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On The Inlet, Port Douglas
A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of joining my two good friends JM and KK on a Sunday drive up to Port Douglas so they could inspect some stand up paddle boards they were looking at buying. Of course we had to stop for lunch at some point and being a complete stranger to Port Douglas dining I let the very capable and avid diner KK take the reins. She chose On the Inlet, having been there before and thoroughly enjoyed it. It did however take us a little bit of time to find tucked away down near Marina Mirage. On The Inlet is a breezy restaurant with a huge deck built out over the water of Dickson Inlet. Upon entering On the Inlet we were greeted by a friendly Irish waitress who showed us to a table for three out at the front of the deck right next to an older couple. Almost every time I dine it out I am seated nearly on top of the only other diners in the whole restaurant. I would much prefer not to be privy to the closest table’s lunch conversations so why do restaurants insist on doing this? Someone from hospitality please explain?
After the long drive from Cairns KK and I (the two girls of course) made a quick stop for the Ladies Room and discovered that it is bloody freezing in there with the two cubicles being cooled by what seems to be a house sized airconditioner running flat out. Seems some people don’t mind paying exhorbitant electricity bills but is an airconditioner in the bathroom really necessary? After having a bit of a joke about the ice box Ladies Room we took our seats out on the deck with JM and ordered some drinks. Feeling a little on the heavy side I was happy to stick with water while my companions chose a beer each. The Lunch Menu at On The Inlet had a wide selection of mostly seafood driven dishes as I would expect at a Seafood Restaurant built out over the water. After about 15 minutes of being indecisive the three of us finally figured out what we wanted – it all sounded yummy. KK went with the Seafood Paella with Prawn, Scallop, Mussels, Reef Fish, Yabbie, Smoked Chicken, Chorizo and Crusty Bread for AU$34.50. JM ordered the Crispy Whole Fried Baby Barramundi with Asian Slaw, Thai Caramel and Steamed Jasmine Rice for AU$42 while I decided to go for the two entree option. I ordered the Goats Cheese and Pableno Chilli Quesadilla with Mexican Oregano and Cherry Tomato Jam for AU$8.50 (it had me at Goat’s Cheese) and the Chilli Salt Calamari with Crisp Asian, Fried Shallots and Nahm Jim Sauce for $19.50. Ok yes there is a common theme to my ordering when I dine out. If there is squid on the menu you can almost bank on me ordering it. One – because I love it and two – because I am forever in search of Salt and Pepper Squid as good as my mum and dad’s.
While we waited for our meals I observed the entree of the couple next to us with envy. They ordered the Sashimi Plate consisting of a daily selection of fish with Pickled Ginger, Wakame, Soy and Wasabi for AU$19.50. I almost ordered it but I thought that it would be a very small serve. It turns out the Sashimi Plate was quite a reasonable size and looked delicious. Hey, anything that comes with Wakame has got my vote! Our meals arrived not long after the couple next to us and we all oohed and ahhed about JM’s Crispy Fried Barramundi and KK’s Seafood Paella as well. Not to say that my two entrees didn’t look good I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I had a bit of food envy at my own table. KK really enjoyed her Seafood Paella which was chock full of goodies. It certainly wasn’t light on with the Prawns, Scallops and other bits and bobs that were listed on the menu. Despite what the picture looks like below it was actually quite a big serve, so much so that KK couldn’t finish it all even with JM sitting across from her who is the equivalent of a Labrador when it comes to other peoples food.
Seafood Paella with Prawn, Scallop, Mussels, Reef Fish, Yabbie, Smoked Chicken, Chorizo and Crusty Bread (AU$34.50)
JM absolutely devoured his Crispy Fried Barramundi but not before KK and I managed to snavel a bit to taste. The sweet and sour flavours of the Thai Caramel were absolutely delicious on the tender flesh of the Barramundi and JM seemed pretty happy with himself having chosen well. When he was finished there was hardly any fish left since he had eaten most of the bones too, even one of the eye balls was missing. I guess thats the sign of a meal well enjoyed.
Crispy Whole Fried Baby Barramundi with Asian Slaw, Thai Caramel and Steamed Jasmine Rice (AU$42)
I was super happy with my two entree selections, which I pretty much ate all to myself (so much for feeling ‘heavy’). The Chilli Salt Calamari was tender, a good sized serve and cooked to perfection (still not as good as mum and dads). The waitress ensured me that On The Inlet only uses Australian Seafood and she didn’t have to ask the kitchen for the details when I enquired.
