When a VB is the high-point of your meal, and the most prominently printed thing on the menu is the phrase "No added MSG", it should be clear that a place should have been avoided.
Recently, the Always Hungry team was feeling a bit adventurous and walking through Civic decided to try somewhere they had heard nothing about before. In doing so we stumbled upon Tip Top Gourmet Restaurant in Garema Place, upstairs from Clouston's academic remainder bookshop. Upon entering we were a little wary as the place was half-empty on a busy night and the food on the tables of some of the people already there looked a bit average. We decided however to stay - which turned out to be a decision we both regretted.
While the menu was impressive at face value, containing all of our favourites from restaurants in Australia serving dishes in Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai traditions, the execution of these dishes was appalling. Bland sauces, poorly cooked vegetables, and so on. We have never eaten so poorly in Canberra (apart from maybe at the ANU). And while perhaps being on the cheap side, the pricing is certainly not outright cheap.
And the toilets were disgusting.
Showing posts with label Malaysian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaysian. Show all posts
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Asian Noodle House (Northbourne Ave)
The Asian Noodle House in the Sydney Building in Civic is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a few quirks that detract from it, but at the same time it excels in providing what its name suggests - noodles cooked in an Asian tradition.
Although many places offer meals associated with perhaps one or two countries, the Asian Noodle House is a little unusual in being explicitly pan-South-East Asian and doing a good job of it (i.e. on the menu are Thai, Malaysian/Singaporean, Vietnamese, Lao, and Chinese dishes). One of us had the Kwangtong noodles, the other a Laksa - and both were very tasty (although I would have felt the noodles would be a small serve if one was reasonably hungry).
However, the service was a little slow for a quiet Sunday evening, and some apparent simmering mother/daughter front-of-house tension made for a bit of a weird tone. Also, we had differing views on the entrees, with the quality of the tofu blocks and spring rolls being debatable.
Overall, as a parting thought, we would suggest that the place is possibly not called the Asian Entree House for a reason - stick to the noodles.
Although many places offer meals associated with perhaps one or two countries, the Asian Noodle House is a little unusual in being explicitly pan-South-East Asian and doing a good job of it (i.e. on the menu are Thai, Malaysian/Singaporean, Vietnamese, Lao, and Chinese dishes). One of us had the Kwangtong noodles, the other a Laksa - and both were very tasty (although I would have felt the noodles would be a small serve if one was reasonably hungry).
However, the service was a little slow for a quiet Sunday evening, and some apparent simmering mother/daughter front-of-house tension made for a bit of a weird tone. Also, we had differing views on the entrees, with the quality of the tofu blocks and spring rolls being debatable.
Overall, as a parting thought, we would suggest that the place is possibly not called the Asian Entree House for a reason - stick to the noodles.
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