Tea Room Gunners Barracks (Mosman) - "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to tea we go"

Another week, another hard-to-find eatery. Who knew foraging for food could be so difficult? This time, at the invitation of my brother and sister-in-law, we find ourselves searching for the Tea Room - not the original at the Queen Victoria Building - but the one at the Gunners Barracks in Mosman. The address? The simple sounding but almost confounding "End of Suakin Drive". We were thankful it wasn't "Two-thirds down on the right-hand bend of the cul-de-sac" or some such.

After a fortuitous and fortunate turn of events, we see the Tea Room, indeed at the end of Suakin Drive. A winding pathway leads us down to a cute sandstone cottage which overlooks the spellbinding beauty of Port Jackson and surrounding headlands. On a postcard-perfect Sunday afternoon, sailing boats skim across the fulgent water, and the coastlines of Watsons Bay, Vaucluse and Rose Bay are visible in the near distance. I love the Victorian opulence of the QVB but this is infinitely better.

Inside, there is evidence of the cottage's erstwhile function as a luxury home, and it appears largely untouched apart from anachronistic conveniences such as air-conditioning and music speakers. Fine china, chandeliers, high ceilings, heavy curtains, an ornate fireplace, a spacious verandah and the bucolic surrounds bring us back in time to the good old days. Despite the grand weather, we are seated indoors as requested via our reservation, because the weather was predicted to be inclement. Naturally after our arrival, it turns out to be the total opposite, all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Bummer.

We are given a huge square table in the middle of the room, which is good in some ways and bad in others. The good is plenty of table room; the bad is the distance between each person makes quiet conversation difficult because we have to raise our voices above the din. Another good is that despite being indoors, we are still privy to the vista outside as our table has a direct view through a wide doorway, so the best of both worlds.

Handed the menus, we are surprised to find they also serve lunch a la carte, when our perception was morning or afternoon tea only. We are a little hungry but not overly so, and we opt for traditional afternoon tea, which consists of a set selection of cakes and pastries, finger sandwiches, scones and preserve, and tea or coffee for $40 a head.

While perusing the menu, we are overwhelmed by pages of tea options: black teas, flavoured black teas, green teas, herbal infusions, rooibos, and white teas from regions as diverse as South Africa to Formosa. I don't drink much tea at home or out, except where it is part of the meal (yum cha, degustation, etc.), so I am utterly stumped. Our waiter is somewhat helpful in assisting our choices, but it is still an exercise in nonplussed procrastination.

Having finally settled on our tea selections, we place our order and it was not long before a three-tiered round display stand of sweet treats, a plate of sandwiches, a plate of scones and our tea arrive. So much food served all at once but at least nothing is meant to be piping hot. It didn't seem a lot of food for four, but it was surprisingly filling. Each of us get one piece each of the finger food, except for the sandwiches where there are enough for three halves each.

The savouries are a bit hit-and-miss, similar to party finger food. The sandwiches lack substance as the fillings of chicken, salmon or ham are thin and the taste is predominantly of bread. The dainty quiche is good with the soft centre and buttery casing, while the fried curry triangle is short on filling like the sandwiches. But high tea is more about the sweets right?

The scone is fluffy on the inside, doughy and crunchy on the outside, and partners well with the rich cream and sweet jam. Nothing spectacular but it sits well between the savouries and the sweet offerings.

And there are plenty of sweet offerings - five in total spread over three plates - all mini versions except for the macaron, which is more or less a regular size.

The coffee gateau with the Tea Room-insignia chocolate button is lusciously sweet with the various layers of sponge, hazelnut chocolate, and gooey chocolate ganache on top. The macaron, while not the best looking one we've seen, is above average with the rosewater-scented shell and chocolate cream centre.

The cheesecake is rather gorgeous: the cheese layer melts on the tongue and the sweet, crumbly biscuit base is balanced by the slice of strawberry. The friand is unremarkable but the glazed top adds a little interest.

