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Poemphun Thai, Cairns North
After recently discovering a penchant for Thai food and more specifically Pad Thai MS has been wanting to eat it more and more. I have no problem with that since Thai food is definitely one of my favourite cuisines (that and Japanese are probably tied for first). The other day while driving down Sheridan Street, deciding that we both wanted Thai food and wondering just where the hell we could get it at 3pm in the afternoon (seems eating a late lunch is becoming the norm for us). All the other places were closing up for the lunch trade and wouldn’t open up until dinner. That is, coincidently, when we both noticed Poemphun Thai on the other side of the road. Neither of us had ever seen it before but we took it as a sign and after a bit of a ‘u-ey’ we headed back to this newly discovered Thai place.
Poemphun Thai is located in the building where Little Italy used to be and then after that a Brazilian place that must not have lasted long because I didn’t actually notice it was there until it was closed down. We went in to have a look at the menu and it turns out that Poemphun Thai had only just opened up the day before. What luck for us! True to form and not the straying type MS ordered the Pad Thai Gai for AU$12.90 while I ordered the Som Tum (Paw Paw Salad) for AU$10.90 (medium heat). Although they do takeaway here we decided we would eat in since we weren’t in a rush to get home.
The kitchen is pretty much right in front of you at the counter and you can see the two Thai cooks in front of the flaming woks throwing the ingredients in as they go so you know that it’s fresh. The restaurant itself is a little dated but neat as a pin with cute little wooden booths to sit in and serviettes all folded up like a lotus flower and colourful plastic tablecloths. When we sat down to eat there was two other tables occupied in the little restaurant and while we waited for our food to arrive the waitress brought us out a jug of water and I had a look over the menu. The menu is very reasonably priced in fact I would go as far to say that it is some of the cheapest Thai food that I have seen in Cairns if not the cheapest (AU$12.90 for a Massaman Curry!). There are some delicious sounding dishes on the menu and I vowed that if the food was good we would return for Round 2 to try some other dishes.
We waited no longer than 10 minutes for our meals to arrive at our little wooden booth. MS’ Pad Thai came with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top, a small pile of sugar (no doubt to sprinkle over the top to make it sweeter), a small pile of ground peanuts (in case you wanted more) and a small pile of chilli flakes. MS squeezed the lemon over the top, sprinkled on a bit of peanuts and sugar and just plain avoided the Chilli Flakes since he doesn’t like hot stuff (although he has come a long way since he met me and I opened his eyes to the wonders of food). He claims that this Pad Thai is the best one he has had to date. Better than the one at Orchid Plaza (Chilli Thai), better than the one at Lemon Tree (Main Street Arcade) and better than the one on Minnie St (J & L Takeaway and Minimart). That not to say much since it’s only 3 out of sh*tloads of Thai places in Cairns but this Pad Thai had everything going for it plus I tasted it and gave it the thumbs up as well.
Pad Thai Gai – Popular special Thai noodles with slices of Chicken, Bean Curd, Rice Stick Noodles, Bean Sprouts and Shallots topped with Ground Peanuts, Chilli Flake, Sugar and garnished with Lemon wedges (AU$12.90)
My Som Tum was so damn good! It had all the right things tht Som Tum is supposed to have in it – Green Beans, Tomatoes and the perfect mix of Palm Sugar, Chilli and Fish Sauce. Mind you it was bloody hot but not too hot for my liking. I’m going to have to go against everything I have said in my previous post about Som Tum in Cairns and give this one the gong for Best Som Tum. Sorry Lemon Tree you guys are great but… This Som Tum just tasted so fresh and not pre-prepared at all. I ate up every last tasty morsel of that Paw Paw Salad right down to using a spoon to finish off the dressing.
