Exciting blog entries are difficult when it's often only Uncle G and I ordering a couple of dishes. Over the months I've collected a number of small meals reviews which I can finally throw together into a proper entry. So here's the first in this series: quick meals in St Leonards/Crows Nest.
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| Bay Tinh |
Bay Tinh
I love vietnamese food and I always feel the North Shore doesn't offer enough. So I was set on trying something different on this night. Bay Tinh has a great selection and many items not available on your regular westernised Asian restaurant menu.
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| The Bonfire, what's inside? $28 |
We go for the Bonfire on this occasion. It arrives at our table sitting in... ethanol? (that's my guess) and cooks infront of us for a good 15-20 mins. While waiting Uncle G digs into some Salt and Pepper calamari which unfortunately was not captured (sorry!).
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| Side of lettuce, mint, pickles, pineapple, bean sprouts and Harry's special anchovy sauce |
Still cooking, so let's explore our sides.. Mmmm can't wait.
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| Beef & prawn bonfire - finally ready |
The smell is AMAZING as the lid finally lifts to unveil the long awaited dish. Admittedly it would have been nice to see a more generous portion of protein but we're kind of used to the 40/60 meat/veg ratio.
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| Loading the rice paper, ready to wrap! |
And the adventure begins. Wrap-me-happy! You want a little bit of everything on the rice papers then add a generous spoonful of sauce. Or just dip it in the sauce as you go if you're not sharing. It's absolutely delicious! Uncle G loved it too, even with all the veges. We especially enjoy the sweet refreshing juiciness of the pineapples and pickles.
Malabar (Crows Nest)
This is our third visit to Malabar (my 5th without Uncle G) and its become a local favourite. The 'go-to' choice for 2 people is always the banquet menu which is $24.50 pp (lunch)/$37 (dinner): min 2 pax.
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| Mini Masala Dosai |
The Dosais' at this place is truly what keeps me coming back. I haven't been to India or many other Indian restaurants that offer dosai but in my books, this is FANTASTIC! The crust is so crisp and crunchy yet lighter than a crepe. It melts as you drizzle the curry sauce over it and soaks up all that tangy, spiced tomato goodness. I've tried the chicken and beef versions too, but the masala (filled with potatoes and onion) one is definitely my favourite.
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| Lamb pepper Roganjosh |
The lamb roganjosh is my favourite of the three mains in the banquet. It's overall mild, with a good pepper zing. The lamb portions are tender and falling apart, the sign of hours of stewing and love.
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| Butter Chicken |
I've been told by friends Butter Chicken is about as real Indian food as chop suey is Chinese. But hey, we order it everytime and love it. It's one of the few non spicy dishes Uncle G loves. The butter chicken here was just ok. It wasn't bad but I found it a little sweet for my taste.
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| Mixed Vegetable Curry |
Unfortunately the vegetable curry really misses the mark. Of the 3 times I've had the banquet, we barely touch the vegetable curry every time. It's filled with mushy frozen vegetables and not even the sauce makes up for it. Wish they just gave me some potato curry instead.
The lunch banquet is served with basmati rice, while the dinner banquet comes with naan as well as rice. It should also be noted, the basic dinner banquet also includes Pappadum w mint chutney, Patti Samosa, Chicken Tikka. These were lovely from memory and makes the extra cost worthwhile.
Once upon a time the lunch also had naan and both banquets advertised all you can eat mains. But unfortunately not anymore, nor is the quality as good as our first visit 2 years ago. This place is worth a try, especially for its Dosai but you better do it quick, before the quality slips anymore.
Olio
I've visited Olio twice, the first visit in November 2014 then once again recently, early April 2015 and I've combined these two visits below. Please note the menu has changed? (or at least the specials have since 2014).
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| [2014] Mushroom, Haloumi & Slaw sliders w chips |
We start with my favourite. These slides won me over and changed how I perceive vegetarian burgers. This dish was a demonstration of how much flavour and texture you can put into a well seasoned vegetarian burger. Too often have restaurants put a vegetarian item of the menu 'just for the hell of it', but this actually tasted amazing! And the cool, crunchy coleslaw was the perfect saucy salad for each slider. It was to my great disappointment these are not available anymore (cries in a corner).
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| [2014] Linguine with prawns, tomato, chilli and white wine $24 |
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| [2015] Linguine with prawns, tomato, chilli and white wine $24 |
We ordered the prawn linguine on both occasions. It's actually pretty amazing when you see the two photos side by side, taken from 2 visits only 5 months apart. The first time the prawns were juicier and the dish had more sauce - you can actually see this from the photos. On my second visit the pasta dish was still nice, it was oilier but the favours were still true.
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| [2015] Salmon and dill fish cakes with fennel & orange salad and saffron aoili $22 |
The price was pretty steep for 2 fish cakes, especially for an entree size dish at lunch time. These were good, lovely moist fresh salmon goodness in a crunchy coating. The sweetness from the orange balanced the fennel and rocket nicely. Actually, I would be very happy to have this as a light lunch anyday - maybe not for $22 though.
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[2015] La Ionica Chicken supreme with pearl barley risotto,
tomato, baby spinach, white wine and feta cheese $31 |
I rarely order this style of chicken because you always run the risk of the dry chicken breast. The crime of the culinary world. This one was ok. I felt the chicken could have been better seasoned but it was fine when had it with the barley risotto. Did I mention I loved the barley risotto? Yum!
Overall Olio's an enjoyable place to share a meal with friends but considering the price, probably more appropriate for dinner or a special occasion lunch. Unless you have an entertainment card, then it's a good place to go anytime!
Note: Malabar and Olio are both in the Entertainment book 2014-15. They attract 25% off the bill and 'Buy one main get one free' discounts respectively.
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