I love the idea of a mango pudding in a candle holder. It's neat, presents well, and is just the right amount. Unless you're a mad mango pudding lover, there should be no complaints. Mango puddings in Chinese eateries can be very one-note, but this version is topped with a layer of sago (or similar, I can't recall) to add a fun caviar-like texture. It is very silky, light, fragrant and creamy with the perfect cream/milk-to-gelatine balance, and was a great cooling end to our afternoon tea.

What about the tea? We all chose a different tea, and they range from bland to good. My Morning Star is loaded with herbs (rosehip, peppermint, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry leaves, marigold, blue mallow and rose petals) but it tastes like a strong peppermint tea. K has the vanilla tea from India which is pleasant with the faint hint of vanilla. My brother has a rose tea which tastes insipid (he did not realise rose teas are so mild) and rather like boiled water. I did not get to taste my sister-in-law's tea but I am told it is average. Tea connoisseurs we ain't.

Tea ignorance aside, the Tea Room is a relaxing place to spend time with family and friends to chat about the state of the world and gossip about work and food. Inside or out, the scenery is lush with the tranquil surrounds of the greenery and the sea providing an ideal backdrop. Sure, the food quality is a little uneven, but morning and afternoon teas are more about social gatherings than about the food, so for that, the Tea Room at Mosman gets a pass. Now, if only they can make it less feminine ....

The good: stunning vista, serene location, cute cottage, the sweets, dinnerware
The bad: lacklustre sandwiches, parking is all outdoors
What the?: head-spinning tea selection

http://www.thetearoom.com.au/

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Sunflower (Ultimo) - blinded by the sun(flower)

Just like Inspector Gadget's nemesis Doctor Claw, I had my plan foiled one Sunday. Rocking up to Broadway with K and my mum, and hoping to introduce her to Mamak Village, we were instead met at the door by a hand-scrawled "Closed today" sign. Closed? When Victoria Park across the road is swarming with people for Fair Day? Crazy. Instead of stroking my cat like the good bad doctor, we ventured down Parramatta Road in search of dining options. Malacca Straits isn't open Sundays, great. Is anything open at 11a.m. for lunch? Thankfully, Sunflower is.

Sunflower is an unusual name for a Taiwanese 'gourmet' eatery, especially when the plum blossom is Taiwan's national flower, and the word gourmet is used rather loosely. Nevertheless, it's open, it's close to Broadway Shopping Centre, and it's affordable. Two tables are already occupied, a young couple and a quartet of rowdy Cantonese-speaking young 'uns, reading the fading and cracking laminated menus.

The decor here is immediately conspicuous for its Asian kookiness. The mainly white room is hijacked by two loud murals of, um, cows, pink satellites, lightning bolts, creepy black-and-white faces, and of course, sunflowers. Nothing better to stimulate appetites than pink satellites I guess. Tables are small and the seats are either a too-low but cushioned banquette, white plastic barrel seats, or red ottoman cubes. There is even a lineup of available drink options on a counter ledge, looking like target practice. Where's the rifle? So far, so eclectic.

The menu is a bit loopy as well. Entrees include the obvious spring rolls and fish cakes, but garlic bread and Japanese takoyaki? At least there's a Taiwanese sausage. Mains include the usual rice and noodle combos with pork schnitzel, fish fillet, beef brisket, curry chicken, etcetera, but a number of crepe dishes as well. I know crepes are a beloved Taiwanese night market dish, but I have a feeling they're wanting to snaffle some roti business.

Chic Smarty - crepe with smoked chicken, capsicum, mushrooms, shallot and cheese, topped with sweet chilli sauce ($8.90)

The stupidest name for a dish we have ordered this year, the Chic Smarty crepe comes accompanied by a small smount of salad and two slices of garlic bread. The crepe is nicely thin and eggy, and the filling is substantial but a little underseasoned. There wasn't enough sweet chilli sauce for a menu description which states "topped with sweet chilli sauce", and the salad is not dressed properly with lazy squiggles of mayonnaise. What would have been a light and fairly healthy lunch dish ideal for a hot February Sunday turns out disappointingly mediocre.

