My greatest apologies for the deafening silence here on Ritas Bite for the last month or so. Rita has once again been quite ill, and unable to eat, let alone write about it, so to compensate, I have copied an email sent to me by a Rita reader, telling me of her latest dining experiences. Obviously she lives in the Kingston
Anyone else who feels they would like to add anything to this blog for our enlightenment and enjoyment, please feel free to email me with details.
“Had a nice meal at The Beef & Seafood Grill at the Salamanca Inn of all places!!!! I just thought I would let you know about a positive experience for a change. After taking an interstate couple there a couple of years ago and being absolutely embarrassed by the massacre of good produce we decided to give them another go because of the Entertainment Book ‘one main meal free’ deal – but it was with fear & trepidation & we both expected a repeat of our previous encounter.
What a difference a new chef makes!!! My husband’s Oysters Kilpatrick were nicely presented and had lots of bacon topping, my Seafood Chowder was very rich & creamy & served with deep fried sweet potato ‘chips’ and pizza base style toast.
Our mains were Cape Grim steaks – his the New York Scotch Fillet w/- scallop & prawns in a garlic sauce & mine the Eye Fillet w/- Mushroom & Rosemary jus – both served on a garlic sweet potato & pumpkin mash. Both cooked to perfection and very ample serves. I only eat ‘real’ meat a few times a year so look forward to enjoying it when I do and I wasn’t disappointed.
They have a self serve salad/hot vegetable bar to go with you mains so I also enjoyed roast pumpkin, cauliflower in white sauce and a baked carrot and onion mix (gave the roast potatoes a miss) – plenty of salad choices and sauce accompaniments to go with the mains as well.
We didn’t have dessert but everything I saw coming out of the kitchen looked very well presented and enjoyed by others. The ‘Signature Dish’ is the Three Layered Tier served on a silver ‘High Tea’ tray. Two options – First layer: Sesame crumbed fish, prawns, scallops and calamari on beer battered fries, Second layer: smoked salmon, prawns, smoked Trevally, marinated octopus and antipasto vegetables, Third layer: natural or Kilpatrick oysters - $55 for one/$100 for two. Other option as before but the Third layer consists of Prime Cape Grim Scotch Fillet with choice of sauce - $60 for one/$110 for two. I was so happy I wrote a thank you note to the chef! Now, of course, after such a positive and enjoyable meal I am fearful that the next time I go it will have reverted back to the previous disappointing standard – life on the edge in Tassie!
On another note – my husband is involved with a group who go out for a lunch once a month and have anywhere between 35 – 80 ‘seniors’ attending. It has absolutely amazed me how many times the venue is totally unable to cope with that many people – who have booked well in advance. We have had many really dismal meals, bad/rude service and chaotic ordering systems. Venues seem to think that the ‘olds’ will be happy with anything – not realising that we have money to spare, other social groups to tell of our good/bad experiences and circles of family & friends that we can influence by our judgement of the food & service.
The last meal we had was at the Black Buffalo and it was so awful we have vowed never to go back. We had the dark ‘cave’ out the back, which was expected, but the food, service and attitude was appalling. Even those among us who are usually tolerant of the stresses of catering/kitchen chaos etc. were very unhappy – 40+ unhappy people!!
Just by the way, if you are ever in Kingston
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10 comments:
Hello Rita Reader.
First of all, hope you are on the improve Rita.
Rita Reader, you are right about the Blackmans Bay Asian place.
Chopsticks at Kingston was always kind of ordinary too, but that too has gone way downhill in our opinion.
We have to go up to town for decent Chinese. But Duc's let us down recently.
It's no good not having a decent Asian place in B/Bay-Kingston.
Come back Dom, we need you.
I totally agree, as I too live in the area.
Thought I would try Kalantan again - Malaysian t/away in the Coles shopping centre plaza. This was my second try....never again. Firstly waited 45 mins on a Thursday night 6pm,with only 3 orders, we all were waiting.
After the third t/away order, a couple walked in, ordered and sat down. All of us waiting watched them get entree and then the main??
Got home, what was nice were the chicken satay sticks and sauce and thats where it ended.
The dumplings were tasteless, the ginger beef was tasteless and lucky to see any beef, no sauce, dry served with totally over cooked rice.
The chicken in a black bean sauce of some nature, with noodles was terrible, the chicken like eating leather and had been cut with the grain - prawn crackers, disgusting, the worst $42 I have spent in a long time.
Customer service, somewhat friendly, however not good english skills and am still wondering what the savoury dishes on the front counter were, as she couldn't explain it to me? Never again..Desperatly in need of some good Asian food in the Kingborough area!!
Yes anonymous,
how come we've missed out down here?
Even little old Huonville can get a better Chinese dinner than us.
Not high-end, but tasty and reliable.
Their choice for lunchtime specials is great. Big long list and no baine marie, it's all freshly wokked.
Even when we did use Choppies at Kingston (no more) you got the choice of two dishes.
Huonville's China Cafe can offer you around 20.
Wonder if that guy fancies his hand with a second place at Kingston?
Sir Grumpy Chopsticks food is crap, but there are more than 2 meal options on the menu... ?
Not on the lunchtime ``specials'', to which I was referring.
Choppies has the usual vast choice a la carte.
But we don't use the place now.
Sir Grumpy - New Thai Restaurant opening soon in Channel Court - fit out near complete.
I miss Dom's as well!! Yu's hokkien mee is excellent though, so bf and I get one of those to share sometimes, a bargain at $11!
Bugger, it would be Thai. It's Indian, Chinese or Malay for me!
Wee bit of Indon not bad either, depending.
Haven't had great Thai in Tassie.
Sir G - Try Muay Thai or Suwan Thai -- heaps nicer than the Chinese stodge served at most places.
OH, no Rita, the quest for good Asian food gets worse down Kingston way.
Saturday we decided to give the place at Margate a try.
I was hanging out for a decent special fried rice and the wife a Singapore Noodle.
We had tried this place before and found it just okay but that was a long time ago.
Armed with the takeaway menu we rang up.
The language barrier was tough. First the missus as for Singapore Noodles and got the reply: ``You want prawns?''
NO, Singapore Noodles. Then he came back with the fact they didn't have Singapore Noodles that night but would have it ``next week''! What the hell.
Would we like something else?
We politely declined. We have given up.
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