Foodvixen’s 15 Commandments By Which You Will Be Judged…
The truth is that I dine out a sh*tload and there are a few things that get on my goat when I do. Some are just personal preferences but others go without saying. I’m not demanding and bossy (that’s what one of my work colleagues told me a couple of days ago) I just know what I want and if I pay good money for it then why the hell shouldn’t I get it?
1. The person taking the order should know the menu – If you are getting paid a wage to work at the restaurant/cafe/dining establishment then you should know exactly what is being sold there down to whether or not there is anchovies in the Chicken Caesar Salad. Enough said.
2. One should smile upon giving service – There is nothing worse than having a miserable and mean person serving you. Good service is usually what people remember. If you go out for a meal and the food is mediocre but the service is excellent chances are you will come back. If you go out for a meal and the food is outstanding but the service is terrible you probably won’t.
3. Poached eggs should always be runny – Please don’t hard boil my poached eggs. If I wanted hard boiled eggs with my meal then I would ask for them and usually if I do eat hard boiled eggs I eat the white and give the yolk to my dad if he’s around (hey what are dad’s for?).
4. Seafood should always be sourced locally or at least in Australia (when available) – Please don’t support imported seafood. Not only is it poor quality compared to our own (cue Vannamei prawns yuck!), we should be supporting Australian fisheries.
5. Wait staff should know off the top of their head where the seafood comes from -Maybe this is just something that bugs me and my family I don’t know but it’s kinda the same as knowing what’s on the menu. If I ask where the oysters are from the waiter/waitress shouldn’t have to go and ask the chef. Even worse when the chef doesn’t even know (*ahem* Mondo).
6. Split bills should not be frowned upon – Come on this is 2012 people. I understand that there is an extra credit card surcharge incurred or something like that but for those paying cash or by eftpos is hell really going to freeze over if my friends and I try to split the bill? It’s just makes dining out with friends and large groups so much easier (kudos to the restaurants that do it already – Barnacle Bills, Waterbar and Grill and Dundees to name a few).
7. Sauce should not cost extra – It sucks when you order fish and chips and the fish and chip shop expects you to pay 25c each for those little squirty things of tomato or tartare sauce that always seem to explode everywhere but on my piece of fish. Fish and chips is already well overpriced these days. Surely you can just provide the sauce at no extra price in those big squirty bottles for those dining in? If you order a steak from a restaurant the sauce should be included in the price. Paying $35 for a steak is pricey enough without having to pay an extra $2.50 for Red Wine Jus. PS: Yes I am a sauce lover.
8. If certain foods are not available then diners should be made aware of this before they try to order their meal – There is nothing worse than umming and ahhing over a menu only to finally choose whatever it is you want and then having the waiter/waitress tell you that there isn’t any left. Maybe you should make sure you have enough avocados before you open for Sunday brunch or that you have enough Steak for diners on a Saturday night (especially if your establishment is nextdoor to a butcher). Just saying.
9. Butter should be on the side – This is a personal one really. I always forget to ask for no butter when I order my meal (usually breakfast) and get super annoyed when my toast comes out already buttered. I noticed at Beethoven’s they are starting a no butter movement and automatically serving their sandwiches with no butter unless you ask for it. Bravo!
10. If dining somewhere nice you should only be served by one waiter/waitress. Not three – It really sucks when you go to a restaurant and get served and waited on by the entire fleet of waiters. I’m pretty sure that good hospitality requires one to work one section and one section only. Stick to that section dammit.
11. A jug/bottle of water is a given– You know how nice it is when you dine out and a bottle of water and some glasses just gets bought to your table and you don’t have to ask. To me this sets the standard for the entire meal. Ahhh.
12. Tables should be wiped down – You shouldn’t have to get up and ask for the leftovers and chunks of someone elses meal to be removed from your table. Do I really need to say anymore? (*cough* Lilypad *cough*)
14. Meals should be brought out together – Don’t serve someone at the table 10 minutes before everyone else. It’s rude.
15. People arriving after you should get their food after you – Again, this one goes without saying. There is nothing more frustrating than having people that arrived well after you getting served their meals before you. There’s an invisible line people!
I could really go on forever here but I won’t. Anyone else got some pet peeves for dining out?
La Porchetta, Cairns
It was Sunday night and MS and I were so damn hungover that all we really wanted to do was eat crap food (or as the professionals call it – Carb Load). The whole hangover thing really isn’t doing wonders for my self esteem especially when we end up at La Porchetta with our Table 52 card. No carbs as of next week I swear! So yeah like I said we rocked up at La Porchetta on the Sunday and we were greeted by an unfriendly lady at the counter that showed us to a table right next to another couple. Being the ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ type person that he is MS promptly moved us to another table a little further down and outside the 1 metre radius to other diners that was expected of us. I know that waitstaff do that so it’s easier to serve you but it just seemed a little close to everyone else considering we were pretty much in an empty restaurant.
The lady bought us some water since that was probably all I could stomach and it made me feel better about the content of the meal I was about to consume. We had a look over their extensive menu and I mean it is a pretty extensive menu from Parmigiana’s to Calzones to Salad. We both knew what we wanted (pizza and pasta) but it was just choosing which type that proved difficult. MS chose the Pollo Et Fungi which was Lean Chicken Pieces, Spring Onions, Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese in a Cream Sauce with Fettucine (AU$19.40) and in the end true to form I chose the Mushroom Pasta also with Fettucine (AU$18.20) because how good are mushrooms in pasta? We also chose a medium Caprese Pizza with Tomato Base, Bocconcini, Fresh Tomato, Basil and Olive Oil to share for AU$18.80 (don’t judge us).
There was only two other occupied tables in the entire, extremely large restaurant and these tables were already eating or had finished their meals so I knew it wouldn’t take long for our meals to arrive. We chatted about our extremely large night on the town that ended up in, well lets just say some practical jokes being played and a fire hose being discharged in an alley way to ease chilli burns in the nether regions (note: no revellers were injured in our escapades but MS may have suffered a little blow to his huge ego). It was still a good night had by all despite the ensuing and cripling hangover that was continuing well into the evening for me.
