Reviews by benchiees

This review is for Chat Thai, Haymarket NSW

verified email - 02 Feb 2014

I recommend this place to everyone!
It never disappoints, EVER. Especially the pad thai - it's absolutely gorgeous, every single time. One of the best things is they're open til 2am on weekends which is great when you get cravings for a delicious, authentic Thai meal in the middle of the night.

The food preparation is pretty much unbeatable. We've never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes for our any dishes, but in saying that they always come out in excellent quality.

As for prices, it's really surprising how cheap most of the menu is considering how great the dishes are. Many mains $10 incl. their famous pad thai - what a bargain especially for the city and compared to other 'trendy' Thai restaurants.

5 stars for everything! RECOMMEND!

Approximate cost: $10

This review is for Coco Cubano, Rouse Hill NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

We mainly came here because it had just opened and the Parramatta restaurant always looked busy so we thought to try it.

The decor and ambience inside is really old-school and reflects traditional Cuban culture as did the many artworks and antique furnishing. It looked really good and made for a good chill-out spot for friends or a romantic date.
Though my friend and I ordered two seemingly basic, simple meals from here - the beef nachos and the chicken fajita - we were pleasantly surprised as they turned out really, really good. The nachos were a huge serving size, and were very tasty, not boring at all. So for about $15 this was quite reasonable.

My chicken fajita came with 4 soft tortilla triangles and the fillings assorted on my plate, laid out and ready for me to assemble :) This was cute and made my meal more interesting. Apart from this, it actually tasted really good! The chicken was tender and tasty, and the sour cream and guacamole was fresh and yum.

We also had a salt and pepper calamari tapas dish to share, which was also very nice. For $8 It was a decent serving with lots of smallish pieces.

Will be coming back here, definitely to try more tapas and the chocolate!

Approximate cost: $15

This review is for Nadia's Cafe, Blacktown NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

I've been coming to Nadia's at Blacktown for the last couple of years since the first time I tried it with my mum while Christmas shopping. It always look fairly busy and rarely quiet, not to mention the heavenly scents that would float across the air as you'd walk past, so we gave it a go.

I've been happy with everything each time I've visited, including the quality and quantity of the food, the friendly and on-the-ball service. They always greet you with a smile and check to see how your meal is going throughout the experience.

One of my favourites is the turkey and camembert sandwich which is generous for the price. That, and everything else I've tried here has been delicious and satisfying. The atmosphere is also quite relaxing and cosy, with cushioned booths all around the edge of the cafe which means plenty of room and no more competing with others for that comfy cushion seat! hehe :)

Approximate cost: $15

This review is for Senario Cafe, Castle Hill NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

The best thing I can say about this place is actual decor/appearance of the cafe. It was spacious with a number of cushioned booths and an interesting layout. The motif of the furniture, bar etc was appealing, which is why I thought to have lunch here with my mum as we walked past while shopping.

As for everything else, there's a lot of room for improvement.

The food wasn't terrible, but the value was. I ordered a pasta with chicken and seafood called the "Royale" and from the description in the menu it sounded special and very satisfying as it had the biggest variety of ingredients and was one of the most expensive. When it came the serving was simply tiny, in a massive bowl, but tiny. It cost $19.50. I guess because it had prawns I couldn't complain too much, but it seemed quite overpriced to me since the actual flavour of the sauce wasn't anything special.

Mum ordered a salmon and caper turkish, which was also tiny and cost $16. Her meal was at least generous with the helping of salmon, but the actual bread could have been bigger for the price.

Service was terrible. Our main waitress was abrupt and unpleasant - not a single smile the entire time. Another waitress came to ask me which alternative type of pasta I'd like as the one I ordered was out - she was also dull and abrupt. Together with the bored-looking cashier who took our payment at the end of our lunch, who didn't say much except for how much we owed, I can say overall the service wasn't friendly or polite, and rather came across as rude and as if they did not want to be there.

The cafe itself is beautiful, and is no doubt comfortable and in a great location right next to the centre railing overlooking the level below, which is nice.

I have a pretty open mind so I might go back another day to try something else on the menu and hope the staff are in a more cheerful mood next time.

Approximate cost: $18

This review is for Chocolateria San Churro, Parramatta NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

Excuse the language, but San Churro kicks (most) other dessert houses' butts.

I absolutely love churros and used to eat them at a few local places around where I live. But I kept hearing about this place and so I went with a few girlfriends to see what all the fuss was about.