Pork schnitzel with rice ($8.80)

I love pork chops, whether they be fried, grilled, deep-fried, crumbed, battered, or laced with arsenic. Therefore, I can say nothing bad about this dish, or can I? Taiwanese deep-fried pork dishes are always interesting because they overload the plate with surfeit accompaniments. In this case there is shredded cabbage, red capsicum, corn, pork mince, egg and a tomatoey sauce. Someone dial 1800-TOO-MUCH now! This garniture overkill doesn't detract too much from the crumbed pork, which is tasty and a tad dry, but my bias for the pork wins through and I still found this dish pleasantly acceptable.

Spring rolls ($5.50)

Spring rolls can border on bland, disgusting or both, but happily the ones here are neither. Well-crisped rolls of a teensy-weensy too-thick pastry is filled with a generous and delicious mix of vermicelli, mince, and the usual vegetables (but thankfully not the frozen variety). Again, they come with more garnish: lettuce, cucumber, corn and red capsicum, but five bucks fifty for four spring rolls of this quality is not bad value.

Garden salad ($4.20)

Lastly, a garden salad, which is essentially a melange of the garniture used in the previous three dishes, but with the added bonus of tomatoes and mushroom slices. It is dressed well with an understated vinaigrette and is a reasonably unremarkable bowl of greens.

It would be unfair and churlish of me to be too critical of an eatery where we had a good feed for less than ten dollars a head, so I won't. The food is eclectic but not overly exciting, and the execution can be haphazard. The service is beige but efficient, and the decor is weird to the max by non-Asian standards. But for a quick, cheap, and above average westernised Taiwanese eating experience in this part of the city, Sunflower is a reasonable choice. You won't remember it for its food but you will enjoy the air-conditioning when it's blisteringly hot and humid outside.

What we ordered:
Entrees: spring rolls
Mains: Chic Smarty crepe, pork schnitzel with rice
Sides: garden salad
Total bill = $27.40 for three

The good: spring rolls, low prices, quick service, open early on Sundays

The bad: ummemorable and ersatz Taiwanese food, lowness of the banquette seats

What the?: strange decor that only a designer would love, the name Chic Smarty

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Sven's (Bondi Junction) - the Swede escape

With the latest Marvel Comics adaptation Thor hitting theatre screens this week, it was time to find myself some Swedish love. In the movie, the banished-to-earth Norse God of Thunder (played by Aussie Chris Hemsworth with a brooding temperance) falls for earthling mortal Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), so I too want my own fair maiden. What a surprise then she turns out to be named Sven ....

Sven's Viking Pizza - in Bondi Junction's Oxford Street away from the bustling Westfield Shopping Centre - has been around for a few years. Its success has spawned two offshoots, one at nearby Coogee and another north of the bridge at Neutral Bay.

Step into Sven's sunlight-drenched interior and one is confronted by as many Nordic objects as possible. Viking helmut, chain mail, sword and shield? Check. Reindeer fur skin and antlers? Check. Medieval candleholders? Check. The authenticity is bordering on cliche, but the austere approach to the predominantly wooden decor is much better, from the tree stumps acting as stools, to the impressively-sized communal table and benches, to the beautiful timber flooring (thanks to nearby Bondi Timber).

Mention the Scandinavian country Sweden and pizza is unlikely to be at the forefront of the images conjured up in one's mind. To me, things quintessentially Swedish (in order of importance) are Max Martin, Roxette, IKEA, Swedish massage (duh), ultimate vampire flick Let The Right One In (Twilight who?), pop music, Inga from Fast Forward, the Nobel Prizes, meatballs, and Volvos; so pizza is manifestly not one of them. Swedish pizza is as foreign to me as Egyptian pies or Chinese desserts, so my expectations of Sven's is one of muddled indifference.