Chilli Salt Calamari with Crisp Asian Salad, Fried Shallots and Nahm Jim Sauce (AU$19.50)
My Quesadilla was ‘oh so good’ especially with the melted goats cheese in the middle and the sweet Cherry Tomato Jam. YUM! Huge serve of Quesadilla’s too but I guess they are supposed to be ordered for a table and not just one person. Hey, I certainly wasn’t complaining because I polished off the lot and was left feeling very satisfied!
Goats Cheese and Pableno Chilli Quesadilla with Mexican Oregano and Cherry Tomato Jam (AU$8.50)
It’s not very often that I get to travel out of Cairns and try new restaurants, except of course when I am working or on holidays (that has been quite a lot lately) but it was nice to check some of what Port Douglas has to offer. I do consider Port Douglas to be a little overrated but it was nice to have a little bit of ‘local knowledge’ shall we say when it came to choosing a restaurant for lunch since there is so damn many. The three of us really enjoyed our lunch at On The Inlet and it seems so do many other people judging by the cache of restaurant awards on the Wall near the entrance. I will say that the meals were a little on the expensive side but sometimes that is a given and you probably wouldn’t mind so much if you had payed those prices for dinner. I recommend On the Inlet to anyone heading up Port Douglas way, especially if you have a 2012 Entertainment book which KK did because you can get two for one main meals although it expires in June if I remember correctly. The food is superb, the service is friendly and punctual and the views are great. A word of warning though bring some insect repellant since there are a few sand flies about. Well the restaurant is ‘On The Inlet’.
On the Inlet
3 Inlet St, Port Douglas QLD 4877
Ph: (07) 4099 5939
Website: www.ontheinlet.com
Lime and Pepper, Palm Cove
Next cab off the rank with my Table 52 cards is Lime and Pepper Restaurant at Peppers Beach Club and Spa, Palm Cove. MS and I decided to head out there for lunch since lunch is kind of our thing to do. In hindsight going to Lime and Pepper for lunch probably wasn’t the best idea… More about that later. Set amongst the Paperbarks and with comfy cushions to sit on Lime and Pepper is a pretty swish restaurant right across the road from the beach at Palm Cove. Being one of two couples in the whole place we took our pick of places to sit and sat at one of the side tables with the cushions, ordered a glass of Kapura Marlborough Savignon Blanc and perused the Lunch Menu. My first impression of the Lunch Menu… Disappointing. The Lunch Menu was very basic with options like Salads, Wraps and Fish and Chips (boring). In fact it was so basic that we almost decided to leave and come back for dinner. The only thing stopping us was the fact that we had driven all the way from the city to come out here for lunch and it’s the age old story of ‘well we are here now so we might as well’.
Out of the 11 or so choices on the Lunch Menu I really couldn’t pick anything that I particularly wanted to eat so I ordered the burger. Yes. I ordered a hamburger at a fine dining restaurant. I’m ashamed and upset at myself but I really felt that I had no choice. I ordered the Grilled Beef Burger with Tomato Chutney, Vintage Cheddar, Caramelised Onion and Beer Battered Potato Chips for AU$20. MS, also confused as to what to order, decided to go with the Crispy Pork Belly Baguette with Homemade Korean Kimchi, Lemon Scented Mayonnaise and Mixed Greens for AU$18. An odd choice for him considering that he doesn’t like spice (apparently spicy ‘isn’t a taste’ according to him). I let him run with it hoping that he would be pleasantly surprised with a bit of tang in his baguette. We also ordered an entree of Salt and Pepper Squid with Shaved Vegetable Salad, Lychee, Chilli and Tahitian Lime Dressing for AU$18 to share between us.
It probably took about half an hour for our dishes to arrive even though we were one of two occupied tables. We ordered them all at once instead of the entree before the mains. Not sure what the chef was doing in the kitchen… Maybe trying to operate the can opener on the tin of lychees considering that lychees are no longer in season. Hey, sometimes I have trouble operating my can opener (I blame the fact that I am left handed). Still it didn’t bother us too much because it was nice sitting at our table on the cushions enjoying our glass of wine and looking out towards the beach. The servings were as I was expecting – lunch time and expensive restaurant serves. Certainly not a size that is going to fill you up, well for the baguette and the Salt and Pepper Squid anyway. The Salt and Pepper Squid was really delish especially the bed of Asian inspired salad that it was served on. MS and I ate every last morsel of it, even the suspected canned lychees were yummy and the waitress ensured me that they only serve Australian seafood at Lime and Pepper.
Salt and Pepper Squid with Shaved Vegetable Salad, Lychee, Chiili and Tahitian Lime Dressing (AU$18)
The pork belly on MS’ baguette wasn’t exactly crispy, it was cold and had obviously just been pulled out of the fridge and put on a roll before being brought out to our table. Despite the cold pork and the spicy Kimchi MS did enjoy his meal albeit a little small for a big hungry man.
