Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns, Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe
It’s a big call but I have consistently said that the Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe have the Best Eggs Benedict in Cairns! The eggs are perfectly poached (not too runny, not too hard), the bread is fresh, there is just the right amount of hollandaise sauce with just the right hint of lime and the Salmon Eggs Benedict has capers are sprinkled over the top. What is a salmon eggs benedict without capers huh? YUM! But seriously, it is seriously good Eggs Benedict right in the heart of the Botanical Garden’s.
Tasmanian Smoked Salmon Benedict with Baby Capers (AU$17.90)
A bonus for the coffee lovers is the so-called ‘Fish bowl’ of coffee that is also available here at the Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe. MS and I actually thought the waitress was kidding when she said fish bowl but on being bought our cappucino’s we realised that she was indeed telling the truth. The fish bowl is a bowl, not a cup as there are no handles, of pure unadulterated coffee for only $6 and finishing it is no mean feat!
Cappucino in a ‘fish bowl’ AU$6
Botanical Garden’s Restaurant and Cafe
Collins Ave, Edge Hill
Ph: 4053 7087
Open: Daily 7am – 4.30pm
Website: www.cafebotanic.com.au
Lunch Thali’s at Marinades Indian Restaurant, Cairns
With the plethora of Indian Restaurants available to dine at in Cairns its hard to know just which one to go to these days but one that has truly stood the test of time in our grand city is Marinades on Spence St. A few friends and I rocked on into Marinades last Thursday for lunch after a series of ‘blockies’ in an attempt to find a parking spot in the vicinity. It wasn’t even market day! At Marinades the lunch set met is a meat or vegetarian thali. The Vegetarian Thali consists of three vegetarian curries, raita, jasmine rice and dessert for AU$10 while the Meat Thali consists of a meat dish (either lamb or chicken), two vegetable curries, raita, jasmine rice and a dessert all for AU$12. On top of that if you are really hungry you can get the Deluxe Thali and that includes both the chicken and the lamb for AU$16. We each ordered a Meat Thali except for my ‘man-friend’ MS who ordered the Deluxe Thali because, well, he’s a big, hungry man. We also got some naan bread on the side because you just can’t resist the naan bread here it’s so damn good!
Meat Thali with Lamb Curry, Two Vegetable Curries, Raita, Jasmine Rice and Dessert (AU$12)
According to the waitress the curries available in the Thali change daily and on this particular day they were Chicken Korma and Lamb Rogan Josh. Pretty standard curries for this type of dish but then again you don’t want to get too imaginative with diners coming in for the lunch special especially odd people like my man-friend MS who seem to think that all curries have raisins in them. I, for one, am completely horrified by this thought. I ordered the lamb curry which was well, lamb curry but it was pretty good. Call me simple but my favourite dish in the Thali is the raita. I could literally ‘shower in that shit’ it’s so good! Wrapping up, the lunch set menu at Marinades is great value for money, a good size, super tasty and the large table of Indian’s dining next us has got to say something as to the quality of the Indian food here.
Marinades
43 Spence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 1422
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm-10pm (closed Monday’s)
$15 Bento Box @ Hanuman, Hilton Cairns Hotel *CLOSED DOWN*
Another lunch special available in the Cairns CBD during the week is the $15 bento box at Hanuman at the Hilton, overlooking Trinity Inlet. Myself, FW and TT went to check it out last Friday and were pleasantly surprised. The $15 bento box includes rice, salad, two curries and a chutney/sauce. The waiter informed me that the curries change daily so you never know what you are going to get. On this particular day however our’s was a Thai Indian Bento Box with Green Curry of Chicken in a Classic Thai Curry with Sweet Basil, Kaffir Lime Leaf and Chilli, Seasonal Vegetables Steamed and Served with Oyster Sauce, Garlic and Soy, Fresh Green Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Carrot Ribbons, Mango Pickle with Cumin, Coriander and Mustard Seeds and Jasmine Rice. The Green Curry was absolutely divine, so much in fact I was desperately trying to mop up and leftover sauce with my rice. I also really enjoyed the Seasonal Vegetables as they were fresh, crunchy and dressed in a delicious oyster, garlic and soy sauce. The one thing we all found a little odd was the Fresh Green Salad included in the Bento Box as its not really a Thai Indian type salad and just seemed to be out of place with curries, pickle and veges.
