would get takeaway or go out and if we were to go out then where we would go. In the end MS picked up the phone and dialed the number for C’est Bon (after Googling it of course) and made a reservation for 8pm, much to my delight. He knows just how long I have been wanting to go there because I had never been so he made the decision easy. I was unsure if we would be able to get in on such short notice on a Saturday but luckily enough they still had a vacancy for the two of us.
We arrived on time after I painstakingly made my way from a car park in front of the Casino down the lane way and to the front door in my new shoes that I am trying to break in for a wedding (not my wedding, a wedding). Sadly I think it’s going to take a lot more wears than one night at dinner to break those puppies in. When we arrived we were greeted by a waitress and told her that we had a reservation for two. She gestured towards a small table out the front of the restaurant and told us that it wasn’t ready yet but we could either have a drink at the bar while she set it up or we could take a seat and she could set up around us. We opted to sit at the table while she set up around us although it would have been nice if the table could have been ready when we arrived seeing as MS had called up to make a reservation little more than an hour and a half before. Maybe they had been busy.
As I said earlier I have never once made it to C’est Bon, although I do seem to vaguely remember going to lunch or dinner there before it was C’est Bon. That must have been a very long time ago. Does anyone recall what was there before C’est Bon? Like I said before I’ve always wanted to dine at C’est Bon but just never got around to it. I guess it’s a little easy to forget about the place since it’s kinda tucked away down the end of Lake Street. I have heard only good things about the place and have a friend who regularly dines there with her partner. I also gave my parents a Gift Voucher for C’est Bon last Christmas since I am in the habit of giving them Gift Vouchers for dinner at Christmas time, some may think it’s a little impersonal but I like to think it’s very practical. Plus who doesn’t like going out for dinner to a nice restaurant that is already paid for? Mum and dad thought it was very nice BTW. Although I did study French at school for five years, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to travel to France so I really have no idea what French food is other than frogs legs and escargot. I was however pretty sure that the ‘Sandwich au Jambon’ so regularly spoke about in French class wouldn’t be making an appearance at C’est Bon.
When the waitress was done setting up our table she brought us out a couple of menu’s to look at. We had pretty much already decided that we were going to go with the set menu which includes an entrée, main and dessert for just under $50. I ordered a glass of Pencarrow Savignon Blanc (AU$9) while MS being the grandpa that he is ordered a glass of coke. The waitress told us that the Set Menu changed every month and that the Fish of the Day was Saltwater Barramundi. While we waited for our drinks to arrive we had a look over the menu. There were three options to choose from for each course and in the end we both chose exactly the same thing. For entrée we chose the Seared Squid Served with Sautéed Capsicum, for the main we chose the Pork Belly Resting on Slowly Cooked Lentils, Carrots and Bacon and for dessert we chose the Oozing Chocolate Fondant Served with Vanilla Ice Cream. To be honest I wasn’t too taken with the Set Menu, although squid, pork belly and chocolate would rate high on my list of favourite foods. It just sounded… well… boring. Other options to choose from included Cauliflower Soup or Ratatouille for entrée, Lamb and Saltwater Barramundi for main and Macaron and Creme Caramel for dessert.
Not long after we had ordered the waitress brought out a small dish with two bite sized portions on it and placed it in front of us without a word. The two of us exchanged a ‘what the hell is that look’ and when she didn’t tell us MS asked her what it was. She didn’t seem to know and mumbled something about salmon to us, shuffled around a couple of things on our table and left. MS decided that I could have both of them seeing as he doesn’t like salmon. I tried to convince him that he would surely like it and in an encouraging move I ate mine in one bite so I could tell him just how delicious it was. Turns out it wasn’t so delicious. It was ice-cold having come straight out of the fridge and the crostini type thing underneath was slightly stale from being in the fridge. The salmon tasted like salmon from a tin and the whole thing was so unappetizing that I couldn’t hide my distaste. It tasted like cat food and in the end I just told him it was yuck and not to eat it. I didn’t want MS to use that one little salmon bite as ammo for never trying salmon again.
Salmon Crostini is that you?
