It was with much excitement that my country friend and I entered L’Etoile, Manu Feildel’s restaurant in Sydney.  I was very excited.  I love French food and the chance to dine at Manu’s restaurant was too good to pass up.

We arrived and were seated promptly.  There was a slight delay to our drink order being taken, I ordered a glass of the sparkling white and my country friend ordered a rum and coke.  We decided that we would indulge in 3 courses, one of my goals of dining here was to try Manu’s boudin, so that was my choice for entree and my friend chose the chicken terrine.  For main I was torn between the risotto (a personal favourite) and the snapper, I went with the snapper, my friend went with the risotto.  Though we were ready to order dessert we did decide to wait until we had enjoyed our first 2 dishes.

The entrees were served promptly.  The boudin and crab bisque was delightful, though the bisque was a touch too rich for me however I found the dish delicious.  The terrine was tasty and the croutons crisp.  The French-speaking staff were efficient on our meal service.  I asked to see the wine list, I asked of the Maitre’D which of the French pinot gris’ were best, he suggested the Mornington Peninsula bottle was the best on the list.  So I ordered one, whilst my friend continued with her rum and cokes.

The mains were served after an appropriate respite, my snapper was beautifully presented, with a smattering of butter beans, carrots and a heavy drizzle of carrot butter.  The crispy skin complemented the soft flesh of the fish well.  The carrot butter with the soft fish was quite tasty.  As Manu says, if you are questioning if you have enough butter, add some more.  The risotto was creamy, buttery and had a true mushroom flavour.  Unfortunately, I was nearly finished my main by the time the wine was served.  My friend requested another rum and coke.  This was disappointing that she had to request another drink, as well as us having o request our water glasses be filled and my wine to be topped up.  I encouraged my friend to order the creme brulee she said she had never had, I was very tempted to order the same, however, I settled on the raspberry sorbet with a white chocolate mousse.

The creme brulee was creamy and bursting with vanilla flavour, after cracking through the candied sugar crust.  The tart of the raspberry sorbet blended nicely with the mousse.

Whilst Manu was not in the kitchen that night, he did turn up later in the evening and was very obliging with greetings and photographs.

http://www.letoilerestaurant.com.au/

L’etoile Restaurant & Bar Address

Five Ways 211 Glenmore Road Paddington NSW 2021

My birthday presented itself again, and I chose the recently opened Ribs and Rumps in the HQ complex on the edge of Fortitude Valley for my friends to celebrate this momentous occasion

After previewing the menu online, I was quite excited to sample their offerings.  When I made the booking I was told we had to choose our dining session, so I went for earlier than later, and was told we needed to vacate by 8pm for the 8.30pm session.  I accepted this, as I had considered a visit to Freestyle for dessert.

We arrived on time and had a drink order taken.  As we were nearly all there for the ribs, it didn’t take long for us to order our meals.  We all skipped entree, not wanting to spoil our appetite for the enticing ribs.  It turned out that one of our number doesn’t like to eat sticky food with his fingers so he opted for a steak.  After placing our order, our bibs and moist cloths were delivered.  Imagine our excitement at the opportunity to wear these bibs!!  We were like little kids again.

A good variety of drinks were available, a few tasty cocktails as well.  I settled on a Toohey’s Extra Dry, one of our number tried a cocktail ?monkey on fire or something to that affect.  Almost cough medicine like, but just this side of tasty.  Our ribs were soon delivered, larger portion than I expected.  Most opted for chips with a sauce on the side @$2.95 a pop a little rich I would suggest.  I, on the other hand, went for potatoes, that appeared to have been boiled and then deep fried or something…they were a bit dry and rubbery, not so the chips, good reports all around.  The dessert menu looked quite appealing too, though we had decided to visit Freestyle Tout.  In hindsight we should have sampled RandR’s menu…oh well, next time.

My major gripe would be that when I made the reservation I was instructed that we would have to have our table free then for the 8.30pm seating, so I made our booking for 5.30pm so we could have a leisurely dinner.  7.45, 8.00, 8.15 no-one had come near us, when we finally left at 9.00pm I was a little miffed that we had eaten early for nought!  I don’t mind doing seatings but I expect that someone does actually need our table…as we walked out there were a number of free tables.  So I would suggest when you make your reservation that you clarify this request.

A post dinner venture to Freestyle Tout – Emporium was very enticing, pity it didn’t live up to the hype.  We are not Freestyle virgins, but I would suggest that with each time we have visited it has gotten just a little bit worse….sadly.  Trading on an old, yet well earned reputation.

