Park Lok Chinese Restaurant

About over a month earlier, my parents came down to Adelaide to pay me a visit. Anyway, being me, I wanted to take them out to eat in Adelaide to show them what we had to offer. They had one request - that the place was not costly, but still provided high quality food. I asked one of my friends, Sara, about what she would recommend as we both share a love for good food & restaurants in Adelaide.

That's how we ended up at Park Lok Chinese Restaurant. To be frank, I had never heard of this restaurant before until Sara mentioned it, but the enthusiasm in her voice told me that it was where I must go!

The modern internal decor was a nice change from that of typical Chinese restaurants. The staff all wore a sleek uniform, and presented a pleasant attitude towards customer service.

Green Peppercorn Chicken - $12.80

When we asked the waiter what was popular, he politely pointed out a few selection of dishes from the menu, one of which was the Green Peppercorn Chicken. This dish had a nice, subtle hit of the green peppercorn flavour, which is unlike what I typically have at Chinese restaurants. The chicken was slightly on the drier side, but apart from that, it was nice.

Sweet and Sour Crispy Beef Strip - $13.80

I knew I wanted this before I even entered the restaurant, because Sara had insisted, "You MUST have the Crispy Beef Strips!". And were they crispy indeed! The crispness gave the beef strips a different texture than the expected soft, tenderness. The sweet and sour sauce had a unique twist to it, making the dish quite tasty. Definitely worth a try!

Park Lok Tender Duck - half (boneless) - $13.80

This came with a nice tangy ginger sauce. Overall, this dish wasn't very memorable, especially considering the fact that it is one of the specialties of Park Lok Restaurant.

Bean Curd with Chinese Vegetables - $14.80

Mum wanted at least one vegetable dish on the table, and this was her choice. Thank goodness for that, because it was delicious! Is it because I've been falling in love with tofu more lately? Not sure, but either way, I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of this.

After such an enjoyable dining experience at Park Lok, I'm keen to go back. I especially loved that none of the dishes tasted like those from generic Chinese restaurants - they all had their own unique design and taste. Why have the same food all the time when you can explore the horizon and try something new?


Park Lok Chinese Restaurant
130 Grote St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Rating: 7/10

Holy Basil

I believe that the high school I attended produced a lot of fine people (no I'm not talking about myself, I'm referring to my high school peers). Considering the fact that I have been attending university interstates for the past three years, a catchup with these friends was long overdue.

Monica & Andrew

Andrew (pictured above) also happens to have been my kindergarten best friend. One day, while chatting with him from Adelaide, we decided that a dinner with some of our lovely high school friends was needed!

Tien, me & Monica

I wanted to go to Holy Basil because I had highly enjoyed their famous fried ice-cream the last time I was there. Ironically, despite all my efforts not to get full on all the mains, I eventually had no room left for fried ice-cream this time around.

John, Brian & Steven

If you ever get the chance to dine at Holy Basil, I would recommend that you get the fried ice-cream, not only because it is tasty, but because it's so famous that it would be a good idea to know what people are talking about when they mention the fried ice-cream. If you're anything like me, sharing the ice-cream with someone else works because the ice-cream is rather big for just one person. But hey, that's just me.

Avocado Smoothie - $6.50

We all started off with a drink each. My choice was the Avocado Smoothie, because I've never had it made at a restaurant before (I've always just made it at home). It was delicious! Actually, from experience, all the Holy Basil smoothies are a thrill to have, because they're made really well!

From then onwards, orders after orders were shot at the poor waiter, I almost felt sorry for him! Everytime he came back to our table to check up on us, another two or three orders were sent in his direction!

Khao Pad Pu (Thai Fried Rice with Crab Meat) - $14.90

The Khao Pad Pu (Thai Fried Rice with Crab Meat), a "stir fried rice with onion, tomato, garlic, Chinese broccoli, shallots, lime and shrimp paste", was disappointing. I even recall someone asking "Where's the crab meat?". It was ordinary and nothing special.

