tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24337105071603377832024-02-18T23:06:43.236-08:00PLANET LEONReviews of cafes and restaurants as visted by yours truly and the occasional guest reviewer.Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-15114320130202000872020-08-31T14:35:00.009-07:002020-08-31T14:55:54.312-07:00Restaurant botanica - Pokolbin- A lovely dinning experience <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinP1nz56qN2g_oX9jOM1ricJKHp9ZT-luPebUdcjgqs21BVCjGuYjlwaxbQvozjw_Xr6ReUaDyj2CxKdQ5ppvFJdiuHLjwtm5-lHroVugnrFfWUfQwpxTQDci1yg7I8C1u2_Su5R7zvhwx/s4032/IMG_2935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinP1nz56qN2g_oX9jOM1ricJKHp9ZT-luPebUdcjgqs21BVCjGuYjlwaxbQvozjw_Xr6ReUaDyj2CxKdQ5ppvFJdiuHLjwtm5-lHroVugnrFfWUfQwpxTQDci1yg7I8C1u2_Su5R7zvhwx/s640/IMG_2935.JPG" /></a></div><br /> A lovely appointed restaurant that welcomes you with its decor and friendly staff. The open fire always helps in winter as does the correct lighting. The food overall was excellent without being adventurous. The grilled calamari was a little dry and boring but everything else was terrific. Perfectly cooked duck and beautiful pasta . The desert of dark chocolate mousse with red wine ice cream was also well presented and topped off a great dinner. The service and food 9/10. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JFaF0uoTJ1BwMKjkiI7_srePF1enxOjaqBNgM6eoQGvP42Z5M2qvOIy-ySAPbFftPcXT2e5uIs83-vVmlpyqgTQuUGMEhccwEB-ZeFXE8D0kI4w8jVvS3glP5Q1uknX0IzTFz6PRYhVS/s4032/IMG_2941.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JFaF0uoTJ1BwMKjkiI7_srePF1enxOjaqBNgM6eoQGvP42Z5M2qvOIy-ySAPbFftPcXT2e5uIs83-vVmlpyqgTQuUGMEhccwEB-ZeFXE8D0kI4w8jVvS3glP5Q1uknX0IzTFz6PRYhVS/s640/IMG_2941.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsJ-k4vcf7SwvlUvkM6c0MGp2EnH3KOIAVTeN3R6-ZpddN4A7mQhfnR1zFd3hsrAzmUwSyIZ41FEwVPGdeJO_KcW7LxM7aC5cv3ZNrwX9cvnTAjzFdSvS2xlNc5HxoHwoH90Jr3E5VFQi/s4032/IMG_2939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLveark54909oqwY422ogd5mVLn6yJL_9LcRl7ydrGOCegnJnHQVrCuEczUjjSFxLfRlGNgx6L8R-l8qxaLmilYvIicZXJYfhTrKaxOFXedR1G0axBVMHLkoUvpu0DlVsg6YdSUCHLMxM/s4032/IMG_2696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLveark54909oqwY422ogd5mVLn6yJL_9LcRl7ydrGOCegnJnHQVrCuEczUjjSFxLfRlGNgx6L8R-l8qxaLmilYvIicZXJYfhTrKaxOFXedR1G0axBVMHLkoUvpu0DlVsg6YdSUCHLMxM/s640/IMG_2696.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGcgBEWd-ydChDg7gXZutIhGwfqHj6D_jhghMoUqRKAkwES4cc-5YNIW8fuwgoNP7mTOSNQaRzATHRvMkGJS3tQQJT6JR6uvDB9H-FsEXT2XxDC_V6b3cCunGsuDGLTLVx2aJp70qt20E/s4032/IMG_2693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGcgBEWd-ydChDg7gXZutIhGwfqHj6D_jhghMoUqRKAkwES4cc-5YNIW8fuwgoNP7mTOSNQaRzATHRvMkGJS3tQQJT6JR6uvDB9H-FsEXT2XxDC_V6b3cCunGsuDGLTLVx2aJp70qt20E/s640/IMG_2693.JPG" /></a></div> If you are a good lover you would have been here, but now you need to go again as their menu has totally changed. The food was again terrific and their service was equally good. I would definitely have their degustation menu so you can try everything. The beef tartare was the best dish for me along with a broccoli salad. Desserts have not been left off and the stoners delight is still there. This for me is one place you can always go back to. 9/10 for both food and service. By the way excellent gf options. <p></p>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-4205748468103792872020-06-20T17:47:00.002-07:002020-06-20T17:48:21.653-07:00UR PHO - Cronulla Great Vietnamese food <div>We went there on Friday night and had crispy pancake, spring rolls , salt and pepper eggplant and a chicken curry. All were very good and all gluten free. Atmosphere was buzzy and the service was excellent. Probably too many people but all was done properly. I would highly recommend this place . By the their pho is also excellent but be careful if you order spicy soup as it’s really spicy. </div>
Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-57104347770664727052020-06-20T15:58:00.000-07:002020-06-20T15:58:05.462-07:00Our father cafe - Burraneer bay <ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Excellent place for breakfast and coffee. Had the corn fritters with a chilli egg which was really nice. Almond milk coffee was made to perfection. They also cater for gf people and have a large range of goodies as well. Service was very friendly and professional . </li></ul>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-9240447225170189072020-02-25T19:15:00.001-08:002020-02-25T19:15:18.598-08:00Zimzala - Amazing location in CronullaThis restaurant would have one of the best locations right on the beach at South Cronulla giving you views of the surf, sand, people and people just having fun. Its been around for a while and it never ceases to surprise me with the menu changing and the quality of the food.<br />
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We went there for Valentines day but it could be any day and you would get the same great service and food. We had the seafood platter as you can see below and is an excellent version of this , not too much fried foods and a good selection of fresh prawns etc. They have many other things on the menu to suit most people and have gluten free options.<br />
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The Deserts were wonderful and all in all a very good dinning experience. I will continue to go back and give them an 8/10 for both service and food.</div>
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Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-91354058345172377112020-02-25T18:47:00.000-08:002020-02-25T18:47:59.485-08:00Giro Osteria - Nice local ItalianIts been a while since I used this blog however , I am back. We have not been to this place for a long time and it is a very good restaurant. The atmosphere is terrific however the service is a little off and just needs some small adjustments. The food was a bit hit and miss with both pastas being excellent however the John Dory was overcooked and the snitzel was burnt as you can see by the photo.<br />
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I have forgiven them for some of the mistakes and still give them a 6.5 out of 10 overall. We will go back as I know they can do better.Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-41127445874301703612016-04-16T14:17:00.005-07:002016-04-16T14:17:57.920-07:00Claire's KitchenThis is one restaurant I have been wanting to go to for a while and I am glad I went. It has a wonderful ambiance elegant without going over the top.<br />