I have little clue about Scandinavian cuisine, let alone Swedish, and I suspect my one meal at IKEA last year doesn't count for jack. I would expect Swedish food to be mainly about meatballs (thanks again IKEA!), reindeer, and lots of fish. Dining at a pizzeria makes it slightly more comforting, as pizza is surely just pizza after all? That is, a base made from a fundamental flour, yeast, and water mixture topped with a variety of ingredients; how different could they be? Not much as it turns out.

Like macaron flavours, pizza toppings are only limited by one's imagination, so ingredients and combinations can range from the simplistic to the absurd. Sven's vast menu comprises twenty-one pizzas and is split into Swedish Classics, Kott (meat), Kyckling (chicken), Fish & Skaldjur (fish and seafood), Vegetarisk (vegetarian), and - in a case of lacking confidence in the other eighteen pizzas - three Aussie Favourites. Choosing from a wide selection is often daunting enough, but when the pizzas are saddled with whimsical sobriquets pertaining to Norse mythology, the task is more difficult; does one go for Heimdall, the fire god, or Embla, the first woman on earth? (And I thought the first woman on earth was Eve; I wish someone would just make up their bloody minds.) Thank goodness then each pizza's main ingredients are listed clearly below the names. Pizzas come in two sizes, an 11" and a 13", and half-and-half pizzas are available for an extra $2.50.

Apart from the obvious pizzas, the menu also has entrees and a selection of salads, although nothing that screams "I'm Swedish!". Everything from the garlic bread to the Tasmanian smoked salmon to the Caesar salad appear standard cafe or bistro fare. 

Imagine dining at a Swedish pizza parlour and having an Aussie Favourite; it'd be like going to Tetsuya's and asking for a sausage roll. The three Aussie Favourites sound decent enough: margherita, pepperoni & cheese, and smoked ham & pineapple, but their allure is supplanted by the likes of pizzas dubbed Ragnarok, Yggdrasil, and Asgard.

As tempting as it was to order the gallinaceous Thor pizza or one named after his all-powerful hammer Mjolner, we decided to have a boys' night out and feast exclusively on red meat.

Complimentary Swedish Pizza Salad - coleslaw with herb vinaigrette

While waiting for the freshly-prepared pizzas, we get served complimentary Swedish pizza salad, a basic sauerkraut-like coleslaw simply dressed by a herb vinaigrette. It may be eaten as an appetiser or with the pizza, the latter option preferred according to the waitress. While we enjoyed the crunchy texture, the tart salad is a tad incongruous with the pizzas and is an acquired taste as a side dish.

Ragnarok ('judgement day') - Spanish chorizo, crispy pancetta, pepperoni, smoked ham, spicy chilli creme ($21.50/$25.50)

The main events of the Ragnarok (ah, the Final Fantasy memories) and the Fro on the other hand are a different story, designed to appeal to the masses. Both pizzas arrive hot straight out of the wood-fired oven and are generously layered with fresh ingredients; a little rough around the edges (literally) perhaps but each has its own character. The pizza bases are of thin-to-medium thickness, smokily crispy, and have a good puffy crust.

The Ragnarok assembles a charcuterie porcine quartet of chorizo, pancetta, pepperoni, and ham, held together by a chilli cream. The meats' flavours are balanced without being too salty, and the sauce lends a mild spiciness. Hearty and moreish yes, but judgement day-worthy no.

Fro (worshipped as a male fertility god) - beef eye fillet, bearnaise sauce, fresh mushrooms, onion, cracked black pepper ($21.50/$25.50)

The Fro is essentially meat and three veg in pizza form, complete with a bearnaise sauce. The tender medium-rare slices of beef are paired with fairly standard pizza toppings of mushrooms, onion, and black pepper. A lattice of tasty bearnaise sauce combined to form a quality pizza, although what it has to do with a male fertility god is anyone's guess, since none of the ingredients are high in zinc.

