We wanted to dine at Zimzala after reading very good review about this restaurant, and also it had won the Best Restaurant - Fine Dining 2010 awarded by Leader
So we booked a table for two 3 weeks ago on a Wednesday evening.
Just a quick review on this restaurant as I don't want to comment too much in detail. Overall, I think this restaurant is over-rated, and it is not really a fine dining restaurant as they serve breakfast during daytime! When we first arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by the captain and another waitress. Both of them seemed very polite and professional at first. However, as the place got busier, it was difficult to get proper service anymore. In short, they were understaff, there were only 2 staff waiting on the patrons the whole night, and in the end I think they let a kitchen helper help serve the patrons. There were only one big group table plus probably 5 or 6 tables occupied by 4 patrons each. They could not cope with the crowd. Food is over-priced and doesn't taste very good. The cuisines are badly presented, my soft shell crab was served in a soup bowl???? We ordered a rocket salad and when it came, the portion was so big it could feed a whole army - not that we are complaining but we just couldn't finish it and this is really wasteful. Our table is located very closely to the big group table, that it was hard for the waitress to move around between us and them. The waitress bumped into my back twice - just to let you know how tight the space was. There was literally about 5 cm of space area between my chair and another patron's from the big group. I felt very awkward with the sitting arrangement.
Anyway, this is the first and the last time for us.
Showing posts with label Western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Splash Seafood & Mediterranean Cuisine, Newtown
15/11/2009 - Lunch at Splash, Newtown
Mom, Kevin and I opted for the set lunch menu. We had very late lunch and arrived at the restaurant around 4'ish in the afternoon. We thought we would try the set lunch menu as the price were very reasonable - $25.50 per person for a 3 course applicable on Sunday to Thurs. We are usually not a big fan of set lunch menu for fear that the standard may be compromised, but decided to give this one a go.
Entree:
Grilled octopus x 2
Grilled scallop x 1
Main:
Grilled barramundi served with salad x 1
Grilled barramundi served with rice x 1
Prawn linguini x 1
Dessert:
There were choices of chocolate mousse or caremel.
The servings were huge even though it was a set menu. We were very full after the 2 courses, so we skipped dessert.
Beverage:
Lemon and Lime bitter x 2 (they were freshly made).
Chinoto x 2
Total cost for 3 = $95.00. Kevin left a big tip for them as we were very happy with the service.
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 10/10
Service = 8/10
Lily's Comment: Excellent. The servings were huge and ample table service. The food came very quickly, I guessed that was also because there weren't many customers at that time. After each course, our cutlery were being changed and we were given new serviettes. You don't get that in most restaurants unless it's a restaurant with fine cuisine. What caught my eye was the value for money's 3 course set lunch at $25.50 pp. That's the price of one entree in most of the restaurants that we have been.
Mom, Kevin and I opted for the set lunch menu. We had very late lunch and arrived at the restaurant around 4'ish in the afternoon. We thought we would try the set lunch menu as the price were very reasonable - $25.50 per person for a 3 course applicable on Sunday to Thurs. We are usually not a big fan of set lunch menu for fear that the standard may be compromised, but decided to give this one a go.
Entree:
Grilled octopus x 2
Grilled scallop x 1
Main:
Grilled barramundi served with salad x 1
Grilled barramundi served with rice x 1
Prawn linguini x 1
Dessert:
There were choices of chocolate mousse or caremel.
The servings were huge even though it was a set menu. We were very full after the 2 courses, so we skipped dessert.
Beverage:
Lemon and Lime bitter x 2 (they were freshly made).
Chinoto x 2
Total cost for 3 = $95.00. Kevin left a big tip for them as we were very happy with the service.
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 10/10
Service = 8/10
Lily's Comment: Excellent. The servings were huge and ample table service. The food came very quickly, I guessed that was also because there weren't many customers at that time. After each course, our cutlery were being changed and we were given new serviettes. You don't get that in most restaurants unless it's a restaurant with fine cuisine. What caught my eye was the value for money's 3 course set lunch at $25.50 pp. That's the price of one entree in most of the restaurants that we have been.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dinner at SeaLevel Restaurant, Cronulla
05/07/2009 - Dinner at Sealevel Restaurant
Main:
Seafood Platter, a generous selection of hot & cold seafood served with tropical fruit and chips. For two people. With 1/2 Lobster Mornay
Side dishes:
Mini sour dough loaf served with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & dukkah spices
Beverage:
A bottle of Katnook Estate, Coonawarra SA
Dessert:
1 short black
1 Latte
Total cost for 2 = $220
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7/10
Lily's Comment: Good. Sealevel Restaurant and Bar situated on the beachfront of Cronulla offers unsurpassed views. We were there at night time and could still see clearly the waves breaking along the beach. Overall, good food and service. The latte was excellent, very strong and creamy. The only mistake is that the waitress asked if it was okay for her to pour the wine without tasting it first. As an etiquette, the server should always ask the guest/customer to taste the wine before he/she pours for the whole table. But she was a bit embarassed when Kevin said, 'Oh I better try it'. Anyway, it was an expensive bottle of wine, so of course he wanted to taste it first.
