This little Indonesian and Thai restaurant is located amongst a cluster of suburban shops at Carrara on Pappas Way.

It’s a typical suburban restaurant which is unassuming from the outside - a simple wooden painted sign surrounded by coloured lights and it has a small, sparse interior but if you’re after a fuss free midweek meal that’s quick, easy and cheap - then this is your haven.

The lady that served us was, I’m guessing Indonesian. She was very friendly and regularly filled up our water before ducking back into the kitchen to help. Above us the Indonesian news was playing on a small TV.

We ordered two entree’s - potato croquette’s and a chicken and noodle clear soup. The soup was a really large serve and had that home made feel. It would be great on a cold Winter night. The croquette’s came with a chutney and sweet chilli sauce.

For mains we ordered beef Rendang curry. The meat was so tender and the coconut sauce was absolutely beautiful. We also ordered garlic pepper beef with vegetables which was fantastic. The meat wasn’t fatty and didn’t taste cheap or nasty which I was sort of expecting.

This little restaurant is a hidden gem. It’s the classic example of a small restaurant really trying hard and producing amazing, authentic tasting food. The mains are only $12-$14 approx so it’s an absolute bargain considering the HUGE serving sizes they give you. We couldn’t finish it all so we took it home and enjoyed it reheated the next night for dinner again.

I hope this little restaurant thrives once word gets out because there are so many average-below average restaurants on the Gold Coast but this is one that deserves to survive and do well. 

Location:
124 Pappas Way
Carrara, 4211

Ph: 07 5594 1888

To submit your own review click here

The front of the restaurant - it’s amongst some shops and is next to the Garlic Clove French restaurant

The potato croquettes with chutney and sweet chilli sauce

The chicken and noodle clear soup

Beef rendang curry (at the rear) and lam with garlic pepper sauce and vegetables

Inside the restaurant

Technorati Tags: house of satay, carrara, restaurants, restaurant review, gold coast, Indonesian, Thai

I was in Sydney yesterday doing some shopping in the CBD and I was checking out the TGV building (The Galleries Victoria) and noticed that they had a Wagamama upstairs.

I’ve been to Wagamama one other time in Sydney near Oxford street. The soups were all around $15 but they are large servings. I ordered the miso ramen with grilled chicken, vegetables and noodles.

My only gripe was that the air conditioning was way too cold and it was hard to get a waiter’s attention. The dining room was long communal tables and it’s kid friendly although they were having some drama’s setting up a high chair which grips onto the table. Another gripe was that I used my points card which I picked up last time and registered online last night but my points from yesterday and the time before weren’t recorded. It’s a bit stupid that you have to register first before you get your points so I’ve emailed them and I’ll see what the outcome is.

I know some people aren’t that impressed with Wagamama and think it’s overrated but if you’re in the city and want a fast lunch, it’s a nicer alternative to the food courts. The TGV building also had a Japanese noodle restaurant upstairs near the Kinokuniya bookshop which was hugely popular with students and the ramen noodle soups were about half the price so maybe I’ll check that out next time.

Inside wagamama at the TGV.

Miso Ramen soup - each bowl comes with chopsticks, a wooden spoon and a foil wrapped wash cloth.

Technorati Tags: wagamama, ramen soup, the galeries victoria, sydney

I was down in Sydney yesterday and was given a mission by my dad to buy two Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Christmas puddings as he couldn’t get hold of any in the Brisbane or Gold Coast David Jones.

It was completely packed in the David Jones food hall and they had a massive range of Christmas foods including hams at about $18 a kilo - one leg of ham alone was around $220. They had full size free range turkeys for about $190 and heaps of puddings, Sienna cakes, panforte and candied fruits.

I bought two of the Wilkin & Sons 2lb puddings which were approx $55 each. You can also buy the smaller 1lb puddings which come in a red box.

The larger puddings come in a blue cardboard box and each come in a stoneware bowl so they were very heavy! I also picked up two packets of Ortiz anchovies which were about $15 each. These are the best anchovies in the world and they come from Spain. They’re only available at very good food stores and deli’s adn they’re imported by Simon Johnson.

I can’t wait to taste these puddings! especially after I had to lug them all around Sydney…

Technorati Tags: wilkin & sons, tiptree christmas pudding, christmas pudding, tiptree, England, ortiz anchovies, spanish anchovies 

Last Saturday morning we went to Bumble’s cafe in Budds Beach (in Surfers Paradise - it’s on the river front.)

This cute little cafe has been a big favourite of mine for many years. It opposite the river and it’s a popular spot with families as kids can swim in the river and it’s a nice quiet place to have a picnic.

Bumble’s serves amazing food and the cafe is always beautifully decorated with single flowers in used water bottles decorating the back shelf and decorative pebbles in concrete feature throughout.

It’s become quite a yuppie haunt and it can be very hard to grab a table but don’t be deterred. The breakfasts are wonderful and are city standard with top ingredients used. The service is fast, professional and friendly and the coffee is honestly one of the best I’ve had - they really know how to make a great cup.

If you haven’t been here before then definately visit for breakfast or lunch. They’re open till about 6pm during Summer.

If you’d like to post a review click here.

Where:
19 River Drv Surfers Paradise QLD 4217

Ph: (07) 5538 6668

Technorati Tags: bumbles, bumble’s, budds beach, surfers paradise, bumble’s cafe, breakfast

We went to Bowral in NSW for the first time ever a few weeks ago for a friends wedding.

We decided to wander around and check out the town on the Saturday morning as the wedding wasn’t on until the afternoon and it was fortunate that the Bowral farmers markets were on.

These were one of the best farmers markets I’ve ever been to. There were plenty of people out in the early crisp air and it was nice to see that people could take their dogs to the market with them which is something you can’t do at the Gold Coast markets.

When:
Second Saturday of every month from 8.00am to 1.00pm.

Where:
Bowral Public School, Bendooley Street, Bowral.

Home made jams and marmalade’s.

Farm fresh vegetables and fruit

The Bowral markets

Home made pies, pasties and cookies

Beautiful cold weather flowers which I love - jonquils, iris’ and hyacinth’s

Technorati Tags: bowral, bowral farmers market, farmer market, southern highlands