Som Tum (Paw Paw Salad) – Julienne Paw Paw, Chilli, Garlic, Fish Sauce, Green Bean, Peanut, Tomato and Lemon Juice (AU$10.90)
We finished up our meals and made our way out to the car only to be followed out by the little Thai lady that owns the shop to thank us for eating at Poemphun Thai by clasping her hands together and bowing with a huge smile on her face. It was really lovely and made me even more happy that we had stopped in to have a look and in turn found some truly delicious Thai food.
About a week later MS and I found ourselves looking for a quick and early dinner and ended up back at Poemphun Thai for Round 2. MS ordered the Pad Thai (AU$12.90) again with the BBQ Pork for an entree for AU$6.50. I ordered a Thai Curry that I had already drooled when I read it on the menu on our first visit… the Pad Phed Moo (Dry Pork Curry) with Lean Pork, Stir-fried Red Chilli Paste, Coconut Milk, Green Peppercorns, Galangal and Fresh Basil for AU$12.90 or you can get Prawns for $14.90. A bargain if you ask me! Again we sat down at a little wooden booth and waited for our meals to arrive. This time there was a lot more people – some dining in and some coming in to pick up their takeaway. Seems that Poemphun Thai is already getting a little following of Thai-hards (I made a funny).
First up out came the BBQ Pork that MS ordered. Well he ordered it but he certainly wasn’t going to eat the whole thing by himself. There were four skewers of BBQ Pork in total and we both really enjoyed them. The Pork was super tender and flame grilled which gave it that yummy slightly charred taste. MS only problem was that he wanted more and didn’t think that it was a very big dish. I actually thought that it was very reasonably sized for an entree and pretty stock standard for a Thai restaurant, though some skewers were certainly bigger than others.
BBQ Pork – Garlic, Black Pepper, Coriander Roots, Soy Sauce, Sugar and Oyster Sauce (AU$6.50)
Again MS gobbled up his Pad Thai, making sure to avoid the Chilli Flakes. Same goes as what I already said about it his previous Pad Thai experience at Poemphun Thai, I’m not repeating it. He loved it and can’t wait to go back and get another one. My Pad Phed Moo or Dry Curry Pork, whatever you want to call it was superb. It wasn’t as dry as I was expecting from the name but then again it wasn’t swimming in sauce like a Massaman. Sort of in between I guess. The sauce was so yummy that I wished that I had ordered a bowl of Steamed Rice to mop it all up but alas this wasn’t part of my meal allowance. MS tasted it and although he liked it claimed that it was a little too spicy for him. I actually didn’t find it spicy at all so the only thing I can conclude from that is that he is just a big sissy. The Dry Curry Pork’s only downfall was that there was quite a lot of peppercorns in it still attached to the vine. I was a little unsure as to whether I was supposed to eat them or not. I erred on a side of caution and after nibbling on one and finding it far too peppery for my liking I didn’t continue with the peppercorns, other than that I loved it!
Pad Phed Moo (Dry Curry Pork) – A dry curry consisting of Lean Pork, Stir fried Red Chilli Paste, Coconut Milk, Green Peppercorns, Galangal and Fresh Basil (AU$12.90 or $14.90 with Prawns)
So like I said the food at Poemphun Thai is absolutely delicious. The woman that runs it is super friendly as are her staff (and pretty much all Thai’s). The food is fresh, fantastic and cheap as chips. If you are looking for somewhere for your Friday night takeaway or somewhere to dine without all the fuss of dressing up to go out then Poemphun Thai is it- plus it’s BYO. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Poemphun Thai
343 Sheridan St, Cairns North QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 6367
Opening Hours: 7 days 10.30am – 9.30pm
Spicy Bite, Cairns
Last Friday night my good friend SH and I ventured out in search of some dinner. Due to some communication problems (aka my iPhone shat itself) we didn’t actually get into town till almost 9.30 at night so of course being Cairns a lot of places were shut. Ganbaranba, the place we had originally planned on going to, shut it’s door just before 9.30pm (pretty sure they used to be open till 10 but hey). So we wandered over to Corea Corea upstairs at Orchid Plaza. They too shut up shop at 9.30pm that night. SH suggested The Courthouse for dinner but I wasn’t in the mood for fried food so we headed towards the Esplanade to see what we could find. We walked past Spicy Bite just a little down from Dolce and Caffe and right next door to Coast Roast. SH reckoned that she had eaten there many times and they had amazing Butter Goat that I simply had to try. It was nearing 10pm now and although they looked like they were closing up because the waitress was removing cutlery and serviettes from some of the tables it appears that they were in fact open. We were both delighted to find a restaurant open in Cairns at this time of night so we promptly sat down and perused the menu. In all the years they have been open I have never actually dined at Spicy Bite, probably due to the location (just another tourist trap) and also the fact that I figured that I already knew where to get good Indian food (more on that later).