Swedish chocolate kladdcake with vanilla ice cream ($9.50)

I know nothing about Swedish desserts either but any sweet with the words 'chocolate' and 'cake' in it will grab my attention. The 'kladd' in kladdcake may mean cyanide for all I know (it doesn't - it means gooey) but what a nice way to go. The wedge of chocolate kladdcake is similar to a brownie in texture but richer, and it crumbles nicely with a moderate prod from the spoon. Paired with a pedestrian vanilla ice cream, the simultaneously sticky, dense, and dry cake is scrumptious but barely registers on the dessert-o-meter afterwards.

Bombastic pizza names aside, Sven's Viking Pizza offers a pleasant dining destination in the Eastern Suburbs. Great wood-fired pizzas that are crispy, smoky, and light combined with some left-of-centre variations makes it more than just your average pizzeria. If you're wanting an education in Swedish cuisine, look elsewhere (not IKEA!), but for reasonably-priced and well-crafted Nordic-lite pizza, you could do worse than cross the rainbow bridge to Midgard Bondi Junction and Sven's, although the novelty may wear off with subsequent revisits.

What we ordered:

Mains: Ragnarok pizza, Fro pizza

Desserts: Swedish chocolate kladdcake

Total bill: $52.50 for two

The good: fairly interesting pizzas (Fro in particular); friendly service from the Swedish-Australian waitress; spacious dining room; home delivery; location away from the crowds of Westfield

The bad: decor a little cliched; the point of the Swedish pizza salad is a little lost on me; does there really need to be Aussie Favourites?

What the?: pizza names have no relation to the actual pizzas and appear randomly assigned

www.svens.com.au

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Happy Easter to one and all!

Restaurant Arras (Walsh Bay) - time to say goodbye

Dear John Restaurant Arras,

I know this isn't the way it's supposed to be done, writing like this, but it is my only choice remaining. Why do you have to leave like this? Sitting across from you, looking into your sandstone-coloured eyes, my mind blanks, my thoughts jumble, and I am left with nothing for you but tears. Tears sweetened by the thoughts of petit fours, but tears none the less.

Our amourette for the past two years has been wonderful, and it was love at first sight. The peaceful locale, the adjacent views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the easy parking, the proximity to the great theatres of Walsh Bay; they were but the icing on the cake. The cake itself was your seminal take on British food and the one thing that made me fall head over heels in love with you; the flavours, the creativity, the artistry, the mystery. It makes me rheumy-eyed and drool at the same time as the memories come flooding back. You have taught me so much and yet, there is so much more for me to learn.

But you have chosen to say your goodbye.

Our last meal together was sudden yet so clear it seems like yesterday. You greeted me with your usual warmth and temptations: olive twists, spiced almonds, and various housemade breads; the carrot and caraway was my favourite: warm, doughy, and subtly flavoursome.

Complimentary olive twists and spiced almonds

Complimentary onion sourdough and carrot and caraway breads

Then you serenaded me with an amuse bouche that was unlike any I've had, a squab and buckwheat salad so artfully presented and complex it would be an entree in any other restaurant. The discs of tender squab melted in the mouth while the 'salad' was a mash-up of flavours, textures, and colour. My palate was truly humming in a major key by the end.

Amuse bouche - squab and buckwheat salad

Pear Glazed Duck, Risotto and Berries ($29.50)

The entrees brought out your playful side with combinations that appear incongruous on paper but really worked well. I've had duck risotto before but not like this: a log of flavour-packed risotto blanketed by thin tranches of wonderfully pink and succulent duck. Pretty berries, popcorn, dots of black gel, dainty edible flowers, a snail trail of pinkish coarse powder, and a piece of spun sugar; what am I eating? It does not matter one iota because everything is expressive and burgeoning with flavour.

Crab Eggy Bread, Dressed Crab, Jelly and Custard ($31)

Similarly, the crab eggy bread is a puzzling dish designed to outwit the senses, with the only thing 'normal' being the slender finger of French toast. A crab meat and herb gelatine "boudin blanc" sat on the bread is topped with another snail trail of unknown provenance. I don't want to get crabby with you because I love you, but crab sauce of increasingly sized dots and crab consomme turned into tiny roe-like spheres? You're crazy and you need help. Really you do.