We also had another fried rice dish - Khao Pad Sapparot (Thai Fried Rice with Fresh Pineapple), at $13.90, but I somehow did not manage to get a photograph of this. I must have been distracted by so many great food arriving at our table! This "stir fried rice with fresh pineapple, tomatoes, and onion" was unlike any fried rice I've ever had before! Reading the description of the dish, I can't tell what spices they used, but there was someone uniquely... well "Indian" about it almost. I know it's a Thai/Laos restaurant, but this dish was different - one of a kind! Devoured it with delight!

Pad See Ew (with beef) - $12.90

We really enjoyed the Pad See Ew ("stir fried flat rice noodles with sweet soy sauce, egg and Chinese broccoli") - in fact, it disappeared before our eyes before anyone could even say "More please!". It's a nice change (at least for me) from always ordering Pad Thai!

Yum Leb Meu Nang (Chicken Feet Salad) - $10.90

Thank goodness we got the Yum Leb Meu Nang (Chicken Feet Salad)! It is "boneless chicken feet tossed in Spanish onions, coriander, shallots, fresh chilli and mint leaves dressed in lime juice". It's always one of my favourites at Thai restaurants, and Holy Basil made it better than anywhere else I've had it before! Someone commented that it had overwhelmingly larger portions of the chicken compared to the vegetables, but that's just how I like it, so I felt it was just another bonus!

Laos Sausages - $10.90

Is it because I'm not such a big fan of sausages? I found the Laos Sausages, "traditional and tasty grilled pork sausages combined with fresh herbs and spices served with Holy Basil’s special dipping sauce", rather boring. I didn't give it another thought after the first bite. I felt that there was no flavour hit that should make it especially "Laos".

Ox Tongue - $10.90

Who can resist Ox Tongue? Another great dish by Holy Basil, I've never had a better serving of this anywhere else! I remember being anxious about eating... well, tongue! The thought of it was off-putting, but thank gosh I gave it a try at some point, because I'm never going back! The "marinated grilled Ox Tongue thinly sliced and served with Holy Basil’s special dipping sauce", was definitely one of the many highlights of the night. The juicy, chewy slices were well-marinated, and had my chopsticks coming back for more!

Gang Panang (Panang Curry) with chicken - $12.90

This curry is amazing! Not entirely sure whether it was our lucky pick in choosing the Gang Panang (Panang Curry) or the way it is made at Holy Basil, but wow-oh-wow, the thick texture along with those highly appetising flavours just made it the dish of the night! Holy Basil describes it as "a dry, rich and thick curry made up of small amount of coconut milk, sweet basil, kaffir lime leaves and red chillies cooked with tender cuts of meat". I'll be honest with you, I don't particularly like Thai curries that much (compared to Indian curries), but this curry was so enticing that if I ate at Holy Basil again and had to choose only one dish to have - this would undoubtedly be it!

Soft Shell Crab - $15.90

This "deep fried soft-shell crab which has been lightly coated in a special batter, tossed in a salt and pepper mixture, and served with sweet chilli sauce" was another ordinary dish. It was nice, but I wouldn't ever be caught eying it like the way I do more tempting food.

Pad Med Mamuang (Stir Fry with Cashew Nuts) with chicken - $12.90

No stir-fries at any Thai restaurants have ever impressed me, and unfortunately the Pad Med Mamuang (Stir Fry with Cashew Nuts) was no exception. It is a "stir fry of seasonal vegetables consisting of, onion, mushroom, shallots, dry chilli topped with cashew nuts". However, some of my friends enjoyed this, so it might just be me and my preferences. I think I like saucy food, and the Thai stir-fries have always been a bit on the dry side for me.

Overall, Holy Basil has consistently lived up to its great reputation in Sydney, always providing my friends and I with enjoyable eating experiences. You should note that because it is so popular, that reservations are particularly hard to make, and I saw some keen diners waiting outside Holy Basil for a table for up to an hour! Regardless of this, it's worth a visit!

Holy Basil
233A Canley Vale Rd, Canley Heights, NSW 2166 
Rating: 7.5/10

Billu's Indian Restaurant

My mum and I share a common love for Indian food, but we've never been to an Indian restaurant as a family, so I really had no idea what was good in Sydney. Luckily, my good friend Brian came to the rescue, and recommended Billu's to us!