Our drinks came out a good 10-15 minutes after we ordered them, in fact they took long enough that I wondered if they had actually forgotten our drinks altogether. MS’ glass of coke was very watered down which tells me that it had plenty of time for the ice to melt while it was sitting on the counter waiting to be brought out to us. My glass of Pencarrow was however very nice and I do love a good glass of wine (or two) with dinner.. While waiting for our entrée’s to arrive a male waiter whom I was most delighted to find was actually French (and not bad looking might I add) served us some warm bread rolls with butter. These were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and with a slathering of butter the two of us practically inhaled them. Seeing as we don’t eat bread very often, it was a bit of a treat for us.
Warm Bread Roll
Not long after our entrée’s arrived, again with the French waiter. The Squid appeared to be the whole mantle of the squid with the membrane still attached sliced down the middle and seared so it curled up. It was delicately placed on top of a bed of Sautéed Capsicum and beneath it was a small pool of squid ink. The squid tasted beautiful and fresh, although a touch overcooked. I didn’t like the Sautéed Capsicum but then again I don’t like capsicum. I tried to palm the capsicum off to MS but he didn’t seem too keen on it either. By the time he had finished his dish he figured out what the black stuff on the bottom was and asked me if it was squid ink to which I nodded and said I didn’t say anything to him sooner because I wasn’t sure if he would eat it. He didn’t seem too bothered about it but that was after the fact. He really is a big baby when it comes to food sometimes. The waiter then came and cleared our plates and we waited for the next course to arrive.
Seared Squid Served with Sautéed Capsicum
About 10 minutes after finishing our entrée our main’s arrived. The waiter placed a plate down in front of each of us with an enormous portion of pork belly on it. I was expecting far less at such a fancy restaurant but was pleasantly surprised. Sitting on top of the pork was what appeared to be poached pieces of apple and underneath was a sea of lentils. Come to think of it there was no bacon or carrots on the plate as stated in the set menu but then again the apple wasn’t mentioned either. The pork appeared to have quite a large layer of fat between the crackling and the meat but it seems I was mistaken because when I cut it open the majority of it was meat. The layer of crackling on the top was really chewy and although it took me what seemed like an eternity to saw through it with my butter knife I did eventually get there, with hard work and determination. Not MS though, he pretty much gave up and left the ‘crackling’ on the side of his plate. The pork would have been better if it was crunchy and crackly like it was supposed to be. The lentils on the bottom of the dish were very hearty and the two of us found them to be too way too rich. I found the whole dish to be very heavy which is normal for pork belly but a drizzle of some kind of sweet sauce would have done wonders for it since the small slices of poached apple on top were just not enough. We were both disappointed and probably only ate about half each. The French waiter came out to clear our plates and asked if we had enjoyed our meal to which we replied ‘Mmmm yeah’. It was a lie really.
Pork Belly Resting on Slowly Cooked Lentils, Carrots and Bacon
Next up we sat and waited for our desserts to arrive. After waiting a good twenty minutes and our dessert hadn’t yet appeared the French waiter came over and said that there was only one Chocolate Fondant left for the two of us and asked if we would like to choose something else. Neither of the two other choices on the Set Menu (the Macaron or Creme Caramel) excited us so we asked if we could see their ‘norma’l dessert menu. In the end after much “I don’t like that” and “I don’t like this” we both decided to stick with the chocolate theme and ordered a Chocolate Mousse. About 5 minutes later our Chocolate Fondant and Chocolate Mousse arrived. The Chocolate Mousse had a large ‘crisp’ of chocolate draped over the cup that it was sitting it which melted almost as soon as it was walked out the C’est Bon doors and into the ensuing humidity.
Rich Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Crisp
We shared our desserts but I’ll admit I got most of the Chocolate Fondant to myself and it was definitely the better one of the two. Digging my spoon gently into the side of the fondant sent warm chocolate oozing out all over the plate. I guess that is why they call it ‘Oozing Chocolate Fondant’. It was delicious and we each enjoyed spoonfuls of fondant with ice cream and a little mousse on the top. We were in chocolate heaven and the dessert course was certainly the highlight of our meal at C’est Bon. Shame though that we couldn’t have both had a Chocolate Fondant like was originally planned.
