Lunch @ Gravy Train, Yarraville, Vic, Aust

Crusine: Ang Mor
Pricing: 2 - Pretty Steep
Service: 4 - Warm and Friendly
Will I Return?: Yes - 2nd visit here
Address: 83 Gamon Street, Yarraville, Vic
Website: Nil

Had a leisure lunch at this cafe near us. We had the same dish, the
Roasted chicken breast with sauteed spinach, roasted vege and thyme
jus. Cost: $16.50

Nice ambience, friendly staff, and the food was excellent. Only downside, the price is rather steep, considering the location of the cafe (out of the city). There's some reasonably priced items though, so give it a go if you wanna. Note that they are only open for breakfast and lunch. Must be making such profits that they don't need to capture the dinner crowd.

Lunch @ TGI Friday's, Doncaster, Vic, Aust

Went to Westfield Shoppingtown while my car was being serviced. Here's
what we'd had:

The Steak: Rib-Eye with Cajun Sauce
Price: $29.95
Verdict: 3/5 - Average; Not fantastic
Address: Shop 250, Westfield Shoppingtown, Corner of Williamsons and
Doncaster Roads, Doncaster, Vic
Website: http://www.tgifridays.com.au/

And for the wifey:
The Meal: Jack Daniels Sampler
Price: $27.95
Verdict: 3/5

Comes with baby pork ribs, chicken strips and prawns.

I'd tried the pork ribs (pretty good!) and the chicken strips (reminds me of a bigger version of KFC's Popcorn chicken). At the end of the meal, both of us couldn't finish the chicken.

Comment from the wifey - the steak at the other TGI Friday's outlet, located at Westfield Southland, tastes better. I have to agree with her there.

In terms of the service, we were initially given a table that is near to the entrance and just behind the service counter, when the place was only half-filled. This did not bode well with me, and I told the waitress to give us a table at the back. She seemed to hesitate, so I took the initiative and started walking towards the back, aiming for a particular empty table. She muttered something about showing us the table, but I really couldn't be arsed to wait. It also took longer than usual for them to take our order. Kinda disappointed with the service in general.

While we're on this topic:
Service: 3
Will I Return?: No    

Dinner @ Thai Angels Restaurant, West Footscray, Vic

Seeing how having steak everyday is not feasible (cows ain't cheap),
I'm expanding my journals to include other culinary styles. Due to the
various types of food available, I'll give a 1-to-5 rating on the
restaurant's pricing and service, 1 being the worst and 5 being the
best. Here we go!

Restaurant: Thai Angels Restaurant
Crusine: Asian - Thai
Pricing: 3 - Reasonable
Service: 4 - Warm and Friendly
Will I Return?: Yes - this is our 3rd time here
Address: 549 Barkly Street, West Footscray, Vic
Website: http://www.thaiangelsrestaurant.com.au

We ordered the following dishes:

Tom Yum with Chicken, Mild Spicyness, $7.90, 4/5

For the wifey, Tom Yum with Prawns, Normal Spicyness, $7.90, 4/5

We shared the following:

Fried Rice with Chicken (Didn't note the actual Thai name in the menu, but there's the word 'Hawaiian" in it), $11.90, 2/5 - Disappointing dish. The rice reminds me of Mui Fan, where it is soggy/mushy. The menu says it includes pineapples, but there were no traces of pineapples whatsoever.

Thai Angels BBQ Chicken, $16.90, 3/5 - Grilled chicken, not bad

Lunch @ The Exchange Hotel, Port Melbourne, Vic, Aust

The Steak: 300g grain fed Scotch Fillet

Price: $31.90
Verdict: 4/5
Address: 39 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, Vic
Website: http://www.theexchangehotel.net.au/

Here's another gem of a hotel/pub serving excellent steak. When the steak was served and the first cut was made, my first impression was that I would be disappointed, as the steak does not look as 'juicy' as I would expect from a medium-rare. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go and took a tentative bite, fully expecting it to be chewy and drier than what I'm used to. I was pleasantly surprised when I felt the 'juice' flowing freely around my mouth, and it didn't much effort to chew it up either. I then proceeded to finish up every last piece, including the buttery mash potatoes and brocolli, even the peppercorn! The slightly steeper price is somewhat expected, given the location of the hotel (1 street away from the beach, near the Spirit of Tasmania berth). 

I would have given this a rating of 5/5, since I've got this meal for FREE, but have to remain objective, in case I wanna return in future. 

Gisborne Peak Winery, Gisborne, Vic, Aust

The Wine: Pinot Noir, 2008
Price: $28.50
Verdict: 3/5 - Average, not fantastic
Address: 69 Short Road, Gisborne, Vic
Website: http://www.gisbornepeakwines.com.au/

Went to this winery on Saturday, 03/07/10, for a group lunch. Taste-tested a number of whites and reds, and unfortunately none of them blew me away. Settled on this Pinot as the rest are worse than this. Didn't, and wouldn't, buy any wines from here.

Saving grace: The pizzas are good! Plus it was so cold (winter now) that anything with alcohol was a welcoming sight