Looking around the restaurant I noticed that the kitchen seems to be run by about 3 or 4 apprentice chefs. I mean they could have been qualified but they were very young. I didn’t care as long as my meal came out in good time and it tasted good. Our meals arrived in good time and by god I am pretty sure my hangover eased just at the sight of that pizza. It was cheesy, the base was crunchy, it had pesto on it and by all accounts I would have to say it’s one of the best pizzas that I have had in a long time. I know one of my readers commented a little while back that La Porchetta has the best pizzas in town and I did say I would get there eventually. Right you were my friend! Ok, so the only other pizzas that I have had in the last 6 months would probably be a AU$5 pizza at Bella Vista 2-4-1’s on a Friday or the 4 Cheese Pizza from Bel Paese that I raved about a couple of months ago. I’m going to have to break rank here and say that this La Porcetta Bocconcini and Tomato Pizza was better. Oh god it was good.
Caprese Pizza – Tomato Base, Bocconcini, Fresh Tomato, Basil and Olive Oil (AU$18.80 )
Next up, our pasta dishes. MS started out eating his. I asked him how it was and he replied “Yeah it’s ok” but by halfway through the dish he decided that it was delicious and apparently just what the doctor ordered. Since then MS’ review of his pasta dish has only improved and upon departure he confirmed that his pasta was in fact awesome. Not quite as good as his first experience at Bel Paese but it was up there for sure.
Pollo Et Fungi – Lean Chicken Pieces, Spring Onions, Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese in a Cream Sauce with Fettucine (AU$19.40)
After I doused my pasta in Tabasco Sauce because lets face it, all pasta benefits from Tabasco Sauce, I dug in and I have to agree it was awesome in it’s carby goodness. There was plenty of mushrooms in there and the serving size was massive for little old me but I still put a fair dint in it with very little left in my bowl when I finally decided I was finished.
Mushroom Pasta with Fettucine (AU$18.20)
So it turns out the unfriendly lady wasn’t so unfriendly after all, MS won her over with his wit and charm throughout our meal and she loosened up a little and even smiled in the end. Seems to me that she had had a long week and was looking forward to closing time but she was nice enough. First impressions really do count for me but she came good in the end.
In the end, after finishing off two bowls of pasta and a medium pizza (I’m pretty sure we shared a kebab in the wee hours of the morning – again don’t judge us) we went home and only communicated through grunts and moans from reclined positions on the couch. But seriously, if you want a good feed of Pasta and (I’m gonna go out on a limb here) probably what some would consider to be the best pizzas in town (I’m an advocate) then head down to La Porchetta. Hangover or no hangover it’s still gonna be just what the doctor ordered.
La Porchetta
108 – 114 Grafton St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 6661
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 11.30am – 10pm
Website: www.laporchetta.com
Breakfast in the Northern Beaches?
On my last morning in Cairns before I was due to fly out for work MS and I decided (upon advice from a foodvixen reader) to venture out to Lime Tree at Trinity Beach for breakfast. Now silly me for just assuming that it would be open on a Thursday morning. I really should have rung up and checked first before driving that far (from the city). Anyway so we drove out there and much to our dismay Lime Tree was closed for a function. And even more annoying across the road the Blue Moon Grill is not open for breakfast between Monday and Thursday. We drove down the road to Fratelli’s and alas, Fratelli’s was also closed. What is the world coming to when three out of three places are closed for breakfast? I don’t know if the Trinity Beach Tavern serves breakfast nor do I care because I have had one too many sh*thouse meals there and I will never return.
MS and I were left wondering just where the hell to go for breakfast out at the northern beaches. MS suggested Coolums at Holloways Beach. Coolums has been closed for about a year now. How he did not know that is beyond me, since he has been a resident of Holloways Beach for six years until we ‘officially’ moved in together in April. I took a stroll into Strait On The Beach, also at Holloways Beach a couple of months ago to grab something for lunch when I was helping MS pack up all his crap (*ahem* I mean belongings) and was so unimpressed by the menu and the sheer price of it all that I promptly left and went to the takeaway shop down the road. We didn’t want to drive north to Palm Cove purely for the fact that I had a flight to catch in a few hours and had already lost valuable time. One of the boys at Rehab on Lake Street told us a couple of weeks ago that apparently one of his customers told him that the ‘Best Eggs Benedict’ was at a Cafe in Smithfield but I would be darned if I knew where, since he had no idea either.
Having grown up on the Southside of Cairns (Southside for life!) I am a little out of my depth when it comes to knowing my way around the Northern Beaches area. A little disappointed with our failure to find anywhere to have breakfast out that way we ended up back in Edge Hill at the Botanical Gardens Restaurant and Cafe. They even let us ring ahead and order a Bacon Eggs Benedict (for MS) and a Salmon Eggs Benedict (for me), without any hesitation or problems. We arrived and only waited about two minutes and our Eggs Benedict’s were ready. I have already said in the past and I will say it again… The Botanical Gardens Restaurant and Cafe in Edge Hill still serves the Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns. Upon paying I asked the owner why their Eggs Bennie is just so damn good and she claims that it is because they make the sauce themselves, whereas a lot of other places don’t. Works for me. Now I am straying a little off my usual path with this post because I would really some opinions on just where people think the Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns really is (or if they agree with my claim on the Botanical Gardens) and where the hell can I get a good breakfast at the Northern Beaches? And not just on the weekends. I am intent on trying the breakfast at Lime Tree but I guess I will just have to get there another time when they’re not closed for a function. Suggestions people… Pretty please?