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So we arrived and was seated at a large table in a cubicle as there was 4 of us and then the waitress lit the large chandelier in the middle of the table which shone light onto the table. A great start to the night .<br />
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The menu was quite big and they also had some specials so there is plenty to choose from. Everything is French so well done. I ordered the salmon entree which was nice but not great the others were also happy with theirs. I also ordered 6 escargot which was the highlight.<br />
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For main I had lamb rack which was served cold and the potatoes were under cooked however it was still very tasty. The pork cutlet and the lamb rump was also very good.<br />
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The wine list is reasonable and varied in price which was good. The waiters were all very friendly and French so the experience was good. The only real negative for the night was the service which was too slow and not all the meals came out together which explains why they were cold.<br />
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I would go back and try again. I would give them 5/10 for service and 7/10 for food.<br />
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Claire's Kitchen<br />
35 Oxford st<br />
Surry hillsPlanet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-51341079745527496152016-01-25T16:40:00.001-08:002016-01-25T16:40:16.763-08:00Ananas Restaurant - Sydney Rocks It's been a year since I was last here and I wondered if it was as good as it was. I was not disappointed it has kept its French charm and the food was excellent . I started with escargot which were very tasty but not near enough as they were delightful. My colleague had the Seared Tuna Salad which was very good. We both had a simple steak but it was cooked to perfection medium rare with good caramelisation on top. This was served with a few sides which were just as good.<br />
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The wine list was reasonable as was the price and the service was good without being intrusive. It is somewhere that you take your partner for a romantic dinner but it has has a buzz about it so you feel like you could be in France. It gets my tick of approval and I will return. I would have taken more photos but the food was so good I ate too fast and forgot. By the way my business colleague really liked it as well and was very complimentary about the food and service. So well done Ananas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seared Tuna Salad</td></tr>
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<br />Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-15561696099286703592015-12-29T13:04:00.000-08:002015-12-29T13:04:25.666-08:00Estelle - MelbourneI have been here about 5 times which is much more than I normally do simply because the food is so good. I think we all know of Scott Pickett the chef and his reputation is second to none. This is his main restaurant and is worth visiting for the atmosphere and the food. By the way the service is also top class.<br />
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The following is a sample of the food we had on this night but there is much much more. Obviously you need to have the degustation menu otherwise it is a waste of time going.<br />
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The restaurant is located at 243 High Street Northcote in Victoria<br />
phone (03) 94894609<br />
eat@estellebistro.comPlanet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-80145913735490697652014-01-04T12:42:00.001-08:002014-01-04T12:42:43.919-08:00Vamps BistroVamps is an old traditional French bistro with. slightly Asian feel, however the majority of the food is classic french. The restaurant is nestled in amongst a number of other restaurants at 5 ways Paddington which is always buzzing on the weekends. The old terrace house has been there as a restaurant for over 25 years and this was my first visit. <br /><br />I like traditional French as it does remind me of my French holiday some years ago spending 5 weeks travelling around the country side. There is plenty to like about Vamps from the atmosphere to the smell of garlic to the noisy chatter of kitchen staff and guests.<br /><br />The menu is full of goodies including French onion soup, escargot, scallops in moray sauce, lambs brains and kidneys. I had the escargot in garlic whilst the others had shagpile prawns in shredded wontons, both were very good.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/110610998451062766069/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmF8qD7vfbP0gE#5965143300541527746'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ22khKveQpkQpPYTS8DgQdGGdMhWg2ySJjuqIJazD-wQUGab5-YrRHxmu944nTkbzo_46F-P5XEmFpV6U6ULuMOO9ur0uGfRqJgbSi8S9P4gV-irDAMuGaEGBkH0tsV-ET1r8Ijf6qqFa/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/110610998451062766069/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmF8qD7vfbP0gE#5965143326975813106'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2J4vXBnMzrWpPkLoxWcSSLiRphIILY7XMbVmzUruIHuAEN2XVkgwrc5uEucUUwiVsKF9aJ9Rnlqo46VsWFOjNfBZIqB-sxZ69fnKeiig_sSQoqLmYgc6LvumjKOhTeLByWuHsIn_vKCX/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />When it came time to order the mains I wanted the duck a l orange and the rabbit pie and then the beef with pepper sauce also sounded good. I settled on the rabbit pie only to find out that they had none but was replaced with a pheasant pie, so I had that. it did not disappoint me in fast it was lovely nice flakey pastry with a thick creamy, wine pheasant filling. We had the potato mash and beans as sides. The others had the twice cooked pork belly, lamb and the duck, all were very good and everyone enjoyed the meal. <br /><br />no one had room for dessert unfortunately but they do have the traditional French desserts and you won't be disappointed here either.<br /><br />It was a very pleasant night out and with the added advantage of being BYO we also took our own wine. corkage is a very reasonable $5 per person. I would return and overall I would give it a 7/10 for both food and service. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=227%20Glemore%20Rd%20Paddington&z=10'>227 Glemore Rd Paddington</a></p>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-30812258665101494462013-12-12T02:20:00.001-08:002013-12-12T02:25:09.471-08:00BrooksThis is the second time I have gone to Brooks and I must admit the food is excellent. Some of it is a little rich but all the same it is presented with precision and flair. The restaurant does degustation and you should to do dinner this way to sample what they have on offer. <br />
