A friend and I went here for dinner last Thursday night ... the place was practically empty when we arrived and they asked if we had a booking ... I said that we didn't and they seated us quickly. The place did become fairly dull within the next hour.

The service was great and the food came out pretty quickly. We started with appa-Thai-sers ... Fish Cakes, Crab Spring Rolls and one of the house specialties ... Potato Prawns. They were all delicious.

Our mains of Massaman Beef Curry and Pad Thai with Jasmine rice were also high quality although they used thin rice noodles in the Pad Thai which I thought was unusual. We couldn't finish our meals and they were happy to pack them up to take away (yummy lunch the next day!).

We had a soft drink each and the total came to $70 ... I think next time we would get take away as the prices are much cheaper (e.g. Pad Thai was $17 eat in and is $11 take away).

Overall it was a great dining experience and rivals the other Thai restaurants for quality and service.

Approximate cost: $70

Lemon Leaf Thai was a great experience. They were very attentive and spaced the meals out very well.

We started with the Chicken Satay Skewers and traditional Thai Fish Cakes which were delicious.

Our mains included Beef Massaman and Pad Thai which were both exceptional and we took some home for lunch the next day.

They had a beer special with 4 for the price of 3 with Changs Beer which suited us well ... 3 for me and one for Sharon =)

Overall it was great value and delicious food ... delicious enough to rival our favourite Thai Restaurant ... Thai Tables in Bayswater.

Approximate cost: $14

This used to be a Chinese Restaurant and it had been closed for some time until it was transformed into Kotojaya Malaysian Restaurant.

We had take away from here for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I thought that we should try some traditional food.

So we had the Satay Skewers to start and then we had the Beef Rendang which was amazing. The Char Kway Tow was delicious and better than my own home made version.

All in all ... a delicious experience from the new kid on the block.

Approximate cost: $15

This is my local, and while the beer is always cold and the company good, the food is very up and down.

Three times we have eaten in the bistro and the first time wasn't too bad. The second time was very average and last time we went (Melbourne Cup Day this year) it was worse than average. Hayley and I shared a Sharing Plate that was nothing like the description in the menu and Sharon had the Salmon and had to send it back as it was burnt. Thankfully our waitress noticed that we were not happy and arranged for the correct items to come out for our Sharing Plate and Sharon's Salmon was re-cooked.

While some of the staff are very helpful, others seem to be rather indifferent. While I would always go here for a beer or three, there are many other dining options available in the Bayswater area that would win hands down on the food.

Approximate cost: $25

I have a question for you ... do you like Asian Dumplings???

If you answered a resounding 'Yes' then this is the place for you!!! We love our Asian Dumplings ... from your basic Dim Sim to Japanese Gyoza and Yum Cha specialties like Prawn Dumplings ... and Yang's Hot Works has them all.

They also do Noodles and Soups as well, and while we haven't personally tried them (yet) they all look great when they come out to the simple laminated tables inside while you are waiting for your take-away.

This is Sharon's favourite place to get dumplings for a quick lunch on the go and the quality is always spot on. You can also purchase frozen dumplings to take home with you.

Approximate cost: $15

I love Sizzler ... the one in Mermaid Beach is the only one on the Gold Coast and it is sad to see that there are not that many left around.

The food is always good and there is always a line up to get to the front of the line ... it is always entertaining what people get up to while they are waiting!!! =)

The Salad Bar is always good value and their add ons are pretty good too ... steaks are cooked to your request and who can go past the Cheese Toast ... who doesn't love it!

Overall, I think Sizzler represents great value and the kids love it ... the service is pretty good ... it's just the wait to get to the front of the line that gives you a bigger appetite (could that be their plan?).

Approximate cost: $30

I have been going here for years and used to play competition bowling on a Monday night. I hadn't been here for a while and now that I'm living in Melbourne it has been a while since I had been here.

We were on holidays in QLD and took my boys (13 & 11) during the school holidays when they had a special on ... $16.90 per person for unlimited bowling and M3 Laser Tag as well.

We had a great time that afternoon ... I would highly recommend AMF Bowling Robina to the casual bowler or to anyone thinking about joining a social competition.

Oh ... My ... God!!! I was looking forward to going to my favourite restaurant in Noosa for my Girlfriends birthday dinner but unfortunately it had closed down so we decide to try Berardo's. It was amazing!!!

We decided to have the degustation menu which was more than what the menu said ... we started with a gravalax in cucumber to start and then the Amuse Bouche was a freshly shucked Oyster with a wine vinegar.

The next course was Haloumi with Duck Prosciutto, toasted Macadamia and compressed Watermelon ... amazing. I'd love to know how they did the Watermelon.

Next course was Hervey Bay Scallops with Sea Urchin butter and apple which was also fantastic.

The Spanner Crab Raviolo with Consomme and Basil was also out of this world.

The Duck breast with Quinoa, Parsnip and Blood Orange was moist and tender and delicious.

The slow cooked Pork Belly with Baby Carrots, Pork Crackers and Native Fruits was so delicate. The Crackers were so thin and delectable on top of the Pork Belly.

After the savory dishes we were given a delectable Lime Sorbet to cleanse our palate before dessert.

I had to go to the toilet 3 times to organise for a special message on Sharon's plate for her birthday ... she wondered what the hell I was doing!!! Dessert was a Chocolate Mousse and a Chocolate Slice with Passionfruit Sauce.

We decided to order our own drinks rather than go with the recommended wines and our waiter was very helpful in suggesting appropriate wines/beers when we wanted them.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and one that I would highly recommend and I also look forward to our own next visit there =)

Approximate cost: $95

We went here after wanting to go to a Mexican restaurant and realising it was just a take away so we decided to go to the Surf Club. We ended up having a mexican inspired dish of Nachos with all the trimmings which was excellent.

The best thing was that we got to see some migrating whales breaching about 200m off the beach. It made the experience all the more enjoyable.

Approximate cost: $20

The Eumundi Markets are one of my favourite markets in Australia. The have a wide range of products available ... food ... including fresh fruit and vegies, baked goods, drinks, hot potatoes, german Sausages etc., clothes, arts, crafts and homemade gifts along with a myriad of entertainment. Sharon and I went here on a Wednesday during school holidays and it was still hard to get a park.

We spent a couple of very enjoyable hours meandering through the stalls and although we didn't buy a lot we saw plenty that kept us interested and thinking about what we might buy in the future. I bought a beautiful necklace for Sharon and she bought a number of friendship bracelets for her daughter. The entertainment can keep you enthralled for hours if you let it and there is plenty else to keep you amused. If you're ever on the Sunshine Coast then I would highly recommend that you make time to visit the markets. They are open Wednesdays and Saturdays every week.