We both ordered a glass of wine when the waitress brought over the menus. SH had already decided on what she was having, the critically acclaimed Butter Goat. It wasn’t exactly listed on the menu but SH claimed that she had ordered it before and the waitress approved. I had a look over the menu and decided on the Lamb Buriyani with Raita. Having travelled to Sri Lanka (yes I realise that Sri Lanka isn’t India) I ate some truly amazing Buriyani’s along the way (the best in a road side ‘cafe’ in the busy city of Colombo for a mere 180 rupees) and was hoping that this one may come a little close to my previous experience. We also ordered a serve of Garlic Naan figuring we could share each of our meals. Not long after ordering the waitress returned and informed us that they had in fact run out of Butter Goat so SH and I decided that Butter Chicken would have to suffice. It was disappointing since SH had talked up the Butter Goat so much but oh well.
While we were waiting and sipping our glasses of Sauvignon Blanc (me) and Rose (SH) a few more people arrived to take up tables at Spicy Bite. Seems Spicy Bite is open till quite late on a Friday, no doubt taking advantage of hungry diners looking for somewhere to eat out when most places have closed up for the night and not wanting to stoop so low as to venture to the Golden Arches across the road. We waited about 15 minutes for our dishes to arrive. First up came the Garlic Naan, then the Lamb Buriyani and Raita, followed closely by the Butter Chicken. By this stage I was absolutely starving since I had only eaten a Som Tum at about midday and nothing since.
I reached over and grabbed a piece of Garlic Naan out of the basket. There were four triangular pieces in total and they were all as dry and hard as a piece of cardboard. No soft, warm, doughy Garlic Naan here. I was pretty disappointed because Naan is what you go to Indian Restaurants for isn’t it? Next up I put a couple of spoonfulls of Lamb Buriyani on my plate, digging out a couple of super large lamb chunks from amongst the rice. I drizzled a little bit of raita over the top and took a bite. The raita was so damn watery and flavourless I don’t know why they bothered even serving the buriyani with raita. I literally couldn’t taste it, even when I dipped the end of my Garlic Naan directly into the bowl. The lamb in the buriyani was dry and chewy. Not soft and moist like the lamb I was longing for. This dish tasted like the Lamb Buriyani that I used to make out of the CSIRO cookbook except mine was far superior. The rice that was accompanying the lamb was gluggy and horrible. I am pretty sure that it was just reheated from earlier that evening.
Lastly I fished out one of three pieces of Butter Chicken that was absolutely swimming in sauce. It was the smallest damn Butter Chicken I had ever seen! I was hoping that a bite of the chicken would save this dish but alas the chicken was overcooked and dry. Not moist and succulent like chicken pieces in Butter Chicken are supposed to be. The most disappointing thing about this dish was the sauce. Butter Chicken sauce is another food that I could literally shower in. I would be happy with a large bowl of the sauce and just some rice (or decent Naan bread) but I do exert self control and don’t allow myself to do things like that. The sauce tasted like the chef had just dumped a can of Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup in and mixed it around with the chicken. It did not taste like the creamy, tomatoey, sweet Butter Chicken sauce that we all know and love at all. How disappointing.
