Strictly Thai

Being relatively busy late on a quiet week night, we thought Strictly Thai  would be a good go.  For starters, ET didn't mind their famous authentic Thai Fish Cakes, but didn't like the Curry Puffs at all. I didn't think it was at all flaky; perhaps it needed to be cooked a little longer? 

The Chicken Curry was also not very hot so ET was disappointed he didn't order the green curry instead.

Luckily my stir-fry chicken with garlic and pepper wasn't spicy like I expected, so I had no complaints.

Overall ET was disappointed with the service and food, which he thought was not authentic and a little pricey.

Strictly Thai

170 High St, Kew

Cafe Coco (III)

Back at Cafe Coco for a second week in a row, but boy, were we disappointed!  ET's pasta lacked flavour and looking at the photo, looks a bit dry.

I went for the Burger Pide and "oh my God" was what came out of my mouth when I saw this tower of food.  Why didn't I learn my lesson from a week ago?

I thought the burger was a little under-done.  Plus the chips were nowhere near as nice and crispy as they have been on our previous visits.  This was an unsuccessful meal for both of us.  So much so that ET and I were left wondering if Cafe Coco had a new cook for the day.

Cafe Coco

129 Smith St, Fitzroy

Cafe Coco (II)

This was one of those times I wasn't meant to take photos, but I did anyway.  Only problem is, I forgot what ET ordered!  Obviously pasta.  And I do remember his enjoying it.  But that's about it.

The Chicken BLT Pide took my fancy. It wasn't bad but incase you can't tell, it's actually an open sandwich. The pide is on the bottom with the BLT on top, plus a skewer holding it all together. Because there was no bread on top, I couldn't squish it all down, so I ended up making quite a mess. But I did manage to polish it all off!

Cafe Coco

129 Smith St, Fitzroy

Zante

Zante is housed in what apparently was a former garden nursery.  There was a nice outdoor area but it was a bit cold for us the night we visited.  Plus they gave us a table by the window so we were quite happy to have the small view instead.

Although I requested the whitebait, ET ended up enjoying this much more than I did.  I thought it could have been just a tiny bit crispier.

My dory fillet special looked quite aneamic.  It was ok but quite frankly, the chips needed help.

ET was expecting much from his not-so-cheap chicken skewers.  And he wasn't disappointed.  He really liked this dish.

We quite enjoyed our night out but since then, I've seen a notice board outside the restaurant.  I'm not sure if the owners are selling or what the plans are.  But perhaps we should go again soon so I can try the ET-praised chicken skewers before they disappear.  ;)

Zante

1039 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill

Switch Lifestyle (II)

As we walked by one beautiful Saturday afternoon, ET and I thought we'd give Switch another try and see if their music had mellowed down a bit...It hadn't.

Nevertheless we both went the pasta route with ET ordering Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Fettucini and Garlic Prawn and Calamari Linguini for me.  There was a bit too much oil and the serving was a little too much, so I had to leave some of my pasta on my plate.  ET, meanwhile, polished his off even though he had to first cut up the chicken as the pieces were too big for him.

Switch Lifestyle

Shop 8129-8131 Melbourne St, Knox OZone, Wantirna South

Enrik's Restaurant (VI)

Despite it's look, I actually quite enjoyed this pizza.  I can't quite remember what's on it, but smearing it in the balsamic (which you can just see on the plate below) made it really delicious.  One dish we must try again once we eventually return to Enrik's.

ET went his usual steak route.  It glistened a bit, but ET said it was good.

I think this was fish (forgive me, but I stopped taking notes for a while).  But if you didn't already notice, it was swimming in sauce!!  I couldn't eat the salad because it was smeared in the stuff.  If only they'd drizzled the sauce over the dish instead of pouring it on the plate, I would've enjoyed this meal.

Although the food isn't bad here, the service is.  We had to wait for the menus, then for someone to take our drinks order.  When they came to clear our plates, we were asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu.  Surprisingly we said yes.  Then we waited.  And waited.  I guess we would still be waiting if we hadn't gotten up and paid our bill at the bar.
Unfortunately, the service is always lacking at Enrik's no matter what time and day we go there.  And for this, they are always our last minute, desperate choice.  I only have one thing left to say - lift your game Enrik's!!

Enrik's Restaurant

25 Railway Rd, Blackburn

Wabi Sabi Salon

We chanced upon a table at Wabi Sabi and started by ordering the Eggplant with Tempei and Okura.  It was quite nice although ET and I were unsure if we were supposed to eat the eggplant bowl that it came served in.

I then chose the Flounder Tempura with Japanese Lime Ponzu sauce.   I must say it was quite a light meal and although crunchy, I left most of the bones uneaten.

 

I believe ET ordered the Karaage Chicken Teppanyaki Style with no complaints.  (It's been such a while since we went that I can't rememer what he said!)

Let me be honest and say I had no intention of taking photos of this dinner. But even with the bad lighting, the eclectic interior should've warned me the food look would look anything but boring.



Wabi Sabi Salon
94 Smith St, Collingwood

Wa Fu

Because ET and I were both starving, not only did we chose the banquet but also ordered the yakitori to start with!

Of course we were also served the obligatory free pickled vegetables that we forgot about until we had already ordered.

To start the banquet we were served miso soup with chicken.  The flavour was subtle with only a slight chicken taste.

The salad was also served the same time as the miso.  My salad had no wilted leaves (one of my pet hates) but it had so much dressing that I could have drunk from the bowl at the end!

ET fared slightly better.

The california rolls were just ok.  Although ET really enjoyed his sashimi, I told him at the start that his looked redder than what I was served.  It wasn't until he ate mine that he realised his pieces were much tastier.

Tempura was served in a fan-type dish which I was real amused by.  The dish itself was nice and light and not laden in oil.

It was nice to see the server wait until the sizzling stopped before putting the next dishes down.

ET's wa fu was good and my salmon was also fine.

We were then served banana tempura around ice cream which was supposed to be green tea, but I think they used up all their supply at the next table because there was no green tea look or flavour to it.  See for yourself...

After the last dish we sat and contemplated whether to ask for our coffee and tea since none seemed to be coming although it was on the banquet menu.  But since it was a big, late night (for us anyway), we decided to forgo the caffeine and just pay up.

Overall it was a nice night out at Wa Fu.  ET & I liked the fact you can order different options (like the salads and sizzling plates) on the banquet menu when other restaurants don't allow you the luxury.  Plus the two staff on the floor worked well.  And considering it was a full house on what is normally a quiet weekday night for most restaurants and cafes, Wa Fu must be doing something right. 


Wa Fu
927 Burke Rd, Camberwell