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The restaurant itself is located in a lane way just off Collins Street and is where Jamie Oliver's 15 used to be. Although the premises are a bit dated the food and service makes up for this. <br />
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The following dishes are a sample of some of their dishes.<br />
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Chicken Parfait, rye bread and rhubarb jam <br />
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Vegetable croquettes, charcoal, ginger & red wine<br />
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Nic's souvenir of Laguiole. Meli Melo vegetables<br />
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Spanner crab, pickled oysters, mussels, Shizo oil, nori<br />
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"Forrest floor" , chocolate & hazelnut parfait, pork crackling, mint, sorrel granita and <br />
meringue<br />
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The service was excellent and the wine list long. Overall a very pleasant dinning experience and I would recommend you try some time. Score for food 8/10 and service 9/10. <br />
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Basement 115 - 117 Collins street<br />
Melbourne<br />
telephone: 03 90018755<br />
<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Collins%20street%20Melbourne&z=10">Collins street Melbourne</a></div>
Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-50614738753761744142013-10-07T02:12:00.001-07:002013-10-07T02:33:56.972-07:00Felix - Ash St Sydney CBDThis is a Merivale restaurant and one of my favourite. I have been there 3 times and enjoyed the experience each time. Although some better than others. this is a true French bistro and you could be in Paris if you close your eyes.<br />
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This night we dinned with friends and thoroughly enjoyed the night. The atmosphere is buzzy as it is always nearly full. <br />
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For entree I had Oysters, as I am on a diet but my guests had a seafood chowder which he loved, and a prawn salad with quinoa.<br />
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For mains we had lamb, barramundi and spatchcock and a duck cassoulet. All were fine except the cassoulet was too dry but still tasty.<br />
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As you can see they all look delicious and they were. you need to be careful with the wine list and choose wisely. The service was good without being great and the waiters were a little hard to understand. I give it 5/10 for service and 6/10 for food. <br />
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I will return as I like the buzz about the restaurant and it is always pleasant. <br />
<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ash%20st%20Sydney%20CBD&z=10">Ash st Sydney CBD</a></div>
Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-49736256920749795852013-10-05T21:24:00.001-07:002013-10-07T02:39:45.859-07:00Gastro Park - Roslyn st Potts PointWell,everyone has been talking about this restaurant so I thought I should try it out. Although I dont believe the name does it justice.<br />
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The restaurant is in a small street off the main drag in Kings Cross called Roslyn street which is also home to a number of bars. The ambiance is casual dinning but is definitely a fine dinning menu.<br />
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The menu has a number of options including snacks which we tried before ordering our entree & mains. The snack was described as following. Foie gras, wild hare, beetroot, plum vinegar and red cabbage granita.<br />
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For entree we had Slow cooked pork belly seared cuttlefish, pork crackling carot witlof & crab sauce.<br />
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Liquid butternut gnocchi, mushroom consommé, shimeji, opinion crumb<br />
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Agendashi of cauliflower & scallop, lobster consommé.<br />
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the above entrees were all well presented and tasted great.<br />
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For mains we had crispy scaled jewfish, smoked potato purée, calamari crackling in ink sauce. this was quite amazing but it didn't seem to work for me. The fish was nice and the smoked potato very salty. <br />
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Rare seared venison, red cabbage, rhubarb, beetroot, puffed barley, spiced red wine. this was far too well cooked for venison which made it a little tough.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/110610998451062766069/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmF8qD7vfbP0gE#5931493589202614066"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdd092xEvwHZIF0Y-67_GNtPXXqHpflgVMiXZY4lA5EkRsOwTQ9xiP3APhOReJl0zDQmPr4SJI2DlfOywucHjJzAHDUaQuHCiSvLQKcRMRguAwLxWqXnLHczcqME9pseRZq6i1Pvup1qjB/s288/1381032538.726051.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Steamed Murray cod, charred white asparagus, roast watercress & shiitake mushroom, trompette sauce.<br />
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We washed the above down with a Parker Terra Rossa Cabernet and then proceeded to desert. These were all fabulous and a highlight of the meal.<br />
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Mulberry milk & honey cluster, blueberry, mascarpone & lemon. This was absolutely beautiful as was the other dish below.<br />