Dmitry was co-ordinating seating and Kenny seemed to be manning the till.  A drink order was taken.  I made, what seemed to be a relatively simple request, of having my coffee served around the same time as my dessert and was told this would be difficult as they are quite busy.  Really? You charge a premium for your desserts yet you cannot time your service to meet a customers request…

My companions received their coffees extremely promptly however their flavour was appalling and they were lukewarm.  We sent them back only to be served another 2 coffees that were only marginally better, quite disappointing.  After much deliberation, I settled on the classic creme brulee, with my friends choosing the bread and butter pudding, the chocolate brownie, the peanut butter cheesecake, the passionfruit curd tart and the berry sorbet sundae.

When our desserts were delivered, they looked beautiful!  Their presentation was, as always, artistic.  However, we all know that looks aren’t everything.  The peanut butter cheesecake was a chunk of cake that proved too much for my companion.  Everyone was enjoying their choices…except me.  My creme brulee tasted not too far from scrambled eggs.  One of my Freestyle companions had also ordered the same and agreed it tasted a “bit eggy”.  I asked after my coffee and was assured it had been called.  So I struggled along with my dessert.  Unfortunately, I am often loathe to leave food on my plate,  remnant of a father’s chastising.  My coffee!!  I had ordered a large skinny latte and I got a large 1/2 foam, muddy water.  Apparently the look on my face said it all.  The waitress took it back, commenting that she thought it looked like a mocha!  Hmmmm, the second effort looked as bad but with a bit less foam.  If I order a latte my expectation is that the coffee will be coffee coloured, milky looking and have a narrow/thin foam layer.  I believe when paying over $5 for a coffee it’s not unreasonable to get something approximating what I expect.  I struggled through this revolting coffee and the dessert, really quite put off by the eggy taste.  However, after sending our coffees back a couple of times I was reluctant to send this back too.  When we came to pay, Kenny was full of attitude and not in a good way.  So the previously friendly service with quirky, bubbly staff has gone by the wayside too.

My suggestion would be, if the restaurant you are at serves dessert, don’t bother moving on, the effort probably isn’t worth it.

I should mention that there is a Freestyle Tout at West End, opened after the original Rosalie site was closed.  It may prove more satisfying than the Emporium version…your call.

http://www.freestyletout.com.au/emporium/

Emporium Location 50/1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, 4006

Phone No : [07] 3252 0214

I have only one question:  how is Toscani’s still in business?  Their service is shit, 13 yr olds more interested in gossiping than exhibiting any semblance of customer service.  I don’t know how many times I’ve been there, rarely as a first choice, and the service is always substandard.  Their menu is nothing special, possibly location might be the  only thing going for them.

After an exhausting shopping outing to the new Westfield in Sydney’s centre, we were in much need of sustenance.  After deciding we would head back towards the QVB and see what we found along the way, we stumbled across this Japanese eatery.  To me, it was heaven!!  You could do self-service for sushi rolls and bento boxes, you could purchase hot nibblies for take-away or eat-in, there was a sushi train a mile long and stacked as high as well as a small standard menu, containing bento boxes, rice dishes and noodle dishes.  My companion was not as familiar with Japanese food as me, but to her credit was eager to sample what Manakai had to offer.

Waygu beef bento box

After much deliberation we had a vegetarian bento box out of the self serve fridge, a couple of gyoza from the hot box as well as a Wagyu Beef teriyaki bento box.  Quite a varied selection!  Whilst not certain what was in  her vegetarian she tasted everything, being pleasantly surprised at the flavours she encountered.  The gyoza we sampled were pork, though there were seafood gyoza available.  They were bursting with flavour, especially ginger!!  But I don’t consider that it was overwhelming.  My bento box arrived and my eyes nearly popped!!  The box contained 3 slices of salmon sashimi, a few deep fried offerings, a couple of rice parcels rolled in dried fish flakes and the beef teriyaki, also a serve of salad with Japanese mayonnaise and  a cup of miso came my way.  It looked like enough food for 2 people but I gave it my best!!  It was sooooo tasty, the beef was lovely and tender, the salmon was soft and tender and the fish-flake rice was lovely, the flakes just gave it that little extra something.

The sushi train was very popular, as they often are, with the dishes being turned over regularly.  We  didn’t sample any of these offerings.

The only negative I would say is the payment arrangement, I’m still not 100% sure what it was supposed to be, though we did manage to hand over some money before we were off on our way.  For a quick and tasty lunch in Sydney’s CBD, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this Japanese restaurant.  On the cnr Pitt and Market St (324 Pitt St), not in the mall though, it is very conveniently, centrally located.

(02) 8000 000

On a recent visit to Sydney, we ate out at every opportunity, the first venue, King St Brewhouse was a lively venue.  On the waterfront of Darling harbour, this spacious brewhouse offers both table service as well as bar service.  The mostly foreign staff of this King St venue, were friendly and patient on quite a busy Friday lunch.  We chose to sit in the table service area and were seen to promptly.