Bang Espresso, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
On Monday morning MS and I went into town to grab some breakfast but unfortunately the place that we were heading to (Mr Wolf formerly Ever After) hadn’t quite re-opened yet. This was much to our dismay after reading that Monday was the day that this was to happen. So off we trotted down Lake Street in search of somewhere else. We walked past the Gingerbread House (that place doesn’t excite me), we thought about Caffiend (went there a couple of days before), we ummed and ahhed about Rehab (just didn’t feel like it) and then we ended up around the corner at Bang Espresso. Before we met on that fateful night, MS was a frequent breakfast diner at Bang until one day when he wandered in for his usual omelette only to find that they had changed the menu and were not serving proper food between this time and that time… Blah blah blah I stopped listening. Anyway ever since that day (about 4 months ago) MS has staged a silent protest and not even gone there for a cup of coffee. That was until I said that I wanted to go there on Monday.
So we strolled into Bang on a very busy Monday morning. There was a few business types discussing businessy type stuff over their laptops, the ubiquitous male and female couple that always leaves me wondering if they are just friends or something more and then there is everyone else. We stood at the counter for what seemed like forever while MS deliberated over just what to order, long after I had decided on the Mexy Eggs (AU$12.90). More on that one in a minute. I think he actually deliberated for so long because he was hoping that I would change my mind and decide to go somewhere else. Poor little lamb did have quite the chip on his shoulder about the whole affair but eventually he did find something to order. He ordered the Fry Up which consisted of Two Eggs, Bacon and Fried Tomato which he swapped for the Mushrooms. As I already said I ordered the Mexy Eggs for AU$12.90 (Chilli Eggs, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Salsa on Turkish Bread) which isn’t on the paper menu but on the wall behind the counter. When I ordered it the waitress turned to whom I can only assume was the Cook and said “Your first Mexy Eggs”. I wasn’t quite sure if she meant that it was his first of the day or his first one ever. Was I the guinea pig in this whole situation? I figured that being the first person could only be a good thing because the Cook would want to make the first one the best to ensure it’s longevity on the special’s board behind the counter. If it sucks then I assume that the Mexy Eggs won’t be hanging around for long.
We took a seat at the long bench-like table at the back of the cafe since there were no other available seats, it was that busy. I didn’t particularly want to sit at the long table because that means that other people are sitting there too and I have already gone through my hesitance to share things. Apparently it doesn’t just stop with my food. Sure enough not long after we sat down, three more people came and sat directly in front of us, rather than the other end which was as far as I could see void of all life. Ah, never mind. While we were reading Monday’s edition of The Cairns Post MS pointed out that there seemed to be a lot of staff doing pretty much nothing and just standing around watching the one on the coffee machine. Meh. As long as our coffee and food arrived in ample time I didn’t really care. Our coffees did arrive in ample time and our food not long after.
My Skinny Cap
The cappuccinos were good, not too hot, not too cold. Not much more I can say really because I’ll readily admit that I am no coffee expert but they do make great coffee at Bang I’ll give them that. MS ordered his eggs poached and they were a little overcooked (no runny eggs *sad face*). It was a pretty decent sized serving with two pieces of buttered toast on the side and a big mound of mushrooms in place of the Fried Tomato. They certainly aren’t stingy with their breakfast sizes at Bang and for the price (AU$13 ish) I think his was good value.
Fry Up – Two Eggs, Bacon and Fried Tomato (swapped for Mushrooms) AU$12.90
My Mexy Eggs looked a lot like Bruschetta Bread with scrambled eggs on top and to be honest tasted a lot like it. It didn’t really look, feel or taste anything like what I would want for breakfast (if anyone has had the Egg’s Benedict at Tosca’s they might have an idea of what I am talking about). Although I did nearly eat the lot I would have preferred to have more eggs with it next time since there really didn’t seem to be a whole lot. Like I said the Mexy Eggs was more like a Bruschetta Bread with a bit of egg in it and a sh*tload of something spicy. The bread definitely needed to be a little more toasted because it pretty much wasn’t at all. Unfortunately for me my Mexy Eggs was smothered in parsley. It’s not that I don’t like parsley because I always ask for tabouli at the Kebab Shop but I just think it’s a little overpowering for some dishes and would prefer to be informed if it is such a big part of my meal.
Mexy Eggs – Chilli Eggs, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Salsa on Turkish Bread (AU$12.90)
So, I can’t say that our Monday breakfast adventure was particularly bad just a little disappointing. I also used eat breakfast at Bang a few months ago before they decided to change their menu and I have to agree with MS when he stresses that they used to have such a good menu and then they canned it for a standard/everyday/boring menu. Yeah, ok there is one uncommon breakfast dish on the wall behind the counter (Mexy Eggs) but nothing that really floats my boat. I can make a Bacon and Mushroom omelette at home. It’s disappointing because now for me (us) there are just so many other better places to go for breakfast (cue Rehab, Caffiend, Mr Wolf and my old favourite Perotta’s) when Bang was once one of them. The one thing that I can say is that Bang does keep their prices low. Everything on their breakfast menu, bar one item, is below the $15 mark, something I find refreshing considering the ridiculous price that some places in town are charging for breakfast these days. When we went out for breakfast last week the place we dined at (*cough* Caffiend *cough*) was charging $22 for one of their breakfast dishes! Absurd! Keeping their prices low is obviously working for the crew at Bang. Myself? Well I kind of prefer a little more choice than the standard breakfast fare otherwise I’d dine at Coffee Club.
