If you want something just a little different how about a BBQ right on your table top in the restaurant. Really the BBQ is sunk into the table and has a large exhaust snoot which is lowered down. The plate is convex and heated by gas flame from below. Your friendly waiter\cook\drinks waiter lines up bowls of food to be cooked then goes ahead and does it all for you. Great idea, novel and really nice food.
Geonbae is a Korean BBQ done right in front of you. The décor is modern diner style with booth style seating, more open general seating or even outside dinning. Not only is there a good variety of food but some great beers and wines to choose from. I tried a couple of the Korean beers and found them excellent. It just adds to the experience.
This restaurant is right on the Kananook Creek which these days has been cleaned up a lot. Plenty of local parking and once you have had your fill you can take a walk to the beach or a creek walk. Don't get too hung up on the quality of the food and you are in for a good. Something different as I said, lots of food cooked fresh and well and a clean modern feel about the restaurant. Go, have a good time, do try the beers and take that walk after.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
The Lorne Pier Seafood - Lorne, Victoria
Not hard to imagine a warm sunny day on the coast, looking out across the water, cool breeze blowing and the smell of freshly cooked seafood. If you are outside of Lorne Pier Restaurant this reality is not difficult. In fact it is very real. For my first here visit we went inside, the night was too warm but we did get a window seat.
Boy did it get noisy real quick. Not only patrons, but the staff lifted. Staff smashed down fresh crockery and cutlery at the servery and the diners yelled over the top. Then the cooks, who were elevated, yelled service to the staff below. So loud and such a calamity. Awful.
The food was ordinary, dry, tasteless and poor quality. Staff were efficient and friendly but it didn't make-up for ordinary food. Add to all of this the noise this would not be the venue for a first date. Here is the flip side; sunny day, no too hot, outside taking in the scenery, cold beer and a meal. If you are not a super foodie the meal may just suffice, want better than "just ok", go elsewhere.
Boy did it get noisy real quick. Not only patrons, but the staff lifted. Staff smashed down fresh crockery and cutlery at the servery and the diners yelled over the top. Then the cooks, who were elevated, yelled service to the staff below. So loud and such a calamity. Awful.
The food was ordinary, dry, tasteless and poor quality. Staff were efficient and friendly but it didn't make-up for ordinary food. Add to all of this the noise this would not be the venue for a first date. Here is the flip side; sunny day, no too hot, outside taking in the scenery, cold beer and a meal. If you are not a super foodie the meal may just suffice, want better than "just ok", go elsewhere.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Joseph's Restuarant and Bar - Mansion Hotel, Werribee.
Staying at the Mansion Hotel in Werribee has a number of benefits. Firstly you don't need a car and can walk to the Winefax winery for wine tastings of both local and inter-state wines, have a meal indoor or out or just tipple as desired. A short wander back to the extensive Mansion Hotel and Werribee Mansion for a meal and a night or two away. How convenient. When finished your tasting and selected vino walk the grounds for some interesting history, wonderful scenery and sculpture park.
Back at the hotel, which are the converted monks dorms, the lobby is grand and there are many guest's common rooms to explore. Joseph's is the restaurant within the hotel complex. . Décor is modern but music a little (attempted anyway) esoteric. What's more the music is boring and not conducive of ingestion. But few eateries ever, if ever, get the music right. Evidently all restaurant mangers are deaf! Wait staff, here, also need some serious training. My wife signaled the waiter twice over a ten minute period to be told "just a minute" on both occasions. In the end she just gave up. Also don't order any common cocktail the barman has no idea. Ask him for a whisky and you'll get a bourbon. If you say that's not whisky he will reach for every other bourbon on the shelf until you say "I'll have a bourbon instead". Ask for two ice cubes and no more and he'll plop them into your glass curtesy of his bare fingers!! OMG!!!
Back to the restaurant. My food was OK but just OK. But my foolish wife, the one still waiting for "just a minute" to expire, asked for steak. The steak was pathetic. Now that's a new way to describe food. A pathetic steak. Roll-up, no other restaurant can serve the "Pathetic Steak". I wouldn't serve meat to my friends that looked like this but here they charge you for the privilege. OMG!!!
Now here is the clincher. About 30 minutes after eating the steak my wife had to rush to the toilet and was violently ill, both ends. She was sick all night, the whole night and extremely weak the next morning when we had to drive home. The steak? Who knows? Fist time we have left more than we ate. In the morning breakfast is back in Joseph's and a reasonable spread, no complaints. Oh that's bull shit of course there was something wrong. The same shity atmospheric music. It's obvious they only have one CD. Here's a tip, buy another then you will have two.