Crispy Pork Belly Baguette with Homemade Korean Kimchi, Lemon Scented Mayonnaise and Mixed Greens (AU$18)
My Grilled Beef Burger had a lot to live up to after my yummy burger experience at Grill’d earlier in the week. I have to say it wasn’t a very nice burger. Some cheeses just weren’t meant to be melted onto burger buns and this so called ‘vintage cheddar’ was one of those cheeses. It was really oily and overpowering (yeah I know vintage cheddar is supposed to be overpowering) and just didn’t belong on my Grilled Beef Burger. There is not much more that I can say about it other than I didn’t enjoy it. It was just a very plain, boring and expensive cheesy burger.
Grilled Beef Burger with Tomato Chutney, Vintage Cheddar, Caramelised Onion and Beer Battered Potato Chips (AU$20)
We did enjoy our lunch at Lime and Pepper but more for the fact that it was such a nice restaurant to dine at rather than because the food was delicious. Our main meals were a little bit disappointing, mine more so than MS’. The service was quite good and the waitress was very friendly and seemed to know the menu front to back as well as whether or not their seafood was imported (most wait staff have to go to the kitchen and ask). Upon paying we perused the dinner menu and saw that it sounded much more shall we say ‘edible’ than the lunch menu. I just think that we would have enjoyed our meal much more if we had gone to Lime and Pepper for dinner rather than lunch, a concept that has taken me a few attempts to understand (I’m sure many of you are already clued into it). Using your Table 52 card at some of the listed restaurants for lunch is a waste because they are more worthwhile going to for dinner. You are going to have to be the one that determines the whole lunch/dinner thing but Lime and Pepper is definitely one of those ‘Dinner’ restaurants. Seems I learnt my lesson the hard way, again.
Lime and Pepper
123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4059 9200
Opening Hours: 7 days, Breakfast 6.30am – 10.30am, Lunch 12pm – 3pm, Dinner 6pm – 9.30pm
Website: www.peppers.com.au/beach-club-spa/
Grill’d, Cairns Esplanade
Went down to Grill’d last week to use my Table 52 card and apparently MS and I were the first people to use ours! I have avoided Grill’d up until this point mostly due to the fact that I try not to actively encourage myself to eat burgers (despite the content of my next and as yet unwritten post) and also because I tend to think that the burgers are just a little bit expensive at Grill’d. Not when it’s two for one burgers of course. Grill’d has a pretty large menu and most if not all of the burgers sound super delicious which made my decision a little difficult. Long after MS had pinpointed exactly which burger he wanted I was still umming and ahhing. MS chose the Front Bar Steak Sandwich – Grilled Scotch Fillet, Free Range Egg, Rocket, Tomato, Spanish Onion, Mustard, Beetroot Relish and Herbed Mayo on Ciabatta (AU$16.50). I was still tossing up between the ‘Baa Baa’ Burger – Grilled Lamb Pattie with Roasted Peppers, Tzatziki, Salad and Relish (AU$13.50) and the Mustard and Pickled – Grilled 100% Lean Beef, Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickle, Tasty Cheese, Salad and Relish (AU$12.50). In the end I went with the Mustard and Pickled because I just love pickles. My mum even caught me eating them out of the jar in her fridge the other day and wondered if I was pregnant. No. I am not pregnant. Moving on…
I asked the owner if I could have rocket instead of lettuce on my burger (not a fan of iceberg lettuce because it tastes like leaves – go figure), while MS asked if he could have the Beetroot Relish removed from his burger and I ummed and ahhed about which type of roll I wanted – Panini or Traditional. None of this was a problem for the friendly man behind the counter who waited patiently while we (I) made up our mind. He even gave us a taste of the Beetroot Relish to see if he could sway MS into having it on his Steak Sandwich. He was fighting a losing battle but it was worth a try. We took a seat and our burgers arrived not long afterwards. I’m not going to ramble on and on about my burger but it was goooood. Crispy bun, nice amount of filling, not too much sauce running down my hands and a good size – not too big, not too little. I really enjoyed my burger and so did MS and it cost us all of about AU$16.50. How good is that?
Front Bar Steak Sandwich – Grilled Scotch Fillet, Free Range Egg, Rocket, Tomato, Spanish Onion, Mustard, Beetroot Relish and Herbed Mayo on Ciabatta (AU$16.50)
Mustard and Pickled – Grilled 100% Lean Beef, Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickle, Tasty Cheese, Salad and Relish (AU$12.50)
We had a really tasty and relatively healthy lunch at Grill’d and were really impressed by the friendly, ‘of course we can do that for you’ service that we received, not to mention their monthly donations to community groups (see note below). The burgers at Grill’d are so much tastier and healthier than the alternative fast food burger establishment on the Esplanade (not naming anyone) and probably not far off the price. I may have used up my 2-4-1 Table 52 Card but I enjoyed my burger so much that I will go back, pay full price and actively encourage myself to eat another burger at Grill’d no worries.