After ordering a glass of bubbles and a rum & coke, we perused the menu.  They do offer lunch specials which include a standard beverage of your choice.   However, the regular menu offered some very appealing options.  We opted for the grill salmon and the steak sandwich.  My companion thoroughly enjoyed her salmon and I was unable to finish the tasty steak sandwich, even taking into consideration the small sized steak fillet.

For a standard pub / cafe type meal, I would recommend this venue.  It sits amongst a fair selection of dining options from Wagamama’s, Greek, Italian and Seafood.  Lunch all along this strip seems to be a mix of tourists and suits.  With plenty of space in and out, the King St brewhouse offers nothing special but a relaxed meal in a comfortable surround.

http://www.kingstbrewhouse.com.au/

For my friend’s birthday, we met at Iceworks for a Ladies Lunch.  As usual I arrived late to the restaurant, but just in time for bubbly!  The restaurant was empty, we were the only lunch customers.  A fairly formal dining area, with dark browns and stark white tableclothes.

We said Cheers to Bec’s birthday, then perused the leather bound menu.  We all opted for mains with the possibility of dessert.  Luckily, we all ordered a different dish, I enjoyed the pork loin, others enjoyed the grain-fed sirloin, the pan-seared eye fillet, crispy skin ocean trout and the linguine.  Each meal was presented beautifully.  We opted to not order any additional sides, each of our meals had a small sampling of vegetables.  There appeared to be the everso subtle taste of aniseed in the pork dish, but this was offset by the delight that was the smoked mozzarella polenta cake.  I’m not a fan of aniseed…The pork was cooked perfectly, moist and tender.  The sirloin looked to be cooked very well, with a rich, red centre.  The linguine came with a generous portion of clams and prawns, which is always nice to see.

As I had to rush back to work, I skipped dessert but a few of the Lunching Ladies were going to partake in Iceworks restaurants offerings.  I would suggest the service may have been more attentive had they been busier, though our server was friendly and patient.

I think the dishes were very tasty and would recommend it, though I would suggest the prices were a bit high for lunch, maybe more appropriate for dinner.  They do offer a lunch special, maybe to attract the suits during the week…

Opposite Suncorp Stadium, Iceworks is located on the corner of Given Tce and Dowse Street, Paddington, Brisbane.  Good for a pre-match dinner, or after dining a few quiet drinks on the balcony.  Parking is available on-site, enter from Dowse st.

http://www.iceworks.com.au/

To help a friend celebrate his birthday, we wined and dined at Libertine bar and restaurant in the new Barracks development on Petrie Terrace. The al fresco dining area is welcoming with fairy lights in the trees and timber slatted seating.

There was some initial confusion as to whether drinks were table service or bar service. After my friend attempted to buy drinks at the bar, due to the delay in table service, he was informed by the waitress in no uncertain terms, that it was table service. So we were able to finally order our drinks.

As we were initially a group of 20, reduced to 14, a set menu had been organised. For entree we were served Sticky Saigon chicken wings, Libertine fresh rice paper rolls, Wild Pepper Leaf roll-up and Vietnamese chicken coleslaw. Not being a fan of mint and coriander you can imagine my concern…however, it was misplaced. The Wild Pepper Leaf roll-up was the only item to contain coriander and it was quite strong.  The coleslaw was served with a ?rice and sesame wafer cum cracker, which worked really well together.  The crunch of the cracker was really pleasing.  The remaining dishes were lovely, and plentiful.

My companions were drinking red wine, Bulmer’s cider, classic LL&B and I was drinking the Paul de Costa french champagne, served in a retro wide -mouthed champgne glass. The wine list was divided into by the glass and by the bottle. A good range of each was available. The drink’s menu was extensive with a few options of each spirit of your choice. Again, a wide selection of both local and foreign beers, commercial and boutique.

For our mains, we were served Byron Bay Pork Belly, Baked Atlantic Salmon, Oven-roasted Hanoi Chicken and Jungle Curry Chay, and plenty of it. These were accompanied by garlic and chilli green beans as well as a green papaya salad. I LOVE pork belly and this was lovely!! Tender, moist pork portions with a salty, crispy rind. The beans were to die for, couldn’t get enough…though had to try as there was cake to come.  Before the mains were served a companion and I both ordered fresh drinks.  It must have been half to 3/4 hour and we STILL had not recieved our order.  We called the waitress over and got an inadequate explanation that the bar was busy and they did all the drinks for the restaurant and inside was fully booked.  In my opinion this is ludicrous.  If you can’t cope with your patronage, get more staff, or downsize.  2 glasses of wine should NOT take this long, the sauv blanc was served and I had to remind her AGAIN of my drink order.  I was distracted then by the delivery of our mains which is probably what saved her from some constructive criticism from me.