Well, I have to say that poor old SH definitely gave us a bum steer with Spicy Bite, that said I didn’t get to try the famous Butter Goat that she was going on about. The service that we received from the waitress at Spicy Bite was friendly and efficient and I really cannot say a bad thing about it. However, the same cannot be said about the food. It was tasteless, dry and disappointing with a distinctly Heinz flavour about it. I know where I will be going if I want good Indian food and it certainly isn’t Spicy Bite or Haveli. After the good wrap that I gave Haveli earlier this year seems their standards and food portions have gone down while their prices have gone up. Looks like it’s back to tried and true Cairns favourite Marinades on Spence St where you simply can’t go past the Lunch Thali’s for around the $13 mark. MS and I had a fantastic meal there recently and the host even served us with a friendly smile this time around.
Note: I didn’t get to take any pictures of the food because if you were paying attention my iPhone shat itself earlier that evening. A quick visit to the guys under the stairs at Cairns Central fixed that and I am up and running again.
Spicy Bite
Shop 6/52 The Esplanade, Cairns
Ph: (07) 4041 3700
NuNu, Palm Cove
Firstly I must apologise for taking a little too long to put up another post on foodvixen. My two month old Toshiba Ultrabook has recently decided that it doesn’t like the Hard Drive that Toshiba gave it and figures it needs a new one. What’s that you say? Should have gotten a Mac. If I wanted to relearn everything that I have learnt about computers since I was 11 years old then yeah maybe but I don’t do Mac. PC for life! Anyway moving on. So after years and years of wanting to go to NuNu and dreaming about it I finally got to go there for mine and MS’ anniversary dinner last month. Yes I know that was last month but did you not read the beginning of this paragraph? So, like I said I have wanted to go to NuNu for a ridiculously long time, since they won the Gourmet Traveller Regional Restaurant of the Year Award in 2008 and I was finally able to fulfill my wish and baby it did not let me down. Before I get down to business I must again apologise for the quality of the photos in this post. I use the iPhone app Hipstamatic for all of my pictures which does not work well when the lighting is dim and the flash photography just doesn’t do the photos justice. I’m not one to pull out an SLR while eating plus it keeps my WordPress costs low by uploading photos that are only a couple of KB’s in size. Righto, you get the gist.
I rang up about 5 days prior and made a booking for two for 8pm on a Saturday. Since we were staying out that way for the night at Sea Temple (don’t waste your time, stay somewhere else) we sauntered on down about 45 minutes early hoping to grab a cocktail from somewhere along the way. So much for that idea since everywhere was absolutely packed and we ended up arriving at NuNu a little earlier than expected. This was no problem as our table was ready for us anyway. As we were walking in a guy stopped in front of the restaurant and told us not to bother because NuNu and the one next door (Bella Baci) were both full. Sucks to be him, lucky we had a booking. The lighting was romantically dim and despite the modern furnishings and pompous Palm Cove atmosphere the place had a cosy relaxed feel to it. The waitress seated us at a table in between two couples at the front of the restaurant. Unfortunately we were seated so damn close to their tables that MS felt like he should introduce himself to the people on either side. This close proximity not only made us privy to their conversations but them to ours. The waitress bought us a Dinner Menu each and a Wine Menu along with some glasses which she filled with water from a silver jug. She gave us a couple of minutes and came back to take our drinks order. We both chose a glass of Clyde Park Sauvignon Blanc (AU$9.50) purely because it was the only Sav Blanc on the menu. Prior to taking our drink order the waitress whose name was Karen told us the specials of the day at NuNu (without us asking) along with a rundown of the seafood on the menu (the fish was Red Throat Emperor caught locally and the Oysters were Pacific Oysters from SA). My dreams had come true. Finally a restaurant with staff that knew the in’s and out’s of the seafood they were selling. It was truly a miracle!
