In General
I lived in Busselton for a year and a half before we finally ventured to The Goose. What initially put me off was the menu on their website contained no vegetarian options as mains (other than perhaps salad). Despite this, we had a special occasion to celebrate so we thought we should try somewhere different, and The Goose is definitely special.
The Food
The menu had been changed and there were a few options that appeared meat free. I opted for the roast butternut pumpkin risotto with rocket & roasted roma salad, shaved parmesan and balsamic reduction ($26.50). I was surprised by the portion size when the meal arrived at our table. The pumpkin risotto was a small square offering with salad on the side and the balsamic reduction dribbled over it. It’s not that I mind small portion sizes at restaurants (so long of course they’ve gone for quantity over quality), but that my dining partner’s meal was huge. The risotto was the cheapest main on the menu, with the Pork Belly being around $6 dearer, but it was over double the size. Aside from that, the risotto was very good without being brilliant. It’s main appeal was its more patty like texture rather than the creamy offerings of say the Dome’s pumpkin risotto or The Vasse’s. It wasn’t necessarily better, but it was different, which is sometimes just as good.
Atmosphere/Service
While Holden shirts may not be out of place at The Esplanade, nor footy jumpers at The Vasse, The Goose provides a much more classy venue for an evening meal. Words can’t do the view justice, although having spent many hours out on the Busselton Jetty, the location of the Goose was always going to be a winner in our books. The service was also immaculate but the atmosphere was a little stiff. However, the timing of our arrival unintentionally coincided perfectly with the sun setting over the bay, which demanded far more of our attention than anything happening inside the restaurant.
To conclude
Despite maybe the minor gripe with the portion size, I still want to refer to our dining experience at The Goose as perfect. The meals are more expensive than other favourite restaurants in Busselton, but the quality and presentation of the food, the superb service and the unbeatable location make it worth the extra cost. We definitely will not be waiting another 18 months before we return.
Food 8/10
Value 7.5/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Service 9/10
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The High Road Hotel
The Food
The menu didn’t have an overwhelming selection of vegetarian options. The standard pizza was present, so I went with that. It had all the makings of a good pizza with toppings of zucchini, sweet potato, pumpkin and funky cheese that was definitely the best suited gourmet cheese I’ve had on a pizza. The pizza was the last of the meals to come out, but was oddly over cooked which gave an otherwise brilliant vegetarian pizza an unfortunate burnt taste.
The presentation of the meat meals were very well done with all fellow diners appearing to have thoroughly enjoyed their meals.
The Beverages
As it was during exam period, I was strictly on water but the beers were constantly coming to our table. They were reasonably priced, but turned out very cheap when the waitress forgot to add half of them to the bill. We brought this to her attention and still were not charged for them which was a major bonus.
Atmosphere/Service
Loved it! The girls serving us were very friendly and made the experience a lot more pleasant than similar bistros. Only complaint was the excessive wait between starters and mains, but other than that, loved it!
Food 6.5/10
Value 7/10
Service 9/10
Atmosphere 8/10
The menu didn’t have an overwhelming selection of vegetarian options. The standard pizza was present, so I went with that. It had all the makings of a good pizza with toppings of zucchini, sweet potato, pumpkin and funky cheese that was definitely the best suited gourmet cheese I’ve had on a pizza. The pizza was the last of the meals to come out, but was oddly over cooked which gave an otherwise brilliant vegetarian pizza an unfortunate burnt taste.
The presentation of the meat meals were very well done with all fellow diners appearing to have thoroughly enjoyed their meals.
The Beverages
As it was during exam period, I was strictly on water but the beers were constantly coming to our table. They were reasonably priced, but turned out very cheap when the waitress forgot to add half of them to the bill. We brought this to her attention and still were not charged for them which was a major bonus.
Atmosphere/Service
Loved it! The girls serving us were very friendly and made the experience a lot more pleasant than similar bistros. Only complaint was the excessive wait between starters and mains, but other than that, loved it!