The Werribee Mansion is a must see. Sick and weak my wife dragged her weak body though the many and palatial rooms which make this magnificent building. If nothing else see the Mansion. If you don't want to spend the big bucks at the restaurant there is café. Just don't order the steak unless you want a whole body detox.
Back at the hotel, which are the converted monks dorms, the lobby is grand and there are many guest's common rooms to explore. Joseph's is the restaurant within the hotel complex. . Décor is modern but music a little (attempted anyway) esoteric. What's more the music is boring and not conducive of ingestion. But few eateries ever, if ever, get the music right. Evidently all restaurant mangers are deaf! Wait staff, here, also need some serious training. My wife signaled the waiter twice over a ten minute period to be told "just a minute" on both occasions. In the end she just gave up. Also don't order any common cocktail the barman has no idea. Ask him for a whisky and you'll get a bourbon. If you say that's not whisky he will reach for every other bourbon on the shelf until you say "I'll have a bourbon instead". Ask for two ice cubes and no more and he'll plop them into your glass curtesy of his bare fingers!! OMG!!!
Back to the restaurant. My food was OK but just OK. But my foolish wife, the one still waiting for "just a minute" to expire, asked for steak. The steak was pathetic. Now that's a new way to describe food. A pathetic steak. Roll-up, no other restaurant can serve the "Pathetic Steak". I wouldn't serve meat to my friends that looked like this but here they charge you for the privilege. OMG!!!
Now here is the clincher. About 30 minutes after eating the steak my wife had to rush to the toilet and was violently ill, both ends. She was sick all night, the whole night and extremely weak the next morning when we had to drive home. The steak? Who knows? Fist time we have left more than we ate. In the morning breakfast is back in Joseph's and a reasonable spread, no complaints. Oh that's bull shit of course there was something wrong. The same shity atmospheric music. It's obvious they only have one CD. Here's a tip, buy another then you will have two.
The Werribee Mansion is a must see. Sick and weak my wife dragged her weak body though the many and palatial rooms which make this magnificent building. If nothing else see the Mansion. If you don't want to spend the big bucks at the restaurant there is café. Just don't order the steak unless you want a whole body detox.
Friday, January 12, 2018
KONG - Asian BBQ, Richmond, Victoria
I'm not going to waist a lot of words here KONG BBQ speaks for itself. Lots and lots of delicious food, succulent tender meat, cooked fresh and lots of it. Go for the $60 all you can eat meat plan. There is not just meat but the meat courses are really exceptional. Décor is OK staff are great parking may be an issue. DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE. Go before you die.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Gabah Restaurant - Bali Island, Indonesia
Sick of Italian food and burgers in Bali and really would like to find some good Indonesian food. If you like pizza, pasta and burgers and chips come to Bali. Even then it is not good pizza and pasta (not sure about the burgers). What happen to Indonesian food. Is there that many westerners and Europeans coming to Bali that Indonesian food is off the menu. How sad.
Even when we found a good Italian restaurant near where we were staying the ambiance and eventually the food slipped. We tried a few other restaurant near where we stayed in Legian. You have to like loud dance\trance music to eat there and then the food was lousy. Most eateries were empty. Try playing some background Balinese music and serve better food and see what happens. What most restaurants are doing right now is not working. Bring back Bali!
Have faith because at the back of Matahari is a fine Indonesian restaurant which is part of a hotel complex. Gabah is a beautiful open air restaurant with a rich menu of fine Indonesian food, good beer and wine list and cocktails-a-plenty. I stuck with the beer and the wife smoothies and mocktails. We dined twice here and enjoyed it both times.
He is a little tip; get yourself a table near the pool, away from the main street and you'll sit in the cool. There is a strong cool breeze which blows through here all the time and helps with the Bali heat and humidity. Add to that a cool drink and you are well on your way to a fine authentic Indonesian eating experience. Table service is excellent and as usual the Balinese just want to please. If it is one thing the Balinese are very, very good at is hospitality. No one does it better.
On both a visits to this great and relaxed eat house we stuck with local cuisine. We sat near the pool and looked down on the pond with its massive urn drizzling water into it. Fish fill the pond. There is an open bar you can sit at and lots of table space. Good food at a reasonable price, great service and a very pleasant ambiance make for a REAL Bali experience. Not pizza and burgers, not in Bali.
Even when we found a good Italian restaurant near where we were staying the ambiance and eventually the food slipped. We tried a few other restaurant near where we stayed in Legian. You have to like loud dance\trance music to eat there and then the food was lousy. Most eateries were empty. Try playing some background Balinese music and serve better food and see what happens. What most restaurants are doing right now is not working. Bring back Bali!
