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Restaurant Doctor

Welcome to Restaurant Doctor, the only service of its type on the net. Here’s how it works.

You need a restaurant for a special event – visiting family from out of town, to propose, to seduce, to party - whatever.

Ask the Restaurant Doctor a question

Some questions our Doctor has already answered

40th Birthday

Question
I want to arrange a 40th birthday but i am on a budget a the moment i have about 30 family and friends and we want to go to a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant in the western suburb if possible. pls help me
Answer
Jocelyn – you’ve chosen the right cuisines for both budget and numbers.

Here goes.  My only Vietnamese suggestion is Ben Ngu (260 Marrickville road Marrickville 9560 2120), a place  I first visited when it was in Bankstown. The food is from Hue, the old capital, and really good. Ask the owner for help choosing. Then another old favourite Good Luck (180 Liverpool road Enfield 9747 4625) especially if you like Peking duck – one of the best in town. And finally, Cantonese at Excellent Chinese (Shop E101 Carlingford Court Carlingford 9873 6113) big, noisy and fun.

And HBTY from the doctor

16th Birthday

Question
Hey, im looking for a place to have my 16th birthday, with 25 people. I want a place that is about $15 each, and if possible next to either Hurstville area or Belfield area :) thankyou.
Answer
Christina – with that budget and that number I’d strongly recommend Chinese – especially where you are as at least one choice  – and I’d also strongly recommend you ring and book and work out a banquet at that price before you go.

With that in mind my first choice would be the very popular Shanghai Yang Zhou (177 Forest Road Hurstville 9580 9188) with a huge menu so something for everyone. Another possibility is Mancini’s@Belfield (21 Burwood Road  9742 5945) especially if you’ve got picky eaters in your group (you can’t go wrong with pizza). And finally a bet each way at Allyson’s Woodfired Pizza and Lebanese (Shop 5/29 Burwood Road Belfield 9742 3341) – two ways to go.

Either way have a great sixteenth Christina

The doctor

Birthday Dinner

Question
I want to hold my b'day party with around 25 people and a budget of around $30–$35. could you suggest any place? Thanks a lot. Sherly
Answer
Hi Sherly

If you and your friends are fans of Chinese food, you could have a slap-up meal within your budget at Sydney Beijing Restaurant (335 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, Ph 9716 5523). Gutsy home-style cooking best describes it and they do a mean Peking duck. There are some Szechuan influences in some of the dishes, which are liberally scattered with whole dried chillies, and other dishes with mysterious names often turn out to be worth a punt. It’ll suit the adventurous as well as those after more familiar dishes.

Turkish is another option and Erciyes in Surry Hills is a great place to party. They do banquets for $40 per person which includes soft drink and tea/coffee. But I’d be inclined to ditch that and just order a heap of dips, a few pides, grills and salads and get everyone to share. You won’t need a main for each person, especially bearing in mind how much bread everyone eats at these places, and you’ll get out for under $35 per person for food.

Lebanese is another option and Almustafa in Glebe has a buzzy, fun atmosphere and flavoursome food that’s perfect for a large group, even if there’s a vegetarian or two in the ranks. Again, you can opt for a banquet, which range from $38 through to $55 for the King’s Feast, or order a stack of mezze and mains to share. If you can stretch to $45 for the banquet in the upstairs Cushion Lounge, they have belly dancers on the weekend and a real party atmosphere.

Happy birthday!

Hen's night

Question
I am organising a hens’ night and am looking for a restaurant in Manly that has a private room for a group of 10–15…
Answer
Hi Mel
There’s one place that would do nicely and that’s Whitewater. It’s like a very chic white beach-house right on the beach and has a private dining room for up to 22 people. Their winter menu for functions looks gorgeous and I’m sure would keep everyone happy. Check it out here:

http://www.whitewaterrestaurant.com.au/SiteMedia/w3svc517/Uploads/Documents/whitewater%20function%20menu%20winter%202010.pdf

Garfish has lovely private rooms but needs bigger groups than yours to open them. Keep it in mind if your group blows out to 25 or more. Have fun!

Staff Dinner

Question
Hi - I'm looking for a venue for a staff dinner for about 15 - 20ppl. We have a limited budget of about $30 per head and ideally would like to have it in The Rocks / Circular Quay or that end of the city. A BYO restaurant would be ideal. Any suggestions?
Answer
Michelle – Sorry to break the news, but you won’t find any pure BYO down that end of town – that’s the big  money end, and that’s how restaurants make money – selling booze. And I’m afraid that you might have to raise your budget - $30 a head might work in Newtown or Marrickville, but tough to come up with in the northern end of the city. I’d suggest you try negotiating.
 
That said we did find one place which will allow BYO (better check corkage) Haemil (Gateway Building Shop 1 Macquarie Place Circular Quay 9241 3317) a Korean place with some good press.
 
In the same building is Neptune Palace (Gateway Building Level 1 9241 3338), Malay Chinese, very good food and offers banquets from  $48 a head.
 
And finally, Wine Odyssey  (39-43 Argyle Street The Rocks
8114 0256) a place that specializes in Australian wine, and matching it with good simple and relatively inexpensive food – and they’re happy to look after groups.
 
Good luck
 
The Doctor
 
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