Having sighted the 5 course tasting menu (AU$95 or AU$155 with matched wines) we asked Karen exactly what it consisted of since MS being the big sissy that he is doesn’t like seafood all that much. Karen told us in the nicest possible way that it was supposed to be a surprise and the chefs didn’t like to tell what was on it so we would have to wait and see. That was good enough for me and MS decided that as long as brain wasn’t part of the 5 course menu he would eat it too (there is in fact brain on the menu). I actually kind of liked the idea that we had no idea what was to come out. I felt it really added to the excitement of the meal and anyone that knows me well knows that nothing excites me more than food.
First off, our meal began with some bread. It was fresh out of the oven and as she placed it on the table Karen warned us to be careful of the steam that would escape when we cut it open. We were both surprised at just how large the bread was, taking up almost the entire plate but our surprise turned to relief as we cut it open to find the bread was in fact hollow. The sprinkling of salt and lemon over the top of the crust gave it just that little extra flavour that it needed and we soon devoured the crusty outside both looking forward to the next dish.
Our Bread (don’t ask me what it was because I have no idea)
Next up two of our dishes arrived at the table. Karen gave us a nice run down of each dish and left us to sample our two entree’s… The Taste Paradise which was Shaved Local Heart of Palm, Melon, Lime, Baby Herbs and Chilli and the Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang with Chilli, Pink Pomelo, Green Papaya Relish and Salmon Pearls. Both dishes looked amazing and the Taste Paradise even had those cute little edible flowers on the top which I had never eaten before. It was a beautiful dish and the melon mixed so well with the delicately sweet dressing, a slight hint of Fish Sauce just detectable. I really loved the soft and crunchy texture of the Palm Heart and the Melon. MS didn’t think this dish was so amazing (probably because of the Fish Sauce flavour) but I thought it was fantastic.
Taste Paradise: Shaved Local Heart of Palm, Melon, Lime, Baby Herbs and Chilli
The two portions of Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang et al was wrapped up ever so nicely in Betel Leaf. Having had something very similar at Iyara Thai Restaurant on the Esplanade I already kind of knew what to expect. We both ate it at the same time and although MS was a little skeptical because of the seafood content and the Chilli he thought it was a taste sensation and he was right. The mixture of the all the different flavours (sweet, sour, spicy) and textures in this one small bite (ok maybe two bites) was to die for. The Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang has to be one of my favourite dishes of the 5 course menu.
Hot Smoked Red Emperor Miang with Chilli, Pink Pomelo, Green Papaya Relish and Salmon Pearls
About ten to fifteen minutes passed before our next meal was bought out – our 3rd entrée of Crisped Pacific Oysters with hand rolled Green Tea Noodle, Jellyfish, Sesame and Ginger Caramel. I almost knocked my glass of wine over in excitement. I had spied this dish on the Entrée Menu and my mouth literally salivated at the thought of it. I had no idea that I was actually going to get the chance to eat it though! This dish was OMG so good. The Crisped Pacific Oysters had a slight batter around them that was deliciously crispy and light and the oysters literally melted in my mouth. Even MS who again doesn’t appreciate the sheer delight that comes with eating seafood (yet) thought the oysters were delicious. The green tea noodles and the sesame and ginger caramel were the perfect accompaniment to this dish. It was another absolutely stunning course in NuNu‘s 5 course menu.
Crisped Pacific Oysters with Hand Rolled Green Tea Noodles, Jellyfish, Sesame and Ginger Caramel
Right about now was when we moved onto the mains of the evening. Next up, our 4th course (or was it?) was the Local Line Caught Reef Fish with Ricotta Dumplings, Tomato Essence, Fennel, Crispy Sage and Lemon. The Red Throat Emperor was cooked perfectly as you would expect from such a notoriously good restaurant as NuNu. The portion size of the fish was not too little and not too big. Again, the fish melted in my mouth along with the small balls of cheesy Ricotta-y goodness. MS ate the lot so that says something for what he though of it. This dish was the perfect way to showcase the freshness of the Red Throat Emperor without marring the flavour. The accompaniments were not overpowering and allowed the subtle flavour of the fish to shine through.