I didn't go here with mum this time around, but after such an amazing dining experience here with my friends, I'll be back with the family for sure! We had this amazing waiter who made us feel as if he was inviting us into his home. No seriously, he asked if we had much of an idea about Indian cuisine, where we sheepishly admitted we were relatively new to this. So he pulled out a chair and sat down with us and discussed our preferences, to help us choose the right dishes. He gave a detailed explanations of some of the popular dishes, and some that he felt we would enjoy. It really did make choosing what to order so much easier! Next time I'm here, I'll be sure to look out for that same waiter. He said he's been working there for 30 years now!

Anthony & Danny

I think we just skipped right past entrees and went straight to mains, because that's how hungry we were. The Lamb Masala was lovely to have! The creamy sauce well-complimented the pieces of lamb, and was a perfectly satisfactory dish.
 

Lamb Madras - $14.90

The Goat Hydrabaadi Biryani was another tasty dish, however, it was slightly too spicy for me. The spiciness didn't hit immediately, but after a while, I found myself grabbing for greek yoghurt, water - anything that would calm the hotness of the chilli! Regardless of this, I still found the Biryani delightful!

Goat Hydrabaadi Biryani - $14.90

I love spinach - I cook with it as much as I can, and I even have spinach shakes! So we knew we had to choose a Saag dish as it was made with spinach! We settled for a Chicken Saag, and to be honestly, it was my favourite dish of the night! You can't really taste much of the spinach at all, but using this vegetable gave this dish a unique hit of flavour that my taste buds truly approved of!

Chicken Saag - $15.90

Of course we had to have naan bread, so we chose the Garlic and Cheese Naan, which measured up to all the other delicious dishes.

Garlic & Cheese Naan - $4.00

 Before I even walked into the restaurant, I knew I wanted to try a Mango Lassi! Everyone recommends it when you go to an Indian restaurant. However, the waiter told me to wait until the end to order it, and he was absolutely right! My burning tongue towards the end of the meal was in paradise when I had the Mango Lassi. It was delightful! Can't wait to have it again!

Mango Lassi - $3.50

Anthony had the Rose Lassi because he wanted to try something different, and he reported that it didn't taste as great as the Mango Lassi, but instead had a slightly unpleasant artificial taste to it.

Rose Lassi - $3.50

 I'm not sure what exactly is on this dessert plate, but our wonderfully lovely waiter brought this out for us and explained how it was made. It was sweet, and I enjoyed it immensely, however my friends who do not have as sweet a tooth as mine, said that it was too sweet!

Our complimentary dessert plate!

I have never before had as great, warm and welcoming service as I had here at Billu's! The entire eating experience was almost without any flaws. I'm not just going to be coming back here soon - I'll be sprinting through the door for more of their delicious food! If that waiter happens to stumble upon this post - from all of us, we THANK YOU wholeheartedly for your fine service!

Billu's Restaurant
62-64 Wigram St  Harris Park NSW 2150
Rating: 10/10 

Dragon Boat Restaurant

Like I've probably said over and over again, there's nothing quite like eating out with the closest girlfriends. Lunch was to be had at Dragon Boat Restaurant, in Darling Harbour.

Dragon Boat had a very oriental internal decor, which I found very impressive indeed. There's a feeling of comfort when the decor of a restaurant matches its food specialties.

Anna and I got there first, so we caught up while taking in the grand views of Darling Harbour as we were placed in the tables by the window side - how lucky were we?

Anna, excitedly anticipating the dishes that were to come out!

We were fortunately enough to be granted a table by the window, allowing us to enjoy the beautiful view of the harbour.

Wet towels!

For our entree, we started off with the Peking Duck Wrapped in Pancake with Hoi Sin Sauce. At such a pricey cost of $28.80, we expected something substantial, or at least, of great taste and quality. What we got did not only look like a let-down, it didn't taste all that amazing either.

Peking Duck Wrapped in Pancake with Hoi Sin Sauce (4 Pieces) - $28.80

With such a poor start to our meal, we were anxious as to what was going to be presented for our mains. Luckily, most of our choices were highly appetisng!

Deep Fried Crispy Duck with Sweet & Sour Sauce - $23.80

Oh my, this duck was just perfectly cooked, to the point of achieving the very desired state of tenderness. The sweet and sour sauce was perfect with the softly crunchy layer on the outer surface of the duck pieces.