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then we both had the chocolate, honeycomb & vanilla sphere, cardamom, saffron, ginger.<br />
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Overall the food was very innovative, presented very well but lacked something ? The service was very good and the ambiance was good as well especially as the night went on with being able to look out the window at all the action. I would recommend you try it but be wary it is innovative food. I give it 6/10 for food and 8/10 for service.<br />
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<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Roslyn%20street%20Potts%20Point&z=10">Roslyn street Potts Point</a></div>
Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-58550283058985223092013-07-15T20:10:00.000-07:002013-07-15T20:10:47.404-07:00Sails - Lavender Bay<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have not been here for about 2 years and we booked to celebrate my daughters 30th birthday. The menu was a bit non seafood for a known seafood restaurant but looked ok. We turned up to be greeted by a lady who was not only rude but spoke to us in a most unusual way. It did not stop there as during the night her manners were appalling interrupting me twice to ask a question and quite frankly ruined the night. By the way the food was fantastic from the entree to desert. I can't complain about the food but the service was 2/10. I wouldn't go back.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So lets talk about the food, the menu is a Little short on seafood as mentioned above but the terrine and the prawns were very good. The main included a special of a rib eye on the bone with fat chips, now that sounded good so I ordered that as did another person. unfortunately they only had one special left so I took the fillet instead, oh and no fat chips available for that steak. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Apparently the Barramundi was excellent as was the lamb, but the bad service continued. Desert was also very good being a mixture of banana, peanut butter, icecream and toffee.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All in all if the service was better it would have been a great night as the view is sensational watching the harbour bridge and the ferries coming and going all night.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For food I give it a 7/10 and service I have already commented.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/751951/restaurant/Sydney/North-Sydney/Sails-on-Lavender-Bay-McMahons-Point"><img alt="Sails on Lavender Bay on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/751951/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a></span></div>
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Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-63473652394921914142013-06-22T17:09:00.000-07:002013-06-22T17:09:05.470-07:00New York RestaurantsWe have been here in New York for 2 weeks and have visited quite a few restaurants but only a small number have lived up to what we are used to in Australia. The best so far has been <b>Buddakan</b> in Chelsea which if you are a sex in the city fan may remember as one of their favourite places. We had their suggested menu and it was sensational from the duck salad to their deserts which were to die for. Cost was $80 per head but worthwhile plus wine.<br />
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The next best was <b>Momofuku Noodle Bar</b> in Greenwich which lived up to their reputation. We had their famous pork bun and their pork ramen. Not expensive but like the one above you have to either wait for an hour or book ahead.<br />
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Just down the road from us was a real gem called <b>Eataly</b> which is a grocer shop, for all your Italian needs plus 5 different restaurants. pasta, seafood, meat, cold meats and cheese, vegetarian and a full restaurant upstairs on the roof. We ate there 3 times.<br />
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Talking about roofs if you would like to view New York by night on a roof top bar we found a great one called<b> 230 on 5th avenue</b>. You will need to book a table but great views, bar food, lots of people and take plenty of money as it is not cheap.<br />
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Another Asian restaurant we visited was <b>TAO</b> in the city which was also good but not as good as Buddakan, but worth going to if not just for the decor, a giant Budda in the restaurant looks over the proceedings. Must book ahead.<br />
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If you are looking for a restaurant to go to before the theatre try <b>Da Rosina</b> on 46th street great pasta and veal in quick time.<br />
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For Sushi you can't go past <b>Sushi Azabu</b> in Tribeca it was by far the best sushi in New York. They also have <b>Greenwich Grill</b> upstairs which is Italian Japanese infused style.<br />
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Other good places to try Are <b>PO and Villa Mosconi</b> in Greenwich both are excellent.<br />
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Pizza of course is everywhere but go to <b>Grimaldi</b> in Brooklyn as this is the most famous and the best we ate.<br />
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For hamburgers and fries there is a small park called Maddison Square Park on Broadway in the flatiron area where there is a small shop called <b>Shake and Shack</b> where people line up in a queue about 200 metres long to try theirs. Their fries are crinkle cut which is quite different in New York and their hamburgers are ok. But definitely worth the wait.<br />
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I can't speak highly enough about where we stayed which was <b>The Inn on 23rd Street, v</b>ery clean<b>, </b>rooms were a good size, a great place to meet people and it was very central to the subway system which we used everyday. They are also on top of a bar called The <b>Guilty Goose </b>great steak and atmosphere.<br />
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Make sure you visit <b>Cafe Wha</b> in Greenwich and some of the bars in the area for both food, wine and a little music. They also own the bar up the street called <b>Groove</b> which is also worth a visit.<br />