Bang Espresso
Shop 8, The Bolands Centre 14 Spence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 7770
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 6.30am – 4.30pm, Sat 7am – 3pm
Website: www.bangespresso.com.au
Taste of China, Cairns
A couple of weeks ago on one particularly busy Friday night MS and I ventured into the Cairns CBD in search of a quiet dinner together before he flew out for work the next morning. Eager to satisfy my craving for a Red Duck Curry we ended up at Cafe Thailand on Aplin St, somewhere I have been a few times before and always enjoyed my meal. Unfortunately this time around the restaurant was quite busy and we stood at the door waiting to be seated only to be ignored by up to six waitstaff aimlessly milling around, including the male host behind another counter accepting payments and then looked on in horror as a group of five that had arrived minutes after us were readily ushered to an available table. No, they didn’t have a booking and yes, there were plenty of tables for two that we could have been seated at. At this point MS and I promptly turned and walked out. They had lost our business for the night and the sour taste that was left in my mouth will cause me to not return for quite a while. It was incredibly rude and I was pretty pissed off about the whole affair as we walked away. We decided to continue on our Asian quest and ended up at Taste of China on Abbott St. A restaurant that has been in Cairns for years and years. I remember doing seafood deliveries with my dad about 15 odd years ago when I was just a wee one. Never in the time that MS and I have lived in Cairns (all our lives) have we eaten there so we decided to give it a go. Well, it was my idea, MS was persuaded by the idea that he coulde order BBQ Pork Buns which he has only recently discovered the wonders of. Something that I have been privy to since I was old enough to say Chinese.
Live Coral Trout waiting to be chosen
We were greeted at the door by a friendly older hostess who ushered us to a table right at the front near the window with a couple of menus to peruse. I ordered a glass of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc for AU$9 while ever the sensible M “I don’t drink” S ordered a glass of Coke. There was a meal deal for AU$39 per person including the choice of two entrees, one main, fried rice and dessert, however we decided that we didn’t want to eat quite that much and went for an entree and two mains to share with some steamed rice included. Of course we ordered the pork buns for entree, however we ordered Shanghai Pork Buns thinking that they were the same thing. On ordering the hostess was cluey enough to inform us that they weren’t infact the BBQ Pork Buns that we thought they were but said that Taste of China did also have those. We’ll have those thanks.
Next up, sticking with the Pork theme MS ordered the BBQ Pork for a main. I wasn’t concerned. BBQ Pork in a bun and on a plate. Hell yes! Being the creature of habit that I am I ordered my usual Boneless Lemon Chicken. We waited between five to ten minutes for our BBQ Pork Bun entree to arrive. As always the buns were light, fluffy and slightly sweet with the yummy pork filling in the middle. We were both a little sad that we only got two Pork Buns for our entree but that is the norm when ordering them at any Chinese restaurant. Our plates were cleared quickly and soon after our mains arrived along with our small steamed rice to share.
BBQ Pork Buns
Firstly the BBQ Pork that MS ordered was bought out and placed between us. The sauce that accompanied the Pork was dark and sticky. A lot more sticky than usual and resembled and tasted much like molasses. It was delicious and the Pork pieces were very tender with just a little bit of fat marbled along the side. We were both very happy with the serving size. The only problem with this dish is that the sauce was so sticky that it was difficult to transfer the sauce from the serving plate onto my own plate of rice. Not exactly something that I would call a big deal but the sauce was so sweet and delicious that I wanted it on my rice. A task that proved most difficult.
BBQ Pork (AU$23.80)
Next up my order of Boneless Lemon Chicken arrived. Now I do have to say that due to my families long running loyalty to Cairns’ favourite Chinese Takeway Kin-Wah my view or idea on Lemon Chicken is a little skewed. I may or may not be a little biased to the way they serve their Lemon Chicken at Kin-Wah and am forever in search of one to match it. I have said in a previous post how amazing the Lemon Chicken at Kin-Wah is and I still haven’t changed my tune. The Lemon Chicken at Taste of China was good but it wasn’t as good as my tried and true. The batter just wasn’t the same, the sauce just wasn’t quite ‘lemony’ enough and as was the case with the BBQ Pork, the consistency of the sauce was a little too thick. Might have to lay off the cornflour just a little next time chef.
Boneless Lemon Chicken (AU$23.80)
We received really good service at Taste of China right up until the point where MS went to pay and pulled out our Table 52 card. Upon this swift movement from his wallet the “I’m happy to serve you in my restaurant” demeanour that we had received from the hostess promptly changed to a “Give me your money and get the hell out of my restaurant” tone. Something neither of us saw coming because she seemed like such a nice lady, happy to accommodate us for dinner. Apparently this wasn’t the case and I’m pretty sure that Table 52 encourage you to produce your card at your dining establishment before ordering. This is something I absolutely refuse to do it for fear of that particular restaurant serving me or my dining companion a smaller amount or giving me any less than the outstanding service that I deserve if I were to pay full price for my meal. Obviously this premise of mine has nothing to do with Table 52 but a sneaking suspicion that MS and I have with certain restaurants that we have dined at.
So, in conclusion, despite the proliferance of MSG in the food at Taste of China, which was something that only became apparent when neither MS or I got a wink of sleep all night even though my alarm was set for 5.30am to get up to take MS to the airport. There was also the odd litre or so of water that I drank through the night because I was just so damn parched! Yeah so despite all this we actually did enjoy our meal at Taste of China. The service was really good (up until a certain point), the food was equally as good and the serving sizes ample. It’s up to you as to whether you produce your Table 52 card early on or later in the piece but me… I would much rather smiles from the hostess serving me than evil glances in between polishing cutlery and spitting in my food.
Taste of China
36 Abbott St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 3668
Rehab, Cairns
Last Saturday MS and I took a wander through the city in search of somewhere to go for a late breakfast. Scratching our heads and tossing around ideas neither of us could come to an agreement on just where we wanted to go until MS suggested Rehab. Of course! I had been there for coffee a few times but had been meaning to try their menu since it came online a few months ago so off we went to Rehab. For a Saturday afternoon, Rehab was as I had expected… busy. Upon entering Rehab we were greeted by the two friendly owners whose names slip my mind at the present but it was nice to be welcomed by such smiling faces. We ordered off the menu on the wall and upon ordering were told that it would be about a 40 minute wait for food. Neither of us were too concerned as long as we had a cappuccino and The Weekend Post we weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere. It was nice to be told of the wait so we had the option to go somewhere else but we stayed at Rehab.