Oozing Chocolate Fondant Served with Vanilla Ice Cream
While we were finishing up our desserts and I was wallowing in a sad sea of my own C’est Bon expectations (aka I was disappointed with the place I had built up so much) a friend of ours, SBD, walked past on his way into town. He stopped and chatted to us asking how our meal was and blah blah blah. I told him that I had thought it would be better and we were both pretty disappointed with the food that we were served during our three course set menu. SBD was surprised since he dined at C’est Bon often and loved the place but he told us that the regular chef was away on holidays and the owner was taking his place in the kitchen in the meantime. That explained why our meal hadn’t been up to scratch but still didn’t make me feel any better about what we had just eaten and what we were just about to pay for on our belated Valentines Day dinner. It was displeasing to hear that the one time I had finally got my shit together and made it to C’est Bon the regular chef was on holidays. I’m not saying that the food was bad but it wasn’t close to good. Again the Oozing Chocolate Fondant was definitely a hit for both MS and I but we had to share it and opt for a more mediocre dessert to take the place of the second one. The squid and pork belly dishes for entrée and main respectively seemed unimaginative and lack-lustre with both of them missing that little something something. The service that we received from the French waiter was standout and second to none. He was friendly, personable and authentic. There is something about a guy with a French accent that just does it for me (and most women I am assuming). The guy could tell me that my dog had just died and I would just smile and nod (PS: I don’t have a dog, I’m a cat person). The same cannot be said for the female waitress who just didn’t seem to be at all happy to be there on her Saturday night. Also, we only had our waters topped up once and no one came to ask if we wanted another Coke or glass of wine. It was frigin hot outside too so more water wouldn’t have gone astray. Having the regular head chef away is really no excuse for serving below par food and the food should be of the highest standard regardless of who is in the kitchen. Still, all is not lost with me (just yet) and C’est Bon and I will most certainly return one day when the regular chef is back from his holidays, though hopefully sooner rather than later. C’est la vie.
C’est Bon
20 Lake St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 4488
Opening Hours: Tues – Fri 12pm – 2pm, Tues – Sat 6pm – 10pm
Website: http://www.cestbon-cairns.com.au
Corea Corea, Cairns
Last Sunday I took my little bro (AW) out for dinner for a bite to eat and a bit of sisterly advice since the whole finishing school/starting real life thing seemed to be getting to him a little bit. After a bit of thought I decided on Corea Corea since it was in town and convenient to where we already were in the city. We headed up the escalators at Orchid Plaza and I was taken aback by just how many people were upstairs. I figured that they must be all spread out along the top floor at the different eateries that are up there but on closer inspection Corea Corea was the only one open. There was about 100 people or more there for Corea Corea on a Sunday night. I couldn’t believe it. And what’s more there was even a line of about 10 to 15 people deep. Not to be put off, we weren’t in a hurry so we headed to the back of the queue which seemed to be moving quickly.
The five minutes or so that we waited in the queue gave us ample time to decide on what we wanted to order from the large menu behind the counter. When we got to the front I asked AW to go and find a table to which he managed to find one up on the decking in the actual restaurant part of Corea Corea. A lot of other people were seated out in the Food Court waiting for or eating their meals. I waited at the counter a couple of minutes while the wait staff sorted themselves out watching them all frantically running around like chooks with their heads cut off as my nana would have said. And when I say running I literally mean ‘running’. One waiter in particular was bringing dishes out to various tables and virtually sprinting back to the kitchen to keep up with the demand. By this stage a man had come to the counter to serve me, I asked him if they were normally this busy to which he replied “most of the time”. Again I was surprised because I do go to Orchid Plaza quite a bit but have never seen it this busy, although I tend to go during the day.
I ordered a Spicy Chicken Pot (AU$13.95) for AW and while I was tempted to order the Charcoal Grilled Beef Ribs (AU$21.95) I had a bit of a craving for noodles so I went with the Spicy Cold Noodle (AU$13.95) instead. The prices at Corea Corea are hardly going to break the bank with only two items on the menu over AU$15.95. I took a seat at our table with the number I had been allocated and we waited for our meals to arrive. In the meantime I gave AW some advice on home, Mum, Dad, our sister, money, work, girls (one in particular), mother in-laws (one in particular), exercise and the future. That took about 5 minutes and then our meals arrived. Nah jokes, it took a little longer than that. Our meals arrived one after the other, firstly my Spicy Cold Noodle with a little container of Kimchi, a bowl of Miso Soup and a smaller container of what I am assuming was lemon juice. It looked like lemon juice and it tasted like lemon juice so let’s just call it lemon juice. Then AW’s Spicy Chicken Pot came out sizzling hot in its own little black pot. I seriously reckon that the Chef’s and the wait staff must burn themselves so damn much working with those things. I know I would seeing as how clumsy I am.