Food 6.5/10
Value 7/10
Service 9/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Ironbark Brewery (otherwise known as EPIC FAIL).
In General
Okay, so we went to Ironbark for my birthday lunch, therefore I was in the mood to have a good day. However, with flu season upon us my dining party ended up being just a small group of us with too many reserved seats, which already had me pretty bummed. Things didn’t get any better.
Food
The vego options on offer were: nachos ($14), vegetarian baguette ($14) and vegetarian pizza ($21.50). I went with the pizza option. It was all bad. The toppings available were very basic and resulted in a boring meal however that’s not why I was so disappointed. There were bits of ham! Not a whole heap as in they had given me the wrong toppings but just a few to indicate that they had been careless applying the toppings. I rarely take a meal back. If something is missing or is shit, I tend to just put up with it and then not go back to the place. However, I pulled the few bits of ham off and continued eating a few slices only to find that there was ham UNDERNEATH my pizza, on the fucking plate. I took the pizza back to the counter and the girl seemed pretty unimpressed at having to remake the pizza. I asked for just a small one as I had already had a few slices. Although I didn’t ask for one, a refund of the difference or a comp would have been nice, if not expected in the situation. She did apologise and was kinder and more sincere with her apology when she bought the replacement out but I was still very unimpressed.
The other thing that annoyed me was that the pizzas for the table were brought out at least 10 minutes before the rest of the meals. I understand that they are cooked in different parts of the venue, but the people with pizzas were finished before the others received their meals.
The Beer
The beverages faired a little better than the food. The debilitator was very good for a darker ale as I usually don’t enjoy the darker beers that much and the wheat was the best beer I had that day (we ventured off to a few different places afterwards.)
Atmosphere/Service
The bar staff were very friendly and didn’t harass my friend for not having I.D. after being asked for it (we are in our mid-20s after all). The atmosphere was solid but the band had the worst song choices for a sunny Sunday afternoon with depressing covers of songs such as Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here (LOVE the song, but not when I’m trying to have fun).
Closing Comments
Being my birthday lunch and at a brewery, we weren’t really there for the food. We were there to have a good time and drink some beer. However, the restaurant managed to perform so poorly that it ruined the quality of the beer and we hurried along to the next brewery as soon as we could. If anything, I got the impression that they just weren’t trying that hard to provide quality food, particularly not vegetarian. Very disappointed.
Food 0/10
Value 0/10
Beer 7/10
Service 6/10
Atmosphere 3/10
Okay, so we went to Ironbark for my birthday lunch, therefore I was in the mood to have a good day. However, with flu season upon us my dining party ended up being just a small group of us with too many reserved seats, which already had me pretty bummed. Things didn’t get any better.
Food
The vego options on offer were: nachos ($14), vegetarian baguette ($14) and vegetarian pizza ($21.50). I went with the pizza option. It was all bad. The toppings available were very basic and resulted in a boring meal however that’s not why I was so disappointed. There were bits of ham! Not a whole heap as in they had given me the wrong toppings but just a few to indicate that they had been careless applying the toppings. I rarely take a meal back. If something is missing or is shit, I tend to just put up with it and then not go back to the place. However, I pulled the few bits of ham off and continued eating a few slices only to find that there was ham UNDERNEATH my pizza, on the fucking plate. I took the pizza back to the counter and the girl seemed pretty unimpressed at having to remake the pizza. I asked for just a small one as I had already had a few slices. Although I didn’t ask for one, a refund of the difference or a comp would have been nice, if not expected in the situation. She did apologise and was kinder and more sincere with her apology when she bought the replacement out but I was still very unimpressed.
The other thing that annoyed me was that the pizzas for the table were brought out at least 10 minutes before the rest of the meals. I understand that they are cooked in different parts of the venue, but the people with pizzas were finished before the others received their meals.
The Beer
The beverages faired a little better than the food. The debilitator was very good for a darker ale as I usually don’t enjoy the darker beers that much and the wheat was the best beer I had that day (we ventured off to a few different places afterwards.)
