Tag Archives: great eats

The Pig and Whistle Rotorua

Rotorua can get cold and when it is you will want a big hearty feed and a fire side. The Pig and Whistle offers both and a very friendly vibe. We arrive for the tail end of lunch and it is packed. The meals look incredible as we enter and the staff greet us and let us know upfront how long the wait for meals will be.

Over to the fireside and a leisurely beer and New Zealand wine.

It is really relaxing watching the flames and people enjoy themselves then our lunches arrive.

I order the brisket and it is delicious, cooked to perfection and a meal I will have flashbacks to for years. The way brisket should be cooked.

brisket

My partner has the pork schnitzel, also a very generous serving and equally as yummy. I definitely would recommend stopping by for a meal and drink. Apparently they have a dance floor on the weekends

Pork Schnitzel

The Seeds of Life

On my first trip to Bali I was honoured enough to interview the knowledgeable and
food leader Ben Richards.

Byron Bay Ex pat living in Bali for many years, Ben has been a big part of the raw food movement.

His philosophies around health, mindful eating and eating plants are sensational.

He has a cafe The Seeds of Life, is in town, well scoped out by back packers and vegetarians alike, as the mecca of raw and vegan.

He recently introduced the tonic bar and I find this natural medicine at its best. Even as a trained herbalist I am blown away at the variety of drinks on offer.

I love the menu and the food selection and every time (which is quite a few times now) I am stunned at the calibre and colour of the food. Amazing.

He holds raw retreats and you can find his cafe The Seeds of Life  here.  

This is called the Sol Jar and the banana praline stick is to die for!!!

The Duke Hobart

When we grew up in Hobart, The Duke of Wellington, now known as “The Duke” was a funky drinking hole. I believe it still is but today I decided to try out their counter meals.

The hotel has a welcoming vibe, great art on the walls and a fire side for winter.  I really like it.

Built in 1846, the interior still displays the old sandstone bricks and grand arch ways. Long wooden beams help bring the old rustic design to be compatible with a modern hotel style.

The menu is great.

Not over worked, not hundreds of choices, just something in each area.

I have the Scottsdale Pork Belly, which is slow cooked with a delicious glaze (chocolate maple glaze). It is served with four Tasmanian scallops nestled in pumpkin mash and Artichoke puree. The dish works really well and is a perfect lunch before we head to the cinema just down the road.

Accompanying my yummy meal is a Tassie pinot grigio, Devil’s Corner.

My son has a wood fired cooked pizza we he said was amazing – and judging by the pace that he hoovered it in, I imagine it was amazing.

5/5 stars for a pub countermeal/hotel style meal.

 

Danny’s best priced buffet Coolangatta Tweed

Not being a big fan of buffets, I went to Danny’s Family Buffet as  surprise for the children and with no real expectation.

I was pleasantly surprised!

Tweek cooly golf course
Roses on the Golf Course at Tweed-Cooly

A family run business this restaurant is a land mark on the Cooly-Tweed boundary. Located inside the club house at Tweed Heads the open aired restaurant doesn’t try to be a five star buffet but definitely dominates the four star territory.

 

 

A great variety of foods are available and you can cook have your own fillet of fish cooked for you upon request. We had the choice between bass, flat head or calamari. Roasts, hot meats, chinese favourites, about fifteen different salads and more. The best for me was actually eating gluten and dairy, which I hadn’t done for a very long time.

Danny's Buffet
yummy chinese at Danny’s Buffet Restaurant

My favourite dish was actually the plump home made spring rolls. Juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside and loads of filling. They were the best spring rolls I have had in years.

All the other traditional Chinese favorites featured such as sesame prawn toast, dim sims and chicken and egg soup. All delicious.

 

The kids had a ball – I switched off my strict mummy hat and let them feast for the last time on their school holidays. Approximately seven plates along each – I was wondering how they physically don’t pop.

The prices are crazy cheap for what you get. Check the pricing out here.