CAFE CHINO - CHARTER HALL SHOPPING SQUARE, BATEAU BAY NSW

Dining partner today was Hubby, we had been on a morning power walk in our leg warmers and ankle weights and were looking for a lovely breakfast somewhere along the point to top of the fun.

We tried to go to Shelly Beach Surf Club, but there was 90 billion people there and although I figured that meant it was a great place to eat, my patience levels dictate that after about 15 minutes if the food doesn't show up I start thinking about bad reviews. So for the sake of all, we kept walking.

We could of kept on walking and gone to the Bakery at Killarney Vale (review coming soon!) but really, I had done my hour of walking, there is no need to show off.

We stepped foot in the shopping centre, I have banned Coffee Club (OMG, I don't think I did the review!! ok thats coming too!) so we were left with the choice of Cafe Chino, KFC, SUBWAY, Wok & Roll or some kebab joint. We chose Cafe Chino due to the fact it served normal looking food.

So you have to go and order at the counter here, which is ok, I prefer table service but it's ok... Hubby got a big breakfast and I got a BLT. Now I consider myself a connoiseur of the BLT and BLAT. So I feel I have the right to pick apart anything that is wrong. I need everyone to pass this on to every cafe that you go to. You must NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER, use that transluscent type mayonaise that they always give you in the fish and chip shop. It should be illegal, that crap is terrible. Always use Whole Egg Mayonaise. people will be your friend. They had used Garlic Aioli on my BLT, I opened it up because I thought I had gotten that cheap jizz looking stuff you normally get.....but the flecks of black in it (pepper I frickin hope) made me think ok, this is Aioli, but it is rubbish Aioli. Nice Aioli does not cost much. Stop being a tight arse and get some. Whats wrong with you people?

My husband winged about almost eveything on the plate. So I had to eat bits of it to confirm that crapness. He said the sausages tasted like those $2 a kilo ones you get from coles that are pink with massive globs of fat. He was right, the sausages were disgusting. The bacon was really thin and fatty and oily and im not sure what it was, maybe shoulder ham or another cheap kind, cause it was gross. i reckon my dogs would of turned their nose up at it, and my dogs eat poo. he winged about the eggs to, I can't remember why, I didnt want to eat any of the eggs cause I was all grossed out from the sausages and bacon.

I want to like this cafe, it looks like some of the food might be nice, maybe I will give them another chance, maybe i will just waste my money somewhere else, who knows what the future will bring.

MING DRAGON CHINESE RESTAURANT - MINGARA CENTRAL COAST NSW

As a child, every friday night we would go to the local chinese and have a good old sit down bogan meal with the family. That resturant was the Sing Wah in Balgowlah on the Northern Beaches. Last time I looked, that place was still open, but there have been occasions when it has been shut due to insect infestations and the like.

I don't really care, my point here is, that the Sing Wah restaurant in Balgowlah NSW made the best short soup I have ever tasted and I NEVER, EVER, EVER have tasted anything like it again. I have searched high, I have searched low..... I am not sure what was in that wonton soup (cockroaches maybe) but it was named the 'Holy Grail of Short Shoup' by my family.

Well Listen up people. Ming Dragon is home of the Holy Grail. I am in no way insinuating that Ming Dragon possible have insects in their wontons, I'm more than sure their hygeine levels are superb. It's just.....the only time I have ever tasted Wonton Soup like those cockroach laden wontons of joy I grew up on.

Look, the Ming Dragon do everything well, i'll just put that out there. EVERYTHING. It all tastes just like awesome. For me it's about the short soup.

Yes I am basing my review on one bowl of soup. It still counts because I have actually eaten a rather large portion of their menu, quite regularly. It's all good, I said that. Forget all that. SOUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPP

The people who run the restaurant even remind me of the same people who were at the Sing Wah, there is your token big asian mumma, the funny happy skinny husband, some random kids scattered around the restaurant doing colouring in, and the pre-requiste five caucasian waitresses that smart asian restaurants know they have to employ to deal with drunk whiteys who can't hear very well or understand chingrish.

I flippin love this place. its good, Go there. The wrost thing they could ever say to me is... 'NO SOUP FOR YOU!!'

