Reviews by Sparkesy

This review is for Taste Of Asia, North Hobart TAS

verified email - 09 Oct 2012

The last time I was here I was actually a little bit underwhelmed.

The service was OK without being spectacular and the same went for the food. We were looking for a quick & easy dinner on the way home from work so opted for some takeaway.

I ordered the Mango chicken which was unfortunately quite a bland curry. There was no real hit of mango, nor a real hit of spice.

My wife opted for a Thai Red curry, which was indicated on the warmer as being mild and to be honest it almost blew her head off. She's not a huge fan of too much heat/spice at the best of times, but when I tasted it, there was plenty of bite. When she re-heated it for lunch the next day, even dulling it down with a bit of coconut cream was only semi effective.

Would I go back? Yes. Will it be a priority? Probably not.

This review is for Cafe Vagabond, North Melbourne VIC

verified email - 09 Oct 2012

Decided to give these guys a try as they were conveniently located between my hotel and the hospital where I was visiting family.

I can only say I'm glad I did.

Whilst the service was a bit on the bland side (I think the girl serving was fairly new to the job), the quality and value of the Schnitzel Burger I received were amazing.

For less than $8, I got a HUGE chicken schnitzel in a roll with egg, bacon, cheese, relish, lettuce & tomato. It was a struggle to eat it all but too tasty not to finish it.

Give them a try.

This review is for Rydges North Melbourne, North Melbourne VIC

verified email - 09 Oct 2012

Location Location Location. That really is the number one benefit of this place. I've had cause to stay here a few times recently as my father was hospitalised in the Royal Melbourne it really is in just the perfect spot only 700 metres from the Hospital.

On each occassion the staff have been fantastic to deal with. Friendly, helpful and courteous.

The decor of the rooms is a little dated, and could do with a freshen up, but to be honest, it suited my needs perfectly as I was only looking for somewhere to sleep close to the hospital.

Based on the service I've received each time I've stayed there this year, I wouldn't hesitate in staying there again in future.

This review is for Jam Packed, Hobart TAS

verified email - 09 Oct 2012

Stopped in for lunch last Saturday with my wife after hearing good things (and we also had an Entertainment Book voucher to use).

When we entered the venue, it would have been nice to get a little acknowledgement from staff, but when approached they were warm, friendly and knowledgable.

The quality of the food was excellent, though my bacon was a shade fattier than I would normally like, it was full of flavour and there were several other options on the menu I would be keen to try.

Definately worth stopping in if you're in the area.

This review is for Pier One Restaurant & Bar, Sandy Bay TAS

verified email - 27 Aug 2012

A small group of us dined here on Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday and we were all suitably impressed.

The first thing that struck me was the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. Consistently ensuring our drink needs were met without being intrusive in the number of times they visited the table.

Upon ordering, the food was delivered promptly to the table and was nothing short of fantastic. I ordered the roasted chicken breast and it was cooked to perfection, packed with flavour and I would happily return for it any time.

Others at the table ordered the duck and an assortment of gourmet pizzas, all of which were reported to be of equally impressive standard.

The price wasn't bad for what you would expect for a higher end venue and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend or return in future.

Approximate cost: $30

This review is for Amici, North Hobart TAS

verified email - 10 Aug 2012

Dined here last night with my wife and some family from out of town. Selected it as they were in an Entertainment Book update and offerred 25% off the total bill.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of parking in the area. It was frustrating me to the point where if I hadn't found a spot when I did, I was ready to cancel the booking and go elsewhere.

This frustration may have impacted my mindset for the rest of the meal as well.

When we parked and went inside, I was struck by how small and crowded it was. It seemed like they'd worked out the right number of tables to put in, then squeezed in another 5 or so.

The staff were pleasant enough, though I did get frustrated when the waitress kept standing on the bottom of my jacket which I had hung on the back of my chair. Another legacy of too many tables in a small space. Problem solved by taking my jacket to the car.

We placed our order and our starters were served in good time. A couple of garlic & herb Calzones to share for the table. They were very tasty and made us look forward to the mains.

Unfortunately the service of the mains wasn't as quick. The food seemed to take quite a while to come out, possibly caused by a steady flow of takeaway orders. Nevertheless, the starters had whet our appetites and the delay detracted from the experience.

When the food did come out, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I would call spectacular. The Carbonara I had was tasty enough, if a little "eggy". I was also surprised to find no shaved fresh parmesan cheese on it, rather a shaker of ground parmesan was given to the table. Certainly room for improvement there.

I heard no complaints from the rest of the table, but I also didn't hear anyone raving about how amazing the meal was either.

Given their website states "We strive to make your
experience memorable.

Great Italian food, with service to match, from people who have been in the business for a very long time."

