Gingerboy

Gingerboy, owned by the people of Ezard's has been whispered (lets face it... shouted) about since it's opening several years ago. Tonight, three friends and I had our first dining experience there.

One of the first things you notice about Gingerboy when taking your seats is the size of the tables! How refreshing to have a small dining space fitted out with tables with enough room for each diner to move their elbows from the sides of their stomachs every once and a while! The biggest plus was the food. Fresh seafood covered with Asian flavours and vegetables; filling fragrant curries and perfect silken tofu... The list goes on. It is safe to say that Gingerboy do great Asian influenced food! The price is reasonably friendly too. A note: When dining, take the wait staff's recommendations about food portions and then make up your own mind. We were completely full after eating about 70% of what our waiter recommended. It was a pity though, we would have loved to have fit more in.

8.5/10

The Press Club.

The Press Club, in the last three years has gone from being the best new restaurant in the Age's Good Food Guide, to a publicly demoted one hat restaurant and back again at the hands of the now super famous masterchef George Calombaris. This makes for one tentative diner! Considering its as expensive as many other restaurants in its class, should one bother? Perhaps the safer and smarter choice is to go with another eatery a little more consistent in its food and service?

Well.... I am glad I didn't as I was quite blown away with the Press Club. The ambiance is wonderful, the oysters were sublime, the fish and beef we shared was fresh and full of a perfect combination of flavours.

The staff were attentive if a little distracted, and our budget was somewhat misjudged when the waiter presumed we would pick a wine by the glass without knowing the price. (Lucky we found out as the recommendation was $34 for a 100ml pour. Fine for some but I am not sure that wait staff should expect people to want to pay that much for a glass, particularly when considering how much they have marked up the bottle.)

Aside from that though, it was a lovely experience. I would certainly dine here again.

Movida Next Door.

Movida and its little sister Movida Next Door have been frequented by me on numerous occasions and have always impressed. The food is quick, service is efficient and friendly, and the price is on the right side of affordable and justifiable. Movida Next Door is the kind of place one might come before or after a movie/show in the city or for a light snack with a friend. My partner and I went for dinner last week. The biggest downside to the place is that, on any day of the week at about dinner time (5.30-8.30) you are almost certainly going to face a wait for a table. (There is no bookings at Movida next door.) On this cold Wednesday night at 8ish, we were lucky to only wait 15 minutes at the bar with a vino. Other times though, I have waited over half an hr.

The food is amazing, particularly the Tapa. The tiny mouthfuls are smacked with different flavours and are so rich that often one of them is enough. Lucky then that staff do not bat an eye-lid when one of something is ordered. ( How many other places would take an order like this to the kitchen 'ah, we will have one oyster, one scallop, one of the sardines and two of the croquets. Yes, thats all.')

The one thing that I think is missing from the menu at both restaurants is greenery. The menu is very protein and salt rich. Although delicious, you find yourself dreaming about a salad on your way home.

8.5/10