I dug into my Spicy Cold Noodle pretty much straight away although the Spicy Chicken Pot was so damn hot that AW couldn’t start eating it for a good 20 minutes when I was pretty much finished mine. The Cold Noodles (there was even ice cubes in there – maybe they should call it Icy Cold Noodles) were exactly what I needed on such a hot night and I ordered them not only because they taste awesome but also because I didn’t feel like sweating my ring out with something as searingly hot as a Korean Pot. The noodles are really long and a little hard to bite through making it difficult to swallow mouthfuls. I tend to end up with half of them down my throat and the other half in my mouth trying not to choke. Gee these Spicy Cold Noodles sound delicious don’t they. I have eaten them at Corea Corea before and they gave me a pair of kitchen scissors with my utensils assumedly to cut the noodles into more bite size friendly pieces. Maybe they had run out scissors this time around but I managed just fine. Don’t let that put you off especially if you love chilli and noodles like I do because these noodles are damn good! I love the julienned bits of cucumber over the top with the chilli. There also half a hard-boiled egg, a slice of beef and a bit diced chilli on top for decoration. I poured the ‘lemon juice’ over the top since that is what I am assuming you are supposed to do with it. Again my Spicy Noodle Bowl is a really yummy dish and I enjoyed it immensely.
Spicy Cold Noodle (AU$13.95)
It is pretty hard to have a big pot of yummy food sitting in front of you that you can’t eat because it’s too hot and after about 20 minute’s of burning himself with small bits of rice and chicken AW’s Spicy Chicken Pot had finally cooled down enough to actually eat it properly. On the top there was a generous amount of shredded cabbage and underneath a yummy mix of rice, chicken and veggies. The only problem is that because the whole mixture is sitting in the pot sizzling for such a long time it gets stuck to the bottom of the pot and gets a bit crunchy. I personally think that is the best part of the whole dish and AW seemed to agree while MS thought it was gross when I dined there with him once but who listens to him anyway (just kidding my love). AW practically inhaled his Spicy Chicken Pot when he realised it was cool enough to eat and seems he has developed a few family habits, not even leaving a grain of rice behind (I do the same and so does our dad). You could call us gutses but I just reckon we like our food.
Spicy Chicken Pot (AU$13.95)
Corea Corea is certainly a bit of a favourite haunt for locals and tourists in Cairns. Again the place is ridiculously busy for such a little place in the middle of a seemingly barren food court that most tourists probably only stumble across. I’m not sure that I agree with the statement on the Orchid Plaza website (apparently Orchid Plaza has ‘World Renowned Multi Cultural Eateries’) but what used to be a sleepy two storey shopping centre that was mainly just used as a way of getting from Abbott Street to Lake Street or vice versa has re-awakened and it’s a great place to go if you are looking for a Asian meal for lunch or dinner. My only problem with my dinner that night is that I had a bit of an upset stomach the next day. I could blame the chilli but since I’m half Sri Lankan chilli isn’t really a problem for me. AW didn’t seem to have a problem but that is probably because his meal was cooked in a hot-pot in ridiculously high temperatures (sort of on par with the temperatures Cairns has been experiencing lately). I’m not saying that it was the Spicy Cold Noodles but I am not saying that it wasn’t. I do sometimes question the cleanliness of Orchid Plaza as a whole with its open food court and birds roosting above so having sizzling hot meals that you can’t eat for the first 20 minutes can only be a good thing. Still like I said we both enjoyed our meals along with half of Cairns, the food tasty and cheap, and even though I may sometimes question the hygiene of such a place, like The Lillipad Cafe, it hasn’t stopped me going back again and again.
Corea Corea
Shop 32, 79 Abbott St, Orchid Plaza, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 6655
Opening Hours: 7 days Lunch 11am – 4pm, Dinner 6pm – 9pm
Ok Sushi, Edge Hill
Nearly two weeks since my last post, gee I am getting slack but in my defence I have been back at work and with work means no phone or internet range, not just for 1 or 2 days like Queensland experienced a little over a week ago (you poor things) but for up to two and a half weeks. That means if I don’t have my posts prepped and ready before I head out into oblivion they don’t get posted. Excuses, excuses, yeah I know but I am back in the swing of things now (for a couple of weeks anyway) so without further adieu…
While having lunch with a friend recently they asked me if I had been to the newly opened Japanese restaurant at the five ways in Edge Hill. Strangely enough it was the first I had heard of it at the time and they told me that it had opened where the old Fruit and Veg shop used to be. I do go to Edge Hill quite a lot when I am home from work but usually down the Red Arrow end so I made a point of driving down towards the Pease Street end to have a look for myself. Sure enough there was a new Japanese place opened up called Ok Sushi. A few days later MS and I found ourselves there for a late lunch on a Sunday. We were greeted by a friendly young Japanese man who showed us to a table and bought us out a menu each. He was very friendly and I am assuming it’s either his parents or relatives that own the place. I asked him how long they had been open for and he said only a couple of weeks (this was a couple of weeks ago, obviously).