I guess I expected more. Based on the parking frustrations I experienced, the meal needed to be absolutely amazing in order to entice me back in a hurry. Unfortunately it wasn't. There are better Italian restaurants around with either better parking, or food that makes the frustration worthwhile.

This review is for Ganges, Hobart TAS

verified email - 10 Aug 2012

Stopped in here for a quick dinner the other night after visiting some family in hospital.

The lass behind the counter was friendly and efficient, seating us and getting us menus and water nice and quickly.

We ordered a Chicken Malwani and a Paneer Butter Masala (vegetarian) along with a variety of Naan.

The food was fantastic, and rather filling, though did seem a fraction more expensive than some other Indian restaurants in the Hobart area.

Very conveniently located across from the Royal Hobat Hospital, I can see us dining here again whenever we're visiting friends or family in the Royal.

This review is for Citrus Moon, Kingston Beach TAS

verified email - 07 Aug 2012

After finding myself at a loose end before work this morning, I decided to treat myself to a nice cafe breakfast. I jumped on WOMO for a look at what was nearby and found a couple of positive (albeit brief) reviews for Citrus Moon.

It ticked all the boxes, namely it was open, it was nearby and it didn't have any scathing reviews so in I went.

The first thing that struck me was the retro fit out. All the tables and chairs could be straight from my parents kitchen in the 70s. The other thing I noticed was that it was fairly cold in there.

I placed my order - Eggs Benedict & a coffee before finding a seat that wasn't reserved.

The coffee was delivered promptly to the table and was far from the worst coffee I've ever had. It wasn't the most awesome, but it was alright.

The Eggs Benny was delicious. The ham was nicely cut & cooked and the eggs were poached to perfection. The hollandaise sauce was also very tasty. I'd happily return for this next time.

Well worth giving these guys a go.

This review is for Timeless Way, Hobart TAS

verified email - 06 Aug 2012

For me, true customer service is defined not by whether or not something goes wrong, but how it is dealt with when it does.

In essence this covers our experience at Timeless Way yesterday.

I decided to treat the better half and I to a nice relaxing Sunday late-brunch/lunch which almost became an afternoon tea.

We settled on Timeless Way as we had an Entertainment Book voucher and figured we'd give them a try.

Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly staff who showed us to our seat and took a coffee order whilst we perused the menu.

The coffee arrived promptly. It was a little different to anything I'd experienced before in that my Latte was delivered with the frothed milk in the glass (which may have had a hint of cinnamon) and the shot of coffee in a seperate jug which I then added to the milk. I liked the idea as it caters for those who may not like a particularly strong beverage.

The waitress came back and took our order, my wife opted for the Roast Turkey Crepe and I opted for a Tramezzini and asked her to choose the filling for me between the Roast Turkey or the Chicken Mayonaise option.

She was happy to do so, and took our orders off to the kitchen whilst we enjoyed our coffee and waited for the food. And waited. And waited. And waited. After around 45 minutes, we were approached by a very apologetic waitress who informed us that there had been an error made in the kitchen and our meals would be out very soon. She also advised us our coffee would be complimentary due to the unacceptable delay.

It was a little disappointing that the error wasn't picked up sooner, but at the same time, we probably should have spoken up as well. It also would have been nice to have been offerred another coffee or some water whilst we waited.

When the food came out, it looked amazing, though the Tramezzini filling preferences seemed to have been lost in translation somewhere as I received the Cajun Chicken filling rather than the Chicken Mayonaise or Roast Turkey options I'd asked for. By this time I wasn't going to send it back though. When I mentioned the error, the waitress again handled the situation well.

When we finally tucked in to eat the food, I would say it was actually worth the wait. The Cajun Chicken had just the right amount of spiciness (after I'd picked out the Semi Dried Tomato that deterred me from that option in the first place) and my wife's crepe was amazing.

On the whole, the food was excellent, the prices were fair and even though we had to wait a long time due to an error in the kitchen, the staff handled the situation admirably.

We will certainly be returning there in the future.

This review is for Prince Of Wales Hotel, Battery Point TAS

verified email - 06 Aug 2012

My wife and I dined here on Saturday evening with a couple of friends before meeting a larger group in the main bar.

The dining room is spacious and welcoming, the menu seemed fairly priced and the staff were quite friendly, happy to share a laugh and a joke with us.

I ordered the Chicken Schnitzel which provided a generous serving, as did my wife's Cider Battered Flathead. Our friends also seemed happy with their Vegetarian Gnocci and Steak options.

There were no complaints with regards to the quality of the food and the drink prices weren't extortionist either.

When we joined the larger group in the main bar, it was a little less comfortable, primarily as the Super Rugby Grand Final was being televised so there was a significant number of Rugby fans in attendance. Once the game finished and the crowd thinned out it was quite a pleasant atmosphere.

There was also a small band that was playing in the bar a bit later which was quite nice, though it did make conversation a bit of a challenge at times.