Doyles by the Beach - Marine Parade Watsons Bay

Want to impress a visitor? Not sure the best way to spend a dazzling saturday afternoon, you could do worse than make the trip through the eastern suburbs to Doyles at Watsons Bay.

If you are booking, you have a myriad of seating options. On a warm day, choose a table by the water or sit outside on the balcony overlooking the beach. On a cold winter's day you have the option of sitting inside; protected from the cool breezes the views are almost as good!

You are going to spend at $100 at Doyles, but the relaxed surrounds doesn't mean you need to turn up in your Sunday best.

If you are here, you are not here for a hearty steak, you are here for fresh seafood. For starters, a seafood showder was sampled. Being a frequent visitor to San Francisco I have had the benefit of trying clam chowder down by the wharf. Doyle's version is a contrast to San Francisco, in that this recipe uses a tomato base rather than the cream based US method.

My palate required a brief moment to relearn the taste of chowder. From that moment on it was pure seafood heaven. Mussels, prawns, calamari, scallops and chunks of fish are packed in. If you are having entree and main, considering sharing this entree.

After mopping up the last of the chowder with garlic bread, I was all set to tackle my main. I ordered the sand whiting fillets.

As the image above shows, you do get a decent serving of fish. The batter is light enough and you can taste the freshness in the fish.

I also had the opportunity to taste the angel hair pasta. Again the fresh ingredients provide the highlights and dispersed with generous amounts of olive oil, you have a dish that is done just perfectly.

The prawns were some of the biggest prawns I have sampled at a restaurant. Fresh and a joy to bite through.

One of icons of the Sydney restaurant scene, you are assured of a good meal and coupled with a unique location, you are on a winner if you looking for that special treat.

Rating : ***

Narwee Hotel - Penshurst Road

Quiz Question : Where in NSW is Narwee?
If you guessed North Western NSW, you are wrong!!
How about a hidden away suburb in the south west dwarfed by the bigger suburbs of Canterbury and Hurtsville, spot on!

In the 'bustling' centre of Narwee, adjacent to the train line you'll find Narwee Hotel. Walk in grab a beer or coke in my case, settle down to watch one of many plasma screens televising live sport, and wait for your tummy to rumble. When it does, walk up the counter, peruse a laminated sheet, settle on a dish and take a number back to your table. While it's not fine dining at it's best, the bistro functions very well through this process.

Take a deep breath and enjoy the relatively fresh that circulates through your body. This is the hotel/pub of 2006, clean, fresh air; no smoke to breath in and your clothes as a fresh as they were when you walked in!

On the night I venture into this gem of a pub, is the night of probably the biggest fight in Australian boxing history, and despite the crowd, the food arrives in a reasonable amount of time. I ordered a t-bone steak and it came with a salad and chips. Comfortably, one order satisfied 2 people. I am no expert on steak but this 400 gram monster was tender and tasty! I couldn't resist and also ordered wedges. I wasn't disappointed, nice size, crispy yet not overcooked.

On a cool late autumn winter night, you may choose to sit inside and guard yourself from the crispy night air or driving rain. On a sunny day you can enjoy your lunch and a few drinks outside, and in a thoughtful touch some of the plasmas are set up in such a way that you are not missing out on any of the live action as well.

For twenty dollars(t-bone, and wedges) you really can't beat the value. That same steak could easily double in price just 10km north of this joint. Soft drinks are 2.60 and beers a little more, standard prices really.

If you are not up for a steak, there are pasta choices, and the kids are catered for as well with a special children's menu. Hard up for cash? Then a $7 steak, will look after you. At 250g the steak will ensure you that you are keeping up on your daily calorie and protein intake.

So if you're in the Hurstville area, with a couple kids shouting for food and wanting to catch your team on the big screen, head on over to Penshurst Rd for a good meal in friendly surrounds.

Rating : ***

Greenwood Seafood Chinese Restaurant cnr Miller St and Pacific Highway

Pssst...Want in on a secret? Want to know where 1/2 North Sydney dines on a Friday afternoon.? Make your way to Greenwood Seafood then. Just make sure you have made booking!
Yes this restaurant and its surrounds really comes alive on a Friday!

Yum-cha is many things to many people. A gathering amongst friends and colleagues, a business lunch, or a quick bite, yum-cha appeals to many with diverse offerings. Greenwood offers the standard fare. You will get your prawn dumpling(har kaw), pork dumpling (siew mai), cha siew pao(steamed bbq pork bun), sticky rice(lo mai gai) and rice noodle filled with prawn or bbq pork(chee cheong fun). If the boss is paying then why not try some of the more exotic dishes like duck, or a plate full of a bbq pork or the many seafood dishes such as fried calamari or deep fried oysters. So you are reading this and asking, so, why is this place a magnet? Well the answer is, because it is the only restaurant in the area which serves yum-cha. If you have a car and a longer lunch "hour" sure there are choices further afield.

Value? Well when you have a monopoly, you are not always going to get great value. You do pay a $5-$8 premium per person. For a once a week or fortnightly dining event, not a huge bank breaker.

Service was better than most restaurants in this niche. You get your food, if you are after something specific you can request it and the men in white and black will do their best to source the dish. Try to arrive between 12 and 1 to ensure you have the best selection.

For a Monday to Friday diner this restaurant works well for those based in the area. On the weekend, I suggest you cross the bridge to Chinatown, or head to Chatswood where you can have some of the best yum-cha in Sydney as well do some shopping, catch a movie or relax in a cafe in your bloated post yum-cha state.

Rating : **

Imperial Peking - King Georges Rd Blakehurst

A Chinese restaurant in a better location, you would be hard pressed to find. Conveniently located on the corner of King Georges Road and the Princes Highway, with ample parking next door or a quick walk to the nearby Kogarah Municipal Reserve. A pretty pagoda style building houses reputedly some of the best yum-cha in the district.

Like many other restaurants specialising in Yum-Cha, you walk in and get a ticket and wait until a table is free. Our wait wasn't excessive, within 15 minutes we were seated at out table. Being the yum-cha lover I am, there was some trepidation when informed to proceed to our table UPSTAIRs. My fears were confirmed when I had settled in my chair. A quick scan of the surrounds revealed no kitchen, secondly no mechanical or pulley system to haul food up and finally a few disgruntled looking guests.

I had somewhat resigned myself to a slow trickle of dishes which in concept was not too bad as I could savour the dishes, have a decent conversation and eventually walk out satisfied. After 15 minutes we received our first dish, and let me tell you after 4 hours of golf and no breakfast, the contents disappeared rapidly. I forlornly kept my eyes on the staircase hoping for waitresses with bamboo pots of delight, yet hopes were constantly dashed. Frustration got the better of me and I had to finally ask the waiter whether we could have some food. In the end we got the basics and we walked out. Standard yum-cha fare, nothing that differentiated this restaurant from the dozen or so that I have been to in Sydney. Perhaps the ambience and feeling of downstairs combined with a greater selection would have made the dining a memorable experience.

If you do get invited to try this restaurant or in the area and in need of a quick yum-cha fix, please avoid an upstairs table at all costs, even if it means waiting an extra 15 minutes.

Overall a thoroughly disappointing experience, perhaps I need to give the downstairs a shot before striking this restaurant off my list permanently.

Rating : **