Thai Indian Bento Box with Green Curry of Chicken, Seasonal Vegetables, Fresh Salad, Mango Pickle and Steamed Jasmine Rice
Hanuman is a great place to go mid-week for a cheap, quick and super delicious lunchtime meal in a really beautiful and quiet setting with Trinity Inlet just outside the floor to ceiling windows. If time is limited you can inform the waiter for an extra speedy meal so its perfect for the office execs who just want a quick bight to eat. With the curries on offer changing daily you never really know what you are going to get but in my opinion that sort of adds to the whole appeal of it.
Hanuman
34 The Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4052 6786
Opening Hours: Lunch Mon – Fri 12pm – 3pm, Dinner 7 nights 6pm till late
Website: www.hanuman.com.au
Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe, Cairns
Some friends and I went to check out the recently opened but not ‘officially’ opened Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe on the Cairns Esplanade for dinner. It’s taken over from where Cocoa Amour used to be, right next door to La Pizza. The girl at the bar told me that they have been open for a couple of weeks now on the sly but haven’t officially been announced as open which I am assuming will happen in the next few weeks. It’s a very funky looking bar with a few tables out the front and inside a dancing area, some booths, comfy couches and neon lights to complete the overall bar feel. We were after a cheap meal on this particular Wednesday night and the Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe seemed like the perfect option with its menu consisting of a selection of reasonably priced wraps, burgers and old favourites like Chicken Parmigiana, Steak and Fish and Chips.
My three friends and I ordered at the bar and then took up a table out the front near the footpath so we could people watch. We probably only waited about 15 minutes for our food, which was a nice change from some other restaurants I have been to lately. All wraps and burgers come with chips and your choice of Garden Salad or Caesar Salad. SM ordered the Portugese Chicken Wrap with Peri-Peri Tenderloin, Grilled Onion, Feta, Avocado and Roasted Peppers (AU$12.90). In her words it was ‘pretty good’ and she gave it a 7/10.
Portugese Chicken Wrap with Peri-Peri Tenderloin, Grilled Onion, Feta, Avocado and Roasted Peppers (AU$12.90)
Next up LL ordered the Double Bacon Cheeseburger with a Grilled Beef Patty, Two Bacon Rashers, Double Cheese, Dijon-Aioli and Salad (AU$13.90). In his words it was a ‘good’ size, the meat was ‘good’, the chips were ‘good’ and the salad was awesome (we all ordered the garden salad).
Double Bacon Cheeseburger with a Grilled Beef Patty, Two Bacon Rashers, Double Cheese, Dijon-Aioli and Salad (AU$13.90)
On my right AL ordered the Peri-Peri Chicken Burger with Special Chilli Sauce, Chicken Tenderloin, Peppers, Salad and Avocado (AU$14.90). In AL’s words the bun was nice and soft, the chips were good, the size of the meal was ‘just right’ and the salad was dressed just right (that’s very important with salads). He enjoyed it but apparently would have preferred it as a wrap instead of a burger.
Peri-Peri Chicken Burger with Special Chilli Sauce, Chicken Tenderloin, Peppers, Salad and Avocado (AU$14.90)
Lastly, I ordered the Greek Lamb Wrap with Marinated Lamb, Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Rocket, Fetta, Yogurt and Garlic (AU$12.90). Ever the kebab lover I was taken with the words ‘yogurt and garlic’. The wrap was delish and I really like that they had rocket on it instead of plain old lettuce and the chips were super yummy!
Greek Lamb Wrap with Marinated Lamb, Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Rocket, Fetta, Yogurt and Garlic (AU$12.90)
Restaurants that have set up in this location haven’t done particularly well in the past but considering Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe’s good food, funky fitout, friendly staff and good service they might just stand the test of time. With competition like Grill’d just down the way Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe’s owners have obviously recognised the need to serve tasty but cheap burgers and the like. My friends and I will be back without a doubt (in fact I know my friends already have). The only thing for this funky bar/cafe to do now is open (officially).