I was so glad I tried it. The churros are divine, crisp, golden and beautifully balanced in sweetness. Not to mention the dip cups which are absolute melted gold. My favourites are the Spanish caramel and white chocolate, especially together.

I also really enjoyed their "Peanut Butter Besos" iced drink which translates to peanut butter kisses. Couldn't think of a better name as I couldn't keep my lips off this thing! Though it made me feel quite guilty after drinking it as it's definitely only a special occasion treat to indulge in, it's heaven for peanut butter and chocolate fanatics. Think Reese's peanut butter cups? It was thick and rich with a real peanut butter taste which plain and simply killed Max Brenner's version.

Price wise it's not too bad, pretty reasonable compared to a lot of other dessert houses out there, but just as good if not better.

Go try it out guys!
Mmmmm, craving it right now.

Approximate cost: $10

This review is for Little Lamb Hot Pot, Haymarket NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

I came here for a family birthday dinner (8 of us) and we were all very happy with the experience! Although the restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside when you walk along the street, there is a whole other level upstairs which is much more accommodating and comfortable where all the hot pot magic happens!

So for those unfamiliar with the typical hot pot experience, this is how it goes. Usually customers order which soup base(s) they would like as well as what ingredients (meat, veges, seafood, poultry etc) or are able to choose from a set menu where there will be a few different options with a variety of these ingredients already determined and then charged per head. However at this restaurant, the only thing you have to order is the soup base (spicy, normal, mushroom, tom yum etc...) or the two- or three- flavour bases that we tried which means the pot is divided and you can have the best of both (or all three) worlds!

Now the fun part... Because it's ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT 'CUSTOM' hot pot, you can virtually pick whatever and as many ingredients you want from their self-serve area. Their range is huge by the way. They have everything from pork, beef, lamb, seafood (heaps of different types), chicken, quail eggs, not to mention a great selection of fresh Asian-style greens and vegetarian options which was great as one of our cousins is vegetarian and there was more than enough there to please him (including crazy mushroom and tofu varieties) :)

They also have a huge range of traditional Asian seasonings and garnishes available to perfect your hotpot experience. Wash it all down with a Tsing Tao beer and finish off with self-serve ice cream!

All for $25 per head (adults), half-price for kids under 9 and free for under 3's. Great value I'd say, especially since you can keep going back for more and whatever ingredients you want, as long as you finish your previous helpings.

That's the other point I should mention, they (understandably) implement a policy common in many "all-you-can-eat" restaurants where whatever you take from the self-serve ingredients and bring to your table and don't finish at the end of the night is basically forfeited and must be paid for. I'm not sure what the rate is but I'm sure it's only for a significant amount of 'leftovers', not just a few scraps on the table. It's a reasonable ask, seeing as they only do this to prevent people from taking advantage and wasting perfectly good fresh produce.

I'd recommend Little Lamb to anyone. Great value, fresh ingredients and super tasty. Watch out for the spicy soup base though - it packs a punch! And this is coming from a family of hardcore chilli-lovers :P

Approximate cost: $25 all you can eat

This review is for Osaka On Stanley, Darlinghurst NSW

verified email - 07 Dec 2012

My boyfriend and I came here with a voucher for one hot and one cold platter of "Japanese cuisine" and were quite excited as we'd heard a lot of good things about the place.

The actual restaurant is quite small and narrow, but this is quite understanding in bustling Darlinghurst. However when we sat down we noticed each table, including our own, had two generous chunks of chalk in a little container and when we looked at the walls we saw they were actually huge chalkboard murals! Customers and guests were free to make their mark or leave a 'tag' during their experience there. Very cute!

As for the food... The quality of the seafood is obvious. The restaurant prides itself on having 100% fresh (NOT frozen), skilfully prepared seafood, and you can really taste this in their dishes.

The cold platter was a mix of 6 different types of nigiri (a chance to try more than just the usual salmon), generously sized rolls packed with flavour and different textures as well as oysters prepared with a bold, but beautiful homemade sauce.

The hot platter consisted of a helping of freshly cooked takoyaki, teriyaki chicken (soo good here), tempura prawn as well as a fresh salad garnish to complement.

Service was helpful and pleasant, always important! :)

I'd recommend Osaka on Stanley, and I'd probably go again to try some of the other things on the menu as the prices looked very reasonable too.