He brought (not ‘bought’ thanks TW) us out a couple of glasses of water with ice while MS ummed and ahhed over what he wanted, again. I had already chosen the Kaisen Don – Salmon/Tuna with Rice for AU$14.50 with Takoyaki Balls as an Entree for us to share for AU$6.80. I was just hoping that MS didn’t know that it was Octopus inside the balls or he might not eat them. In the end he went with the Tori Karaage Curry for AU$16 because it looked bigger than everything else on the menu and because he is forever searching for a Japanese Curry to emulate an amazing Japanese curry that he had at some mythical ‘Japanese Curry House’ in Melbourne a couple of years ago. Here’s hoping. When he heard me order the Takoyaki Balls he asked me if that was Octopus Balls to which I replied that it wasn’t. The young waiter gave me a strange look to which I again slowly replied that ‘no it definitely wasn’t Octopus’. I think the waiter got the joke and kept his mouth shut but had a funny, complete give away, smirk on his face to which MS was completely aware.
While we were at Ok Sushi there was probably about two other tables occupied and another two groups of people came in for takeaway. It seems quite the popular little place, particularly for a Sunday. We didn’t wait long for entree of Takoyaki to arrive. It came out piping hot with a generous drizzle of Kewpi mayonnaise and those little fishy flakes that are sprinkled over the top (I forget what they are called). Kewpi mayonnaise could be considered a staple in our household since we go through about one squeezy bottle every couple of weeks and after MS saw it drizzled all over the Takoyaki he soon forgot about its eight tentacled content and dug in. Turns out that Octopus Balls aren’t quite so bad after all and he ate more than half of his fair share. They were crunchy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside, reminding me of the freshly made Takoyaki that I had eaten from a little stall in Osaka. Obviously nothing compares to the experience but for a little shop at the Edge Hill five ways about 10,000 km’s away these were pretty good.
Takoyaki Ball (AU$6.80)
Next up our main meals came out and what was supposed to be a light lunch had pretty much gone out the window. MS’ Tori Karaage Curry came out with the chicken on one plate accompanied by cabbage and salad, a small bowl of rice and a small bowl of curry sauce. MS was happy with the size and said that the pieces of Tori Karaage were actually nice meaty bits of chicken with hardly any fat on them unlike the Karaage pieces they serve you at Sushi Train at Cairns Central which are pretty much just pieces of fat thrown in seasoning and deep-fried. He did however complain that he needed a separate bowl to put some rice, curry and chicken in a little bit at a time. I thought that this was just a completely ridiculous complaint and told him to stop being a big baby and eat his curry. Good old voice of reason. MS enjoyed his Tori Karaage Curry and although I don’t think it was quite as good as his mythical Melbourne one.
Tori Karaage Curry (AU$16)
My Kaisen Don also had a generous drizzle of Kewpi mayonnaise which for me was probably a little bit too much but for someone like MS wouldn’t have been enough. I am a little bit more traditional with my Japanese food and don’t really like the whole Western take on it. I have been enjoying the delights of Japanese food since I was only small (smaller than I am now) at a little place under the stairs where The Heritage nightclub now is, next door to the Condom Kingdom (I think that’s what it was called). My mum used to take my sister and I there and we would eat Rice Balls to our little hearts content. Does anyone remember that place? Still I did enjoy my Kaisen Don. The generous amount of Salmon and Tuna was fresh and cut in small bite sizes pieces. I think it was ok value for AU$14.50 although the rice underneath was just plain old unseasoned rice not Sushi Rice like I was expecting. That left me a little disappointed with my meal because Sushi Rice is pretty much one of my favourite foods (that and Potato Salad) – some of my tastes are very simple, like anchovies out of a jar for instance.