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<br />Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-42041679534005140862013-04-19T23:49:00.003-07:002013-06-22T23:01:15.010-07:00Alphabet street - CronullaA new restaurant in the Sutherland shire that has recently received a number of good reviews. So I thought I should try as the chef and owner have some good credentials. Well I must say I was impressed with not only the food but the atmosphere and friendly service. The restaurant was packed and is packed most nights so if you want to go you need to book ahead.<span id="goog_1811739328"></span><span id="goog_1811739329"></span><br />
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The food was excellent from the whole fish to the pork belly. This is one worth going to and I have rated it 7/10 for food and service.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1721347/restaurant/Sydney/Sutherland-Shire/alphabet-st-Cronulla">http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1721347/restaurant/Sydney/Sutherland-Shire/alphabet-st-Cronulla</a><br />
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<br />Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-83078974522836424482013-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:002013-01-23T17:35:30.570-08:00Ms G's - Potts Point Sydney<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I had been waiting a while to go to here and I was not disappointed. The restaurant is run by the Merivale Group and the chef is none other than Dan Hong. This is one of the places which is fast becoming the norm that you cannot book unless you have more than 9 people. So if you want to try this place you need to go early and line up which if you know me I hate. However, we planned it so we got there at around <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">6pm</a> and was given a table straight away, no waiting. But by <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">7pm</a> there was quite a line outside waiting for a table.<br /><br />The menu is full of asian infused dishes all to share and lots to choose from. The restaurant<br />itself was not fancy and no tablecloths so it was very casual dinning. Everyone raves about their pork bun so we started with this, and they were right. the only issue was that it is too small because you could eat 2 or 3 easy.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Try their lamb ribs and curry which comes with a bread roll instead of rice. Everything we tried we liked and if I had room I would have eaten more which is the reason we will go back. Service was excellent as it did not slow down once the restaurant was full so I give this a 9/10 for service and food.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">155 Victoria St Potts Point</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sydney</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">phone 02 83131000</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1560878/restaurant/Sydney/Ms-Gs-Potts-Point"><img alt="Ms.G&#x27;s on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1560878/minilink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:130px;height:36px" /></a></span>
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Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-8105009392263253792012-10-01T19:59:00.001-07:002012-10-01T20:14:17.087-07:00Chiswick There are so many restaurants to go to and sometimes you forget about old ones that you should go back to. I have been to many good places recently including Chiswick Gardens, Matt Moran's new restaurant. I went on a busy Saturday night and booked about 6 weeks before and could only get an 8.30pm sitting. <br />
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We turned up in a place that I remember playing their as a child as I was bought up in Woollahra. At the back of a small park stands this wonderful old building which has been the site of other famous restaurants in the past. We pushed the glass door open and the noise was incredible and so many People. The restaurant is split into 2 areas, a bar with communal eating on a long timber table and the sit down restaurant. <br />
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Our table was not quite ready so we had a drink in the bar area sitting next to some people who were having dinner and it looked delicious. It took about 15 minutes before we got to the table, now very hungry.<br />
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The menu is quite different as they have dishes to share, main plates, small plates and nibbles plus desserts. We chose 2 dishes off the mains but people near us were sharing the wood roasted Moran family lamb with chick peas and mint. Another couple had the roasted chicken dish seen on TV. <br />
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We both had the snow crab slider, lettuce and kewpie mayonnaise from the nibbles menu as an entree. This was perfect, a beautiful moist crab Pattie on a bun but all aspects of this was good. The photo is not very good as I started eating before I remembered to take a photo.<br />
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Now that I had started eating I decided I needed a steak so I went for the char grilled Moran family grass fed beef with horseradish. The other person had the Roasted Snapper, leeks, Swiss brown mushrooms and salsa verde. Both dishes were excellent along with our sides of hand cut chips with lemon thyme aioli.<br />
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Being near where I grew up I couldn't go past having dessert and in particular the rhubarb eclair with poached rhubarb and custard apple. This was very different but lovely and we also ordered the Bombe Alaska with fresh raspberries.<br />
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All in all a good dinning experience and hopefully I will go back and try some other dishes. Service given the number of people was ok but not great so only 6/10. The food was excellent and rate this 8/10.<br />
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Chiswick Gardens Restaurant<br />
65 Ocean St Woollahra<br />
02 83888688<br />