Local Line Caught Reef Fish with Ricotta Dumplings, Tomato Essence, Fennel, Crispy Sage and Lemon
By both our calculations the 5th course was next but for some reason I didn’t think that was it for our 5 course menu. Karen arrived with the Mushroom Poached Cape Grim Tenderloin, Jerusalem Artichoke, Assorted Fungi, Whipped Feta and Bacon Broth. MS nearly fell off his chair when she returned with a jug containing Bacon Broth to pour over the top of our Tenderloin offering over his water glass for Karen to fill up. Karen laughed at his joke but I think he was only half kidding. The Tenderloin was medium rare in the middle and so damn tender, in fact I think it was the most tender steak I have ever eaten in my life. The Bacon Broth was rich and hearty and we both slurped it up with the soup spoon that was provided, no doubt for that very reason. MS was in Carnivore Heaven with this dish and I think it’s safe to say that this was his favourite of the 5 course menu.
Mushroom Poached Cape Grim Tenderloin, Jerusalem Artichoke, Assorted Fungi, Whipped Fetta and Bacon Broth
Much to our delight after clearing away our plates and finding amusement in MS’ new found love for Bacon Broth Karen bought us out a palate cleanser in the form of a small scoop of Rose Petal Sorbet. It was sweet and tangy and although the Rose Petal Sorbet was something unlike any Sorbet I have ever tasted before it was superb. If NuNu started selling this stuff at Coles tomorrow I would buy it by the tub. It was exquisite and just what we needed to cleanse our palate after our rich and hearty main.
Rose Petal Sorbet
Last but not least, our dessert emerged (that’s 6 courses, 8 dishes in total). It was Roast Banana Souffle with Coconut Caramel Sugar, Banana Twinkie and Coconut Sorbet. Wow. I was surprised by just how big the dessert was and the fact that we got one each! I love Banana Bread, Banana Cake, Banana Smoothies, etc, so this was always going to be a winner for me. The Roast Banana Souffle was light and eggy and the added touch of Coconut Caramel Sugar at the bottom of the Souffle made it all the more delicious. My absolute favourite had to be the Banana Twinkie, something we both agreed on. According to Karen this Banana themed dessert is the most popular dessert item on the menu at NuNu and with good reason. It was so damn good but because of the sheer amount of food that we had consumed both MS and I struggled to finish it.
Roast Banana Souffle with Coconut Sugar Caramel, Banana Twinkie and Coconut Sorbet
The 5 course menu at NuNu is most certainly in my Top 10 most memorable dining experiences along with Hot Ramen at a Kiosk in Osaka, Freshly Shucked Oysters in the Gulf of Mexico (before the oil spill) and Peking Duck with all the theatrics in Beijing. By the end of our 5 course menu we were one of only two occupied tables in the restaurant since everyone else had finished up. We had been eating for just over two hours, arriving a little before 8pm and finishing up after 10pm. It honestly didn’t feel like we had been there for anywhere near that long! The service that we received from our waitress Karen was outstanding from the moment we walked into NuNu to the moment we left. Our water glasses were never empty, for each dish she gave us a run down of what it was as it was placed in front of us, she always had a friendly smile on her face and she even managed to get MS’ quirky sense of humour (a struggle for some). Her service was attentive without being intrusive on our intimate evening together. Dining at such a classy restaurant I was expecting very small portion sizes with an emphasis on presentation rather than content and even partly expected to be hungry at the end of the night. Man was I wrong. The portion sizes were perfect for each of the 5 (or 6) courses, not too little and not too big and like I said previously we were both stuffed by the end of it all. The 5 course menu for AU$95 represents amazing value for money since adding up each of the items equates to just over AU$300 if you order them individually from the Dinner Menu, plus this way you get to sample a bit of everything. Our evening at NuNu was a truly memorable one that I will never forget, not only for the food and the service but also for the company. Happy Anniversary baby x
NuNu
123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove QLD 4879
Ph: (07) 4059 1880
Opening Hours: Mon – 11.30am till late, Tues – Closed, Wed – Fri 11.30am till late, Sat & Sun 8am till late
Website: www.nunu.com.au
Happy 4 10 Cafe and Bar, Cairns
I have finally made it back to the land of the living and that of phone and internet range after what seemed like an eternity. Lucky for me now I have a few months off work (because I can) so it won’t be happening again for a little while. Before I went away I went to a few places that I didn’t get a chance to post about before I left. One such place that I wanted to write about is a new little place that I found tucked away on Sheridan Street that by all accounts appears to have been in operation since May but I didn’t stumble across it until late July. Half of you are probably like DER that place is old news but it’s not old news to me alright. Anyway this place that I am talking about is called Happy 4 10 Cafe and Bar. It’s pretty much located right next to the Shooters Bar (or First Choice for all you alco’s) or across the road from Montezuma’s, hidden away behind a yellow gate and down the pathway. I don’t actually remember anything being there in the past, to me it was always an abandoned garden full of weeds with a broken neon sign out the front but it seems that someone has taken over and turned it into a delightful little place to dine.