E-Fu Noodle with Shredded Mushrooms - $15.80

This was recommended by the waiter. We had no idea what "E-Fu" noodles were. In fact, one of the girls, Amanda, thought it may have been a version of a profanity (care to guess which?). But no, E-Fu noodles do actually exist - guess you do learn new things everyday. The dish was a delight to have - probably my favourite of the mains. I enjoyed it so much that I was thinking about it even at home afterwards... and suddenly found myself searching for recipes online that used E-Fu noodles in it!

Stir Fried King Mushroom & Vegetable - $15.80

You would think that a dish with mushroom in its title would have more than a few pieces of the vegetable in it right? That was not the case with this dish.  Not only were there stingy servings of the mushrooms, the overall dish was very small, which is a nasty surprise because I know that most of the vegetables used are in season at the moment! It was not memorable at all, but rather quite bland and boring.

Stir Fried Pork Ribs with Peking Sauce - $16.80

Oh my, the juicy succulent pieces of pork in this dish were such a wonderful treat to my tastebuds, as they were pleasantly accompanied by the sweet Peking sauce! Highly recommended!

Deep Fried Ice Cream - $9.80

 We all had the Fried Ice Cream for dessert! Beautifully presented, it was enjoyed by all!

Tien and I

Overall, despite some imperfections, Dragon Boat did deliver with some tasty food, great customer service, and a wonderful, relaxing ambiance. So if you are ever around Darling Harbour and want to impress some guests with asian food, Dragon Boat is the place to go!

Dragon Boat Restaurant
Level 2, Shops 445 - 451, Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour, NSW
Rating: 6.5/10

Spice Gourmet Thai

Back in Sydney again, and it's time for another food date with the best friend! This time,we were off to Spice Gourmet Thai, in Parramatta, because of a Groupon deal we stumbled upon. Trish had gone there with her family just the day before, so she had a bit of an idea on what's good to order and what to avoid.

Upon setting foot into the restaurant, we were given a menu that was modified for Groupon voucher holders. Considering the fact that there was no mention of any food exclusions when we purchased the vouchers, this move was already off-putting. However, putting it aside, we decided to make the most of what we were allowed to order from.

Medley of Appetisers (x2) - $8.90 (per serving)

 For entree, we had the Medley of Appetisers, consisting of one each of gai tod, spring roll, curry puff, and satay chicken skewer. The satay chicken skewer was definitely a winner - with the tender chicken pieces covered in a creamy, delightful satay sauce. The gai tod (the fried chicken) was a big disappointment - overcooked, tasteless, and dry. The curry puffs were safe, but not memorable, and the spring rolls were boring.

BBQ Beef - $15.90

This mains was mine - "grilled marinated beef tenderloin served with a toasted rice & spring onion dipping". It was nice - light, the right about of chewiness, perfectly cooked... I just wish there was more salad accompanying the beef.

Beef Salad - $15.90

The Beef Salad was Trisha's pick. Consisting of "grilled beef tenderloin tossed with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes with chilli & mint dressing", Trish claimed that it was lovely - however towards the end, she felt the sauce was too 'acidic'.

Coconut Ice-cream

From having eaten here the previous day, Trish warned me that the two dessert options we were given were both disappointing. Nevertheless, we ordered them both anyway, just to try it out. This ice-cream was nice... if it was a home-meal I had to whip up quickly using just the vanilla ice-cream in the freezer. Not really restaurant-worthy.

Black Sticky Rice with Thai Custard - $6.90

When this was placed on our table, I commented that the presentation was rather poor. An ugly little scoop placed in a large plate doesn't really make much of an impression. As for how it tasted - predictably, it was boring. Didn't even bother to finish it.

The interior decor was nice, and the service was satisfactory - but let's be honest, we're here mainly for the food, and if the food doesn't satisfy, no other distractions is going to get me back in that door. Spice Gourmet Thai need to up their game, otherwise they might find themselves struggling in the competitive dining area of Parramatta.

Spice Gourmet Thai
Shop 1, 71 George Street, Parramatta, NSW
Rating: 5/10