One thing I'd say is possible take a taxi or public transport as finding a parking spot during the week is painful enough, let alone on a Fri/Sat night during peak dinner/hungry people going out hour :P

This review is for Japan City, Chatswood NSW

verified email - 15 Nov 2012

I have always enjoyed popping into a Japan City store if I happen to walk past it while shopping, but this Chatswood store is absolutely one of my favourite places to visit!

The store is massive and holds inside the well-known 'Eat Street' complex (which I will review separately as it deserves its own story :P) as well as everything else you expect from a Japan City plus more!

There are endless items to admire, everything from traditional Japanese statues to gorgeous bamboo water features, home living needs and furniture, to beauty and fragrance and the strangest and most wonderful Japanese invented gadgets.

I visited the store last week with my mother as we walked past it coming down from the movies and we literally found ourselves staying for the best part of one hour! There wasn't a single boring second spent inside :)

The actual atmosphere in the store makes you feel like you've just stepped off a plane and entered Japan itself - beautifully decorated and welcoming.

The staff were also very lovely and friendly, and very helpful as we were browsing around quite a few strange and interesting items.

My mum bought the cutest little mug which sits upon 3 points - which is actually a little piglet's face, so when you go to take a sip, his face looks up! So adorable.

They also accept Westfield gift cards which is really convenient and an excellent choice to give someone when you're not sure what they'd like - they're BOUND to find something they're into at Japan City, they're crazy if they don't :P

Prices are a little steep, however remember that if it's really expensive which is usually the case for dining sets, tea sets, statues and other craft it is probably handmade in Japan and imported directly. You get what you pay for in these cases, as the Japanese are known for their meticulous attention to detail, quality and perfection.

I would absolutely recommend a stop by at Chatswood Japan City - but make sure you don't have any appointments for at least an hour or two as I guarantee you'll need about that much time to enjoy everything in the store :)

This review is for Underbelli Restaurant, Leichhardt NSW

verified email - 06 Nov 2012

We had a table of 14 here for a family get-together with 2 little toddlers and another child of 5 years and they happily catered for our group even though their cafe like most others in the area was quite compact and narrow compared to typical restaurants.

We loved the food it was all delicious and tasty. The serving sizes of the pastas and veal dishes were very generous. I tasted all of my family's own pastas that they ordered (hehe :P) and I liked everything I tried!

I especially recommend the marinara or the Underbelli pasta.

Mains prices were also very reasonable compared to many other restaurants serving Mediterranean/Italian cuisine that I've been to, any those places don't even match the quality of the food served here.
The waiters were excellent, very friendly, easy going and happy to help with all our fussy, big-family-with-little-kids requests, even though the place generally doesn't look like it takes many families.

In response to the first review of this place on here, we also received free dessert after our meal! Delicious raspberry gelato and blueberry tarts.

Very good job Underbelli! We'll definitely be telling our friends and coming back again :)

Approximate cost: $15

This review is for Chimmichurri Bar And Grill, Darlinghurst NSW

verified email - 31 Oct 2012

5/5, 10/10, 100%, #1

However you want to say it, this place is the best!

I came here with 5 girlfriends for my birthday with a groupon voucher for all-you-can-eat churrasco/bbq @ $22 per person. The whole experience from the moment we walked in to the moment we left was wonderful.

Quality: 5 stars because everything from the food, furniture, decor and tableware was of excellent quality. You could tell the food was fresh and prepared with care. Meats were juicy and tender, never tough or dry. Chicken and seafood were marinated well and very tasty! Chimmichurri sauce was perfect with all the different meats!

Service: 5 stars because it was just absolutely OUTSTANDING. Everyone from the host at the front desk, to the waiters who served the churrasco/bbq dishes to the waitresses who looked after our every need/request was friendly, courteous and happy to serve (always with a smile). We never had to wait long to be offered the different bbq skewers, in fact they were coming around so frequently that our plates were filling up faster than we could chow it all down! We also never had to wait long to ask a question or make a request as there were always several staff available to check on our table and keep us content. Very well done!

Value: 5 stars even though we used a half-price groupon of $22 per person instead of the full price $44, I believe if I had paid the full price, this still would have been absolutely worth it. I have been to churrasco restaurants before who have charged $50 but have not been as good as Chimmichurri.

Tip: Try their white sangria! They're the only place that do it and it's beautiful!

Approximate cost: $44