Mmmm. The yum cha banquet was good! Hot, fresh, tasty and each serve was a good size. We even enjoyed the puddings they served for dessert (though we really didn't think we would!) The jasmine tea was a nice touch (I'm not a fan of green tea at these places), as was the friendly service, something I unfortunately find lacking in some yum cha eateries.

It was also interesting to eat in a part of the Queen Victoria Building where you can see the old/original features of the building, rather than feel you are eating in a run-of-the-mill cafe (as many other eateries in the QVB present)

My goodness! Fasta Pasta, a very large eatery, was packed to the rafters when we got there but we managed to get a seat. The pasta selection was mouth-watering. You have to place your order at the cash register but there was no queue and the meal was served with lightning-fast speed!

This was more than I could have hoped for. In fact, I figured trying to get a table at the exact time the shops closed would be a bad idea so I tried to book but they only take bookings for large groups. It turns out I had nohing to worry about.

The food was fantastic and we were all impressed at the size of the gelato that came with the kids meals!! Can't wait to go back!

The all-you-can eat deal would be better if a) the pancakes were tastier and b) you didn't have to wait 20 minutes just to order your second serving. It's like they know if you have to wait 30 minutes for your third pancake, you won't feel like eating any more. I also had to walk from our table (at the very back of the cafe) to the cash register area up front to ask for a coffee refill. The staff are very friendly but I'd prefer good service over good humour.

We had some hiccups but our experience at Surfers Mayfair was a good one and we'd definitely consider returning (not that we are known for ever visiting the same place twice).

The price was great, the location was very good, (though maybe just one block too far away from Cavill Avenue for our young children), the room was better than we could have expected and the facilities were all we required.

Our deposit was accidentally overcharged but as soon as I pointed this out, this was refunded.

The apartments are individually owned so I guess they are furnished according to their owners' tastes and budgets however I'm sure each has the same uber-80s marble/brass/mirrored bathrooms. Very dated and almost sickening however I grew up in a home with a near-identical bathroom so I spent my bathroom time more taken by the differences and similarities than pondering the necessity of so many mirrors! Watch out, too - the bathroom and bedroom doors can all be locked with the pop of a button however a key is required to open them again but no keys are provided!!!

We couldn't resist Two Up Tuesday (buy one main meal and receive another free) at The Aztec. Yes, the mains are quite dear but with the second being free, we went straight for the most expensive dishes available, two choices we would not have otherwise considered, not just due to the cost but also because they were not the usual enchilada/taquito/burrito/taco fare we usually choose to eat when having Mexican food. We were pleased we did!

Our family of four shared everything and enjoyed the lot. The meals were large, filling and tasty. With the 2 for 1 special, the price was fair. I would not bother eating at The Aztec without taking advantage of one of their many specials, though.

Too bad Montezuma's (their sister restaurant in Surfers Paradise) didn't open their doors for lunch when we visited a few days later - their promotional material, tourist ads and even their website advertise a daily lunch special but after waiting almost an hour for them to open their doors, we discovered they don't actually open for lunch every day. Let's hope feedback on this issue leads to better publication of their business hours.

I can't say one positive thing about my family's experience at this restaurant. From having to wave down a waiter to finally take our order even though ours was one of only two tables with patrons seated (they were too busy chatting) to my having to walk to the bar to help myself to cutlery because there wasn't enough on our table for the whole family. We found this unacceptable since it was maybe 5.30-6pm so we were among the first to eat in the restaurant that night. It only got worse. My meal was ruined by an anchovy on my vegetarian pizza. When the waiter collected our plates, I apologised for the chewed up mouthful I was forced to spit out on my plate, pointing out the offending anchovy that had been on my vegetarian pizza. Rather than apologise, he went to check a menu to see if anchovies were on that pizza. I'm not sure if he wanted to defend the anchovy or what but I was shocked that a waiter in a pizza place didn't know that anchovies are not vegetables!!

We were looking forward to this meal as we have fond memories of La Porchetta from many years ago. I guess when we discovered that La Porchetta's signature complimentary pizza dough rolls were no longer on offer, we should have realised this was not the same place. Too bad. THUMBS DOWN.

So far I've tried The Chocolate Room at Oran Park Podium twice. The first time I met a friend there for dessert and we both found their hot chocolate disappointing, mostly because it wasn't exactly hot and also because we would have liked it to have had a little body; we just expected it to be thicker, heartier and chocolate-ier. The cake I ordered was also so-so. It was pretty bland but from the way it was presented on the plate, also with cream and ice cream, I felt that the staff at this new cafe were trying to make a good impression. The prices were pretty fair.

The next time I visited was just for a milkshake. I was quite impressed that they weren't charging as much for a milkshake that most cafes do however it was a small serving for a milkshake so that was the trade-off. It tasted fine, nothing special but not as artificial as some vanilla milkshakes out there.

I skimmed over the breakfast and lunch menus in anticipation of my next visits. I'm looking forward to sampling these menus but it they don't wow me somewhere, I'll be sticking to the Oran Park Town Cafe down the road (where, incidentally, my friend and I chose to breakfast most recently).

Approximate cost: $15

I attended the grand opening of The Daily Bean and was pleasantly surprised by the food pricing on their menu. It is, however, a basic menu of light snacks, as they are primarily a kiosk-style cafe with limited cooking facilities.

The coffee (actually, mocha) on the other hand was abso-freaking-lutely awful but that is completely a matter of taste. I hate hate hate strong coffee and after pulling in the reins at three packets of sugar, I left about half of the very pricey $4.90 cup of the stuff abandoned on the table.

There are some teething problems to iron out; this isn't just a new cafe - the shopping centre was a mere few hours old as well. The Donut King clients hogging the chairs in the cafe will probably get the hint with signage and hopefully there will be more than two menus available in coming days. It would be nice to see sugar available at the individual tables, rather than just at the counter. While there, I saw a young mother abandoning her belongings and food at a table in order to take her baby over to the sugar station and I myself had to make a few trips (I usually would not need to add sugar to a mocha; I certainly never need to make a return trip for MORE sugar!).

I'll be back but will try ordering a hot chocolate or some other safer option from the drink menu.

Approximate cost: $10

Every time I visit I'm disappointed. Last time it was because a) they closed the kitchen though it was hardly late. We were only there for afternoon tea so it didn't affect our plans but it seemed unprofessional for an open cafe to not be serving food... and b) I felt like I should have consulted my bank manager before purchasing that mini cupcake for my toddler. The time before it was because we sat down to order something from the specials boardnoutvthe front only to be told they weren't doing specials that day. Apparently yesterday's specials had been up all day but they were not willing to cook those meals. Their customer service is lacking; not only are they unwilling to go the extra mile, they don't even seem willing to do what should be expected of them.

The soups were great, the steam and fried dim sims were great. We shared six mains between us and it was all good. The only.minor not-so-complimentary thing I can say is the honey chicken was a little too sweet for me but I guess you expect that from honey chicken! It wasn't a busy night at all but I got the feeling the service would have been just as good if it was busy. It seemed to me the man waiting on us was the owner because he genuinely wanted us to enjoy our visit. We did.