Kaisen Don – Salmon and Tuna with Rice (AU$14.50)
Last weekend MS and I found ourselves back at Ok Sushi for a second round and while MS ordered the same old thing as last time – the Tori Karaage Curry, while I searched the menu for something a little healthier than I had eaten last time or at least without the addition of rice. In the end I went the Small Mixed Sashimi (AU$12.50) and the Agedashi Tofu (AU$6.80) because I absolutely love raw fish and tofu, so much so that sometimes I forget how healthy it is. Again MS enjoyed his Tori Karaage Curry but it did seem to be a little smaller compared to the last serve that he’d had a few weeks prior. Again, I thought the rice was disappointing and although I wasn’t expecting him to be served Sushi Rice with his Karaage the rice he did get seemed a little… dry perhaps?
Tori Karaage Curry (AU$16)
My Small Mixed Sashimi seemed to be just that… small. The fish was lovely and fresh with decent, thick pieces but I guess it just looked a little bit bigger in the picture on the menu and for $12.50 I thought they could have chucked at least another piece of Tuna or Salmon in. It made me wish that I hadn’t have been cheap and just opted for the Large Mixed Sashimi for AU$20.50.
Small Mixed Sashimi (AU$12.50)
My Agedashi Tofu was delicious and quite a large serve for an entree, then again it is only Tofu and cheap as chips. However, I’m no Agedashi Tofu expert and maybe one of my readers (Vagabond) might have to give me her take on it. Is it better than Kanpai?
Agedashi Tofu (AU$6.80)
It’s nice to see a Japanese place like Ok Sushi opened up at the five ways in Edge Hill to go with all the other fare that is available on Collins Avenue. Edge Hill is certainly becoming its own little Cairns foodie destination in its own right with quite a few restaurants and takeaway’s over that side of town now. I think Ok Sushi is going to be hugely popular, being open 7 days till 9pm with both dine in and takeaway and it’s certainly going to take away a little of the business from other restaurants and cafe’s nearby. I am very interested to see how busy they will be of the evening but there will probably be quite a few people coming off their afternoon jog/Red Arrow climb heading in for a quick and healthy feed (hold the Kewpi). The prices are reasonable (particularly the entrees) and the service is good but I did have a couple of hangups with the food and serving sizes. I’m going to stick with the theme and as the name suggests the sushi is just ok at Ok Sushi.
Ok Sushi
Shop A 139 Collins Avenue, Edge Hill QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4053 5751
Opening Hours: 7 days 11am – 9pm
Frydays Fish and Chippery, Cairns
New on the scene on the corner of Shields and Abbott Street in the Cairns CBD is Frydays Fish and Chippery which has been open for a few weeks now. Driving along Abbott Street it’s a little hard not to notice the bright blue neon signs advertising the new eatery. After driving around and around for a park early last week so I could grab some groceries from Woolies I ended up finding a park near Frydays and went over to have a look at their menu. The menu at Frydays Fish and Chippery is pretty much stock standard for what you would normally find at a Fish and Chip shop with a few more gourmet options like Sweet Potato Chips and Tempura Batter thrown in. There is everything from burgers to salads to Coconut Crumbed Prawns with over 10 different types of sauce to choose from including Nahm Jim and Goats Cheese Aioli (yum!). The prices on the menu at Frydays are also very reasonable and it’s nice to see somewhere not charging through the roof just because of their location.
Looking for somewhere to grab a quick dinner before I flew out for work last Friday and so I didn’t have to rely on the ‘Curry or the Pasta’ on the plane MS and I went to Frydays. We went in for dinner at about 6.30pm, just in time to catch all the bats leaving for the evening much to the delight of the tourists. The corner of Abbott and Shields Street is a very busy corner and certainly a prime position for a Fish and Chip Shop, although obviously not a prime position for just any cafe since the last two (Harry’s and some New York Pizza place didn’t last very long). MS and I sat down at one of the communal type benches on the Abbott Street side of Frydays and had a look over the menus. MS had whinged and complained that he didn’t want to go somewhere with greasy food for dinner but since it was my so called ‘last supper’ he didn’t really have a choice.