Community Donation Program @ Grill’d (sorry about the dodgy photo)
PS: Grill’d also has a community donation program which means that every month they donate $500 to the local community. Everytime you buy a Grill’d burger you get a token that you can put in one of three jars representing three different community groups that have been selected for that month. This donation program is supported by every Grill’d in the country which is a pretty fantastic idea and also Grill’d way of ‘giving back to the community’. Good on you guys!
Grill’d Cairns
77 The Esplanade
Ph: (07) 4041 4200
Website: www.grilld.com.au
Opening Hours: Sun – Thur 11am – 10pm, Fri – Sat 11am – 10.30pm
Sauce BBQ Restaurant, Cairns
The first cab off the rank with my deck of Table 52 cards was Sauce BBQ Restaurant for lunch last week. Since my overseas holiday I have dined out so much it’s ridiculous! Restaurants that I have dined at include Tosca’s, The Cairns Courthouse, Lime and Pepper, Cafe China, Tha Fish, Perotta’s, Bella Vista, Haveli and On The Inlet just to name a few. That’s not to say that I am going to review them all but I’ll certainly try. Back to Sauce… After driving around and around and around looking for a park in the city MS and I decided we might as well head to the Pier, take advantage of their free underground parking and choose a restaurant there (there is only two restaurants at the Pier to choose from in the Table 52 cards, Sauce and Tha Fish). We chose the ‘sort of new’ Sauce BBQ Restaurant, formerly Cho Gao. 
We took a seat amongst a couple of occupied tables out on the deck since Summer is over and it’s not so damn hot outside. Although the furnishings and decor at Sauce are modern and stylish I still find the place a litte sterile, just as I found Cho Gao. I can’t exactly put my finger on it but I think it’s because there seems to be a lot of empty space in what is quite a big restaurant. The interior just doesn’t seem very inviting. Still I have dined at Sauce for lunch within a couple of weeks of it opening and really enjoyed it (their sweet potato chips are awesome!) so I figured I should come back and do a post about it. As we perused the menu the friendly waiter came over and gave us a few pointers i.e. what he recommended and the serving sizes. MS ordered the Beef Ribs with BBQ Glaze served with Potato Wedges and Salad for AU$30 while I ordered the Surf and Turf Platter for AU$22. We ordered the Curried Pumpkin Soup with Sour Cream and Crusty Bread for AU$9 as an entree to share. There were three glaze options for the ribs – BBQ, Bush Plum or Smoked Paprika – but the waiter didn’t give us an option upon ordering, something we didn’t realise till after he had left so MS had to make a trip to the counter to request the BBQ glaze. We didn’t wait long for the meals to arrive, obviously the Curried Pumpkin Soup arrived first. The soup was creamy, delicious and definitely had some bite to it. MS isn’t too keen on hot food but he was still able to eat it so it can’t have been too hot. Lets just say my background has exposed me to some pretty hot food so it certainly didn’t bother me. It was a large serving size, even for two and we didn’t finish it all in the end.
Curried Pumpkin Soup, Sour Cream and Crusty Bread – AU$9.00
One of the first things I noticed about my Platter was the presentation however considering that Sauce is owned by the same couple that own Wink II I would expect as much. It seems Leon’s flair for presentation has rubbed off on the Head Chef at Sauce. The Surf and Turf Platter had a selection of… well… Surf and Turf of course! There was some Chicken Skewers, Pork Belly, Chicken Wings, and Prawns with Jamaican Coleslaw and Rice. I guess it wasn’t really what I expecting (not exactly what I would call a platter) and some of the items on the dish were cold but it was still tasty and considering I didn’t pay for it (cue Table 52 card) it was good enough. I would however suggest a dipping sauce because it was technically a meat platter and you need sauce for that sh*t! After all isn’t that what the restaurant is so aptly named after?
Surf and Turf Platter – AU$22
The serve of Beef Ribs was humungous! The waiters recommendation to have the Beef Ribs when MS said he was ‘starving’ was a pretty good steer in the right direction. They were super tender and succulent with the meat just falling off the bone. There was so much that I even managed to snavel a whole Beef Rib all to myself simply because MS couldn’t finish the meal. I find Beef Ribs, like Lamb Shanks, to be very rich probably due to the fat content so I can never eat very much of them and this was also the case for MS, still he did manage to make quite a dint in his meal and he enjoyed it.