Ibiza Beach Bar Cafe
91 The Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Opening Hours: 7 days 10am – 2pm
Best Chinese Take-away in Cairns, Kin-Wah Chinese Take-away
Everyone claims that they know a Chinese take-away that is the ‘best in town’. I have tried and tested many Chinese take-aways in and around Cairns and Kin-Wah Chinese Take-away on Florence St takes the cake or in this case the Sweet and Sour Pork! My family has been going to see Francis and Peter at Kin-Wah for over 20 years, however Francis informs me that they have been open for over 33 years! Their food is fresh, their seafood is local and Francis always serves you with a smile. I recommend the Lemon Chicken!
Kin-Wah Chinese Take-away
Shop 9/24 Florence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 2102
Opening hours:
The Edge Fruit and Vege Cafe, Edge Hill – Take 2 *CLOSED DOWN*
My family and I first went to The Edge Fruit and Vege Cafe about two weeks after they began their dinner menu in May of this year and although the food was exceptional, the service that we received on the night was somewhat of a let down. To quote a previous post about dinner at The Edge… “The food was great however the service was not. This may be because the restaurant had only been open a couple of weeks and the staff were still learning the ropes and hopefully this will smooth over in the next few weeks because I will be back.” I had finally found the time to return to see if this was the case. We booked a table outside the restaurant up on the platform next to the road as last time we sat inside and found it to be quite noisy and to sound a bit strange, well, I don’t like the shape of the tables they have inside the restaurant.
Our booking was for 7pm but we arrived at 7.15pm as seems to be the norm for my family. The restaurant was about half full and the waiter informed us that everyone had arrived at once and we needed to “bare with him for the moment”. About 10 minutes later he came back with the drinks and dinner menu and proceeded to tell us that they had sold out of a few things on the menu. There was no steak, no fish of the day (salmon fillet) and no osso bucco. So out of the nine or so dishes available for main meals, three were unavailable and this was at 7.30pm on a Saturday night. We were flabbergasted and almost got up and left the restaurant in search of somewhere that did have all the food mentioned on the menu. We did, however soldier on and ordered our drinks and meals 25 minutes after we arrived. It didn’t take long for our drinks to arrive but the waiter forgot to pour the red wine and instead bought out an empty cup, returning midway through serving our drinks to get the bottle of red. We also ordered a beer and a bottle of Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc which was left in the cooler and we had to pour the wine ourselves along with the beer. Our entree was Grilled Turkish Bread with Herb Confit Garlic Oil and Local Spiced Dukkah (AU$6.50) and that arrived about 15 minutes after we had ordered. It was quite a big serve, good for the price of only $6.50 and quite tasty too.
Grilled Turkish Flatbread with Herb Confit Garlic and Local Spiced Dukkah (AU$6.50)
Our mains arrived approximately half an hour after our entree but we couldn’t help but notice that the four people seated next to us that had actually arrived before us were left waiting long after our mains turned up and they didn’t look happy about it. Dad ordered the pasta of the day which was a Fettucine Seafood Marinara full of mussels and prawns. It was a good sized serving and dad said that it tasted great but he was surprised to find a prawn head in it. The prawn head didn’t appear to be for dish presentation as it was buried underneath the pasta and mussels. My mum and sister both ordered the Caramelized Ribs – Pork and Beef with Vietnamese Salad and Taro Chips (AU$27.50), which they also ordered last time we dined at The Edge. Last time the ribs were plentiful and succulent however this time around they were disappointed by the fact that there appeared to be no pork ribs, only beef ribs and the serving size was about half of what it was last time. Mum even had a large rib bone that had been placed on her plate without even one sliver of meat on it. Not only that but the meat that was served was extremely fatty and most of it got pushed to the side of the plate.
