Siren Bar and Restaurant, Gungahlin ACT

Siren Bar and Restaurant

http://www.sirenbar.com.au/

Food: 2.5/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Cost: $$

Loved the pillows in the dining area.

This was my second vivit to Siren Bar and Restaurant. I don't mind this place. Afterall, it is the only bar in the developing area of Gungahlin at this stage. I have a feeling that if there was another bar of this standard to appear in Gungahlin, Siren might actually pick up their game.

To begin my late lunch, I ordered the 'Oopsie Daisy Maisie' cocktail. Nothing special and too sweet for my liking. I opted out with trying anymore cocktails and stuck to the sparkling champagne, which was delicate and refreshing. I was super impressed with the 200mL Piccolo capacity champagne flutes! A big winner with me!

Oopsie Daisy Maisee - a combination of Vodka, Midori, Blue Curacao and Peach Schnapps topped with pinapple juice, lemonade and cream.

$16

200mL Piccolo of sparkling wine.

$7

My taste for Champagne didn't stop there and I decided to order the Champagne Risotto. Big mistake - it was bland, too peppery and didn't even contain the essence of Champagne. My friend ordered the Salt and Pepper Calamari and it proved to be tender and satisfying. I was salivating over the other meals I could see coming from the kitchen, including the Sirloin Steak dish, Vodka Infused Fish (massive!!) and various Tapas dishes. On this occasion I think I may have lucked out on my choice of meal. Just quietly, I also can't wait to go back and try their Toblerone cocktail.

The price is standard for a bar in Canberra, our meal and drinks coming to a total of about $100 for two. I just wished that the service had been better, as we had waited 20 minutes for our orders to be taken. The other annoying factor was that two thirds of the entire establishment had been booked out for two seperate parties. Not sure whether this is great for business or not, as we were limited as to where we could sit for the afternoon/evening.

Siren Bar and Restaurant has the potential to do really well in this area, yet in this case it seems that lack of competition has at times caused laziness.

Sundried tomato pizza bread.

$9.90

Unfortunately, it was undercooked but it still tasted delicious.

Champagne Risotto - a let down.

$22.90

Salt and Lemon Pepper Calamari

$14.90

Neeta's Indian Cuisine, Gungahlin ACT

Neeta's Indian Cuisine

http://www.neetas.com.au/

Food: 3/5
Atmosphere: 1.5/5
Service: 2.5/5
Cost: $$

Neeta's isn't pretty or fancy. The standard of food definitely makes up for the lack of ambience. The Chicken Korma was excellent and the Mango Lassi was refreshing, however the rest of the dishes we ordered were standard. I found the beef dishes a little chewy, but the chicken dishes were succulent and tender!

The waiteress was constantly asking if our meals were okay, or if we needed anything else. This intention was nice, but after the fifth time it became annoying. The meal came to a total of $81.00. I personally didn't think it was worth this amount of money, luckily we had a voucher to the value of $20 to use. In the future I wouldn't mind trying their 'Happy Hour' lunch special - all-you-can-eat vegetarian dishes at a set price.

Mango Lassi - sweetened yoghurt drink

$4.00

Mixed Platter - non-veg

$18.00

Beef Bhuna - tender meat tossed with capsicum and onion

$15.90

Chicken Korma - boneless meat cooked in thick coconut gravy

$15.90

A combination of Aloo Kulcha ($3.50) and Naan ($3.00)

Raita

Not as tender as it looks.

Vegetable Biryani $12.50

Gungahlin Thai Kitchen, ACT

Gungahlin Thai Kitchen

http://www.gungahlinthaikitchen.com.au/

Food: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Cost: $$

As far as dining goes, Monday nights in Gungahlin are quiet. The restaurant we had intended to try that night was closed, so we ventured into Gungahlin Thai Kitchen. The place seemed relatively new and the restaurant was simple, well set out and clean. I noticed a lot of people walking past and stopping to read the menu which was displayed at the front window. We were the only diners in the restaurant for that particular period of the evening, however the kitchen seemed quite busy with takeaway orders for a majority of that time. (Mind you, we sat down at our table for an early 6pm meal!)

The food in general was good - standard Thai at the best. The Laksa was a dish that I would come back for and the Coconut Prawn Cutlets were delicious! The bill for two people came to $73 in total. The meal sizes were decent, yet I thought $73 was a bit steep in comparison to other Asian restaurants of the same quality.

I like Asian restaurants which place pictures of their food on their menus.

The service was good, with our meals coming out at convenient intervals. We were able to finish our entrees without feeling too rushed. I tend to find that some Asian restaurants tend to bring their main meals out before the entrees are even halfway through being finished. The waitress was helpful in making menu suggestions (she suggested that the Laksa was the nicest noodle dish, and we were glad she gave us this tip) however at times I felt that the takeaway customers were being attended to when dishes should have been cleared from our table more efficiently.

Gungahlin Thai Kitchen isn't the best Thai dining experience in Gungahlin, but I would still recommend it for a quick Laksa lunch deal.

Spicy fish cakes (4) $8.00

These were delectable and tasted authentic and homemade.

Coconut prawn cutlets (4) $10.00

The coconut batter was refreshing and non-greasy.

Coconut juice! $3.50

Thai Iced Tea with Milk ($3.50)

I highly recommend this if you're a coffee lover. This was quite strong, yet very well balanced with the milk and sugar.

The real flowers were a cute decoration and very appealing to the eye.

Chicken Laksa $13

'Musmun' Curry Beef ($18)

Strange to be selling this in a Thai restaurant?

Black sticky rice served with vanilla ice cream ($7)

Doey's new fav! The white sauce was really salty but contrasted successfully with the sweetness of the sticky rice.