Beef Ribs with your choice of BBQ, Bush Plum or Smoked Paprika Glaze served with Potato Wedges and Salad (AU$30.00)
I really hope that Sauce does well unlike the previous restaurant in the same position. Unfortunately everytime I walk past there doesn’t seem to be anyone there. Like I said at the beginning of this post it might be due to the sterile atmosphere but also might be because people haven’t yet realised that it’s no longer Cho Gao. I’m not going to say that Sauce is really good because it’s not but I’m also not going to say that it’s really bad because it’s not. Sauce has real potential to be a great restaurant and there are some delicious sounding dishes on the menu that I am definitely going to go back and try. Go and check it out and let me know what you think, especially if you have a pack of Table 52 cards, and if you don’t then why not huh?
Sauce Restaurant
The Pier, Pier Point Rd, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 6991
Website: www.saucerestaurant.com.au
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.00pm, Sat – Sun 11.30am – 11pm
$16.90 Lunch Specials @ Barnacle Bill’s, Cairns
I’m loving the amount of lunch specials that are available in Cairns at the moment. There really are so many to choose from thats it’s hard to keep track of them all (check out my ‘Lunch’ page). Having dined at both Splash and The Raw Prawn I decided that after walking past many, many times I would finally give Barnacle Bill’s a go. Last Friday I dined there with a group of friends and knew that some of the people that I was dining with had well, simple tastes. I guess this is why I chose Barnacle Bill’s in the first place for our Friday lunch catch-up. Still, there is something on the menu for everyone so I think this is why Barnacle Bill’s is always so busy at lunch time. Another reason is because they split the bill, which is perfect for group and business lunches and hard to find at Cairns restaurants.
I perused the menu and went with the Barramundi and Salad (Estuary Fish in Tempura Batter Served with Salad) but I’ll be honest there wasn’t really anything on the menu that excited me. Nothing on the menu stood out to me and made me think ‘That’s what I’m ordering!’ Our meals arrived in ample time. FW and TT also ordered the same dish as I did while across from me HT ordered the Pasta of the Day, which was a Creamy Salmon number. It was quite a large serve of pasta especially considering it was only $16.90 but HT claimed it was very bland. I tasted it and it was very bland. Half a bottle of Tabasco Sauce would have made it a little more worthwhile but then again everything tastes good with Tabasco Sauce.
Pasta of the Day – Creamy Salmon Pasta with Artichokes
My meal, as the menu explained it, was just two pieces of fish on a plate with a bit of salad and a very light soy type sauce that pretty much dissolved into nothing when I poured it over the fish. A bit of an odd sauce to have with tempura fish I think. Aioli or the old favourite Tartare Sauce would have been more memorable. The barramundi was cooked well and tasted nice and fresh. The batter encasing the fish was crisp and golden. I just wasn’t feeling it I guess. It must be said that FW and TT enjoyed their Barramundi and Salad lunch more than I did.
Barramundi and Salad – Estuary Fish in Tempura Batter Served with Salad
The menu at Barnacle Bill’s is varied but boring. There is 14 different dishes to choose from for $16.90 each and with menu items like Lasagna, Beef Curry, and Tandoori Chicken Pizza it certainly caters for the non-seafood eaters. Another possible reason why Barnacle Bill’s is such a popular lunch spot. The service was very good and the waiters were very jovial and chatty which is always nice when dining out since I have encountered some super miserable retaurant staff in recent times around Cairns. I guess my beef with the place is that I don’t think it’s anything special. I don’t understand why it’s so damn busy. I know that Barnacle Bill’s has been around nearly longer than I have so they must be doing something right but in my view the two restaurants on either side that I mentioned at the beginning of this post serve better food. It’s as simple as that. Barnacle Bill’s doesn’t need my endorsement. They seem to be doing pretty well already.
Barnacle Bill’s
103 The Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 2241
Website: www.barnaclebills.com.au
Opening Hours: Lunch from 11.30 am daily and Dinner from 5 pm till late
Haveli @ Harbour Lights $15.90 Lunch Special, Cairns *CLOSED DOWN*
My quest to try all the lunch specials in Cairns continues! The latest lunch special on offer is at Cairns’ newest Indian restaurant Haveli at Harbour Lights. Yesterday a few friends and I went to Haveli to see what was on offer for their $15.90 lunch special. Now I am going to try and make this post a short one because not much needs to be said. Haveli finds itself in competition with other Indian restaurants in town namely Tandoori Oven, Marinades and Spicy Bite. I recently tried the $10.90 lunch special at newly relocated Tandoori Oven (I didn’t blog about it). I found their lunch special to be extremely ordinary especially when accompanied with the nearly 40 minute wait for our food when we were the only people in the restaurant. I won’t be going back for a second round at Tandoori Oven. I have already written a post on the lunch special on offer at one of Cairns’ oldest and award winning Indian restaurants, Marinades. I do rate the food at Marinades, however on a more recent trip there it seems to have slipped a little. I am also a little sick of repeatedly overlooking the cold receptions from the female host. Prior to lunch yesterday at Haveli, Marinades was my pick for a top Indian lunch in Cairns but I’m going to have to jump ship because… wow… the $15.90 lunch special at Haveli is fantastic!