Caramelized Ribs – Beef and Pork with Vietnamese Salad and Taro Chips (AU$27.50)
Lastly, I ordered the Herb Braised Field Mushroom with Cacciatore Sausage and Goats Cheese on Wilted Rocket with Green Olive Puree and red wine caramel (AU$28.00) as a main dish. We had ordered this dish as an entree last time we had dined at The Edge and it was fantastic in fact I said that I would come backjust for a main of that dish. So it seemed I was true to my word! The second time around I very disappointed and althought it was tasty it was no where near as tasty as the last time we had shared it as an entree. The portion size was that of the entree and upon asking the waiter if what I was served was a main size, the waiter counted the mushrooms (I had three on my plate) and I was told that entrees have one while mains have three. About five minutes later the waiter returned and said that after a discussion with the chef in the kitchen he was only going to charge entree prices for my ‘main’ because I was supposed to have five mushrooms instead of three. He said he could arrange for the extra mushrooms to be served to me but I refused as I was actually a bit full by that stage. Having said that it would have been nice to have received all five mushrooms upon the intial serving of my ‘main’. The waiter also informed us that the usual chef for the restaurant was in fact sick on this particular evening and that was attributing to the slight confusion in the size of the dishes as well as what was actually being served to the customers.
Herb braised field mushroom with cacciatore sausage and goats cheese on wilted rocket with green olive puree and red wine caramel (AU$28.00)
To finish off our meal we perused the dessert menu and ordered the Elegant Persian Sweet Plate (AU$13) to share amongst us while I ordered a long macchiato since I had a long night ahead of me and was feeling a bit flat. The sweet plate consisted of Persian fairy floss, nougat, biscotti, turkish delight, affogato and a few other odd sweets that we forgot to ask about. Mum delighted in the turkish delight which she claimed was delish and scoffed the lot. The sweet plate was yummy and good for sharing amongst the table.
Elegant Persian Sweet Plate (AU$13)
So the verdict: I had said that I would return to give the The Edge Fruit and Vege Cafe another chance after dining there previously. The second time around the service was better than last time but then again the waiter didn’t have all that much to work with and obviously didn’t work well under pressure. To run out of ‘big’ main meal items such as the fish of the day, steak and osso bucco at 7.30pm on a Saturday night is pretty poor and certainly disappointing for diners especially when the dinner part of the restaurant is only open three nights a week. I understand that the usual chef for the restaurant was sick on the night and this only added to the overall bad dining experience. As the popular saying goes ‘If you can’t handle the heat, then get out of the kitchen’. The Edge Fruit and Vege Cafe? You’ve had your second chance.
Coco’s Restaurant Business Lunch, Cairns
I am currently attempting to trawl through the enormous amount of lunch specials that are on offer in Cairns during the week. Coco’s Restaurant at The Sebel (formerly the Cairns International Hotel) is one of those places, offering a three course lunch with a glass of wine for a mere $30 a head. Sounds too good to be true! I have dined at the Sebel many times over the years usually for their highly regarded Sunday Brunch, which is said to be one of the best in town. We chose The Sebel because it was pretty windy and cold outside so we went for a nice indoor setting and Coco’s Restaurant certainly provides that. We were greeted by a waitress who ushered us to our seats, right next to a couple dining in the restaurant. Since there was only four tables of two occupying the restaurant I thought it was bit strange to seat us all on top of each other. Maybe she was trying to plan ahead for the rush of people at lunch time? Alas, this was the not the case as no one else turned up.
The waitress handed us our menus and poured us a glass of water and a glass of Goodwyn Semillion Sauvignon Blanc. The wine wasn’t very nice but then again I’m not a big fan of semillion at the best of times. FW and I perused the menu and made a selection from three entrees, three mains and three desserts. We both commented that the menu was a little bit heavy for lunch especially one termed the “Business Lunch” with the assumption being that those business and executive types can come and have a three course lunch and go back and not fall asleep at their desk with a ridiculously full stomach. Still, we didn’t have to go to work after. For entree FW ordered the Sweet Potato, Kessler Bacon Arancini and Tomato Salsa with Rocket and Parmesan Salad. It looked delicious when it came out and FW said it was ‘nice’ and that’s all well and good but it seems that the chef forgot to put the tomato salsa on the plate.
Sweet Potato, Kessler Bacon Arancini and Tomato Salsa with Rocket and Parmesan Salad
I ordered the Tempura Soft Shell Crab with Fennel and Citrus Salad and Smoked Paprika Aioli. The crab was nice and crispy and it was delicious. I asked the waitress if she could find out where the crab was from and she looked at me like I was from another planet, tottered off into the kitchen and came back and said she couldn’t find the chef. Bit strange considering he was supposed to be in there preparing our mains. The fennel salad was tasty but consisted mostly of very woody endive leaves that I found difficult to eat. I would have preferred if it was just fennel and citrus as stated on the menu.