The tables were full of diners and there was only the bench outside that was free until one nice man who was dining by himself gave up his table for so MS and I could sit together and stare into each others eyes (I’m kidding!) But seriously, it was a nice thing to do. Seems strangers with manners do still exist in 2012. In the end after we managed to coax the friendly solo guy away from his outside table we decided to sit inside at one of the larger tables. 1) Because it was a little bit too cold outside and 2) Because I felt that the tables outside were a little bit too intimate. Other diners were literally centimetres from our table and it felt like we just wouldn’t be able to have a conversation without people hearing the entire thing and us hearing theirs.
The decor at Rehab is super funky with grandma’s brown velvet couch in the corner, weird-ass chalk drawings on the walls of bald men and chemical structures (shit, it’s been a while since I did second year Chem), red glowing chandeliers and even a bit of astro turf out the front. Like another popular cafe in Cairns *cough* Caffiend *cough* it’s very Melbournesque except with Caffiend it’s more alley way setting that makes it rather than the decor. I did find Rehab a little bit dark inside but as a bonus at least MS couldn’t see how dry my skin was from being out at sea for the last few weeks. No I am not an old sea hag, it’s the airconditioning I swear! We weren’t waiting long for our cappuccino’s to arrive and when they did we were super amazed by the super amazing coffee art on top that can only be described as pure genius. I get excited when the barista does the whole palm frond/leaf thing on the top of my foam but wow… this was a face. A very delicately drawn face. MS and I admired both of our cappuccino’s wondering how on earth the barista managed to do it but in the end we figured we would just ask him when we payed for our meals. Now the only problem with the coffee art is that our coffees were actually cold. Maybe because they weren’t particular hot in the first place or maybe because the coffee art took just that little bit too long. The coffee, however, was a damn fine cup of coffee I just would have preferred it to be hot rather than luke warm.
Coffee art in my cappuccino
The 40 minutes that we were told to wait for our food flew by pretty quickly while MS and I fought over who got to read which section of the newspaper first and why one turned the page while the other was still reading it. Ah, young(ish) love. Just to be a little different with our breakfast choices, MS went for the Eggs Benedict with Bacon for AU$15 while I went for the 3 Eggs Scrambled with Gypsy Ham and Roasted Tomato (AU$12) with a side of Avocado (AU$3). Both were good sized servings with big thick pieces of toast. MS’ bacon was nice and crispy with the poached eggs delicately perched on top. Slight problem was that the poached eggs were just a little overcooked, something neither of us are a fan of (they need to be runny). The hollandaise sauce had just the right amount of tang to it and wasn’t overpowering, nor was it slathered on. It was exactly as it should be.
Eggs Benedict with Bacon (AU$15)
Having swayed from my usual choice of Eggs Benedict I was more than happy with my 3 Scrambed Eggs with Gypsy Ham and Roasted Tomato and for only AU$12 that seemed like a pretty good deal to me. The side of avocado (an entire half an avo) was the perfect accompanying extra to my breakfast and although I think the scrambled eggs could have been a little fluffier (yes, ok, I am super fussy about eggs goddamnit!) they would have been perfect for MS who “doesn’t like fluffy eggs” and prefers to “cook the sh*t out of them” (pardon my French but it’s getting late). I actually had no idea what Gypsy Ham was although I figured if it had anything to do with Gypsies then it must be stolen. Upon Googling it about 1 minute ago it appears that Gypsy Ham is pretty much just smoked leg ham which got that name from its dark colour and tender texture. Yawn. Ok, it tasted like ham but good ham at that.
3 Eggs Scrambled with Gypsy Ham and Roast Tomato (AU$12) plus a side of Avocado (AU$3)
Despite a couple of egg gripes our all day breakfast experience at Rehab was tantalisingly tasty. The young, vibrant owners are nothing but friendly and accommodating and they even showed us how the Barista does the awesome coffee art that MS and I ummed and ahhed over. I’m not going to tell you how it’s done, you are just going to have to go in and see it for yourself. The fitout and decor is funky and fresh, something that so many Cairns restaurants and cafes are lacking, and the atmosphere is cosy. Seems Rehab is not just somewhere that my low-life alcoholic ex-boyfriend needs to go (whoops that’s a different kind of rehab) but it’s also the name of a cool little coffee shop/cafe on Lake St that I’ll be checking into again very soon.
Rehab
46 Lake St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: 0439 831 824
Opening Hours : Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm, Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm
Website: www.rehabcafe.com.au
Lunch @ Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant, Cairns
Last post on the 21st of June? Geez I have been slack! Apologies again for I have been out of phone range and this is a post I was supposed to do before I was so rudely interrupted to go to work. So MS and I finally made it to the Bayleaf for lunch after many attempts to go there. We went there for a Friday afternoon lunch date with MS’ dad a couple of weeks ago arriving to a restaurant with only a few occupied tables. Sitting down outside near the line of trees along the pathway and the unlit bamboo torches (well it was daytime) we were given menu’s from the waitress and all identified the Balinese Set Lunch for $19.50 per person as what we wanted to eat. The Set Satu consists of Green Papaya and Vegetable Salad, Mixed Sates (that’s how they spell it on the menu), Balinese Chicken Curry, Pork in Sweet Soya Sauce and Fresh Tropical Fruits all served with Steamed Rice, Daily Vegetables, Peanut Sauce and Condiments. All that for AU$19.50 I hear you say? Sh*t yeah!
I could see the lonely chef busily working in the kitchen not far from where we were seated but despite how hurried he looked we didn’t wait too long for our meals to arrive. I did notice, however that the people next to us were served before us even though they arrived after us. The lady did say that they dined there often (I didn’t actually ask her she just felt the need to tell me) so it seems the staff may play favourites but I think she was on her lunch break from the hospital and since we had nothing in particular to do on this fine Friday I let it slide. Our food arrived on a large platter and I have to say it looked fantastic. We did get quite a bit of food between the three of us. Having never been to Bali (I don’t particularly want to go there) I can’t say whether this was genuine Balinese food but it tasted pretty damn good. We got three mixed sate’s each – beef, pork and chicken and they were grilled over their own little bed of hot coals. They had a really nice flame licked flavour and I particularly enjoyed the extra Satay Sauce that they give you on the side because lets face it, you can never get enough Satay Sauce.