Main:
Seafood Platter, a generous selection of hot & cold seafood served with tropical fruit and chips. For two people. With 1/2 Lobster Mornay
Side dishes:
Mini sour dough loaf served with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & dukkah spices
Beverage:
A bottle of Katnook Estate, Coonawarra SA
Dessert:
1 short black
1 Latte
Total cost for 2 = $220
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7/10
Lily's Comment: Good. Sealevel Restaurant and Bar situated on the beachfront of Cronulla offers unsurpassed views. We were there at night time and could still see clearly the waves breaking along the beach. Overall, good food and service. The latte was excellent, very strong and creamy. The only mistake is that the waitress asked if it was okay for her to pour the wine without tasting it first. As an etiquette, the server should always ask the guest/customer to taste the wine before he/she pours for the whole table. But she was a bit embarassed when Kevin said, 'Oh I better try it'. Anyway, it was an expensive bottle of wine, so of course he wanted to taste it first.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Summer Salt Restaurant, Cronulla
08/03/2009 - Dinner at Summer Salt Restaurant
Entree:
Kevin had the Malaysian Style Crispy Soft Shell Crab, and I had the Seaweed Salt Squid with Yuzu dipping sauce.
Main:
Kevin had the BlackAngus 120 day aged grain fed fillet with peas and handcut chips (we thought the handcut chips were arranged like the 'Jenga wooden blocks').
I had the Seafood Tasting Plate consisting of - Seared Atlantic salmon fillet with sesame seed curst, Asian coleslaw and wasabi, - Sauteed prawns with creamy garlic and chilli, - Seared scallops with nam jim, - Roasted West Australian marron (fresh water crayfish) with saffron butter.
Side dishes:
Asian greens and a Mini Sourdough loaf.
Beverage:
Wine - 04 Cockfighters Ghost Premium Cabernet Savignon - Coonawarra SA, and sparkling water.
Dessert:
We also ordered coffee and the Berry Trio for dessert.
Total cost for 2 = $250
Ratings:
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7.5/10
Lily's comment: Good. The restaurant is located right on the beach, ample parking space. Floor-to-ceiling windows display the beauty of Cronulla Beach to its best advantage. We have dined there several times. This time we were early, we arrived at 6:30 pm and we could still see a view of the beach before it got dark. It was breathtaking. The daily set lunches are value for money. The only disadvantage of this restaurant is that it gets very noisy when big crowds turn up. The restaurant is quite huge. I won't recommend to the diners that are looking for some tranquility.
Entree:
Kevin had the Malaysian Style Crispy Soft Shell Crab, and I had the Seaweed Salt Squid with Yuzu dipping sauce.
Main:
Kevin had the BlackAngus 120 day aged grain fed fillet with peas and handcut chips (we thought the handcut chips were arranged like the 'Jenga wooden blocks').
I had the Seafood Tasting Plate consisting of - Seared Atlantic salmon fillet with sesame seed curst, Asian coleslaw and wasabi, - Sauteed prawns with creamy garlic and chilli, - Seared scallops with nam jim, - Roasted West Australian marron (fresh water crayfish) with saffron butter.
Side dishes:
Asian greens and a Mini Sourdough loaf.
Beverage:
Wine - 04 Cockfighters Ghost Premium Cabernet Savignon - Coonawarra SA, and sparkling water.
Dessert:
We also ordered coffee and the Berry Trio for dessert.
Total cost for 2 = $250
Ratings:
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 7/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7.5/10
Lily's comment: Good. The restaurant is located right on the beach, ample parking space. Floor-to-ceiling windows display the beauty of Cronulla Beach to its best advantage. We have dined there several times. This time we were early, we arrived at 6:30 pm and we could still see a view of the beach before it got dark. It was breathtaking. The daily set lunches are value for money. The only disadvantage of this restaurant is that it gets very noisy when big crowds turn up. The restaurant is quite huge. I won't recommend to the diners that are looking for some tranquility.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Shook, Star Hill Feast Village
Feb 2009 - Dinner at Shook
We caught up with an old school friend, Sally and had dinner at the Shook.