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<br />Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-56255841979072630302012-07-26T04:45:00.001-07:002012-07-26T04:45:26.998-07:00The Old Brewery - PerthI have been going to Perth on business for many years and it's good to find a restaurant that you have not been to. This is indeed an old brewery on the shores of the Swan River 5 minutes from the CBD. The outlook is great as you look back to the city with the water almost at your feet. If you are a beer drinker then take some time and do a tasting as I did trying all 5 brews. The best as far as I was concerned was a light colored beer called " Narrows ". <br />
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That aside the restaurant is quite large and has that rustic feeling about it. I was quite surprised as I had not been there before. They specialize in steak but have many seafood and other dishes on the menu.I had a 28 day old sirloin which was perfectly cooked at medium. They have what they called a Tomahawk Steak that you can share as shown below. It was a little too big for our party but looks interesting and I might go back to try.<br />
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<br />Everyone had steak and all were happy with the result including quite a number of side dishes from creamed spinach to massive hand cut chips to mash to some greens. All presented well and tasty.<br />
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I couldn't believe that after a large steak that most wanted deserts and these were interesting with cheesecake and honeycomb fresh strawberries, and of course a cheese plate.<br />
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May I suggest that if you are in Perth and feel like a decent steak try this place and you won't be disappointed. The cost is reasonable and they have excellent wine selections. We had the 2007 Parker Terarosa Cabernet Sauvignon which was smooth and rich and went down very well.<br />
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The Old Brewery<br />
173 Mounts Bay Rd<br />
Perth<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370577/restaurant/West-Perth/The-Old-Brewery-Grill-Perth"><img alt="The Old Brewery Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1370577/minilink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-44889303520460057712012-07-03T14:49:00.002-07:002012-07-06T14:53:10.621-07:00District Dining - Surry HillsMy second time to District Dining and I wasn't disappointed. The ambiance is still fantastic with that not so fine dinning feeling but casual and relaxing. The menu has changed but has some of the old favourites like the crispy quails eggs.<br />
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We tried 2 courses from each of the 3 menus starting with the eggs and pigs ears which were yummy. We then moved onto their zucchini flowers and steak tartare which came with toast and a bottle of Tabasco. Both of these were very morish. <br />
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We then moved to the larger menu and had the crispy skin Barramundi with eggplant and lastly the lamb ribs. Oh and a side of broccoli and tofu salad. This was all washed down with bottle of Edward Shiraz from Margaret River.<br />
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All in all the experience was excellent with service 9/10 and food 8/10. I will return once more to try some of the other items on the menu.<br />
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District Dinning<br />
17 Randle St<br />
Surry Hills<br />
02 92117798<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1554294/restaurant/Sydney/District-Dining-Surry-Hills"><img alt="District Dining on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1554294/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-67550229540995871602012-05-28T23:14:00.001-07:002012-05-28T23:23:02.546-07:00Chef Mavro - Waikiki Beach Hawaii<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While we were in Hawaii we decided to try a fine dinning restaurant and after some considerable research I decided on Chef Mavro. The restaurant is not on the beach but towards the city on a corner block and quite obscure. The back ground on the Chef is that he is a frenchman who used to live in Provonce and moved to Hawaii many years ago. </div>
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The restaurant is unlike many in Hawaii being quite small and somewhat romantic, which was good since I was dinning with my wife. </div>
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The menu was very flexible in that they had a 3 course, a 4 course and a six course menu and you could choose all six or simply mix and match off the 3 menus. All were designed as a degustation dinner. They also offered a matching wine with each dish however we decided to buy a few good quality glasses of wine. The first dish was a cold mushroom custard with a caramalised top. This was ok but a bit off putting as it was cold.<br />
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The second dish was Maitake mushroom with roasted kabocha with onion and bacon shavings with a yuzu dressing. This was delicious with all the flavours coming together well giving it an organic taste with the sweetness of the yuzu dressing.<br />
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I had the scallops which were served raw with a kamuela vegetable escabeche, rosemary scented fougas. Absolutely delcious, fresh, light and a great way to start a meal.<br />
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The first main course was the daily boat catch - Kabosu which was served with crusted mochi, citris-sansho sauce and jumbo asparagus & veloute. The fish was beautiful but the winner of the dish was the crust which was rice pounded into powder and then lightly baked. wow.<br />
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As always I couldn't go pass the duck which was served with a gingered green mango chutney and a sweet kahuku corn fritter with a modern bigarade sauce. The sauce and the fritter were really nice but I found the duck to be a bit tough. However it was worth tasting for the chutney and fritter.<br />
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Break time - to assist our palate they served watermelon encased in champagne jelly. This was great and came at exactly the right time.<br />