Atmosphere/Service
The bar staff were very friendly and didn’t harass my friend for not having I.D. after being asked for it (we are in our mid-20s after all). The atmosphere was solid but the band had the worst song choices for a sunny Sunday afternoon with depressing covers of songs such as Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here (LOVE the song, but not when I’m trying to have fun).
Closing Comments
Being my birthday lunch and at a brewery, we weren’t really there for the food. We were there to have a good time and drink some beer. However, the restaurant managed to perform so poorly that it ruined the quality of the beer and we hurried along to the next brewery as soon as we could. If anything, I got the impression that they just weren’t trying that hard to provide quality food, particularly not vegetarian. Very disappointed.
Food 0/10
Value 0/10
Beer 7/10
Service 6/10
Atmosphere 3/10
Mash Brewing (Bunbury)
The beer
To begin with I ordered their newest beer, the Bunbury Blonde ($7 for a regular). I didn’t enjoy it very much as it lacked the smoothness and easy drinking characteristics that are the most attractive features of the more commercial Blondes on the market. They did however have quite a few other beers on offer that may be worth exploring in the future.
The food
There were two vegetarian non-salad options available: eggplant pizza or roasted vegetable filo. I opted for the filo only to be told they didn’t have any made up. A disappointing start to the evening but the p
izza ($21) sounded nice enough. Unfortunately, it too was disappointing. It’s not that the pizza was bad, it was just boring. The sauce was plain and personally I thought that the choice of using Danish feta instead of a chewier textured feta was a poor decision. I love the simplicity of Little Creature’s pizzas served with great beer, but the Mash’s eggplant pizza managed to be too simple. In contrast, Mash was more like my Father’s home brew served with my own homemade pizza. Not bad, but not something you want to pay much money for, and definitely not worth $4 more than the Little Creatures pizza I last had.
Atmosphere/Service
The location, on the Marlston waterfront, makes Mash one of the most beautiful places in Bunbury to dine. The design and layout of the restaurant with lots of open space, large communal tables and long windows to view the surroundings was perfect. The service was also flawless. With such competent staff and the great location, it made it even more disappointing that the food was so forgettable and the beer not to my taste.
Food 5/10
Value 3.5/10
Service 8/10
Atmosphere 8/10
To begin with I ordered their newest beer, the Bunbury Blonde ($7 for a regular). I didn’t enjoy it very much as it lacked the smoothness and easy drinking characteristics that are the most attractive features of the more commercial Blondes on the market. They did however have quite a few other beers on offer that may be worth exploring in the future.
The food
There were two vegetarian non-salad options available: eggplant pizza or roasted vegetable filo. I opted for the filo only to be told they didn’t have any made up. A disappointing start to the evening but the p
izza ($21) sounded nice enough. Unfortunately, it too was disappointing. It’s not that the pizza was bad, it was just boring. The sauce was plain and personally I thought that the choice of using Danish feta instead of a chewier textured feta was a poor decision. I love the simplicity of Little Creature’s pizzas served with great beer, but the Mash’s eggplant pizza managed to be too simple. In contrast, Mash was more like my Father’s home brew served with my own homemade pizza. Not bad, but not something you want to pay much money for, and definitely not worth $4 more than the Little Creatures pizza I last had.Atmosphere/Service
The location, on the Marlston waterfront, makes Mash one of the most beautiful places in Bunbury to dine. The design and layout of the restaurant with lots of open space, large communal tables and long windows to view the surroundings was perfect. The service was also flawless. With such competent staff and the great location, it made it even more disappointing that the food was so forgettable and the beer not to my taste.