As we had brought our own cake, I can’t speak to the quality of their desserts.  I ordered a skinny flat white to accompany my slab of cake.  These coffees were delivered promptly and were just what the doctor ordered.  I would advise suggesting how you would like your cake served, as they just divided ours by the number of people in our party and consequently we were all served SLABS of chocolate cake.

Loads of parking on  site in the Barracks complex, however, Friday and Saturday nights do get busy in the area.  Being just a short walk from Roma St Transit Centre, catching public transport would afford everyone a drink or two.  I can’t not suggest dining at Libertine because the food was sooooooo tasty, but maybe…order your drinks when you make your reservation

Lunch: from noon, Wednesday to Sunday

Dnner: from 5pm, Monday to Sunday

No. 5, The Barracks. 61 Petrie Terrace

Paddington, QLD 4064 T 07 3367 3353 E brisbane@libertine.net.au

http://www.libertine.net.au/brisbane-home.htm

Let me start with a disclaimer, their current Head Chef is leaving this coming week.

My dining companions had recently sampled the redundant Autumn menu and were keen to try the newly launched Winter menu. So we booked in on the first night.
I arrived early and was promptly seated and poured a glass of the Chandon Brut bubbles. A light, fresh, dry sparkling to awaken the palette. My companions soon arrived and we discovered that all diners were there for the degustation launch. Our starter of brushettea with heirloom tomatoes and sweet basil was promptly served. I’m not a basil fan, but the sweetness of the tomatoes and basil was a great start. We were soon served the Chandon Chardonnay, heralding the arrival of our second course, Artichoke ravioli. Though the artichoke was too subtle for me, the sweetness of the red onion and semi-dried tomatoes worked well with the ricotta. I was looking forward to the potted prawns with the caramelised shallot parfait, and I was not disappointed.

Salmon is also far from the top of my list of favourites, however, the salmon mousseline with the rich tomato and taragon coulis was terribly complementary. Turns out I quite like buckwheat as well, as was served with the final main dish of glazed duck breast, also served with a rich shitake mushroom broth. Divine! To finish our meal we were served a triple cream brie with crackers and crisp breads. Finally a rhubarb and ginger jam pie was served, with a remarkably robust portion of ice-cream that refused to melt. A wee dram of port accompanied our dessert. Strangely though, tea and coffee were not part of the meal and needed to be ordered and paid for separately.

Overall, a wonderful dining experience. Lovely warm, inviting atmosphere with friendly obliging staff. I would recommend following chef Sian Bressolles to her next venture. Saying that, McMahon’s is highly recommended and worth seeing what their new head chef serves up. I would suggest Friday and Saturday nights warrant booking ahead.

132 Alice Street
City QLD 4000
(07) 3853 6000

My friend has a penchant for Greek and Turkish food, so she went seeking a tasty quick Sunday dinner.  Reluctantly, I agreed to go to Ahmet’s at Southbank.  A few weeks ago we had a delightful meal with great service at the Bulimba restaurant, but I’m yet to have a good one at the Southbank Ahmet’s.  I was hopeful…

A busy Sunday night trade dictated we wait for a few minutes for a table for our party of 3.  A drink order was promptly taken, an Efes beer and I had a LL&B, and we were left to peruse the menu, notably different to their sister Ahmet’s.  As we were all quite hungry and my female companion is quite the fan of breads and dips, we ordered the beetroot dip and pumpkin dip to be accompanied by garlic Turkish bread as our starter.  I was tossing up between the Moussaka and a Vegetarian pide (pid-eh), my companions ordered the Karides (Prawns) and Pilic Sehrazat (chicken) and I settled on the Moussaka.

We sat and waited and sat and waited, finally I summoned a waitress to check on the progress of our entrees, meanwhile joking that our mains should be served soon.  Not 2 minutes after the first waitress walked away a second delivered our joked about mains.  We then had to explain that we no longer wanted our entree…much to my dip-loving companion’s dismay.  She did however request a piece of bread to accompany her meal, only to be told that was not possible as bread was only sold in baskets…The Prawns looked lovely, with 2 golden fried croquets and a small side salad.  My moussaka was accompanied by a small salad with a lovely zesty dressing and turkish rice.  My other companion’s chicken dish while very tasty seemed to be lacking something:  no potato, no rice, no bread, not even a vegetable…

We had previously decided to have dessert elsewhere, though I had noticed the usual suspects – turkish delight, baklava, ice-cream and Turkish fairy floss.

I would have to say another disappointing experience at Ahmet’s, and made moreso by the fact we had not long ago had such a great experience.  WHilst our many servers were adequate, they weren’t particulary accommodating.  I believe there are other better options available nearby if you are feeling like Turkish..but I suppose to each their own.

South Bank
07 3846 6699
Shop 10/164 Grey St South Bank

Bulimba
07 3395 8600
136 Oxford St Bulimba