So after making amends with my good friend RS a few posts ago we decided to have lunch and catch up. She asked me for suggestions and I said there was this new place that I would like to try called Happy 4 10. She claimed that she had already walked past and looked at the menu, apparently it ‘Didn’t do anything for her’ and she said she didn’t want to go there. So I said ‘Fine, where would you like to go?’ To which she responded ‘Why don’t we just meet out the front and go for a walk’. Being the planner that I am this didn’t fly with me so I talked her into going to Happy 4 10 unless she could come up with an alternative. She couldn’t so off we went to Happy 4 10 and she fought be every step of the way (cue eye twitch).
We arrived and met at the front gate underneath the big Happy 4 10 sign. There is a sign below on the pathway with the menu on it so you can walk past and have a look. We walked inside and found a funky, brightly painted, cute as a button and cheap as chips, indoor/outdoor Japanese cafe with a bit of Korean food on the side. All the main meals at Happy 4 10 are AU$10! Winning! Upon arrival the friendly Japanese waitress (Japanese waitresses are always friendly) greeted us and gave us free reign over where to sit since there was no one else there. We chose a spot with a couple of lounges, one of those weird hanging chairs that just don’t seem stable enough to sit in and a coffee table and she bought over some menus. While I ummed and ahhed about just which dish I wanted (if I could have I probably would have ordered them all because they all sounded yummy) RS continued on with her ‘this menu just doesn’t do anything for me’ crap so I decided what I wanted and promptly went up to the counter to order. (Defence: I wasn’t being a bitch, she was just being difficult, you don’t know RS like I do). I even offered to pay for her lunch (big spender I am) but that didn’t quite seem to be good enough so I went ahead with my order of Seafood Udon (AU$10) and a Tofu and Seaweed Salad (AU$10) since I just can’t resist Wakame Seaweed (another food item that I could literally shower in).
RS ordered the Pork Katsu Don which she then cancelled and decided that she would just watch me eat. This confused the hell out of the poor Japanese waitress who ended up stuffing up our order as a result. Assuming that RS was trying to prove a point by not ordering anything I pretended it didn’t phase me and took a seat at the table outside. A couple more people arrived for lunch and sat inside followed by four business type people who took up seats at the table next to ours. We, okay well I, waited about 10 minutes and then the waitress bought out the Pork Katsu Don that RS had ordered, which she then cancelled. This was in no way the waitresses fault and entirely RS’ considering she couldn’t make up her mind as to what she wanted.
Then not long after that my Seafood Udon and Tofu and Seaweed Salad arrived, again confusing the hell out of the guy serving me. He couldn’t figure out why I had two meals and RS had a cup of water. So enough about that crap… Let’s get onto the food. My Seafood Udon had two large whole prawns floating around in it that by all accounts looked local to me (winning), plus half a mussel, some broccoli and a couple of other bits and bobs in there. It was steaming hot, almost too hot to eat but it was delicious.