Nasi Campur – Set Satu (AU$19.50)
The serving of rice was probably just a little bit small for the three of us but on reading a few reviews it seems that at Bayleaf they happily top up your rice at no extra charge. The Green Papaya salad was delicious. Not as good as my old Thai favourite Som Tum but it was nice and lucky for me MS didn’t seem at all interested in it, while I distracted KS with the Vegetable Salad that had bean sprouts in it. Yuck. Not a fan of bean sprouts. KS however loved the Vegetable Salad so that worked for me.
Green Papaya Salad
One thing that I wish we had more of was what I am assuming was the Daily Vegetables, which upon a bit of googling appears to be called Acar. It’s pretty much just a type of pickle that consists of chopped vegetables in Vinegar. It just reminds me of the good old days when my mum and dad used to get takeaway from Rahmah’s on Shields Street near the Grand Hotel. Does anyone remember that place? I don’t know if I was just too young to know any better but I’m pretty sure the food was amazing! Anyway Rahmah’s used to serve something very similar to the Daily Vegetables that they have at Bayleaf.
Clockwise from left: Daily Vegetables, Soy Sauce with Chili, Satay Sauce
We shared the little bowls of Balinese Chicken Curry and the Pork in Sweet Soya Sauce. I thought that the Chicken Curry was yummier than that Pork because it was really creamy and the chicken was so tender.
Balinese Chicken Curry
The pork pieces were a little overcooked in my opinion but that didn’t seem to bother either MS or KS who didn’t seem to notice. The only problem that I have with the little bowls of curry is that I’m not really that good at sharing, apparently something I have struggled with since I was very young. My mum claims that if you had given me a bag of lollies (no my mum was not in the habit of giving me bags of lollies when I was little but still) and you asked me for one I would whinge and cry for you to go away because for god’s sake I did not want to share those lollies. Whereas my younger sister would apparently give you the whole bag without so much as a tear. Seems I have carried this into my adult life and although you wouldn’t really notice it’s more of an internal struggle. I just get really sick of the same old conversation that I am sure everyone is familiar with… “You have the last piece.” “No I don’t want it, I’m too full. You have it.” “No I don’t want it.” “Ok I’ll have it then.” Let’s face it. You’re not too full and you really do want that last piece. Couldn’t we just save the hassle and give everyone a little bowl of their own?
Pork in Sweet Soya Sauce
To top off our meal (once our plates were cleared) we were served a fruit platter full of fruit including watermelon, honeydew, rockmelon, passionfruit (only two halves between three though), grapes, grapefruit and pomelo. It was a nice way to finish off our meal and the fruits were really juicy and fresh. There was quite a bit there and we couldn’t finish it all despite trying.
Fruit Platter
For those of you that aren’t too keen on spice, the food that we ate wasn’t particularly spicy and I can tell you that with confidence because even the slightest hint of spice has MS a complete sniffly mess. I know this because I cooked him a very mild Thai Green Curry when we first got together only to have him use half a box of tissues and down nearly two litres of milk to ‘stop the burning’ (so romantic). Lucky for the waitresses at Bayleaf there was no sniffly mess this particular Friday. Having dined at Bayleaf Restaurant for dinner I have to say that the atmosphere is a lot better at night. The presence of the lit bamboo torches certainly gives the place a very exotic feel whereas during the day it’s just a plain old restaurant with views of the hospital. Don’t let that deter you though because the Balinese Set Lunch is not only delicious but also good value for those of you who don’t mind sharing and even those of you that do (like me).
Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant
Corner of Lake and Gatton St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 4622
Opening Hours: Lunch Mon – Fri 12pm – 2pm, Dinner 7 days 6pm till late
Website: www.bayvillage.com.au/bayleaf
Dundee’s On The Waterfront, Cairns
I have been hanging onto this review for a couple of weeks now. Not because I have been lazy but I have just been a little busy with work and as a result prioritising the things in my life. Who am I kidding my blog really does take priority over my work and lucky for me I am able to belt out a post or two while my boss (skipper) isn’t watching. So, MS and I went to Dundee’s for dinner a couple of weeks ago for a friend’s birthday. This would be the second friend’s birthday that I have attended at Dundee’s and the third time that I have dined there. Dundee’s is another restaurant that has been open in Cairns for a considerably long time. How long you ask? Well I have no idea since the website doesn’t tell me but I do remember it’s humble beginnings back on Spence St in the what is now a vacant restaurant/bar space that has been home to Little Aussie Bum, Zen Tapas and few other places that must have lasted such a short amount of time that I simply can’t recall their name. What we need there is one of those modern Mexican restaurants that have taken off down south. Anyone that has a monthly subscription to Delicious Magazine will know what I am talking about (Mamasita, yes please). Anyway I didn’t start this post to talk about what restaurants Cairns does and doesn’t need (it probably doesn’t need any new bars/restaurants considering the mortality rate of anything new that opens in Cairns) so back to Dundee’s.
On this particular Friday night Dundee’s was crawling with diners and tour groups alike. In fact I haven’t not seen it crawling with people on any given night, having dined there on a Monday night and also a Saturday. It certainly is popular or maybe like another Aussie cuisine restaurant in Cairns (Ochre) they just know how to advertise and advertise well? Their prime position on the waterfront may also have something to do with it but that doesn’t seem to help poor old Haveli whom I told MS (his favourite restaurant) I would give a shout out to for their amazing Butter Chicken that he longs for daily. At Dundee’s we were seated at the longest table off to the right side next to the barrier that separated Dundee’s from Haveli. Right in the direct line of sight for the owner of Haveli and MS. One glance said it all, without a word spoken between the two… “What are you doing over there at that restaurant and why aren’t you over here eating succulent Butter Chicken and delicate garlic Naan Bread with me?” Ahhh, there was always tomorrow.