Food 5/10
Value 3.5/10
Service 8/10
Atmosphere 8/10
The Esplanade Hotel (Busselton)
The Food
The Esplanade serves hearty pub food at reasonable prices. They have two vegetarian options: vegetable lasagna; and vegetable filo. However, the filo is almost always unavailable. Vegetable lasagna reminds me of the days I first became vegetarian and would eat the hideously bad frozen meals available in supermarkets. Fortunately, the Esplanade’s lasagna is far better. With chunky vegetables, perfect sauce and a cheesy top served with beer battered chips it is always reliably good. For an entree, a complimentary salad bar is available. The soup often contains meat, however, on my latest visit it was white onion and garlic which was a beautiful start to the meal. The salad bar is limited in its options, and some do contain meat, however the mains are on the larger side so there is no need to go wild with the salad anyway.
Non-Vego
The mains are simple but very enticing. Huge chunks of steak are accompanied by chips and your choice of sauce. My dining partners have always come away satisfied and happy with their meals.
Atmosphere/Service
The Esplanade is quite drab in its appearance. The simplicity of the food and its presentation is equalled by the appearance of the main dining area. Orders are placed at the bar and this results in waiters buzzing around when the place is busy trying to find the table the food belongs at, often doing two or three laps. However, as the meals are relatively cheap, the lack of service is forgivable.
In General
The Esplanade is an old reliable favourite that always produces simple, enjoyable meals. If you are looking for a dining out experience, perhaps try somewhere a bit more scenic (The Goose/Equinox) or somewhere with a bit more of a lively atmosphere (The Vasse) however if you are just after a good meal at a reasonable price then the Esplanade is definitely a good option.
Food 7/10
Value 8/10
Atmosphere 4/10
Service 4/10
The Esplanade serves hearty pub food at reasonable prices. They have two vegetarian options: vegetable lasagna; and vegetable filo. However, the filo is almost always unavailable. Vegetable lasagna reminds me of the days I first became vegetarian and would eat the hideously bad frozen meals available in supermarkets. Fortunately, the Esplanade’s lasagna is far better. With chunky vegetables, perfect sauce and a cheesy top served with beer battered chips it is always reliably good. For an entree, a complimentary salad bar is available. The soup often contains meat, however, on my latest visit it was white onion and garlic which was a beautiful start to the meal. The salad bar is limited in its options, and some do contain meat, however the mains are on the larger side so there is no need to go wild with the salad anyway.
Non-Vego
The mains are simple but very enticing. Huge chunks of steak are accompanied by chips and your choice of sauce. My dining partners have always come away satisfied and happy with their meals.
Atmosphere/Service
The Esplanade is quite drab in its appearance. The simplicity of the food and its presentation is equalled by the appearance of the main dining area. Orders are placed at the bar and this results in waiters buzzing around when the place is busy trying to find the table the food belongs at, often doing two or three laps. However, as the meals are relatively cheap, the lack of service is forgivable.
In General
The Esplanade is an old reliable favourite that always produces simple, enjoyable meals. If you are looking for a dining out experience, perhaps try somewhere a bit more scenic (The Goose/Equinox) or somewhere with a bit more of a lively atmosphere (The Vasse) however if you are just after a good meal at a reasonable price then the Esplanade is definitely a good option.
Food 7/10
Value 8/10
Atmosphere 4/10
Service 4/10
Tony Roma (Perth)
In general
I knew Tony Roma’s was not going to be a very vegetarian friendly restaurant. However, my two previous dinner outings with my family had been to a strictly vegetarian restaurant and a Japanese restaurant. My father is very much a simple meat and mash kind of guy, so to compensate for the lack of steak in the previous two outings, we headed to the land of big ribs and coleslaw. Put simply, Roma’s does not even try to accommodate vegetarians, so be aware that you’ll be taking one for the team if your meat eating consorts decide to go here for dinner.