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The last main was a Vadouvan lamb curry which we both chose. The lamb was from Colorado and was probably the tastiest piece of lamb I have ever eaten. The dish was more of a deconstructed curry with poha rice eggplant fritters, cured olives, fennel and thyme relish.<br />
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My wife chose the Goat cheese - strawberry which was goat cheese filled with strawberry jus, with farm baby greens. She said it was like eating heaven with the jus running out of the centre of the cheese.<br />
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For desert I chose the Malasadas which were like round donuts served with guava ice cream. However each of the donuts had a different filling including, mui apple, azuki bean and lilikoi . These may not sound good but they were very moreish and although I was full I would have liked more.</div>
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A very satisfying fine dinning experience and maybe the only one in Hawaii. The cost was high when comparing to other restaurants it cost us $380.00. The service was too good and the timing was too quick. The food was excellent without being over the top. I would recommend if you wanted to try fine dinning in Hawaii. I would rate the food 7.5/10 and the service 7/10 because it was all too quick. We were in and out within 2 hours.</div>
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Chef Mavro</div>
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South King street </div>
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Hawaii</div>
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</div>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-52685789481490120092012-05-22T14:10:00.001-07:002012-05-28T03:00:38.223-07:00Hawaiian HolidaySo far all of my blogs have been on restaurants and that's where I am going to stay, however I have had some comments that I do not blog all the restaurants I go to and also about some of the other experiences I have like I have just got back from 5 days in Hawaii. What restaurants did I go to and maybe some other information to help you if you ever decide to go to Hawaii. So here goes.<br />
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Hawaii is such a nice place and this is our third visit and we will definitely go back. The temperature is the same every day around 28-30 degrees. The main place to go of course is Waikiki and why not they have a great beach, great restaurants and shopping, did I say shopping. <br />
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Firstly, to my first love, food. With so many restaurants its hard to say whats best etc but let me tell you about the ones I visited by type. For an informal dinner or just a bit of fun with some good music I found a Margaretaville restaurant which is the country singer Jimmy Buffets chain, great for a burger or steak while enjoying the music. For Japanese I would not go pass Japengo it was lovely serving up traditional Japanese with a modern twist. By the way there are more Japanese people in Hawaii than in Japan, ha ha. For a more upmarket steak go to Wolfgang's and for Italian don't miss out on dinning atTaormina where I had the best bolognese ever, Spinach Fettuccine with Meat and Foie Gras, simply the best. <br />
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For lunch at this wonderful city there is so much to do but we were recommended to go to the Helacalarnie hotel ( on the beach ) and have a crab sandwich. Which we did and it was pretty sensational, loads of Alaskan king crab with avocado and crispy bacon served on wholemeal bread cut into soldiers. We ate this whilst sitting in their outdoor area watching the beach and all that goes with it. heaven.<br />
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I could not have left Hawaii without a fine dinning experience so after some research we ended up at Chef Mavro which is not on the beach but located in the city. Chef Mavro is an old french chef from Provence and the food was excellent without being over the top. (See separate Blog for more ).<br />
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So apart from food there are many places to stay depending on your economic circumstances however if you can afford it stay on the beach at either The Royal Hawaiian, Helacalarnie, Moana Surfrider or the Sheraton. All are great but my favourite is the surfrider as it has a great outside setting, pool, music and you can go to the beach and use their facilities even if you dont stay there. 5 star so it wont be cheap. There are many other cheaper hotels like the Waikiki Gateway which is about 500m from the beach.<br />
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So lastly, shopping wow we spent heaps on shoes in particular as they are so cheap, plus good polos shirts, jeans and I even bought a sports jacket. These are best bought at the shopping factory outlet which you can get there by shuttle bus but beware you will spend. <br />
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All in all a great 5 days in one of the worlds best destinations and I could write much more but that would be boring. So hope you liked my short travel blog. <br />
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Remember you need to book at most good restaurants otherwise you will be disappointed plus if you would like more information on anything just write a comment and I will respond.Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-81089616729450168602012-03-19T13:14:00.000-07:002012-03-19T13:14:03.869-07:00MoMo - MelbourneIn Melbourne for the Grand Prix once again and it is something I look forward to every year as the weekend is full of good food, good wine and good people. What else do you need?.<br />
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So firstly, we head to MoMo a Middle Eastern style restaurant which has become a bit of an Icon in Melbourne. Unfortunately, although I am writing about this place you will need to be quick if you want to go as it is closing down, I believe next month as the chef is moving on.<br />
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The ambiance is fantastic and our private room is large enough for everyone to be seated comfortably. Tonight we are having a degustation menu with matching wines. my flash on my camera wasn't working so I do not have any photographs.<br />