One of the benefits of having large groups dine at Dundee’s is their willingness to split the bill, something that really bugs me when dining out and seems to be a problem at lots of restaurants. What the hell is the problem with splitting the bill? Especially considering I am NOT paying on my credit card (I don’t own a credit card, note: I have an excellent credit rating it’s a lifestyle choice). At Dundee’s they give each of you a little laminated number that everything including your drinks can go on and you simply take it up to the counter with you at the end of the night and BAM! there is your bill. Genius! It’s something that I wish more restaurants would incorporate since I don’t see myself dining at Barnacle Bills anytime soon (the only other restaurant I know in Cairns that does it). The table ordered drinks, which arrive in those tiny little glass bottles which hold barely a mouthful and are really just a gimmick. Give me post mix godammit! I don’t want my gin and tonic with a little bottle of tonic! Moving on.
Upon serving the drinks one of the waitresses (there were two serving our large table) spilled an entire glass of wine on my friend AA who was sitting right next to me. She is damn lucky she didn’t spill it on me and normally I would just class that as purely an accident but this is the second time that a waiter at Dundee’s has spilled an entire glass of wine on someone I was dining with, having it happen at MS’ staff work party a few months prior. Now either, Dundee’s needs to hire some better qualified staff or maybe they shouldn’t have the diners so tightly packed in such a small space and maybe, just maybe, their waiters would have a bit of space to move around. So poor old AA who wasn’t even drinking the wine (the person across from him was) was forced to sit there for the rest of our dining experience with wine all over his shorts (yes he was wearing shorts at dinner but that’s AA for you). I sincerely hope that he didn’t get pulled over by the booze bus on the way home because winding down the window and the subsequent waft of stale booze to follow may not have helped his answer… “Have you had anything to drink tonight?” “No I haven’t.” Bullshit.
So MS and I browsed through the menu, and browsed through the menu, and browsed through the menu. I couldn’t really find anything that I wanted to eat and having already served us three lots of Garlic Bread at the table neither of us wanted an entree. I have had the Calamari Strips here before and they were very nice but I didn’t feel like them tonight. The menu is quite extensive with everything from Pasta, to Seafood, to Seafood Pasta and the synonymous Bush Tucker that you would expect. After much deliberation and almost going with the mussels, only to be stopped by the memory of a previous ‘small mussel’ dining experience at Dundee’s, I chose the Kangaroo Loin. I have developed quite a penchant for Kangaroo (dog food I hear some of you say) of late but apparently it only tastes good when I cook it? My Kangaroo was described as Peppered Kangaroo Loin Fillet, Char-Grilled and Sliced with Crispy Proscuitto , Red Wine Jus and Wild Rosella Jam (AU$29.00). Sounded pretty good to me. MS, dodging the many seafood dishes, went for the safest option on the menu as would be expected for him and chose the Chicken Breast pocketed with Sundried Tomatoes and Avocado, oven baked and served with Sweet Potato and Creamy Macadamia Nut Pesto Sauce (AU$27.50).
We chatted with our fellow birthday party diners while we waited watching the large seafood platters emerge from the kitchen and proceed to the tables of excited Japanese couples, whereby photos and peace hand gestures ensued. I was super jealous, wishing that I had the $180 odd to spend on a Seafood Platter adorned with a mudcrab but alas, I did not. (I’d rather spend it on a new dress). Despite our large table size (20 odd) our meals arrived pretty much all together with a parade of waiter’s. One older waiter whose attitude I did not like one bit. Standing at one end of the table he bellowed “Who ordered the Barramundi?” No one responded since half the table didn’t even hear him since it was such a large table. “No one?” And then he just put it down at an empty seat and walked away! WTF? Hello Dundee’s website that states that their mission is to “maintain professional service that consistently exceed customer expectations”, amongst other things. He certainly exceeded my frigin customer expectations. Had he had any patience about him whatsoever he would have hung onto that damn Barramundi Fillet until he had found it’s rightful owner. I couldn’t believe it. Moving on…
Next up mine and MS’ meals arrived. Presentation? Hmmm, pretty lacklustre if you ask me. We waited the obligatory two to three minutes until everyone else got their meal and then we started. MS’ Chicken Breast came with lashings of Macadamia Nut Pesto Sauce that was creamy (as stated in the menu) but was also extremely bland and boring. The masses of Sweet Potato hiding underneath were nothing desirable and probably would have been better off either roasted or mashed but it seems that Sweet Potato chunks are the plate filler at Dundee’s, coming out with quite a few meals including my own. There was hardly any Sundried Tomato and Avocado filling inside at all and although MS enjoyed his Chicken Breast, lets be honest it was just a Chicken Breast with sauce on it. Nothing special but then again maybe MS’ should have ordered something a little more shall we say adventurous?
Chicken Breast – Chicken Pocketed with Sundried Tomatoes and Avocado. Oven baked and served with Sweet Potato and a Creamy Macadamia Nut Pesto Sauce (AU$27.50)
Next up was my main which came with a rather large steak knife, apparently the same steak knife that I needed to saw through my tough, stringy, absolutely horrible piece of Kangaroo Loin that should only be fed to a labrador and certainly not at a fine dining restaurant. Where was my tender, succulent, melt in your mouth Kangaroo Loin that I had so excitedly ordered? There were two pieces of Kangaroo Loin on my plate and I barely got through one. So much for sliced Kangaroo Loin as stated on the menu. I’m not one to waste food since my dad always taught me to eat everything on my plate, a teaching that plagues me this day but I just couldn’t eat it. And to make matters worse I couldn’t give away the other piece to any of my fellow 19 diners. I had strayed off the garden path just this one time with my selection, figuring that people (tourists) come to Dundee’s for a truly Aussie dining experience so it must be good, right? Wrong.
