Colonel Tans

I felt slightly hesitant as we walked down Chapel St and up the stairs to Melbourne’s iconic 24-hour night club Revolver.  Its only 7pm on a Friday night and no, we are not trying to beat the lines, instead we have a booking with friends for dinner at the quirky Colonel Tans restaurant, located on the upper level of the club.  

Colonel Tans is the inspiration of Karen Batson, head chef of renowned inner city gastro-bars Cookie and The Toff in Town. Serving a cultural mix of traditional Thai and American Diner treats, the restaurant’s menu is a mixed and muddled as the decor in which you enjoy it.  The room is lit with an orange glow while guests sit happily around dinette dining sets covered with plastic floral table cloths, circa the 1950s. The walls are lined with a miss mash of vintage pictures, post cards, photos and scraps of images, most of which were probably found during numerous Sunday afternoon visits to the Chapel St Bazaar next door.  The atmosphere is laid back and offbeat.

As we cheers to Friday evening and chatter over the loud buzz of the restaurant and music streaming from next door, we decide it is time to eat.  Pondering over the menu items, which includes Bangkok bolognaise and tofu burgers, we keep it safe and order the Rendang Chicken Curry Dip with Roti Bread, Corn Fritters with Sweet Chilli, Deep Fried Chilli Squid and Chicken & Kaffir Lime Nuggets with Cucumber Relish. While the corn fritters and squid were on par to expectations, the stand out for me tonight is the nuggets. A new take on the traditional ingredients and flavours of a Thai fish cake, dipped in the cucumber relish they are delish… who would have guessed.

The drinks are flowing as we settle into the evening and the Colonel Tan vibe around us as we order our mains. This time sticking to the traditional we choose the Green Chicken Curry with Rice & Salted Egg Salad, Penang Lamb Curry with Rice & Eggplant Salad, Stir Fried Beef Basil with Eggplant & Chilli and Stir Fried Chicken with Wild Ginger & Black Mushrooms. The curries are just what I was after, rich, creamy and bursting with spice! The ginger chicken has a refreshing ginger bite although is a little lack lustre compared to the others but the beef basil is what leaves us all talking. Instead of your regular sizzling plate of beef strips, vegetables and basil we are served a small bowl of grainy minced beef? The flavour was definitely there although it was the texture of the dish that threw us off.

Full and content we order the bill. Although Colonel Tans prides itself on being fun and affordable with main dishes averaging around the $16 mark, they can certainly catch you with the drinks bill. Watch out for the novelty of Peronie on tap because it will cost you more than you’re starter at $14 a pint. 

As the band starts up down stairs we take our cue and make our way out into the warm November evening, bidding farewell to each other and the eccentric Colonel Tans. 

11 O’s out of 20

229 Chapel St, Prahran

Jalan Double Six, Seminyak

The evening is warm and the humidity clings in the air and on our skin as we make our way along the streets of Bali to Sarong Restaurant. It is relatively quiet for Bali, just on the tail end of school holiday madness, however as we arrive at one of Seminyaks most popular eating destinations we decide that most of Bali must actually be here! The restaurant is alive with exotic aromas and the buzz of holiday makers enjoying guilt free mid week cocktails. 

Sarong is a cool, calm, oasis of luxurious decor, inspiring cocktails and food that you can’t help but talk about for days after. Soft lighting, dark mahogany tables accompanied by provincial arm chairs and low back couches overflowing with cushions, chandeliers and a sea of floral displays work together to create an unforgettable dining experience.

Before we are seated for dinner we perch ourselves at the bar and sample some of the more exotic and exciting cocktails I have tried during my time in Bali. I start with a mango and pomegranate mojito…. I am instantly in love. This is followed by a Sarong Crush, lemon meringue pie in a glass…. sweet, sickly and delicious!

The menu at Sarong is a delicious mix of Asian and Indian classics. We order a serve of the Vietnamese caramalized duck with young coconut juice black pepper & fresh lime; Tandoori butter chicken with cashew nuts ginger & tomato sauce; Phanang curry of wagyu beef cheek with chili Thai basil & crushed peanuts and Lamb korma with cardamon ginger cashewnuts & garam masala.

The caramalised duck is sticky and sweet with a golden crunch on the outer skin that covers the delicate rich meat within. The tandoori butter chicken, always a must on my Indian wish list, is a perfect combination of cream, chard tomato and tandoori and the meat dishes are each cooked perfectly with the lamb and wagu beef breaking away with a light touch of the fork. No Indian feast should be without garlic nann bread to mop up the excess sauce, which is exactly what we do before sitting back and basking in the feast we have just devoured.

The quality of food in Bali has evolved over the years, with more and more restaurateurs making their mark on one of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations.  The number of unique and mouth watering dining experiences in Seminyak, along with my wish list, is ever expanding and Sarong is no doubt one of the best I have tried.

17 O's out of 20