When my friends and I arrived at Haveli @ Harbour Lights there was three occupied tables and one waiter (I am pretty sure he was the owner). We sat inside since it was a little too hot to eat curry outside, I don’t care how fast the ceiling fans are going. The owner poured us all a glass of water and took our drink orders. Much to my surprise he returned with our six drinks in what was easily less than five minutes. Four out of six of us ordered the $15.90 lunch special, while the other two ordered items off the Main Menu. The $15.90 lunch special consists of rice, two pappadums, choice of a vegetable curry (either a Vegetable Korma or Dal Makhani), choice of a meat curry (either Rogan Josh or Butter Chicken) and a Naan Bread (either Plain or Garlic Naan). Now with this lunch special you get a LOT of food but to get two thumbs up from me quality and quantity must go hand in hand. At Haveli you get both. The curries are not just all sauce with no meat – a common occurrence at Indian restaurants and takeaways. The Butter Chicken was absolutely delicious and I really enjoyed mopping up the sauce with my Garlic Naan bread, which was equally delicious. The Vegetable Korma was rich and creamy while the pappadums were delicate and crisp. My two friends that ordered from the Main Menu ordered the Lamb Biryani, the Vindaloo and the Malai Tikka. They too really enjoyed their meals and they even managed to get in on the action with our servings of Naan Bread and Rice because there was just so much.
I don’t want to rant on too much but it really was a great feed. MS commented that it was the best meal that he had eaten in Cairns for quite a while and I think his comment definitely had some truth to it. I have read a couple of reviews that people have posted online regarding Haveli being overpriced for dinner but I think this is the case for all Indian Restaurants. This is also the reason why I only dine at Indian restaurants for lunch so I can take advantage of the specials and cheaper prices. Get down to Haveli at Harbour Lights and check out their lunch special. The service is great and at $15.90 you simply can’t go wrong! A word of warning though… Make sure you have the rest of the day off because after your lunch you will be left feeling so satisfied that lying on the couch is pretty much the extent of what you will be doing.
Haveli @ Harbour Lights
2,1 Marlin Pde (Harbour Lights Hotel), Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4041 3502
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs 5 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sun 11 am – 10 pm
Website: www.haveliatharbourlights.com.au
First House Vietnamese Cuisine, Spence St *CLOSED DOWN*
For a place that was not long ago seemingly barren of Vietnamese restaurants to dine at Cairns is now teeming with them! To name just a few that I have come across in the last week or so… Lan’s Vietnamese Restaurant (don’t rate it but that’s an entirely different post), Pho Viet in Orchid Plaza (yet to try but will keep you posted) and then there is First House Vietnamese Cuisine on Spence St. First House has taken over from what once was the Hare Krishna restaurant Gaura Nitai’s. It’s a simple yet quaint little restaurant across from newly refurbished The Jack (formerly Shennanigans). I first dined at this little gem with my family nearly a year ago and found it to be well worth the visit. At the time it had only been open for just over a week and we were the only people dining there but we gave it a go and were pleasantly surprised. First House owner Vincent is the previous manager of Cafe China (or was it Golden Boat) but has since moved on to the greener pastures or shall we say the steaming pho’s of First House Vietnamese Cuisine. Recently MS and I were looking for somewhere to dine for a late lunch in the city and popped into First House for a look. There was only two other occupied tables but it was after 2.30pm. The owner is super friendly and even remembered me from when I dined there with my family. I am pretty memorable I must admit (that’s a joke – or is it?). First House is run by Vincent and his equally pleasant son who’s name escapes me at present. MS ordered the Vietnam Style Hai Nan Chicken Rice (AU$15.80) while I stuck with what I always order when I dine at a Vietnamese Restaurant – the Pho (AU$12.80). It didn’t take long for our meals to arrive and they were delicious. MS’s Chicken Rice was a good lunch size and the chicken was succulent and tender. There are condiments on each table in the restaurant including XO Sauce and Hoi Sin. Having recently discovered Hoi Sin sauce MS happily ate his chicken and rice with a little drizzled over the top while stealing mouthfuls of Pho from my side of the table.