Have faith because at the back of Matahari is a fine Indonesian restaurant which is part of a hotel complex. Gabah is a beautiful open air restaurant with a rich menu of fine Indonesian food, good beer and wine list and cocktails-a-plenty. I stuck with the beer and the wife smoothies and mocktails. We dined twice here and enjoyed it both times.
He is a little tip; get yourself a table near the pool, away from the main street and you'll sit in the cool. There is a strong cool breeze which blows through here all the time and helps with the Bali heat and humidity. Add to that a cool drink and you are well on your way to a fine authentic Indonesian eating experience. Table service is excellent and as usual the Balinese just want to please. If it is one thing the Balinese are very, very good at is hospitality. No one does it better.
On both a visits to this great and relaxed eat house we stuck with local cuisine. We sat near the pool and looked down on the pond with its massive urn drizzling water into it. Fish fill the pond. There is an open bar you can sit at and lots of table space. Good food at a reasonable price, great service and a very pleasant ambiance make for a REAL Bali experience. Not pizza and burgers, not in Bali.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Bella Italia Legian - Bali
Staying at the Pullman Hotel (five star and all) is very nice but you should get out and eat around. Lucky for us there was a really excellent Italian restaurant directly down stairs. Even better in hot, hot Bali they have a sealed conditioned room. And even better again we had it all to ourselves. One small complaint is no matter how many times the music was turned down it would turn itself back up to the point of being uncomfortable.
The food was really top class and very fresh. Wines on the menu are limited but the Chianti went down a treat. Bella Italia is run by an Italian and you could feel his presence coming right through the food. Add to a delicious main and starter was a selection of great desserts. Does it get any better? Yes it does. Our waitress was excellent company and excelled in satisfying our every request and we showed our appreciation at the end of the night.
We headed off very satisfied, cool and pleased with our easy find. I want to return but we must stretch ourselves to try other places. Still hoping to go back for one more meal. If you are around this end of town this little restaurant has be on your list. Dine inside or out you are in for an Italian Bella treat.
Revisit: We went back for another meal. Once more we were confronted with the same awful music, up loud, we experienced at our first sitting. In the end I spoke to the manger and as best I could keep control, complained bitterly about the loud inappropriate music. Finally she turned it off for our room. The food though was not as good as our first visit. Apart from having dessert there late one night we did not return for another meal.
The food was really top class and very fresh. Wines on the menu are limited but the Chianti went down a treat. Bella Italia is run by an Italian and you could feel his presence coming right through the food. Add to a delicious main and starter was a selection of great desserts. Does it get any better? Yes it does. Our waitress was excellent company and excelled in satisfying our every request and we showed our appreciation at the end of the night.
We headed off very satisfied, cool and pleased with our easy find. I want to return but we must stretch ourselves to try other places. Still hoping to go back for one more meal. If you are around this end of town this little restaurant has be on your list. Dine inside or out you are in for an Italian Bella treat.
Revisit: We went back for another meal. Once more we were confronted with the same awful music, up loud, we experienced at our first sitting. In the end I spoke to the manger and as best I could keep control, complained bitterly about the loud inappropriate music. Finally she turned it off for our room. The food though was not as good as our first visit. Apart from having dessert there late one night we did not return for another meal.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Grossi Florentino Grill - Bourke Street Melbourne
Finding myself once more in the city of Melbourne right on lunch I had to track down yet another fine dinner experience. Call me crazy but spending $100 on lunch for one , to me, is money well spent. I had eaten next door at Omara Bar only recently but this time took the Grossi plunge.
Décor is simple, subdued, modern and screams "good food here". Music was quiet and tasteful. Once more I planted my grumbling stomach right in the window for the promenade and gestation experience. Foods good, view is good and wines OK. Smartly dressed table staff take your order, make suggestions and rattle off the specials. Sardines aren't for everyone but each time I've had them I've been happy. Next veal poached in milk. Delicious.
Eating downstairs (Grill) is less expensive than upstairs but you are guaranteed the same very high quality of food and service. This was only lunch and I did notice a number of business lunches going down (pun intended). Would I recommend Grossi, yes, definitely.
Décor is simple, subdued, modern and screams "good food here". Music was quiet and tasteful. Once more I planted my grumbling stomach right in the window for the promenade and gestation experience. Foods good, view is good and wines OK. Smartly dressed table staff take your order, make suggestions and rattle off the specials. Sardines aren't for everyone but each time I've had them I've been happy. Next veal poached in milk. Delicious.
Eating downstairs (Grill) is less expensive than upstairs but you are guaranteed the same very high quality of food and service. This was only lunch and I did notice a number of business lunches going down (pun intended). Would I recommend Grossi, yes, definitely.
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