Pork Belly, Whey, Head Cheese and Rice ($46)

As the dulcet tones of Jamie Cullum and Dean Martin filled the air, you wooed me once more with dishes so tantalisingly scrumptious, I swooned with every bite. The pork dish was just wow, with a finger of porcine belly so buttery tender it defies the laws of chemistry, and crowned with a contrasting texture of pork crackling crumbs, is the undisputed champion of pork belly. Elsewhere in the pigpen were a trio of undercover cracklings disguised as a twig, a deep-fried cracker, and crumbed, to further bamboozle the palate and mind. A finely straticulated rectangular potato and leek terrine helps to balance the dish's porky richness. And let's not mention the incomprehensible rice cracker dyed black with squid ink that I thought was burnt crackling.

Monkfish, Charcuterie and Spices ($43)

Then you showed me your whimsical artistic talents with the monkfish dish, a plate so wonderfully vibrant and creative it should be immortalised for posterity. Without a doubt the most visually astounding and intricate plate of food yet, it was a pleasure to pause, take a deep breath and admire every component, every colour, every nuance. The dish's complexity and its likeness to a section from the Great Barrier Reef floor is breathtaking. Best of all was the mystery; aside from the discs of monkfish I was not sure what I was eating. Curls of this, diced cubes of that, small nuggets here, petite sprouts there, and a crispy ribbon weaving through the middle; it left me speechless and it was almost too delectable an experience.

Petit Fours tray

Why did you have to leave me for Clarence*? What can he do that I cannot? My heart now beats with a sadness that only your petit fours tray can mollify, but with every delicious housemade piece, the ache only deepens with the realisation of our separate futures. All the joy, the ecstasy, the romance of the sugar high will eventually result in my crashing back to earth, where a lonely and empty existence awaits without you. Que sera sera.

I wish for you the best of luck and a love that will endure. Goodbye my sweet.

Love always,

Joey@FoodiePop

*Restaurant Arras moves to Clarence Street in the city in June or July of this year.

www.restaurant-arras.com.au

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China Beach (Manly) - Truly, Manly, Beachy

Let's get ready to ruuumble!

In the blue corner we have China Doll in Woolloomooloo, home of the Finger Wharf, the part-time abodes of Russell Crowe and Delta Goodrem, and too many letter o's. In the red corner is China Doll's infant sibling China Beach in Manly, home to Manly Beach, the mighty Sea Eagles, the Corso, and Norfolk Island pines.

Don't we all love a sibling rivalry? Whether it be Bart versus Lisa, Steve versus Mark Waugh, Beyonce versus Solange, or Emily versus Charlotte Bronte, the stakes are that much higher and reputations are on the line. The Doll versus the Beach, let's get it on! Ding ding!

Round One - The Restaurant

China Doll is capacious (seats 190 people), is on two levels, has interesting decor, and the alfresco area is substantial. China Beach is much smaller (seats 70), has a seaside feel consistent with its location, goes for a clean austere look, and only has three alfresco tables. The major focal points of both restaurants are the front door views: Doll the water and the Sydney skyline, Beach the, ummm, beach in all its panoramic glory. The centrepiece decor of Doll is the Willow-like pattern mural, while the Beach has a porcelain buddha statue bathed in moody lighting, but all the way up the back past the kitchen adjacent to the toilets. The Beach's tables are not clothed but the Doll's are, and Beach uses red chopsticks and the Doll black. Unfortunately, the Beach's flooring looks a leftover from the previous establishment and is incongruous with the current all-white decor.

China Doll 1, China Beach 0

Round Two - The Vibe

China Doll is a celebrity magnet and the whole Finger Wharf is a place to be seen. China Beach is more Baywatch than Desperate Housewives: breezy, casual, family-friendly, and attracts tourists, passersby, curious rubberneckers, seagulls and budgie smugglers, something the Doll is less likely to. Aviator sunglasses are still a requisite item at the Beach though, whereas only paparazzi evaders are sunnies-clad at the Doll. Casual is good, although disturbing images of the Hoff still lingers.