Vietnam Style Hai Nan Chicken Rice (AU$15.80)
Now to my Pho… It was superb. A nice big bowl, they weren’t stingy! The beef stock was rich and flavoursome unlike the less than appertising Pho that I was served at a particular Cairns restaurant starting with ‘B’ and ending with ‘obby’s’. There was so much that I couldn’t finish the whole thing but MS helped me out and now it seems that he too has quite a penchant for Pho. The garnishings of bean sprouts and Thai Basil that arrived on a separate little plate for me to add myself were super fresh and fragrant. YUM!
Pho Beef Rice Noodles Soup (AU$12.80)
The food at First House is fresh and authentic, the service is friendly and personable and although the place isn’t glamourous it just seems to work! Don’t let the tacky plastic table clothes and the flashing neon sign fool you as this all adds to the character of First House and the overall dining experience. There are lunch specials available between 12pm and 2.30pm 7 days a weeks (check out my ‘Lunch’ page). Pop in for a quiet lunch or dinner. You will be glad that you did. By the way did I mention that First House Vietnamese Cuisine is BYO? Oh yeah.
First House Vietnamese Cuisine
55 Spence St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4051 5153
Opening Hours: Open 7 days 11am – 3pm and 5pm – 9pm including Public Holidays
Eat in or takeaway
Coco’s Sunday Brunch, The Sebel Cairns
Last Sunday I attended a friend’s birthday brunch at Coco’s Restaurant at The Sebel in the city. I have long said that this particular buffet, though expensive, is the best in town. Alas this is no longer the case. I have observed the price rise of the buffet over the years from $40 odd dollars including alcohol to their current pricing ($58 per person without the drinks or $70 with the drinks). The buffet includes seafood (crab, prawns, bugs and oysters) as well as hot and cold dishes and the delectable dessert bar. The drinks package includes selected cocktails (margaritas, mango and strawberry daquiris), sparkling wine and soft drinks, although the alcohol content of the cocktails is questionable but with the amount of food that one normally eats at a buffet alcohol intoxication isn’t really a factor.
MS and I arrived at The Sebel, which is a beautiful hotel I might add. There was live music playing and while we waited in line to pay for our buffet we were offered a glass of champagne (whoops I mean sparkling wine). We both chose the $58 non-drinking package which didn’t seem to matter because the staff continued to top up my glass of sparkling wine long after I placed it down in front of me at the table. This was much to my detriment later on in the afternoon as I wasn’t feeling too great following my 4 or 5 glasses of sparkling. I certainly wasn’t complaining about the free refills at the time. MS and I sat down at the table, did the introductions and then waited the obligatory 56 seconds or so before we raced to the buffet. I went straight to the seafood while MS, well… who knows I wasn’t paying any attention because I was consumed with the pile of bugs and oysters in front of me. First things first, I know my seafood. Lets just say my parents have owned a seafood business since I was just a twinkle in their eye so I do know what I am talking about and if I don’t I just ask my dad. After dreaming about oysters since having the most amazing oysters of my life on Christmas Day (they were NZ oysters) I was finally going to get my fill of them again. Initially I was most disappointed with the size of the oysters. They were small. Tiny. Minute. Nothing compared to the delicious oysters that I had been fantasising about or had recently consumed. Size isn’t everything though. I piled a few oysters on my plate, grabbed two bug halfs, a handful of prawns (with tongs might I add) and took my seat at the table. I am all for oysters being small as long as they taste good but these didn’t. They didn’t taste nice. I don’t want to go on and on about the oysters but good, fresh seafood is so important! I asked one of the waiters where the oysters were from and he informed me they were from Tasmania. I’ll wrap up my oyster rant with this… It’s no wonder so many people don’t eat oysters because I wouldn’t either if I had only ever tried oysters that tasted like these ones. Now I’m going to move onto the bugs. The bugs were overcooked and tough. Not sweet and juicy like bugs should be. I wasn’t the only one that noticed the distasteful bugs. On a lighter note there were two types of prawns available at the buffet – tigers and endeavours – and these were delicious but for someone who had intended on dining on almost nothing but bugs and oysters at the buffet I was reduced to look elsewhere on the buffet for a feed after my disappointing seafood encounter.
Prawns, Bug and Oysters
Further down at the hot buffet station there was the usual breakfast fare… English Muffin Eggs Benedict (the eggs were runny mind you – HALLELUJAH), Bacon, Chipolatas, Frittata and Raspberry and White Chocolate Pancakes. Other dishes at the hot buffet station included Roast Lamb, Salmon, Chicken Laksa, Pork (with crackling), Steamed Vegetables and Soup. The Roast Lamb was amazing but then again isn’t all Roast Lamb amazing? I think I actually went back for thirds of the lamb. The pork was dry but then again, most pork is dry. That is really all I helped myself to at the Hot Buffet section and spent the rest of my time in the salad section eating things like the Mushroom, Goats Cheese and Red Onion Tart and the White Anchovies that someone had left just for me near the ‘make your own’ Caesar Salad’ section. I’m pretty sure the website calls this the ‘Sushi and Salad Bar’ but there was no Sushi there on this particular day much to my dismay.