Tempura Soft Shell Crab with Fennel and Citrus Salad and Smoked Paprika Aioli
For main FW ordered the Vegetable and Tofu Spring Roll with Baby Bok Choy, Peanut Sauce and Steamed Rice. It seems the presentation for the meal took more effort than the actual preparation of the meal because the spring rolls certainly looked appetising but FW claimed they tasted horrible and ended up only eating the bok choy and the rice and leaving the spring rolls on the side.
Vegetable and Tofu Spring Roll with Baby Bok Choy, Peanut Sauce and Steamed Rice
For my main I ordered the Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic Mash, Root Vegetables and Shiraz Jus. The entire meal was delicious and the mash was nice and creamy, the lamb shanks were just a little bit tough and didn’t quite fall off the bone. A little bit heavy for lunch but like I said I wasn’t working after our meal so no skin off my nose.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic Mash, Root Vegetables and Shiraz Jus
Now last but not least were the desserts, FW ordered the House Brie, Walnut Bread, Apple and Drunken Muscatel. This was by far her favourite dish of the three, it was simple yet effective (and yummy too). FW said she would have preferred more walnut bread as opposed to the assortment of water crackers but then anything with brie in it usually has FW’s seal of approval.
House Brie, Walnut Bread, Apple and Drunken Muscatel
I chose the old favourite Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. You really can’t go wrong with sticky date pudding. It was light and fluffy and there was a plethora of butterscotch sauce to mop it up with. Yum!
Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream
Business lunch at Coco’s Restaurant, would I go there again? Probably not, no. The food wasn’t very exciting nor special, with the desserts being the highlight of the three courses. The choices on the menu for the three courses could have been a bit more imaginative and also a bit lighter and on top of that the waitress was extremely disinterested but maybe she was just having a bad day. Sunday brunch at Coco’s Restaurant is pretty spectacular (for Cairns anyway) but the business lunch during the week is no more than mediocre at best.
Coco’s Restaurant
The Sebel 17 Abbott St, Cairns
Ph: 1800 079 100
Website: www.sebelcairns.com.au
Opening Hours: 11.30am till 4pm daily
Spoons, Cairns
Here’s a quick one for you… If you are looking for a cute and exceptionally yummy place to go for breakfast one day and don’t want to be hassled by finding a park right in the city then Spoons is the place to go. Spoons is a teeny cafe on Aplin St that does breakfast, lunch and catering. I’d heard about the place from a few people and my favourite neighbour DR had also heard that it was worth trying so we skipped our usual haunt and went to Spoons.
First thing about Spoons and probably the reason I hadn’t tried it sooner is the outside area, its not the best atmosphere, I must admit, but this is really due to its location (i.e. there’s no waterfront or esplanade outlook). Inside the shop however, the decor is fresh and bright with shiny wooden floors and a friendly waitress behind the counter waiting to take your order. We ordered two cappuccino’s, DR ordered the Marscarpone Pancakes with Forest Berries Compote and Vanilla Marscarpone (AU$12.50). DR said that it was in fact delicious and it certainly looked enticing from my side of the table.
Marscapone Pancakes with Forest Berries Compote and Vanilla Marscapone (AU$12.50)
Since I had just been to the gym I ordered the Low Carb Breakfast with Poached Eggs on Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Wilted Baby Spinach, Aged Balsamic Reduction and a drizzle of Hollandaise Sauce (AU$13.50). Perfect low carb breakfast for those who don’t want to eat bread but still feel like they have consumed something. My breakfast was super yummy and for once I didn’t have food envy.
Low Carb Breakfast with Poached Eggs on Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Grilled Mushrooms, Wilted Baby Spinach, Aged Balsamic Reduction and a drizzle of Hollandaise Sauce (AU$13.50)
As we payed I glanced over the counter to see a woman in the kitchen putting the final touches on a huge sandwich platter, part of their catering service I am assuming. It looked so delicious that I made a mental note to come to Spoons if I ever need some catering done in the future. Spoons is a great little place for coffee and a yummy breakfast without all the hustle and bustle of the inner city cafe’s. Now I just have to try their lunch and catering menu!