Seafood Udon (AU$10)
Next up was my Tofu and Seaweed Salad. I know, I know, I can hear it now. Tofu? Yuck! Well, I happen to love it. When I am feeling very lazy and MS is at work sometimes I just eat Tofu and Ponzu Sauce. It tastes so good and despite all the health warnings about eating Soy I don’t eat it near enough to care. Moving on. The salad was drizzled with that really yummy brownish Japanese dressing that I have no idea what it’s called. I have bought it numerous times at the Asian Store on Grafton Street but the label is in Japanese. Anyone? Despite the obvious presence of Seaweed (wakame oh yeah) and Tofu, there was also fresh diced avocado, slivers of orange and lettuce. I really enjoyed it but couldn’t quite finish it all since my menu taste testing had got the better of me and I couldn’t fit any more in but all that for $20? Still winning.
Tofu and Seaweed Salad (AU$10)
Despite my obvious difficulties with my lunch date Happy 4 10 is a great little place to grab some lunch or dinner. Again, the fitout is cool and colourful and kinda reminds me of someones backyard but in a good way. I am looking forward to going back there again to try some of the other stuff on the menu. The Karage Chicken Salad sounds good. Wait. Maybe I’ll get the Prawn Tempura. No, I want the Teriyaki Chicken Don but then there is the Stir-fried Spicy Pork and the Salmon Salad. Ah what’s a girl to do?
Happy 4 10 Cafe and Bar
Sheridan St, Cairns QLD 4870
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 10am – 11pm
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
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
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
Bel Paese Restaurant Trattoria Pizzeria, Cairns
After months of thinking about it I finally managed to get myself down to local Italian restaurant Bel Paese last night after some encouragement from a friend of mine who dined there last week and loved it. I have heard quite a bit about this little restaurant from a few people and from some reviews online so I decided I should ignore the carb content and go check it out. I was accompanied by my good friend LL who recommended the Puttanesca. I do know that Bel Paese has won awards for it’s Four Cheese Pizza but tonight I was looking for a pasta hit and since the Puttanesca came highly recommended that is exactly what I chose. The Puttanesca is Pasta with Anchovies, Olives, Capers, Chilli, Garlic and Tomato (AU$18.90). Some of you probably say “yuck” to the anchovies but I say “give me extra”! I eat those things out of the jar! While we waited for our mains to arrive LL and I argued about how long Bel Paese had been open in Cairns for. He claimed that it had opened just after the Bavarian Beerhouse nextdoor (mid last year-ish) while I argued that it had been open for a few years. The friendly waitress halted our bickering when she told us that it had indeed been open for a few years. I won.
We waited about 15 minutes for our Puttanesca’s to arrive and they came chockers with olives, capers and little slivers of anchovies. The chilli gave it that little bit of spice that I think every pasta needs. I will have to be honest, I haven’t had too many Puttanesca’s in my time but this one was the best and I would have to say the best Italian meal that I have had in a while. It was simply delicious and just the right serving size… Not too little, not too much. We both really enjoyed our Puttanesca’s and after I finished my meal I had to thank LL for the pasta recommendation. YUM!
Spaghetti Puttanesca – Anchovies, Olives, Capers, Chilli, Garlic, Tomato (AU$18.90)
Now I am asking myself if this little gem of an Italian restaurant has been open in Cairns for “a few years” then why oh why haven’t I been there earlier? The decor at Bel Paese is nothing flash. Well… the office chairs that you sit on certainly give it a bit of character but they are cushy to say the least. We received great service and the food (well my Puttanesca) was fantastic and at AU$18.90 it was pretty cheap really. There is none of this bullsh*t entree/main sized pasta dishes on the menu. One size fits all at Bel Paese.
Bel Paese
45 Spence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 6165
Opening Hours: 5pm till late Mon-Sat
Website: www.belpaesecairns.com.au
foodvixen 