Australian Restaurants

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Restaurants reviewed on this page:

* Taste of Oz (Ringland)

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25th March 2006 - Taste of Oz (Ringland)

1, The Street, Ringland, Norwich, Norfolk NR8 6AB
Tel: 01603 868214

Smoking: Strictly no

Parking: Yes and lots of it

Expect to pay: £30 a head (approx) for two courses with drinks and £35 a head (approx)for three courses with drinks

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Our fourth anniversary! We decided to come out here to celebrate it as we'd heard such good things about it and Catherine had also been here at Christmas with some friends and really liked it. And yes, I know, it's not strictly Norwich but it's the only Australian restaurant we've got and I can't go anywhere nowadays without reviewing it.
I was really excited about coming here as I'd been looking online at pictures of the really nice Sydney-esque restaurant interior and at the even better looking menu. I'd been talking about what I was going to have all week like an excited child. If I were you, I would also get online to look at the menu before you go because there are so many fanatastic-sounding things on there you might waste half your evening looking at it.
I have to say I was a little disappointed overall but can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe I'd built it up too much in my head. Maybe it was because it was a bit too overcrowded with big groups of people, which in turn lead to our service not being the best. It was pleasant enough, but the poor girl was rushed off her feet most of the night. Maybe it was because there were so many people that it didn't feel like a relaxing night out. Don't get me wrong, it being so busy is a good sign, but it was just a little too 'loud' for my liking. On another night, I probably wouldn't have minded to be fair.
Maybe it was because the portions were so big and a little off-putting. A word of advice before you go: Have a very early lunch or miss it altogether.
However, I will definitely be coming back for a second opinion, most probably in the summer. I had the best steak I have ever tasted and it sells Carlton Cold - the best lager in the world in my opinion and one of my favourite wines - Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Merlot. I can imagine on a quieter night it would be a fabulous place to come and eat. The decor, including the best chairs we've ever sat to eat on, the plastic fish and crocodiles on the wall and the mural of Sydney harbour really added to the atmosphere and kind of made you feel you could be in an Australian restaurant.
This may be the most contradictive review I have ever written.

I had: For starter I had the John Doyles Whole Stuffed King Prawns (as served at John Doyles in Sydney apparently!). I have to say I was more than a little surprised by this. As I didn't visit John Doyles in Sydney whilst I was there, this conjured up images of king prawns that had been butterflied, chargrilled and served in the shell. Nowhere does it say that they came in a really thick spicy batter and that there'd be SIX of these monsters! The dip they came with was wonderful. Fantastic value but just a bit too big for an appetiser. I felt quite full (and to be honest, a bit sick of the batter) afterwards.
For main course I had the 'Surf and Turf'. Words can't explain how much I hate the phrase surf and turf but I won't go into that now. However, if surf and turf means a fillet steak and a whole lobster with homemade chips and salad then I don't really care. It also came with battered onion rings but by now I'd had quite enough of batter and they were put to one side. I was quite disappointed by the lobster. Firstly, it wasn't a whole lobster as advertised on the menu, it was half, and to be honest it was a little 'dry' and chewy, like it had been slightly overcooked. It needed some kind of butter with it. My fault, I should've just asked but I wouldn't have been able to get the waitress's attention as she was busy with a party of 20. This isn't a complaint. I know what it's like to work on the floor of a restaurant and you can't be everywhere. The tailmeat, as always with a lobster, was fantastic. I had a great time cracking the shell and pulling and slurping out the meat.
Now, onto the 'turf' part of the meal (isn't that an awful image?) and the fillet steak. This is how a steak should be cooked. Aussies pride themselves on their steaks and this was just the best. Charred and almost black on the outside and pink and moist with a little trickle of blood in the middle. That, along with the beautiful homemade chips (which also went really well with the lobster) made me grin from ear to ear. I'd found the holy grail of steak. I doubt I'll have one anywhere else after this and that is the highest complement I can give it.
For dessert, we shared the hot chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice-cream. How does this place run at a profit? A huge doorstep slab of moist homemade chocolate sponge with a sickly-sweet chocolate topping with two massive blobs of gorgeous vanilla ice-cream. It was truly scrumptuous. I dare you, after eating what I had, to take on one of these by yourself. Fantastic value for money. I had to be rolled out the door.

Rating:

Food ***1/2 Service *** Atmosphere *** Menu ***** Wine/Drinks *****

OVERALL = ***1/2