The food
We ordered the onion loaf to share for our entree. We decided as a group that this unique creation was somewhat like Hungry Jack’s onion rings, except it tasted far better. Even the meat eaters went away talking about the onion loaf rather than their ribs and steaks. In regards to mains, the only vegetarian options were salads, and expensive salads at that. I loathe having to order salad for a main when out to dinner. I’m very much a tofu or pasta type person. I ended up ordering the Caesar salad, as it was the only salad that didn’t contain meat to begin with. Put simply, it was a bowl of lettuce. A $14.90 bowl of lettuce with parmesan and Caesar dressing mixed through it with a few croutons thrown in. To be fair, the menu described exactly what I was given, yet I was still flabbergasted that it was more or less a big bowl of lettuce. My friend noted that “you may be taking one for the team here, but that is just ridiculous.” Perhaps the only positive thing I could say was that the dressing was definitely above average. It is offered as a side as well, so if you find yourself being dragged along here, perhaps ordering two side dishes instead of a main might be a better option.
Atmosphere/Service
Our waiter had a thick accent and her understanding of English was limited. This wasn’t a big deal; it just meant having to repeat a few orders and worrying whether she had taken everything down correctly. In her favour, she was exceptionally pleasant. The other quirk was when we asked for water we had a waiter come around with a jug and individually pour our water for us. Not being a high end restaurant, we would have just preferred the jug placed at our table for us to pour at our own convenience. The feel of the restaurant was quite American, with the big screen TV airing ESPN, which is obviously attributable to where this chain developed. In general, it felt more like a place to get boisterous with mates than enjoy a family dinner.
Food 4/10
Value 1/10
Service 6.5/10
Atmosphere 6/10
I knew Tony Roma’s was not going to be a very vegetarian friendly restaurant. However, my two previous dinner outings with my family had been to a strictly vegetarian restaurant and a Japanese restaurant. My father is very much a simple meat and mash kind of guy, so to compensate for the lack of steak in the previous two outings, we headed to the land of big ribs and coleslaw. Put simply, Roma’s does not even try to accommodate vegetarians, so be aware that you’ll be taking one for the team if your meat eating consorts decide to go here for dinner.
The food
We ordered the onion loaf to share for our entree. We decided as a group that this unique creation was somewhat like Hungry Jack’s onion rings, except it tasted far better. Even the meat eaters went away talking about the onion loaf rather than their ribs and steaks. In regards to mains, the only vegetarian options were salads, and expensive salads at that. I loathe having to order salad for a main when out to dinner. I’m very much a tofu or pasta type person. I ended up ordering the Caesar salad, as it was the only salad that didn’t contain meat to begin with. Put simply, it was a bowl of lettuce. A $14.90 bowl of lettuce with parmesan and Caesar dressing mixed through it with a few croutons thrown in. To be fair, the menu described exactly what I was given, yet I was still flabbergasted that it was more or less a big bowl of lettuce. My friend noted that “you may be taking one for the team here, but that is just ridiculous.” Perhaps the only positive thing I could say was that the dressing was definitely above average. It is offered as a side as well, so if you find yourself being dragged along here, perhaps ordering two side dishes instead of a main might be a better option.
Atmosphere/Service
Our waiter had a thick accent and her understanding of English was limited. This wasn’t a big deal; it just meant having to repeat a few orders and worrying whether she had taken everything down correctly. In her favour, she was exceptionally pleasant. The other quirk was when we asked for water we had a waiter come around with a jug and individually pour our water for us. Not being a high end restaurant, we would have just preferred the jug placed at our table for us to pour at our own convenience. The feel of the restaurant was quite American, with the big screen TV airing ESPN, which is obviously attributable to where this chain developed. In general, it felt more like a place to get boisterous with mates than enjoy a family dinner.
Food 4/10
Value 1/10
Service 6.5/10
Atmosphere 6/10
Tangle Head Brewery (Albany)
The Build Up
It was all about the alcohol when we arrived at Tangle Head. We had spent the afternoon on a superb wine tasting tour (Grape Southern Tours, I would highly recommend the tour to anyone spending some time in Albany) and were keen to follow it up with sampling the local beers. After about four tasting trays between the eight of us (we had such a great time on the tour that we all went on to the brewery together) we settled on a pint of White Ale. I had been cautioned about its strong banana flavour earlier in the day and went in quite sceptical but it turned out to be one of the better beers I’ve had in awhile.