Spoons
4/46 Aplin St, Cairns
Ph: (07) 4031 1110
Website: www.spoonscatering.com.au
Opening Hours: Tues – Fri 7am-2.30pm, Sat 8am-11.30am
Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum, Cairns
One of Cairns’ hidden gems is the authentic and super cute Japanese noodle restaurant on Spence Street, Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum. It’s a little hole in the wall place that is almost too easy to walk straight past and when you ask somene if they have been to the Noodle Colosseum and they haven’t they look at you like you have gone mad. I took SF and MF to Ganbaranba one Tuesday night and when we arrived there was the typical fare of Japanese and locals ‘in the know’. When you step inside you almost feel like you are in Japan. All the staff here are very friendly and when you walk in you are greeted in unison with the usual cheery ‘Irasshaimase’ by the chefs behind the noodle bar while the equally cheery waitress greets you and asks you where you would like to sit. We took our seats and browsed over the menu’s while our waitress poured us some glasses of ice cold Oolong tea.
To start we ordered some of the very tasty gyoza that Ganbaranba followers rave about. They are made fresh daily too! The gyoza came out quickly and steaming hot but since we ordered two lots of five (AU$4 for 5) we had to decide who got the extra one. I got it. We all commented on how good they were and SF reckoned she could eat 80 of them she liked them that much.
Gyoza made fresh daily (AU$4 for 5)
While waiting for your mains you can help yourself to the Homemade Mustard Leaf Pickle, Pickled Ginger and Pickled Bean Sprouts next to the noodle bar. I think these are condiments that are actually supposed to go in your noodles but I can’t help but eat them while I am waiting for my noodles since they are pretty damn tasty.
Homemade Mustard Leaf Pickle and Pickled Ginger
The noodles can be ordered three different ways: soft, medium or hard, which assumedly refers to the cooking times. I always order them medium but to tell you the truth I probably wouldn’t know the difference either way. Opting for something different and a bit more adventurous to my usual choice I ordered the Yusen described as Sio Ramen in Seafood and Vegetable Based Soup with Milk and Cheese Flavour with House Made Salmon Flakes (AU$11.80) from the Season Special menu.
Yusen: Sio Ramen in Seafood and Vegetable Based Soup with Milk and Cheese Flavour with House Made Salmon Flakes (AU$11.80)
Milk and cheese flavours in a bowl of Asian noodles, well any old noodles for that matter, was a bit different but like I said I was being adventurous. The salmon flakes went well with the dish and I ordered an extra spoon of chilli for AU$0.50 to add to my bowl of noodles.
House Made Salmon Flakes
MW ordered the Ikemen which is Tonkotsu with a hint of Delicious Crushed Garlic, Special Garlic Oil, Egg and BBQ Pork (AU$11.80). He seemed to be a bit concerned about it since the only noodles that he eats are the Cup of Noodle kind, we can’t all be adventurous with eating out like me but I get the feeling he may have preferred macca’s.
Ikemen: Tonkotsu with a hint of Delicious Crushed Garlic, Special Garlic Oil, Egg and BBQ Pork (AU$11.80)
SF ordered the Kurobama which is Tonkotsu with Special Garlic Oil infused for over two hours (AU$8.90) with extra noodles on the side. After a sideways glance from me she wondered if she should have done that as the noodle bowls are pretty filling with the broth. She could barely eat her extra noodles so lucky MW had brought his appetite with him. We all enjoyed our noodles and with SF declaring she would definitely be back.
Kurobama: Tonkotsu with Special Garlic Oil infused for over two hours (AU$8.90)
Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum is a great place to dine when you are looking for somewhere quaint and unassuming. The noodles are cheap (all bowls under AU$12), the staff are friendly, the service is good and the noodles are tasty. What more could you want? If you haven’t been down to the Noodle Colosseum on Spence St yet I suggest you get your butt down there quick smart to see what you are missing out on.
Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum
12-20 Spence St, Cairns
Ph: (07) 4031 2522
Opening Hours: Everyday from 11.30am till 10pm
Char Restaurant, Darwin
When you are in Darwin it is hard not to notice all the advertisements for the hugely popular Char Restaurant. I have walked past it many times as I have walked down the Darwin esplanade so I figured that its only fair that I give it a go. Char Restaurant has received many awards for their food, wine list and a range of other things. The most recent awards received from the Australian Hotel’s Association include the 2010 Best Steak Restaurant and 2010 Best Stand Alone Restaurant. My five acquaintances and I made a booking for Tuesday night and went along. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday night so it was lucky that we booked. The first thing you notice about Char, even if you are just walking past, is the atmosphere – it’s great. The lantern and tree filled grounds of the heritage listed Admiralty House provide the perfect backdrop for a special dinner.
On entry we were greeted with great enthusiasm by the maitre d, so much so that myself and MF turned to each and said “Wow, he was nice”. We were given a restaurant card with the booking name on it take to the bar area for the tab while while we waited for our friends to arrive. I had a glass of Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc (WA) while MF had a Heineken. The wine list was quite comprehensive with the cheapest glass of wine being $13, I thought this was a bit steep. We sat on one of the comfy lounges under a large tree and drank our beverages while we waited. When our other friends arrived the attentive maitre d came over with menu’s in hand and asked if we would like to move to our table. On arrival at our table we took our seats and were introduced to our waiter for the evening who I found a little hard to understand but then again I am terrible with accents. The waiter was very knowledgeable with the menu and told us the specials for the evening without any prompting, something you would expect from an award-winning restaurant like Char. I have to admit the menu did sound delicious, particularly the items on the Jellyfish menu, however since I was at a steak restaurant that had won awards for its steak I decided I should probably have a steak. Again, we pretty much skipped the entrees apart from the bread which a few of us ordered. Char corn Rolls with Moo Jus Dipping Sauce, Pistachio Dukkah and Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (AU$5). Sounds good huh? It was really just a bread roll with butter and sauce, it wasn’t even warm.
Pistashio Dukkah and Cold Pressed Olive Oil with Moo Jus Dipping Sauce, for the Char Corn Roll
Everyone except one person at the table ordered the same thing and we pretty much chose that item as soon as we spotted it on the menu. Being squid lovers we chose the 250gm Scotch Fillet with Chilli salt squid, roast tomato, green olives and watercress salad (AU$35) while MF ordered the 200gm Eye Fillet with Potato Puree, Broad Bean, Crispy Prosciutto and Horseradish Cream (AU$37). The sauces were all extra ($AU5) and we all ordered the green peppercorn sauce while MG ordered the Red wine jus. I ordered a side of Roast beetroot, Goats Cheese and Orange with my steak (AU$8).
Roast Beetroot, Goats Cheese and Orange (AU$8).
The meals came out very quickly and the first thing that my friends noted was the small portions on the plate. I wasn’t surprised since I do dine out quite regularly and it seems these days the more expensive the restaurant, the less food you get so I was expecting none the less from Char Restaurant . The steaks were cooked to order although I think mine may have been medium, rather than medium rare. I also noticed that the roast tomato was cold, not just ‘it had been left on the plate cold’ but more like ‘just been taken out of the fridge cold’. That was pretty disappointing, and the olives were well, nothing special and I think that olives from the deli section at the local supermarket may have tasted better than these ones. The scotch fillet was nice, not fantastic, and I have to admit that MF, who just happened to be sitting right next to me, actually frequently cooks the best steak I have ever had. The squid, albeit imported, was delicious and this was reiterrated from the other four that ordered the same meal as I did.
250gm Scotch Fillet with Chilli salt squid, roast tomato, green olives and watercress salad (AU$35)
MF’s eye fillet looked delicious and tender and he said that it was cooked just right, he didn’t however like the horseradish cream that came with it and left that on the side.
200gm Eye Fillet with Potato puree, broad bean, crispy prosciutto and horseradish cream (AU$37)
Overall the atmosphere was great, the service was good and so was the food but nothing to write home about really. Char Restaurant? Meh.
Char Restaurant
Cnr The Esplanade and Knuckey St, Darwin NT 0800
Ph: (08) 8981 4544
Open: Mon-Sun 12.00pm-11pm
Website: www.chardarwin.com.au
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