Sally and I shared a Chinese meal. We ordered a hot and sour soup, stir fry beef with spring onion, a szechuan prawn, a Cantonese seafood noodle, and rice. Sally had ice lemon tea and I had a teh tarik.
Kevin decided to have western, he had a beef carpacio, and steak beef with soft shell crab. He also had a campari.
Total cost for 3 = RM460
Ratings
Food quality = 10/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 10/10
Value for money = 9/10
Service = 9/10
Lily's comment: Excellent. The best fine dining restaurant I've ever been. The service staff made an effort to order my teh tarik from another nearby restaurant at the Star Hill Feast Village when it wasn't on the drink menu. It appears that expatriates like to dine here. The food quality is excellent. I had the best hot and sour soup ever! Not a fan of beef, I really enjoyed the stir fry beef with spring onion. The cantonese seafood fried noodle is so delicious, the kway teow was fried to a bit brownish which give it a little burnt taste, which is the secret to a good cantonese fried noodle. Kevin also enjoyed his cuisine very much and he was so impressed with the 6 star service provided. The menu catered for all type of cuisine, Japanese, Chinese, Western, etc. I've dined there once about 2 years ago but was not that impress with the service, I reckon it has improved.
We caught up with an old school friend, Sally and had dinner at the Shook.
Sally and I shared a Chinese meal. We ordered a hot and sour soup, stir fry beef with spring onion, a szechuan prawn, a Cantonese seafood noodle, and rice. Sally had ice lemon tea and I had a teh tarik.
Kevin decided to have western, he had a beef carpacio, and steak beef with soft shell crab. He also had a campari.
Total cost for 3 = RM460
Ratings
Food quality = 10/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 10/10
Value for money = 9/10
Service = 9/10
Lily's comment: Excellent. The best fine dining restaurant I've ever been. The service staff made an effort to order my teh tarik from another nearby restaurant at the Star Hill Feast Village when it wasn't on the drink menu. It appears that expatriates like to dine here. The food quality is excellent. I had the best hot and sour soup ever! Not a fan of beef, I really enjoyed the stir fry beef with spring onion. The cantonese seafood fried noodle is so delicious, the kway teow was fried to a bit brownish which give it a little burnt taste, which is the secret to a good cantonese fried noodle. Kevin also enjoyed his cuisine very much and he was so impressed with the 6 star service provided. The menu catered for all type of cuisine, Japanese, Chinese, Western, etc. I've dined there once about 2 years ago but was not that impress with the service, I reckon it has improved.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Angus Steak House Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur
Feb 2009 - Dinner at Angus Steak House
Kuala Lumpur the city where you can always find fine dining. It was nearly 10 pm when we walked into the Angus Steak House at the Pavilion. The well manered captain said that the last order was in 5 mins time. Not wasting anymore time, we were ushered to a private corner station, there were only two tables occupied at that time.
Entree
Kuala Lumpur the city where you can always find fine dining. It was nearly 10 pm when we walked into the Angus Steak House at the Pavilion. The well manered captain said that the last order was in 5 mins time. Not wasting anymore time, we were ushered to a private corner station, there were only two tables occupied at that time.
Entree
I was still full from the nibblys at the cocktail, so I did not have any entree. Kevin ordered the dinner set which came with 3 types of entrees, the cheese balls, soup and salad.
Main
Kevin had the steak and I ordered the seafood grill.
Dessert
Kevin's set dinner came with a cheese cake.
Drinks
Kevin had the virgin mary mocktail, and I had the ice lemon tea.
Total cost for 2 = RM270
Ratings
Food quality = 8/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 8/10
Value for money = 8/10
Service = 9/10.
Lily's comment: Excellent. It's like French dining. All the waiters and service staff were properly attired in black and white. My seafood grill which comprised of prawn, cuttlefish and scallop were grilled to perfection. Kevin's steak was juicy and excellent! Despite dining at the late hours, the cook did not deter the standard of the cuisine.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Angus Steak House, Darling Harbour
28/09/2008 - Dinner at Angus Steak House, Darling Harbour
Shirley's very good friends from Thailand were visiting Sydney. We took them to Angus Steak House to try the Australian beef and lamb. There were 8 of us.
Entree: Garlic bread, chips, and stir-fry vegetables.