China Doll 1, China Beach 1

Sichuan spiced squid with lemon dipping sauce ($14)

Round Three - The Menu

Similar to the Doll's but not as extensive, Beach's menu is simply split into starters, mains, and desserts. There is still ample choice and the food is more focused on Chinese and Thai flavours (the chef is Thai) rather than perambulating through Asia like at Doll. Both offer value-packed banquet menus that are difficult to resist. It is fairly even stevens on this front.

China Doll 1, China Beach 1

Steamed prawn sui mai with water chestnut, sweet corn and plum, red vinegar ($12)

Round Four - The Food

This is what separates the men from the boys, or the boy from the baby brother in this case. China Beach's Sichuan squid has a crunchier coating than the chilli squid from the Doll but it's looser; both squids are cooked well and the flavours are much of a muchness with neither being too spicy or memorable. The Beach's prawn sui mai however is a revelation of texture, flavour and freshness: uber-tender, delicious and as good as it gets.

Big brother regains the upper hand through the mains however, with the Beach's two mains not quite up to par. The duck has a beautifully saccharine sauce enhanced by ginger but its defeature is overly dry meat; the lychees are a debatable addition as they add more sweetness and not much else. The pork belly dish is a different kettle of, ummm, pork than the Doll's version (although both are Thai-inspired), being stir-fried with curry paste and therefore more spicy than sweet; combined with snappy snake beans and some basil and lime leaves, it is a texturally more interesting dish but the Doll's chilli caramel dish wins hands down with perfectly tender pork and frabjous crackling.

A dessert showdown is null as we were unable to try the Beach's, although looking at the menu they appear on paper to be similar to the Doll's offerings. An enticing dessert would have been the lemongrass and ginger panacotta [sic] with white chocolate, strawberry and orange liqueur for $12.

The most important round results in a clear win for China Doll, where the food is that much more refined, executed, and tasty.

China Doll 2, China Beach 1

Twice cooked free range duck with sweet tamarind, lychee, ginger and crispy shallot ($32)

Round Five - The Service

China Beach is smaller than China Doll and so has fewer waitstaff, but service is equally efficient, professional, and simpatico. Our service at the Doll was more helpful, upbeat, and therefore deserves its slight edge over the Beach.

China Doll 3, China Beach 1

Roasted pork belly stir fried with mama's curry paste, snake bean, lime leaf and basil ($28)

Round Six - The Value

Not much separating the siblings on the price front, with entrees, mains and desserts all hovering around the same mark, but the servings at China Doll seem larger and therefore better value. The half-serve of the Doll's crispy pork belly is about equivalent to a full serving of the Beach's roasted pork belly dish, so there is more pork for your buck at China Doll. And as wonderful as the prawn sui mais are, twelve dollars is a tad steep for two dumplings.

China Doll 4, China Beach 1

In the end a comprehensive points decision in favour of the older sibling. Certainly not a knockout win but China Doll does everything that much better at the present, although China Beach is still a welcome newbie to the north side of Manly. The food is fresh, vibrant, generally delicious, and slightly predictable, but the sense of adventure is elusive. The location is grand and the view of the ocean through the Norfolk Island pines is picturesque, while the service is personable and warm without being officious. It's certainly a neat addition for the residents and beachgoers, but unless one is looking for quality Asian food with a view and atmosphere to match, Asian food fans from the south of the Harbour Bridge need not be troubled with the journey.

What we ordered:

Entrees: Sichuan spiced squid, steamed prawn sui mai

Mains: twice cooked free range duck, roasted pork belly

Total bill: $86 for two

The good: prawn sui mais, roasted pork belly, location, view of the Manly promenade, striking buddha statue, visually appealing dishes

The bad: Sichuan squid disappointingly average, duck overcooked for our tastes, serving sizes smaller than expected for the prices, alfresco dining often interrupted by gawkers

What the?: the tiled floor is glaringly out of place

www.chinabeach.com.au

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