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We start off with Fresh water crayfish with egg, saffron and haloumy batter, sautéed scallops, hummus and crispy zucchini flowers in yeast butter. <br />
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This was followed by crispy pigeon with sukkah salt on a mintled salad. Wow this was good. We then had Bistayeea - Morocco's celebrated duck pie with almonds and sweet spices.<br />
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The important thing to note is that with every course the waiter did a great job in explaining the dish and the matching wines in a way which made the dinning experience somewhat theatrical making the whole night quite sensational. The winning dish of the night for me was the suckling pig which they bought out on a massive platter before the cut it up to show us what we were getting.<br />
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Deserts included frozen orange Turkish delight parfait, fresh fruit and a Turkish apple tea souffle.<br />
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This was washed down with matching wines from Spain, France, Victoria and Tuscany.<br />
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What a night and wonderfully arranged and executed without a flaw.<br />
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If you can get there before it closes I would as it is a worthwhile dinning experience. My score was 9/10 for food and service with delivery a perfect score of 10/10.<br />
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MoMo Restaurant<br />
Lower Plaza Level<br />
123 Collins Street<br />
Melbourne, Victoria 3000<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1448669/restaurant/CBD/MoMo-Restaurant-Melbourne"><img alt="MoMo Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1448669/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-53820605158804959962012-02-27T13:28:00.005-08:002012-03-18T16:56:27.000-07:00Blancharu Restaurant - Elizabeth Bay SydneyA restaurant I have not yet written about and we have been there several times is Blancharu in Elizabeth Bay. This is situated not too far away from the park in Kings Cross near the fountain. The restaurant is quite small and is placed below the footpath so it is easy to miss.<br />
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The chef Harunobu Inukai was trained in the art of cooking at Tsuji Cooking School in Osaka, Japan. Harunobu worked at Bilson’s Restaurant for a year, followed by Ampersand Restaurant for two years, where he was awarded two Chefs Hats. In 2000, Harunobu joined VII Restaurant as Executive Chef, where he was again, awarded two Chefs Hats as well as ‘Best New Restaurant’.<br />
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The cuisine is Japanese / french and if that rings a bell it is because the chefs have worked in some of our best known restaurants. The food is fine dinning and the 7 course degustation is well worth trying not only for the dishes but the price is affordable as well around $70.<br />
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This time around we are taking some friends who are not necessarily into fine dinning so we were a bit worried about what they were going to think. Well we didn't have to worry at all they loved it. Below are 4 dishes we had and all were excellent. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: #d04102; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Crown of crab served with eggplant caviar and green pea mousse</span></div></td></tr>
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I love this place for its inventive food which is not too far out to enjoy. The menu is constantly changing and if you give them your email address they will send you updates on the changes.My score for service was 8/10 and for food was 9/10. Grab some friends and try it and I am sure you will return for more.Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433710507160337783.post-44637712800985403502011-12-29T03:15:00.000-08:002011-12-29T03:31:14.373-08:00Bennelong Restaurant - Sydney Opera HouseThis is a very special place right in the world famous Sydney Opera House looking out onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the boats on the Harbour. I am sure there are not too many locations as good as this around the world. Add to this a master chef in Guilluame Brahimi and you have the recipe for a great restaurant and dinning experience.<br />
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It's Friday in December and the place is rocking inside and out with people everywhere taking in the sites of Sydney and great weather to boot. We are seated not too far from the window so we have a great view of the bridge and the Harbour. We don't have a lot of time because we have to be out by 3pm as my guests have a plane to catch.<br />
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For entree I have a lobster salad with foie gras which was absolutely delightful, freshly shucked oysters and shallot vinegar, and we washed this down with a lovely savingon blanc from NZ. <br />
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For mains we had crispy barramundi on a bed of pureed cauliflower with a Shiraz jus, Waygu steak with mushrooms and confit of shallot merlo sauce, and Blue Eyed Trevalla with summer vegetables.<br />
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Some of the guests had desert which consisted of a chocolate mouse cake, chocolate souffle with white chocolate and cherry ripple ice cream and petit fors. everything was delicious and delivered flawlessly. service was a little slow and they got one of the dishes incorrect which reduced their score.<br />
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I would always recommend this restaurant and I scored them a 8/10 for food and 6/10 for service for the reasons above.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/750989/restaurant/CBD/Guillaume-at-Bennelong-Sydney"><img alt="Guillaume at Bennelong on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/750989/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>Planet Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14316331152882421903noreply@blogger.com