Kangaroo Loin – Peppered Kangaroo Fillet, Char-Grilled and Sliced with Crispy Prosciutto, Red-Wine Jus and Wild Rosella Jam (AU$29.00)
I conferred with a few people around me and apart from AA next to me who had some sort of pasta dish no one was impressed and there was large amounts of food left behind and wasted on peoples plates. MS was disappointed that we had wasted our money at Dundee’s when we could have been eating right next door at Haveli and actually enjoyed our meal and received much better service. But, we were at a birthday and we were there to celebrate so we carefully hid our disappointment. Having had my third mediocre dining experience at Dundee’s I do have to say I won’t be back, unless of course another one of my friends decides to have a birthday there, which I will strongly protest towards. Yeah it’s a good place to have a group booking and the atmosphere is nice but you can’t choose a restaurant just because they split the bill and there are sh*tloads of better restaurants on the waterfront in Cairns. Surely the food has to come into account somewhere? Maybe Dundee’s needs to put a bit more money into hiring a better chef(s) and more qualified staff (come at me professional service!) rather than spending so much money on advertising? Am I being unreasonable here? I don’t think so. All I want is a nice piece of Kangaroo Loin on my Friday night dinner is that asking too much? ‘Flavours of Australia’ my ass! Yep, I have a bee in my bonnet and it’s going to be damn hard to remove it.
Dundee’s Restaurant on the Waterfront
Cairns Harbour Lights, 1 Marlin Pde, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 0399
Website: www.dundees.com.au
4 Cheese Pizza @ Bel Paese, Cairns
Got to fulfill my wish of having the Award-Winning Four Cheese Pizza (Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Blue) at Bel Paese last week and I have to say it was amazing! Not to mention their yummy Puttanesca and the Fettucine Casa Nostra that MS ordered. The only thing that could make this pizza better would be five cheeses! So gooooood!
10″ Four Cheese Pizza (AU$16.90)
Bel Paese
45 Spence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 6165
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 5pm till late
Website: www.belpaesecairns.com.au
Lan’s Vietnamese Restaurant, Cairns
Last Saturday my friend RS and I were looking for somewhere to go for a cheap feed and decided on (well I decided on) Lan’s Vietnamese Restaurant after hearing a few good things about it on Facebook and via other online sources (Trip Advisor). My Lan’s Vietnamese Restaurant Table 52 card may have also had something to do with my selection. Being a BYO (Wine Only) Restaurant I asked RS if she would like to get a bottle of wine for herself and I would be the designated driver. She politely declined and after a big night a few nights earlier on a nasty spirit starting with T and ending with Ila I also opted for the water. We arrived just after 8 at Lan’s to find the restaurant about a third full. After a little bit of confusion from the two waitstaff as to who was going to seat us we were shown to a seat at the front of the restaurant, right near the entrance.
The waitress that claimed us fetched some water and some glasses and bought us some menus. RS and I had a lot of catching up to do after a slight falling out between us late last year but we were moving on with a friendly Saturday night dinner pretty much picking up right where we left off. In between catching up the waitress came over a few times to ask us for our order but neither of us had had a chance to even glance at the menu yet. The waitress wasn’t bothered and I told her that I would let her know when we were ready. We both had a look at the menu and I have to say that nothing on the menu interested either of us in the slightest. It all sounded very boring, so much so that RS pulled a 2-4-1 meal voucher out of her bag for another restaurant in town and asked if we should go there instead. I figured that since we were here already and seated with water that we should give it a try. Eventually I gave the waitress the old ‘nod’ and she came over and took our order. We both decided to skip the entrees and went straight for the mains. RS ordered the Vietnamese Chicken Ginger and Rice for AU$18.50 and I ordered the Stir-fry Chicken Lemongrass and Rice (AU$18.50) from the Special’s Menu that surprisingly (much like the specials board out the front of Fetta’s) hasn’t changed since I dined at Lan’s well over 6 months ago. According to the menu the Stiryfry Chicken Lemongrass is ‘cooked with love’ so I figured it must be good!
We waited about 10 minutes for our meals to arrive which is almost too quick but hey there isn’t much to a Stir-fry Chicken, really. The meals looked very similar except my Stir-fry Chicken Lemongrass was darker in colour than RS’ Vietnamese Chicken Ginger. Each meal came with a large plate of rice. A plate that I thought was much too big for me when I saw it but typically I ate the lot as did RS.
We both dug into our meals sharing a little so we could each taste what the other had ordered. RS told me she didn’t care much for my Chicken Lemongrass because it was too salty while I told her I didn’t care much for her Chicken Ginger because it was too bland. RS enjoyed her meal although she did say that it was nothing special and she also managed to pull a couple of ‘questionable’ looking pieces of chicken out of it and put them on the side. To me her meal had almost no flavour at all except for a few slivers of fresh ginger stirred through it. She did however finish the entire meal.
Vietnamese Chicken Ginger and Rice (AU$18.50)
I enjoyed my Chicken Lemongrass but I do have to admit that it wasn’t anything special and it really was very salty but then again I would rather it be salty than taste like nothing. It really just looked like something that had been carelessly thrown together, not like something ‘cooked with love’ as stated on the menu. I did finish it and minus a few stray bits of capsicum that I pushed to the side (another vegetable I’m not fond of).
Stirfry Chicken Lemongrass and Rice (AU$18.50)
I have to say after two occasions of dining at Lan’s (I didn’t write about the last one) I am really not very impressed at all. The service is good yeah but the food is very ordinary and the atmosphere is terrible. I can’t put my finger on why but it’s just feels very sterile. There is more atmosphere at the Nightmarkets food hall. I am assuming that the majority of the customers that dine there are staying at the Discovery Resort that Lan’s is attached to. In the end I can’t really complain since the meal did only cost us just under AU$10 each but the fact that the menu was so undesirable that we nearly left in search of somewhere else to eat is pretty bad. The only thing that’s going for it really is the ‘BYO Wine’. Our decision not to drink is a decision that RS and I probably should have reconsidered.
Lan’s Vietnamese Restaurant
183 Lake St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4044 9796
Opening Hours: 7 days 6am – 10am, 6pm-10pm
Website: www.lansvietnameserestaurant.com.au
foodvixen 