Hi Siam (Thai), Cooma

Chicken Panang curry, Hi Siam, Cooma

The style: Hi Siam is located within the Cooma Motor Lodge Motel. From the outside, it is easy to miss. Inside, the walls are exposed brick and the decor is fairly simple. The atmosphere feels a little unlike a Thai Restaurant BUT once the food hits the table, all is well. There is also a bar adjoining Hi Siam.

The taste: The food at Hi Siam is lovely. The curries really pack a nice punch and the flavours are fresh and tangy. All of the usual suspects such as Panang curry, Pad Thai and stir fries appear on the menu but there are some interesting additions including volcanic chicken, sea on fire and a quail dish.

Spring rolls, Hi Siam, Cooma

Combination Pad Thai, Hi Siam Cooma

The service: Friendly and efficient, the service at Hi Siam is pleasant but not over the top.

The price: Entrees range from $9 to $12, mains from $16-$32. The servings are generous for the price.

The location:Hi Siam is located within the Cooma Motor Lodge at 6 Sharp Street in Cooma (the main street.) Hi Siam was formerly Thai Continental and moved when the old building was sold - the chef is still the same despite the name and location change.

Useful information:
Hi Siam Cooma menu

Interior, Hi Siam, Cooma

His Boy Elroy, Wollongong

Mini pork bahn mi, His Boy Elroy, Wollongong

The style: This place is uber-cool. There is a New-Yorkish vibe with the industrial style interior interspersed with warm wood. The staff were decked out in shorts, button up shirts and bow ties and even the coaster looked trendy. The food was served on mis-matched plates which looked like they had been swiped from my nanna's place which added a bit of a twist in the otherwise modern setting. His Boy is located in Globe Lane which used to be a dead space but it sitting outside on a warm evening eating decent food and having a civilised drink was a real change from the Wollongong nightlife I remember from years gone by.

Wagyu brisket, His Boy Elroy, Wollongong

The taste: The menu was a bit of a trip around the world with Vietnamese, South American, North American and a few other influences thrown in for good measure. There is a great selection of food which is more generous than tapas but still of a style that can be shared among friends. The pick for me was the mini bahn mi with the wagyu brisket coming in a close second. The only slight disappointment was the chilli dog which didn't really have much chilli - a bit more heat and it too would have hit the mark. The cocktails were great too!

The service: The staff here were friendly, energetic and fun. The orders came out right and the timing was reasonable, especially given how busy it was. 

Chilli dog, His Boy Elroy, Wollongong

The price: The prices were very reasonable - from $5 for the snack-type meals to $18 for a shared plate.  There is a link to the His Boy Elroy menu below.

The location: His Boy Elroy is located in Globe Lane, Wollongong. This is in the mall area with the nearest street access being either Church Street or Burelli Street.

Useful links:
His Boy Elroy Menu

Cocktails, His Boy Elroy, Wollongong

Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina, Jindabyne

 

Beef burrito, Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina, Jindabyne

The style: Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina is just what Jindabyne needed - a fresh new place to eat with a great atmosphere. The decor is mex to the max with bright little trinkets everywhere. There are tables both inside and out - if you eat outside, you also get a view of Lake Jindabyne which is a nice bonus.

The taste: I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Cocina - some small town Mexican restaurants seem to offer up a stodgy mess coated in a thick layer of cheese. Cocina managed to avoid this and the dishes were fresh, tasty and had a nice little zing. The nachos were yummy with all of the trimmings.  The burrito was AMAZING with the meat absolutely melt in the mouth delicious. It was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time.  The fish tacos were fresh and tasty although way too small to constitute a main - if you order these, consider a side as well.

Nachos, Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina, Jindabyne

The service: The wait staff were helpful, enthusiastic and able to provide accurate information about the food on the menu. They were timely in taking orders and got everything spot on. The food also came out in good time.

The price: I didn't note down the prices but from memory, the mains were in the $15-20 bracket. 

The location: Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina is located in the Old Town Centre in Jindabyne (off Kosciuszko Road.) The Old Town Centre is the first lot of shops as you come into Jindabyne from Canberra.

Outdoor seating, Cocina Mexican Grill and Cantina, Jindabyne

Useful links:
Cocina Facebook Page

Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery, Thredbo

Kransky, saurkraut and mustard, Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery

The style: The Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery is like a quirky little piece of Bavaria right here in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains. Wild Brumby is part schnapps distillery and restaurant, part art gallery. There are sculptures throughout the gardens which add an interesting side-attraction. It is set in a beautiful valley and sitting outside on a sunny day is heavenly.

The taste: The food here is described as 'continental'. The menu is small and dominated by sausage, schnitzel and  gulasch. The food is nice but the sides are tiny so it can be a little bit difficult to chomp through a giant schnitzel with not much to break it up with. Its a shame because it is delicious but a little bit more generosity with salad and sauce would make the meals a lot more satisfying. There is German beer on tap and the schnapps which is distilled on-site is a must try. 

Wild Brumby Schanpps Distillery

The service: This is one area Wild Brumby really falls flat. I have eaten here a lot and each time, I am shocked by a)how few staff they have, especially at peak tourist times; b) how downright unfriendly some of the staff are (a friend even got hit in the head with a large branch by one who was hell-bent on ignoring us and redecorating around our table right in the middle of a busy lunch period); c) how the staff who are friendly seem to have no idea about the menu. Rant over. Don't be put off, it is still a great place to go, it is just frustrating that somewhere so popular still can't get basic customer service right...