The Food
The vegetarian options were not listed on the menu. Instead, we were instructed to ask the waiter as to the current vegetarian options. I was impressed that our waiter was able to list them off without a moment’s hesitation. The standard response is usually “ah, I’ll just go check for you.” The options were vegetable curry, pizza or spinach and ricotta tortellini. I didn’t want to chance the curry and I’ve become quite bored of pizza so I decided to go with the tortellini. We also ordered bruchetta for an entree. We decided to indulge in another pint of white ale with our food. The beer was delivered by a different waiter and we received only a middy each. We asked what had been put on the bill and we were reassured that we had only ordered middies. When our original waiter came back later, she noticed that we had been given middies and apologised for the
mistake.
I usually quite like brushetta but Tangle Heads version was doused not only in the usual oil but also with balsamic vinegar, making it rather damp.
The tortellini was enjoyable but the serving size was either quite small, or I was very hungry, as I managed to work my way through it quickly. Although, I have to admit that I’d prefer a smaller size that leaves me wanting more than a huge daunting size that feels like a chore to work through.
Non-vego
My dining partner wasn’t that impressed with her fish and chips, after an amusing confusion in regards to the batter. However, the restaurant was booked out so it is conceivable that their other options are quite popular. We were there at the height of the tourist season, so it may have also just been booked out by tourists like ourselves looking to try out a new restaurant.
Atmosphere/Service
Other than the mix up with the size of the beer, the service was commendable. Our waiter seemed quite flustered and rushed, but was pleasant to deal with and managed to squeeze us in despite being booked out. The atmosphere was brilliant. We had been told that Tangle Head was popular with the freshly legal 18/19 year olds which can be off putting to those in the mid twenties and above. However, there was a good mix of ages the night we were there.
In General
If you love sampling new beers like myself, definitely venture out to Tangle Head if you visit Albany. The food comes secondary to the beers, but is good enough to enjoy with a pint or three of White Ale.
Food 6.5/10
Value 6.5/10
Beer 9/10
Service 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
The Food
The vegetarian options were not listed on the menu. Instead, we were instructed to ask the waiter as to the current vegetarian options. I was impressed that our waiter was able to list them off without a moment’s hesitation. The standard response is usually “ah, I’ll just go check for you.” The options were vegetable curry, pizza or spinach and ricotta tortellini. I didn’t want to chance the curry and I’ve become quite bored of pizza so I decided to go with the tortellini. We also ordered bruchetta for an entree. We decided to indulge in another pint of white ale with our food. The beer was delivered by a different waiter and we received only a middy each. We asked what had been put on the bill and we were reassured that we had only ordered middies. When our original waiter came back later, she noticed that we had been given middies and apologised for the
mistake.I usually quite like brushetta but Tangle Heads version was doused not only in the usual oil but also with balsamic vinegar, making it rather damp.
The tortellini was enjoyable but the serving size was either quite small, or I was very hungry, as I managed to work my way through it quickly. Although, I have to admit that I’d prefer a smaller size that leaves me wanting more than a huge daunting size that feels like a chore to work through.
Non-vego
My dining partner wasn’t that impressed with her fish and chips, after an amusing confusion in regards to the batter. However, the restaurant was booked out so it is conceivable that their other options are quite popular. We were there at the height of the tourist season, so it may have also just been booked out by tourists like ourselves looking to try out a new restaurant.
Atmosphere/Service
Other than the mix up with the size of the beer, the service was commendable. Our waiter seemed quite flustered and rushed, but was pleasant to deal with and managed to squeeze us in despite being booked out. The atmosphere was brilliant. We had been told that Tangle Head was popular with the freshly legal 18/19 year olds which can be off putting to those in the mid twenties and above. However, there was a good mix of ages the night we were there.
In General
If you love sampling new beers like myself, definitely venture out to Tangle Head if you visit Albany. The food comes secondary to the beers, but is good enough to enjoy with a pint or three of White Ale.
Food 6.5/10
Value 6.5/10
Beer 9/10
Service 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
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