A section of the Sushi and Salad Bar
Because it was a friends birthday there was birthday cake so I only had a tiny taste of the desserts that were on offer. The dessert display looks amazing and the pastry chef at Coco’s Restaurant really does know how to make some enticing desserts. Unfortunately I only managed to try the Coconut Pannacotta since the guilt of eating Chocolate Ganache birthday cake as well as Cheesecake, Frangipane Tart and other yummy desserts had caught up with me, along with the 3 or 4 plates of food I had already eaten and the disapproving looks from MS.
Dessert Bar
The last time I had Sunday brunch at The Sebel was almost a year ago and I found it to be a little disappointing then. When I say disappointing I mean everything other than the seafood was delicious however the seafood just isn’t up to the standard that it used to be so I hardly ate any this time around. But lets be honest here it’s really not worth paying a minimum of $58 if you are not going to eat the seafood. The service is fantastic and you never have an empty glass or a dirty plate in front of you and I guess the service is part of what you are paying with the hefty price tag. It seems to me that the standard of food at Coco’s Restaurant has taken a bit of a turn for the worse since Mirvac Hotels took over from the Cairns International Hotel and it then became The Sebel. It is important to note that they are serving Australian Seafood and not the imported crap but I’m still not feeling it. So in my opinion the Sunday Brunch buffet at Coco’s Restaurant is no longer the Best Seafood Buffet in Cairns and for now the title is up for grabs. Any takers?
Coco’s Restaurant
17 Abbott St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4050 2101
Opening Hours: Every Sunday 11.30am – 2.30pm
Courtyard Cafe @ Coffee Works, Mareeba
If you are headed up the range to the Atherton Tablelands then you should think about stopping in at Coffee Works at Mareeba for a bite to eat. Do not confuse this with Skybury Coffee, a place a little way out of Mareeba that I really don’t rate but that’s another post entirely. I have been to Coffee Works a couple of times now and really enjoyed it. There is a massive gift shop that MS claims is ‘full of junk’ (typical male) but I didn’t think so. The gift shop has some really beautiful and unique things things to buy as a gift for someone, hence the name ‘Gift Shop’ and its definitely one of the better gift shops I have been to. However, on this occasion we came for lunch, not to buy gifts except for some chocolate coated coffee beans to take with us and eat on the drive back down the range.
View from the Courtyard Cafe
Everyday the Courtyard Cafe has what they call the Flamin’ BBQ with a chef whipping up yummy Steak Sandwiches and the like for the hoards of hungry locals and tourists arriving at Coffee Works. MS and I both had a Steak Sandwich (around the AU$14 mark) that comes with or without Blue Cheese Sauce. Being a lover of Blue Cheese (as my saying goes ‘I could shower in that sh*t’) I opted for the Blue Cheese Sauce while MS decided against it. For something a little bit different the Steak Sandwich comes with Smith Chips on the side. I’m assuming the chips are meant to be added to the sandwich for that extra crunch. It’s a nice touch and we both really enjoyed our Steak Sandwiches.
Steak Sandwich with Blue Cheese Sauce and Smith’s Chips
Coffee Works is a nice place to check out, just a little bit off the beaten track (well my beaten track anyway). The only problem I have with Coffee Works is the flies. They are plentiful and really annoying when you are trying to enjoy your delicious lunch and tend to put a dampener on the whole experience. Might I suggest a fly trap?
Coffee Works
136 Mason St, Mareeba QLD 4880
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 9am-4pm
Ph: (07) 4092 4101
Website: www.coffeeworks.com.au
My Favourite Salad @ Perotta’s, Cairns
I simply had to include a post about one my favourite meals at one of my favourite restaurants in Cairns. The Chilli Salt Squid Salad with Spiced Popcorn (AU$19) at Perotta’s At the Gallery is so damn good you just have to go there and try it! I have been going to Perotta’s for years and ordering this salad and I have never been disappointed with it. Sure the spiced popcorn may be a bit of an odd ingredient but that with the pomegranate, rocket, pumpkin and dressing is mouth wateringly good! Not only is the salad amazing but Perotta’s is the perfect place for people watching (if you are into that kind of thing). Get down there!
Perotta’s At The Gallery
38 Abbott St, Cairns QLD 4870
Ph: (07) 4031 5899
Opening Hours: 7 days 6.30am – midnight
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