The price: Lunches range from $9 to $20. 

The location: Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery is located on the Alpine Way between Jindabyne and Thredbo.

Beer with a view, WildBrumby Schnapps Distillery

Useful links:

Wild Brumby website

Jade Palace(Chinese), Cooma

Sizzling garlic prawns, Jade Palace, Cooma

The Style: Jade Palace in Cooma is hard to miss - from the outside, it is all pagoda roofing, lanterns and lions. The inside of Jade Palace has had a tasteful renovation and looks crisp and fresh. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. Jade Palace has done something amazing for a country town Chinese restaurant - it makes you want to dine in rather than grabbing your takeaway and running! 

The taste: The menu at Jade Palace has all of the classic Chinese restaurant favourites. The difference is they are not greasy or stodgy and the sauces (thankfully) missing the fluorescent colour which seem to pop up in a lot of the 'dodgy' Chinese places. The helpings are generous without being ridiculously huge, the flavours are tasty and the vegetables are fresh. 

Mongolian lamb, Jade Palace, Cooma

Sweet and sour pork, Jade Palace, Cooma

The service: The service at Jade Palace is efficient - the staff are attentive and friendly without trying too hard. 

The price: Prices at Jade Palace, Cooma are on par with your average country location Chinese restaurant. Expect to pay between $12-$20 for your main.

The location: Jade Palace is located on Amos Street, Cooma overlooking Centennial Park (the park with the flags). It is on the right if you are heading from Canberra. The exterior makes it hard to miss!

Jade Palace Chinese, Cooma

Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong, NSW

Chicken teriyaki set course, Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

The style: Roppongi in Wollongong is on Japanese style overload - think red lanterns, sushi posters, fish place mats paper cranes hanging from the roof and a fish tank of koi. There is a tatami room which takes up half of the restaurant (remember to wear good socks if you are sitting here - no shoes). There are a few seats along the sushi bar where you can watch the chef slice and dice and also standard tables at the front of the restaurant.

Salmon sushi, Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

The taste: I have been eating at Roppongi since my high school Japanese class went there for an excursion in 1993. I love it as much for the fact that the menu and prices have never changed as for the predictability of the food. The chicken teriyaki set course is a long-time favourite. It is on the salty side but comes with a variety of seaweed salad, Japanese coleslaw and rice which soak up the sauce. The shabu-shabu is tough to beat on a chilly winter night with it's hearty mix of meat and vegetables and the sashimi and sushi are always fresh and tasty. All the usual favourites such as agedashi tofu, edamame beans, spring rolls, tonkatsu, udon and many others are available and all are delicious.

Edamame beans, Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

Fish teriyaki set course, Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

The service: Like the menu, the service here never varies - polite, quiet and efficient. And the same staff seem to have been there forever. 

The location: Roppongi is located at 102, Market Street, Wollongong between office blocks and a tattoo parlour. It is only a short walk from Keira Street which is one of the main restaurant areas in Wollongong and not hard to find.

Miso soup, Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

Useful links:

Roppongi Japanese Restaurant website

Roppongi Menu

Rick Stein at Bannisters, Mollymook, NSW

Fried whitebait and aioli

Since seeing Rick Stein's Fruits de Mer on Masterchef, I realised that he had a restaurant not too far from home. After a few years of trying, I finally made it to Rick Stein at Bannisters, Mollymook. And WOW, was it worth the wait! I was apprehensive that after looking forward to it for so long, I might be disappointed but if anything, the food (and the whole experience) actually exceeded my expectations.

Tuna sashimi with passionfruit 

Abalone with mirin dressing

From the second we set foot in the door, I felt welcome. It was such a pleasant (but all too uncommon) experience to eat somewhere that the staff seemed generally interested in you and making sure your experience was positive. Nobody rolled their eyes at us, nobody scoffed at our bad pronunciation of some dishes and most importantly, they all knew their food and seemed proud of what they were bringing out.

Lobster thermidor

Bourride with harissa toast 

The menu is, not surprisingly, heavy on the seafood. There was a good choice of both entrees and mains and I can't really say anything other than every bite was perfect and this was truly the best restaurant meal I have ever had. Every piece of seafood was tender and succulent, the flavours of each dish jumped out but didn't overwhelm. Amazing. And as someone who generally prefers savoury to sweet, what a shock I had when the dish of the night for me was the soft  meringue roulade - heaven on a plate!

Soft meringue roulade with macadamia cream and passionfruit

Chocolate pudding with salted caramel ice cream

The price of mains is around the $50 mark, entrees and desserts were from $20-$30. Given the quality of food and service as well as the great location, I think this is reasonable.

If you are visiting the south coast, Rick Stein at Bannisters is a cut above and well worth a visit.

Rick Stein at Bannisters is located at 191 Mitchell Parade, Mollymook. 

Mollymook is around three hours south of Sydney or two hours and forty minutes from Canberra.

PS - A big thanks to the team at Bannisters who sent me a signed copy of Rick's book!! Over the moon, stoked, love it!! x

Useful links:
 Rick Stein at Bannisters