Main:
The various main that we had are:
Shirley's very good friends from Thailand were visiting Sydney. We took them to Angus Steak House to try the Australian beef and lamb. There were 8 of us.
Entree: Garlic bread, chips, and stir-fry vegetables.
Main:
The various main that we had are:
- Rack of Lamb - Tarragon Mash, Eggplant and Tomato Gratin with Port Jus x 4
- T-Bone 600g with your choice of Port Jus, Mushroom, Pepper or Bearnaise Sauce x 1
- Prime beef 300g x 1
- Giant King Prawns - Butterflied with Garlic Butter, Crushed New Potatoes, Seasalt and Garlic Aioli x 1
- Vegetables salad x 1
Beverage: Juices, beer and Red Wine
Total cost for 8 BYO = $380
Ratings
Food quality = 8/10 for the red meat, 6/10 for the king prawns
Ambience and cleanliness = 6/10. Because we were a big group, they couldn't let us have the table outside with a view of the harbour. We had a table near the open kitchen, where we could see the chef barbequing the meat. The table is covered with the charcoal dust, and of couse we all smell like 'Angus Rump' after the meal.
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7/10. We waited quite long before our meal were served. It was a busy Sunday night.
Lily's comment: Good. It's a good restaurant for the meat lovers. The menu does cater for diners who like seafood and vegetarian as well.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Summer Salt Restaurant, Cronulla
22/08/2008 - Dinner at Summer Salt Restaurant
Entree: Kevin had the Sichuan duck salad, mom had the Sichuan silken tofu stuff with chicken and crab mince with sweet Thai chilly dipping sauce, and I had the salt and pepper squid.
Main: Kevin had the whole baby steamed snapper, mom had the pan fried John Dory, I had the BBQ whole local sand whiting.
Beverage: Wine: 04 Cockfighters Ghost Premium Cabernet Savignon - Coonawarra SA, mom had ginger beer and we had coffee for dessert.
Total cost for 3 = $250
RatingsFood quality = 6.5/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 8.5/10 (The bathroom is very clean)
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7.5/10
Lily's comment: Good. The restaurant is located right on the beach, ample parking space. Floor-to-ceiling windows display the beauty of Cronulla Beach to its best advantage. We have dined there twice and both times were night time. I would love to have lunch there next time in order to take in the beautiful view of the beach.
Entree: Kevin had the Sichuan duck salad, mom had the Sichuan silken tofu stuff with chicken and crab mince with sweet Thai chilly dipping sauce, and I had the salt and pepper squid.
Main: Kevin had the whole baby steamed snapper, mom had the pan fried John Dory, I had the BBQ whole local sand whiting.
Beverage: Wine: 04 Cockfighters Ghost Premium Cabernet Savignon - Coonawarra SA, mom had ginger beer and we had coffee for dessert.
Total cost for 3 = $250
RatingsFood quality = 6.5/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 8.5/10 (The bathroom is very clean)
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 7.5/10
Lily's comment: Good. The restaurant is located right on the beach, ample parking space. Floor-to-ceiling windows display the beauty of Cronulla Beach to its best advantage. We have dined there twice and both times were night time. I would love to have lunch there next time in order to take in the beautiful view of the beach.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Altitude, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
14/07/2008 - Dinner at the Altitude Restaurant, Level 36 of the Shangri-La Hotel.
Main: Kevin and I opted for the seven course Epi-curious degustation menu.
Total cost for 2 = $410.
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 9/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 8/10
Lily's comment: Excellent. The Altitude is absolute stunning - you get a glittering panorama of Sydney Harbour. The chef is Steven Krasicki, who is responsible for introducing the seven course Epi-curious degustation menu. We both opted for the Epi and were really impressed by it. The sommelier helped to choose 7 different type of wine from the 300-plus selection. Got a bit tipsy at the end of the meal which lasted 2.5 hours. But it was very enjoyable.
Main: Kevin and I opted for the seven course Epi-curious degustation menu.
Total cost for 2 = $410.
Ratings
Food quality = 7/10
Ambience and cleanliness = 9/10
Value for money = 7/10
Service = 8/10
Lily's comment: Excellent. The Altitude is absolute stunning - you get a glittering panorama of Sydney Harbour. The chef is Steven Krasicki, who is responsible for introducing the seven course Epi-curious degustation menu. We both opted for the Epi and were really impressed by it. The sommelier helped to choose 7 different type of wine from the 300-plus selection. Got a bit tipsy at the end of the meal which lasted 2.5 hours. But it was very enjoyable.
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