Just on a side note..... This restaurant is within Mingara Recreation Club. So you have a couple of choices..... you can get drunk, then get hungry, and stumble two metres to a table and stuff your face. Do it! They will still be nice to you...they are like that!

Failing that you can eat first, then get drunk, and to top it off, Mingara seems to me like some wierd Los Vegas Nevada type place, thats been dropped in boganville central, so you can waste any money you have left over in the poker machines.

So lets wrap this up here.....At Ming Dragon, You may eat the holy grail of soup and win your booze money back, all in one night. It's a win win.

LAKEHOUSE - THE ENTRANCE

This is my favourite restaurant on the north of the coast. You really can't afford to go there if you only earn as much as I do, but on the back of a good pokie win, we all have the potential to experience this joint.

This was my second visit there, and flying in the face of what I just said, it was actually quite reasonable, unless your idea of reasonable is 2 free salads with your barbeque chook, it may not be quite that good, but it's close. $35 locals night. Two Courses. Don't drink too much alcohol because that is when you might find yourself ringing your mum to cover the bill via phone.

I just need to put it out there, that I have been accused of being a bogan in the past. Many times. I am comfortable with this label, although I am always trying on new personalities so I would like to think that for a couple of hours I could pretend that I belong in this rich mahogany room, with people who probably don't enjoy shopping in Kmart as much as I do. Alas it was over before it started and I got out of the car and strode confidentially towards the restaurant, only to have hubby call me back and remind me I was still wearing my knee high Ugg Boots and I should possibly change into some of the less bogan shoes I store throughout my car.

Problem fixed, off we go.

Yes we can have a table! This is going well.

I am a really annoying eater, I am difficult and picky, and dining with me can be one of the more embarrassing experiences of your life, so when I see that the menu has 3 choices for each course, which I would actually eat. I am in heaven. This restaurant really is good.

The waiters know their stuff without being overbearing and wanky and the food came out in a way that made me wonder if they had a direct line to my stomach, and knew just when to shove more food in front of my face.

I had, pork belly with citrus glaze, thyme chicken and some chocolate mousse desert thing. Hubby had a special which was brocolli, zuchhini and kale soup with an egg in it. The thought of that made me want to puke but I tried some and it was pretty awesome, however I didn't have any with the egg in it, that sounds barf worthy. My hubby assured me it was awesome. He had the beef pot pie also.

Smiles all round. No complaints that I could make an awesome blog out of I am afraid!

My divine pork belly, whom which I covet in my sleep, was a little over cooked, I might not even have noticed, but I have had it before and it was definitely a bit more shrivelled this time. I still shoved the whole lot in my gob in about 45 seconds flat. You do not waste good pork belly ever. I'm pretty sure that it's a crime.

Our dessert was SUPER rich, but this is not a whinge, I just don't like super rich and wasn't expecting it, others may well feel I am being a snot nosed little brat and I should just get over it. I pretty much have, it wasn't that bad and I love chocolate, so even bad chocolate is pretty good. I just have to mention food in my blog or it becomes a bit of an issue.

I really think this is the pinnacle of hospitality. A place where one can go to feel sophisticated and have a bit of a dress up, but a place where I am sure that if my husband had not of noticed my Ugg boots and I walked in the restaurant with them on, there would of been no issue! I told him this. He doesn't care.

Anyway, go here, they have lots of good stuff going on. Just heed my advice. Stay away from the bar.

COAST 89 CAFE - TOWOON BAY

This was a very pleasant cafe. Everything about it was pleasant, the service, the food, the day (well technically the day was stunning, but for the sake of not making unobtainable comparisons, the day will be pleasant too)

There was some lovely pleasant girls serving and they were just the right amount of friendly.

We ate the chicken schnitzel wraps and I had a strawberry smoothie and hubby had a coffee. It was all very pleasant.

The ambience was pleasant and the cafe is situate on this weird corner where drivers find it impossible to stay on the right side of the road, so that led to some great free entertainment, which I always appreciate, especially if it is the form of a possible non-injurous bingle.

I find myself with not a lot to say about this cafe, merely because it was all so pleasant.

It's pleasant, go there.