In the end he found something on the menu that he wanted and I went up to the counter to order – Two pieces of Spanish Mackerel with Tempura Batter (AU$8 each), two serves of Sweet Potato Chips (AU$5 each) and a ‘Tasty Tempter’ of Lemon and Parmesan Herb Crumbed Calamari (AU$9.50) with some Garlic Aioli for MS and some Cocktail Sauce for me. In the end it came to just over AU$36 which I thought was fairly reasonable. The guy that served me at the counter was helpful and friendly and I noticed about 5 or 6 staff in the back. The place looks to be pretty much entirely run by backpackers and although the owners are locals they weren’t anywhere to be seen. I sat back down at our communal table and noticed a couple of American tourists at the table next to us, a backpacker waiting for his takeaway at the end of our table and a couple of locals (I think) sitting at a small table on the Shield Street side.
After about five minutes a waitress bought out a glass of ice with a can of Coke for MS and then about five minutes later our food arrived – each fillet served on a bamboo cutting board alongside the a bowl of Sweet Potato Chips with a small bowl of green salad. The Lemon and Parmesan Herb Crumbed Calamari came out on a separate board inside a small deep fryer serving basket, a super cute way of serving it. On the side was the small dish of Tartare Sauce and another small bowl of green salad.
Lemon and Parmesan Herb Crumbed Calamari – Tender and tasty with good old fashioned homemade tartare and fresh lemon wedges (AU$9.50)
Firstly, I noticed that both of our Mackerel fillets had the wrong batter. The batter that we had on our fish was more like the other option of Beer Batter rather than the light and crisp Tempura Batter that we had ordered. It was thick and greasy, as you would expect Beer Batter to be but we didn’t take it back since we were pushed for time with me having to fly out in the next hour. It was nice but like I said it was too greasy and I couldn’t finish all of my fish (I always finish my fish) since the grease filled me up too much. The Sweet Potato Chips were beautiful and sweet with just a slight crispness to them. Although I thought the serving size was a little bit small for AU$5 in the end I couldn’t finish them all anyway. The sauces that we ordered were stuffed up and instead we received one Tartare (so that meant we had two because one came with the Calamari) and one Garlic Aioli. I caught one of the waitresses attention as she walked past and off she went to fetch a small dish of Cocktail Sauce. She replaced a Tartare with the Cocktail Sauce and took away the extra Tartare. She could have at least left it. What if I had already dipped one of my chips in that spare Tartare? Was it going to someone else for them to dip their chips in it or down the drain? My guess is the first one.
Spanish Mackerel with Tempura Batter (?) and Sweet Potato Chips (AU$13) (yes I know this photo is crap)
The Calamari was lovely and tender with a really yummy Lemon and Parmesan Herb Crumb enveloped around it. Upon ordering at the counter I asked the guy serving me if it was local squid to which the other guy listening in the background replied that it wasn’t sourced in Cairns but it was indeed Australian squid. That’s all I wanted to know and I was more than happy with that answer. I thought that the serving size for the squid was very reasonable for AU$9.50 and although MS and I did our best to eat it all we couldn’t finish it. I think the fish took up just a little too much room in both of our stomachs. The one thing that I must comment on is the dire state of the three green salads served to us. Each of them looked like they had been sitting in the little bowls all day and looked very withered and tiresome. Neither MS or I touched our salads and I kind of got the feeling that we weren’t the only ones that hadn’t touched those particular salads on that particular day. I had a look at the salads in the window and there are a few other salads to choose from with your Fish and Chips like Potato Salad and Cous Cous Salad. I am pretty sure these ones cost extra which is why we just ended up with the plain old green salad (with an emphasis on old).
Tired Green Salad
Despite the greasy fish and the ordinary salad I did actually enjoy my meal, MS however did not. He claimed that the food was too greasy. I tried to remind him that we did in fact just dine at a Fish and Chip shop so technically it was always going to be greasy. What does he know about tasty food anyway? Most of all I enjoyed the proximity of Frydays in relation to everything that was going on. It’s a great spot to people watch especially, as I said, in the early evening when the bats are flying over. Tourists really are absolutely captivated by them. I like the fresh and vibrant design of the place and the communal benches out the front (there are tables for those that don’t want to sit at a communal bench). The service was good although we did get asked by two waitstaff how everything was within about five minutes of each other. That will all iron out over time. I think with few minor tweaks with the food and service and the owners of Frydays Fish and Chippery are most certainly onto a winner. Up until Frydays turned up Cairns CBD was lacking in the fish and chip shop department so it’s opening can only mean good news for locals and tourists that enjoy a bit a fried food (I know I do).
Frydays Fish and Chippery
Cnr Shields and Abbott Streets, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 1918
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 9am – 10pm
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